Random oriented decoder for label decoding

Claim 2

Improved means for detecting and decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, comprising a plurality of sensor means imaging means interposed between said label and said plural sensor means for imaging said sensor means on said label scanning means for the collective image of said plural sensor means to provide a nutating scan with respect to said single information channel annular area of said label thereby to generate a frequency modulated phase modulated output signal wavetrain from each of said sensor means, each cycle of said wavetrain being representative of a data bit, plural decoding and data bit validity checking means, one for each of said sensor means, connected and responsive to the output of its associated sensor means to decode said output signals by converting them to N bit word information, and data validation circuit means comprising comparison means connected to each of said decoding means to receive and compare said N bit word information from each of said decoding means and gate out for use or display said N bit word determined to be true by the selected circuit validity criteria.

Claim 3

Improved means for detecting and decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, comprising a plurality of sensor means, imaging means interposed between said label and said plural sensor means for imaging said sensor means on said label, scanning means for the collective image of said plural sensor means to provide a nutating scan with respect to said single information channel annular area of said label thereby to generate a frequency modulated, phase modulated output signal wavetrain from each of said sensor means, each cycle of said wavetrain being representative of a data bit, plural decoding and data bit checking means, one for each of said sensor means, connected and responsive to the output of its associated sensor means to decode said output signals by converting them to N bit word information. plural N bit word storage unit means, one for each of said decoding means and connected to receive and store said N bit word information, and data validation circuit means comprising comparison means connected to said plural N bit word storage unit means and adapted to compare said N bit word information stored therein and gate out for use or display that N bit word determined to be true by the selected circuit validity criteria

Claim 4

Improved means for detecting and decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, comprising a plurality of sensor means, imaging means interposed between said label and said plural sensor means for imaging said sensor means on said label, scanning means for the collective image of said plural sensor means to provide a nutating scan with respect to said single information channel annular area of said label thereby to generate a frequency modulated, phase modulated output signal wavetrain from each of said sensor means, each cycle of said wavetrain being representative of a data bit, plural decoding and data bit checking means, one for each of said sensor means, connected and responsive to the output of its associated sensor means to decode said output signals by converting them to N bit word information. plural N bit word storage unit means, one for each of said decoding means and connected to receive and store said N bit word information, and data validation circuit means comprising comparison means connected to said plural N bit word storage unit means and adapted to compare said N bit word information stored therein and gate out for use or display that N bit word determined to be true by the selected circuit validity criteria

Claim 5

Improved means for detecting and decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, cOmprising a plurality of sensor means, imaging means interposed between said label and said plural sensor means for imaging said sensor means on said label, scanning means for nutating the collective image of said plural sensor means to provide a circular scan with respect to said single information channel annular area of said label thereby to generate a frequency modulated, phase modulated output signal wavetrain from each of said sensor means, each cycle of said wavetrain being representative of a data bit plural decoding means, one for each of said sensor means, connected and responsive to the output of its associated sensor means to decode said output signals by converting them to N bit word information, said decoding means being further adapted to validate said output signal wavetrain for label brightness, con-trast area relative angular extent and total number of bits in the label, plural N bit word storage unit means, one for each of said decoding means and connected to receive and store said N bit word information, and data validation circuit means comprising comparison means connected to said plural N bit word storage unit means and adapted to compare said N bit word information stored therein and gate out for use or display that N bit word determined to be true by the selected circuit validity criteria.

Claim 6

Improved means for detecting and decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, cOmprising a plurality of sensor means, imaging means interposed between said label and said plural sensor means for imaging said sensor means on said label, scanning means for nutating the collective image of said plural sensor means to provide a circular scan with respect to said single information channel annular area of said label thereby to generate a frequency modulated, phase modulated output signal wavetrain from each of said sensor means, each cycle of said wavetrain being representative of a data bit plural decoding means, one for each of said sensor means, connected and responsive to the output of its associated sensor means to decode said output signals by converting them to N bit word information, said decoding means being further adapted to validate said output signal wavetrain for label brightness, con-trast area relative angular extent and total number of bits in the label, plural N bit word storage unit means, one for each of said decoding means and connected to receive and store said N bit word information, and data validation circuit means comprising comparison means connected to said plural N bit word storage unit means and adapted to compare said N bit word information stored therein and gate out for use or display that N bit word determined to be true by the selected circuit validity criteria.

Claim 7

Improved means for detecting and decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, comprising sensor means, imaging means interposed between said sensor means and said label for imaging said sensor means on said label, scanning means for the image of said sensor means to provide a substantially circular scan of said image upon said single information channel annular area of said label thereby to generate a sequence of fre-quency modulated phase modulated output signal wavetrains N bits long interrupted by said start code bits and representative of said N bit word, two axis scan motor drive means adapted to sequen-tially relocate said sensor means to a programmed start location during the time domain of each start code bit, plural decoding and data bit validity checking means connected and responsive to said output signal wavetrain to decode the information therein by conversion to one N bit word for each programmed location, plural N bit word storage unit means, one for each of said programmed start locations, switching circuit means responsive to said start code bit and connected between said decoding means and said plural N bit word storage means to sequentially switch successive N bit word information to the N bit word storage unit means for each programmed start location, and data validation circuit means comprising comparison means connected to said plural N bit word storage unit means and adapted to compare said N bit word information stored therein and gate out for use or display that N bit word which is determined to be true by the selected circuit validity criteria.

Claim 8

Improved means for detecting and decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, comprising sensor means, imaging means interposed between said sensor means and said label for imaging said sensor means on said label, scanning means for the image of said sensor means to provide a substantially circular scan of said image upon said single information channel annular area of said label thereby to generate a sequence of fre-quency modulated phase modulated output signal wavetrains N bits long interrupted by said start code bits and representative of said N bit word, two axis scan motor drive means adapted to sequen-tially relocate said sensor means to a programmed start location during the time domain of each start code bit, plural decoding and data bit validity checking means connected and responsive to said output signal wavetrain to decode the information therein by conversion to one N bit word for each programmed location, plural N bit word storage unit means, one for each of said programmed start locations, switching circuit means responsive to said start code bit and connected between said decoding means and said plural N bit word storage means to sequentially switch successive N bit word information to the N bit word storage unit means for each programmed start location, and data validation circuit means comprising comparison means connected to said plural N bit word storage unit means and adapted to compare said N bit word information stored therein and gate out for use or display that N bit word which is determined to be true by the selected circuit validity criteria.

Claim 9

Improved means for detecting and decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, comprising moveable sensor means imaging means interposed between said sensor means and said label for imaging said sensor means on said label, means for nutating said sensor means to provide a substantially circular scan of said image upon said single information channel annular area of said label and for relocating said sensor means to a new programmed start location during the time domain of each start code bit thereby to generate plural sequences of frequEncy modulated phase modulated output signal wavetrains N bits long each representative of said N bit word, decoding and data bit validity checking means connected and responsive to said output signal wavetrain to decode the information therein by conversion to N bit word information, plural N bit word storage unit means one for each of said programmed start locations and each adapted to store the word corresponding to said programmed start location, and data validation circuit means comprising comparison means connected to said plural N bit word storage unit means and adapted to compare said N bit word information stored therein and gate out for use or display that N bit word which is determined to be true by the selected circuit valid-ity criteria.

Claim 10

Improved means for detecting and decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, comprising moveable sensor means imaging means interposed between said sensor means and said label for imaging said sensor means on said label, means for nutating said sensor means to provide a substantially circular scan of said image upon said single information channel annular area of said label and for relocating said sensor means to a new programmed start location during the time domain of each start code bit thereby to generate plural sequences of frequEncy modulated phase modulated output signal wavetrains N bits long each representative of said N bit word, decoding and data bit validity checking means connected and responsive to said output signal wavetrain to decode the information therein by conversion to N bit word information, plural N bit word storage unit means one for each of said programmed start locations and each adapted to store the word corresponding to said programmed start location, and data validation circuit means comprising comparison means connected to said plural N bit word storage unit means and adapted to compare said N bit word information stored therein and gate out for use or display that N bit word which is determined to be true by the selected circuit valid-ity criteria.

Claim 11

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of nutating the image of a sensor to effect a circular scan of said image with said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain representative of said N data bits separated by said start code bits, each cycle of said output wavetrain being representative of a data bit, and converting the output signal wavetrain to binary word information.

Claim 12

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of nutating the image of a sensor to effect a circular scan of said image with said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain representative of said N data bits separated by said start code bits, each cycle of said output wavetrain being representative of a data bit, and converting the output signal wavetrain to binary word information.

Claim 13

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of moving the image of a sensor to effect a substantially circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain representative of said N data bits separated by said start code bits, each cycle of said output wavetrain being representative of a data bit, and converting the output signal wavetrain to binary word information.

Claim 14

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of moving the image of a sensor to effect a substantially circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain representative of said N data bits separated by said start code bits, each cycle of said output wavetrain being representative of a data bit, and converting the output signal wavetrain to binary word information.

Claim 15

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of nutating the image of a sensor to effect a circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain representative of said N data abits separated by said start code bits, each cycle of said wavetrain being representative of a data bit, validating the data comprising said wavetrain for label brightness and contrast area relative angular extent and total number of bits in the label, and converting the output signal wavetrain to binary word information.

Claim 16

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of nutating the image of a sensor to effect a circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain representative of said N data abits separated by said start code bits, each cycle of said wavetrain being representative of a data bit, validating the data comprising said wavetrain for label brightness and contrast area relative angular extent and total number of bits in the label, and converting the output signal wavetrain to binary word information.

Claim 17

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of moving the image of a plurality of sensors to effect a substantially circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain from each of said sensors that is representative of said N data bit word separated by said start code bits, decoding the output signal wavetrain of each of said sensor means to provide an N bit word pulse-train for each of said sensor means, and validating the N bit word pulsetrains by comparing each of them to each other to satisfy a preselected validity criteria.

Claim 18

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of moving the image of a plurality of sensors to effect a substantially circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain from each of said sensors that is representative of said N data bit word separated by said start code bits, decoding the output signal wavetrain of each of said sensor means to provide an N bit word pulse-train for each of said sensor means, and validating the N bit word pulsetrains by comparing each of them to each other to satisfy a preselected validity criteria.

Claim 19

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coDed label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of moving the image of a plurality of sensors to effect a substantially circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain from each of said sensors that is representative of said N data bit word separated by said start code bits, decoding the output signal wavetrain of each of said sensor means to provide an N bit word pulsetrain for each of said sensor means, validating the N bit word pulsetrains by comparing each of them to each other for identical information content, and selecting for use or display that data which satisfied a preselected validity criteria.

Claim 20

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coDed label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of moving the image of a plurality of sensors to effect a substantially circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain from each of said sensors that is representative of said N data bit word separated by said start code bits, decoding the output signal wavetrain of each of said sensor means to provide an N bit word pulsetrain for each of said sensor means, validating the N bit word pulsetrains by comparing each of them to each other for identical information content, and selecting for use or display that data which satisfied a preselected validity criteria.

Claim 21

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of moving the image of a plurality of sensors to effect a substantially circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain from each of said sensors that is representative of said N data bit word separated by said start code bits, decoding and internally validating said output signal wavetrain of each of said sensor means to provide an N bit word pulsetrain, valid for label brightness, contrast area relative angular extent and total number of bits in the label, validating the N bit word pulsetrains by comparing each of them to each other for identical information content, and selecting for use or display that data which is identical in a preselected number of N bit word pulsetrains.

Claim 22

In a method for decoding information on a circularly coded label having a single channel of information arranged in the form of an annular area consisting of a start code bit and N data bits comprising an N bit word, each data bit comprising a pair of alternating contrast areas, the steps of moving the image of a plurality of sensors to effect a substantially circular scan of said image within said single information channel annular area of said label to thereby generate an output signal wavetrain from each of said sensors that is representative of said N data bit word separated by said start code bits, decoding and internally validating said output signal wavetrain of each of said sensor means to provide an N bit word pulsetrain, valid for label brightness, contrast area relative angular extent and total number of bits in the label, validating the N bit word pulsetrains by comparing each of them to each other for identical information content, and selecting for use or display that data which is identical in a preselected number of N bit word pulsetrains.