Bar/half-bar optical code reader

Claim 2

A bar code reader for producing output signals indicative of a pattern of full bars and half-bars disposed upon a document transported through said reader, siad bar code reader, comprising: a columnar array of at least three separate photosensitive elements; means for projecting an image of the bar code pattern to be read onto said columnar array; means operatively associated with said photosensitive elements in said array and responsive to a signal from a first preselected number of said photosensitive elements for generating a half-bar output signal and responsive to a signal from a second preselected number of adjacent photosensitive elements for generating a full bar output signal, said second number being greater than said first number.

Claim 3

A bar code reader as defined in claim 1 wherein the length of the said columnar array is substantially longer than the height of the image of a full bar projected from said pattern, so that said bar code reader is operable to read patterns on a plurality of documents wherein the position of said patterns on said documents varies from documeNt to document.

Claim 4

A bar code reader comprising: a columnar array of at least three separate photosensitive elements; means for amplifying the signals from said photosensitive elements; means for comparing said amplified signals to a preselected threshhold value and producing a first intermediate signal in response to said amplified value being less than said threshhold value and producing a second intermediate signal in response to said amplified value being greater than said threshhold value; means operatively associated with said comparing means and responsive to a first intermediate signal from at least a first preselected number of adjacent photosensitive elements for producing a half-bar output signal; and means operatively associated with said comparing means and responsive to a first intermediate signal from at least a second preselected number, greater than said first number of adjacent photosensitive elements for producing a full bar output signal and for inhibiting the production of a half-bar output signal.

Claim 5

A bar code reader comprising: a columnar array of at least three separate photosensitive elements; means for amplifying the signals from said photosensitive elements; means for comparing said amplified signals to a preselected threshhold value and producing a first intermediate signal in response to said amplified value being less than said threshhold value and producing a second intermediate signal in response to said amplified value being greater than said threshhold value; means operatively associated with said comparing means and responsive to a first intermediate signal from at least a first preselected number of adjacent photosensitive elements for producing a half-bar output signal; and means operatively associated with said comparing means and responsive to a first intermediate signal from at least a second preselected number, greater than said first number of adjacent photosensitive elements for producing a full bar output signal and for inhibiting the production of a half-bar output signal.

Claim 6

A bar code reader as set forth in claim 3, which also includes: means responsive to a first intermediate signal from at least a third preselected number, greater than said second number, of adjacent photosensitive elements for inhibiting the production of said full bar output signal.

Claim 7

A bar code reader as set forth in claim 3 wherein said columnar array of photosensitive elents includes a self-scanned photocell array and wherein said reader also includes: a serial shift register connected to the output of said scanned array; and means for clocking signals from said scanned array through said amplifying and comparing means into said serial shift register.

Claim 8

A reader for producing output signals indicative of a pattern of bar codes disposed upon a document transported therethrough, said reader comprising: a columnar array of at least three separate photosensitive elements; comparator means associated with each of said elements for amplifying signals from said element, comparing the amplified signals to a preselected threshold value and generating an intermediate signal in response to the amplified value being less than the threshold value; first gating means connected to the output of each of said comparator means and responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a first preselected number of adjacent ones of said comparator means for producing a signal; second gating means connected to the output of each of said comparator means and responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a second preselected number, greater than said first number, of adjacent ones of said comparator means for producing a signal; delay means fesponsive to a signal from said second gating means for producing a character present signal for a preselected time interval; output gating means connected to the outputs of said first and second gating means and said delay means and responsive to the production of a signal by said first gating means and a character present signal for generating a half-bar output signal and responsive to the production of a signal by said second gating means and a character present signal for generating a full bar output signal and inhibiting the generation of a half-bar output signal.

Claim 9

A reader for producing output signals indicative of a pattern of bar codes disposed upon a document transported therethrough, said reader comprising: a columnar array of at least three separate photosensitive elements; comparator means associated with each of said elements for amplifying signals from said element, comparing the amplified signals to a preselected threshold value and generating an intermediate signal in response to the amplified value being less than the threshold value; first gating means connected to the output of each of said comparator means and responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a first preselected number of adjacent ones of said comparator means for producing a signal; second gating means connected to the output of each of said comparator means and responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a second preselected number, greater than said first number, of adjacent ones of said comparator means for producing a signal; delay means fesponsive to a signal from said second gating means for producing a character present signal for a preselected time interval; output gating means connected to the outputs of said first and second gating means and said delay means and responsive to the production of a signal by said first gating means and a character present signal for generating a half-bar output signal and responsive to the production of a signal by said second gating means and a character present signal for generating a full bar output signal and inhibiting the generation of a half-bar output signal.

Claim 10

A bar code reader for producing output signals indicative of a pattern of bar codes disposed upon a document transported therethrough, said reader comprising: a columnar array of photosensitive elements; comparator means associated with each of said elements for amplifying signals from said element, comparing the amplified signals to a preselected threshold value and generating an intermediate signal in response to the amplified value being less than the threshold value; first gating means connected to the output of each of said comparator means and responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a first preselected number of adjacent ones of said comparator Means for producing a signal; second gating means connected to the output of each of said comparator means and responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a second preslected number, greater than said first number, of adjacent ones of said comparator means for producing a signal; delay means responsive to a signal from said second gating means for producing a character present signal for a preselected time interval; output gating means connected to the outputs of said first and second gating means and said delay means and responsive to the production of a signal by said first gating means and a character present signal for generating a half-bar output signal and responsive to the production of a signal by said second gating means and a character present signal for generating a full bar output signal and inhibiting the generation of a half-bar output signal; third gating means responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a third preselected number, greater than said second number, adjacent ones of said comparator means for producing long bar inhibit signal; and means connected to said output gating means and responsive to the production of a long bar inhibit signal for inhibiting the generation of a full bar output signal.

Claim 11

A bar code reader for producing output signals indicative of a pattern of bar codes disposed upon a document transported therethrough, said reader comprising: a columnar array of photosensitive elements; comparator means associated with each of said elements for amplifying signals from said element, comparing the amplified signals to a preselected threshold value and generating an intermediate signal in response to the amplified value being less than the threshold value; first gating means connected to the output of each of said comparator means and responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a first preselected number of adjacent ones of said comparator Means for producing a signal; second gating means connected to the output of each of said comparator means and responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a second preslected number, greater than said first number, of adjacent ones of said comparator means for producing a signal; delay means responsive to a signal from said second gating means for producing a character present signal for a preselected time interval; output gating means connected to the outputs of said first and second gating means and said delay means and responsive to the production of a signal by said first gating means and a character present signal for generating a half-bar output signal and responsive to the production of a signal by said second gating means and a character present signal for generating a full bar output signal and inhibiting the generation of a half-bar output signal; third gating means responsive to an intermediate signal from at least a third preselected number, greater than said second number, adjacent ones of said comparator means for producing long bar inhibit signal; and means connected to said output gating means and responsive to the production of a long bar inhibit signal for inhibiting the generation of a full bar output signal.

Claim 12

A bar code reader as set forth in claim 7 wherein said columnar array of photosensitive elements includes a plurality of adjacent phototransistors.

Claim 13

A bar code reader as set forth in claim 7 wherein said columnar array comprises light photosensitive elements; said first preselected number is two; said second preselected number is four; and said third preselected number is eight.

Claim 14

A bar code reader for producing output signals indicative of a pattern of bar codes disposed upon a document transported therethrough, said reader comprising: a self-scanned array of photosensitive elements; comparator means connected to the output of said array for amplifying signals from said photosensitive elements, comparing the amplified signals to a preselected threshold value, generating a first intermediate signal in response to the amplified value being less than the threshold value, and generating a second intermediate signal in response to the amplified value being greater than the threshhold value; shift register storage means including one storage element for each photosensitive element in said array; control means for periodically and sequentially scanning the elements of said array, directing the train of signals through said comparator means, and loading the train of first and second intermediate signals into said shift register storage means; first gating means responsive to the storage of a first intermediate signal in at least a first preselected number of adjacent storage elements, in said shift register storage means for producing a signal; second gating means responsive to a first intermediate signal in at least a second preselected number, greater than said first number, of adjacent storage elements in said shift register storage means for producing a singal; output gating means connected to the outputs of said first and second gating means and responsive to the production of a signal by said first gating means for generating a half-bar output signal and responsive to the production of a signal by said second gating means for generating a full bar output signal and inhibiting the generation of a half-bar output signal.

Claim 15

A bar code reader for producing output signals indicative of a pattern of bar codes disposed upon a document transported therethrough, said reader comprising: a self-scanned array of photosensitive elements; comparator means connected to the output of said array for amplifying signals from said photosensitive elements, comparing the amplified signals to a preselected threshold value, generating a first intermediate signal in response to the amplified value being less than the threshold value, and generating a second intermediate signal in response to the amplified value being greater than the threshhold value; shift register storage means including one storage element for each photosensitive element in said array; control means for periodically and sequentially scanning the elements of said array, directing the train of signals through said comparator means, and loading the train of first and second intermediate signals into said shift register storage means; first gating means responsive to the storage of a first intermediate signal in at least a first preselected number of adjacent storage elements, in said shift register storage means for producing a signal; second gating means responsive to a first intermediate signal in at least a second preselected number, greater than said first number, of adjacent storage elements in said shift register storage means for producing a singal; output gating means connected to the outputs of said first and second gating means and responsive to the production of a signal by said first gating means for generating a half-bar output signal and responsive to the production of a signal by said second gating means for generating a full bar output signal and inhibiting the generation of a half-bar output signal.

Claim 16

A bar code reader as set forth in claim 10 which also includes: loading gate means comparing a gate connected to each storage element in said shift register storage means; latch means comprising a resetable latch connected to the output of each of said loading gates; and wherein said control means periodically energizes all of the gates of said loading gate means to set each latch associated with a storage element in said shift register which element stores a first intermediate signal, and wherein said control meanS resets all of said latches after a preselected time interval.

Claim 17

A bar code reader as set forth in claim 10 which also includes: third gating means responsive to a first intermediate signal in at least a third preselected number, greater than second number, of adjacent storage elements in said shift register storage means for producing long bar inhibit; and means connected to said output gating means and responsive to the production of a long bar inhibit signal for inhibiting the generation of a full bar output signal.

Claim 20

A method as set forth in claim 13, which also includes the step of: inhibiting the generation of said full bar output signal in response to a first intermediate signal from at least a third preselected number, greater than said second number, of adjacent photosensitive elements.