Abstract: A liquid drop emitter utilizing acoustical principles ejects liquid from a body of liquid onto a moving document to form characters or bar codes thereon.

Abstract: A system for uniformly illuminating a field of information is provided for optical character readers having a scanning device loosely constrained in movement. Lamps are symmetrically located about the optical axis of a sensor and enclosed within an illuminator. The sides of the illuminator converge at one end to port having dimensions defined by the field to be viewed. A plate between the lamps and the sensor partially encloses the second end of the illuminator with an aperture therein symmetrical to the optical axis of the sensor. The sides of two opposite walls of the illuminator adjacent to the port are cut out to remove a portion thereof to eliminate internal reflections and to give the operator a better view of the information to be scanned.

Abstract: A correcting bias is applied to the video signal from a hand-held optical character reader to compensate for horizontal tilt of the hand-held reader and also to increase the acceptability of photodiode arrays which are used in the reader and to correct uneven sensitivity of the photoelements in the photodiode arrays. The analog video is changed to a four bit video and this four bit video is processed to produce a tilt error signal indicative of magnitude and direction of the tilt. This tilt error signal is then applied back as a compensating factor in the four bit analog to digital converter to compensate for the tilt of the hand-held reader.

Abstract: A MICR waveform analyzer for reading E-13B magnetic ink characters including a digital phase lock loop to locate the character, a Normalizer to compress data and equalize ink strength dynamic range, and a waveform amplitude analyzer to identify the magnetically read character is described.

Abstract: One or more photoelectric device elements are formed beneath the surface of a monolithic semiconductor structure below a surface photoelectric detector device to form a plurality of photoelectric devices having different spectral responses. The surface element is responsive to visible light and the one or more subsurface devices are sensitive to longer wavelength radiation depending upon the depth of the device below the surface of the structure. A two dimensional array of the devices may be formed in a single semiconductor wafer to provide a self-scanning multi-element photosensor array.

Abstract: A low cost, high performance bar code reader is required for reading the CFC-6 character font. The character is printed in fluorescent bars which are coded by different spacing between each bar so that it can be machine readable. A special recognition logic is developed to read the font when it is data lifted by the analog front end. An error correction capability is built in to correct certain correctable errors such as a missing bar.

Abstract: A document transport for data entry and document processing for such documents as checks or credit card slips with transport means for entering the documents into a feed station, moving the documents past two read stations, wait in a hold station then return through a print station and a validator station with provision for entering data into the system and printing upon the document. The transport moves document in one direction and is reversed and moves documents in a second direction in the processing steps prior to depositing the document into a stack station.

Abstract: Flexible material secured at one end and pressed against a document guide of the other end is used to provide a directional document guide and diverter. Dual fingers press against the guide with a feed belt moving through a slot in the diverter. The document forces the diverter to one side permitting the document to pass therethrough. However, upon return the diverter changes the course of the document directing it away from its original input position to a storage hopper.

Abstract: A severing and sealing tool having a single head with electrically resistive wires passing there across. The wires are connected to an electric source which provides power selectively to the wires for severing and sealing a thermoplastic material such as a strap along an overlapping portion thereof. The electrically resistive wire is heated to a temperature sufficiently high to melt the thermoplastic material, but not high enough to decompose the material. The metallic body of the tool is formed in two parts with an insulating material disposed between the two parts with the electrically resistive wires having an end connected to each of the parts. One electrically resistive wire traverses completely across the predetermined area of the head which comes in contact with the thermoplastic material. The other electrically resistive wire meanders through a part of the predetermined area of the head which is in contact with the thermoplastic material.

Abstract: A system and method for character presence detection having the capability of locating characters within a line of characters represented by a binary stream of data bits. The stream of binary data bits is divided into scans which correspond to scans of a photocell array. The system for character presence detection receives the binary stream. Each data bit has a unique position within its particular scan, which corresponds to the selection of a particular photocell of the photocell array as the output thereof, and, therefore, the binary stream of data bits comprises an image corresponding to alphanumeric characters disposed upon a written medium. That is, the data bits comprise an image of characters which form a line disposed along a written medium. Within the binary stream, some data bits represent character information and the remainder represents background information.

Abstract: In optical character recognition systems scanning may be accomplished by a multi element scanning matrix, in which each element detects a portion of the reading field and an output voltage is generated for each element depending upon whether the element is looking at the dark character or a portion of the background which usually is of a lighter shade. The instantaneous output of each element is digitized with a value dependent upon the amount of light detected by the cell and may have a value from 0 to fifteen. This digitized quantized information is then used to make a black/white decision for each cell, for example, if the information is background or is representative of a character being read. Improper referencing of the background due to reflective variation caused by multi colored backgrounds or different paper textures may cause an incorrect reading and make a black/white decision which is in error.

Abstract: A beam separating prism system for an imaging system having two pairs of prisms, each prism having a 30, 60, and 90 degree triangular cross section and being provided with a partially reflecting region situated between the common boundary of the pair. A nonreflecting entry surface of one pair receives light which is both not focused and not parallel as reflected from a document. The light received at the entry surface is separated into three light components by the prism system. The exit axes of two light components are parallel and the exit axis of the third light component is at an angle of approximately 60 degrees to the other exit axes. The light is received by the pair of prisms having the entry surface and intercepted by the partially reflecting region of the pair. The remaining light is transmitted by the partially reflecting region to form a first component which is then reflected along an exit axis.

Abstract: A laser measuring system for industrial inspection having a laser producing a narrow beam of coherent light which is focused by telescope onto an article. The focused beam of light from the telescope is directed by a scanning means across the article at a known rate. The light reflected from the article is focused by an imaging lens offset from the scanning means onto an optical grating which is provided with alternate transparent and opaque bars. The collected light which passes through the transparent bars of the optical grating is sensed by a photomultiplier detector. A processor which sees the output of the photomultiplier detector determines the time interval between selected points of the output signal of the photomultiplier detector. As the scanning beam moves across the article it causes the laser spot observed by the photomultiplier to traverse the surface faster or slower depending on whether the scanning is proceeding up a portion of the surface of the article or down, respectively.

Abstract: Described is an optical character recognition system wherein total data entry is accomplished through a hand held unit. The unit includes an optical scanner, a keyboard and a display which communicate with a portable character recognition unit.

Abstract: A scanned photocell array has the gain for each photocell channel automatically controlled by establishing a scale range based upon the media being scanned. The apparent gain of each cell is varied by modulating the reference input of an analog to digital converter at the photocell scan rate.

Abstract: A strapping apparatus for applying a thermoplastic strap about an object by placing an end of the strap away from a supply thereof against the object and wrapping the portion of the strap adjacent that end about the object by rotating the object. Tensioning means is provided to pull the strap tightly about the object as the object is rotated by a platen. A clamp is located adjacent the platen to hold the object engaged with the platen as the platen is rotated in a first rotary direction. A cutting and sealing tool moves against a portion of the strap which is overlapped forming two layers of strap. The tool applies heat to the thermal plastic strap to soften the strap cutting away the portion of the strap toward the supply and sealing a segment of the overlapping portion together. The platen is then derotated in a second rotary direction opposite to the first rotary direction and the clamp means loosened so that the object which is wrapped with the strap falls from the platen.

Abstract: A hemicylindrical crystal is used in a variable frequency multi-orifice ink jet modulator. Unwanted resonant frequencies are damped providing the capability of wide band operation. A phase control is used with the modulator to control printing operations.

Abstract: A mark sense reader is disclosed that views each document individually to ascertain how each individual person has marked the document in regard to the density of each mark and then sets a reading threshold for that person. Each mark is scanned, divided into individual cells and a mark quality is determined. Erasures and smudges are differentiated from intended marks.