Abstract: A portable, hand-held, self-contained two-dimensional bar code reader adapted to the PDF417 symbology, includes a light source, a photodetector, and a decoder. The decoder comprises an 8 bit microcomputer, having an address space of 64K bytes, but actually using an 8K Byte SRAM for data storage, and 32K Byte PEROM for program instructions. Performance is enhanced by a novel program resident in the program memory, and by the use of direct memory access to load signals derived from the photodetector into memory. The unit draws an average of 1.4 watts during a reading operation when the light source is enabled and 0.83 watts during decoding when the light source is disabled. It is capable of reading an 800 character PDF417 symbol at an error correction level of 5 in about 2 seconds.

Abstract: A nonsquinting end-fed quadrifilar helical antenna is provided. Each conductor of the antenna is fed with a successively delayed phase representation of the input signal to optimize transmission characteristics. Each of the conductors is separated into a number Z of discrete conductor portions by Z-1 capacitive discontinuities. The addition of the capacitive discontinuities results in the formation of an antenna array. The end result of the antenna array is a quadrifilar helical antenna which is nonsquinting (radiates in a given direction independently of frequency).

Abstract: A non-contact type IC card includes a programmable memory divided into a user area for storing application data, and a system area for storing a system password and a system password effective code indicating requirement of collation of the system password. If the system area of the memory includes the system password effective code, access to the system area by an external apparatus is permitted only when passwords are identical as a result of password collation. If the system area does not include the system password effective code, the access by the external apparatus can be permitted without the password collation.

Abstract: A dual frequency vertical antenna for radiating a first and a second airwave signal in response to a first and a second conducted signal, the first airwave signal having a first frequency and the second airwave signal having a second frequency lower than one-half the first frequency. The antenna includes a horizontal base member and a vertical mast, including a coaxially disposed rod, projecting upward from the base member to a masthead. For feeding the conducted signals, a lower mast extension projecting downward from the base member and a tuning sleeve projecting either upward or downward from the base member are tuned to 1/4 wavelength at the first frequency and a single coaxial cable is connected between the base member and a feedpoint on the rod. The first airwave signal radiates from a dipole formed of an 1/4 wavelength upper rod extension extending upward from said masthead and a concentric 1/4 wavelength upper sleeve external to the mast projecting downward from said masthead.

Abstract: A transaction terminal (2) which incorporates a control unit (4) for controlling the operation of the terminal. Terminal operation is monitored by a plurality of sensors (110-116) in communication with the control unit (4). The control unit (4) can access data characteristic of predetermined acceptable terminal operation and the outputs of the sensors (110-116) are compared with said data. The control means (4) is adapted to alter terminal operation in dependence on the output of the sensors (110-116) so as to compensate for any variation from the acceptable terminal operation. The sensors (110-116) also include additional sensors (118,120) arranged to monitor ambient environmental conditions, and the control unit (4) is arranged to alter terminal operation dependent on changes in the ambient environmental conditions as detected by the additional sensors (118,120).

Abstract: An image sensor array system is arranged to enable oblique access for readout of image data from a stepped pixel pattern of sensor cells. The stepped pixel pattern represents an oblique line component of an image portion containing a 2-D bar code or other dataform. An obliquely aligned bar code image can thus be read out along oblique lines which follow rows of bar code elements traversing the elements. The sensor array (16) is accessed by horizontal and vertical readout circuits (22 and 24) under the control of address signals from an address unit (20). Location signals, from a source (12), indicative of a selected image portion (39) may be used by the address unit (20) to provide address signals representative of the stepped pixel pattern for a particular oblique line component.

Abstract: A diversity glass antenna for an automobile, wherein a dipole antenna is provided on a glass plate of a window of an automobile, a single pole antenna is provided at a part other than the glass plate and a stronger one of receiving signals of the dipole antenna and the single pole antenna is selected and employed, or, a diversity glass antenna for an automobile, wherein a single pole antenna is provided on a glass plate of a window of an automobile, a dipole antenna is provided at a part other than the glass plate and a stronger one of receiving signals of the dipole antenna and the single pole antenna is selected and employed.

Abstract: An optical scanner for reading two-dimensional bar code labels. A rotating reflector directs a laser beam towards a plurality of pattern mirrors during a first mode of operation to produce a plurality of different scan lines forming a multi-line scan pattern for collecting light from an article having a one-dimensional bar code label, and directs the laser beam towards one of the pattern mirrors during a second mode of operation to produce a single scan line for collecting light from an article having a two-dimensional bar code label. A single tilted mirror assembly, having a motor for rotating a drive shaft and a mirror mounted at an angle to the drive shaft, reflects the plurality of different scan lines towards the article having the one-dimensional bar code label during the first mode of operation, and reflects the one scan line from the scan module towards the article having the two-dimensional bar code label during the second mode of operation.

Abstract: The present invention introduces an RFID system that comprises a two-dimensional antenna configuration having a dipole in combination with a loop antenna or a second dipole with their dipole axes at approximately a 90.degree. angle to one another. The pattern of two dipole antennas combined with the pattern of a single loop antenna, allows the sequential combination of the patterns to represent a nearly spherical antenna pattern in three dimensions, while the antennas reside in a two-dimensional plane. The presence of multiple antennas also allows for a method to switch among the multiple antennas to find the antenna or combination of antennas that create(s) the strongest RF communication link thereby enabling more efficient transmitted power or more directional reception coverage. Improving efficiency can be further improved by taking this concept one step further by adding multiple antennas into the interrogator unit.

Abstract: In order to control the width of the scanning beam in the scanning direction over a significant range in front of the scanner, an optical assembly including a phase mask is utilized through which the beam passes after being configured into curved wavefronts, as by a lens which provides a focus in the vicinity of the far end of the range. The F/ number of the optical assembly is high and the cone of the beam in the scanning direction is small, for example, less than 5.degree.. The mask is preferably transparent and has a region which may be rectangular, elliptical or circular forming a step through which the center of the beam passes which imposes a phase change with respect to the phase of the wavefronts which do not propagate via the region. The phase change may be uniform or in the form of a weak quadratic phase variation in this region of the mask which changes phase and thus slightly refocuses the beam.

Abstract: A fixed position dataform reader reads a dataform printed on a substrate and passed through a desired target area. The reader comprises a housing, a first camera assembly, image processing and decoder circuitry, and a mounting support. The housing has a base surface, a face surface, and at least one side surface interconnecting the base surface to the face surface and defining an interior region. The face surface defines an aperture. The first camera assembly includes a two-dimensional photosensor array supported in the interior region and an optics assembly spaced from the two-dimensional photosensor array to focus an image of the dataform onto the two-dimensional photosensor array. The image processing and decoder circuitry is coupled to the camera assembly for generating decoded data representative of the dataform. The mounting support is secured to the housing for mounting the reader in a fixed position with respect to the desired target area.

Abstract: To facilitate the recovery data from an embedded data pattern through the use of a appropriately sized capture window that is randomly positioned within the data pattern, the embedded data pattern is composed of a plurality of identical, one dimensionally or two dimensionally regularly tiled embedded data blocks which contain sufficient spatial addressing information to permit the logical reconstruction of a complete data block from any set of fragments that collectively provide a full cover for the surface area of any one tile. To this end, the capture window is sized to include a shape which is completely registered with the data pattern in which is capable of tiling the recording medium in accordance with the tiling vectors.

Abstract: There is provided a small-sized and simplified horizontally polarized antenna apparatus which forms an omnidirectional pattern in the horizontal plane. The radiation field in the horizontal plane becomes continuous and a horizontally polarized omnidirectional radiation pattern can be obtained in the horizontal plane by forming radiation slots at opposing positions on a grounded hollow body and exciting the slots out of phase.

Abstract: A dual frequency band antennas system where the two frequency bands are not harmonically related includes first and second antenna sections. The first antenna section comprises a straight rod, with the length of the rod being at least one quarter wavelength at the center frequency of the lower of the two frequency bands. The second antenna section includes a straight portion terminated by a helical wire portion, with the total electrical length of the second antenna section being substantially equal to the length of the straight rod. A conductive antenna base is connected to at least one of the first and second antenna sections. A matching circuit coupled to the base is arranged to substantially cancel the reactive portion of the impedance of the connected antenna section for both frequency bands and to substantially equalize the resistive portion of the impedance of the connected antenna section to the resistive portion of the output impedance of the radio transceiver to which the antenna system is coupled.

Abstract: A connector assembly for connecting a microwave antenna to a radio unit. The connector assembly comprises a central hub including a waveguide and adapts for connection to the antenna for transmitting microwave signals to and from the antenna. A first latching element is attached to the hub and a second latching element adapts for connection to the radio unit and cooperates with the first latching element for latching and unlatching in response to rotational movement of the second latching element relative to the first latching element.

Abstract: A compact scan module is mounted within a hand-held terminal, and includes two printed circuit boards orthogonal to each other. The circuit boards carry interconnected electrical circuits which drive individual electrical components within the module. Scanning is initiated by an initiator on the terminal. A keyboard and a display are mounted on the terminal.

Abstract: An active reception antenna with a coplanar waveguide having a high actual gain in the frequency band as broad as 100% or larger of the central frequency. The reception active antenna with a coplanar waveguide has: a pair of coplanar waveguide functioning as a feeder, the coplanar waveguide including a center conductor and two ground conductors printed on one surface of a dielectric film; and an antenna element conductor connected to the coplanar waveguide, the antenna element conductor being printed on the surface of the dielectric film, wherein the feed points of the antenna element conductor are disposed near the ends of the feeder, an active circuit including a field effect transistor is mounted between the feed points and the ends of the feeder, the impedance of the antenna element conductor and the feeder is matched together, and a signal received by the antenna element conductor is amplified and supplied to the feeder.

Abstract: A miniature scan engine for scanning a beam of monochromatic (laser) light across a bar code and receiving return light at a detector that provides electrical signals representing the code, utilizes an integral assembly of a laser (laser diode), the detector and a light collector mounted on flexures and rotated so as to scan the beam and receive the return light from the code. The collector is a body of material transmissive at the laser wavelength. The body presents an orientable surface so that the return light is incident at or close to perpendicular to the surface. In the body, parallel to the surface, is a volume hologram grating having Bragg planes arranged in rings around a center region in alignment with the detector. The angles of the Bragg planes vary progressively and decreases in a direction toward the center region so that light incident on the collector at angles of incidence, which vary from perpendicular to the surface by about + or -5.degree.

Abstract: The invention provides a device (1) for providing a transparent exchange of commands and data between an IC card (11) and a remote terminal (42) via a communication network (41). The device (1) acoustically couples the IC card (11) with a telephone set (43). In order to speed up the exchange of data and commands, the device (1) preferably utilizes high level commands which represent several low level card commands. However, low level commands may also be transparently passed as a special high level command. The device (1) is inexpensive but allows an efficient use of IC cards for, e.g., payment and identification purposes.

Abstract: This invention relates to a magnetic card for use in public telephones or public traffic such as subway, which includes a blank card, a magnetic layer formed on the blank card for recording variable information indicating amount of available money left according to amount used of the card, and an optical recording layer formed on the magnetic layer for recording invariable information marking card price. It is possible to prevent the magnetic cards from deterioration of the record like erasure of record of money due to mis-handling in everyday life and has the advantage of high response speed because of utilization of light.