Abstract: A document reader for reading manually fed edge coded documents, comprising a first component including a side wall, a second component orthogonally positioned with respect to the first component and having a second sidewall, the first and second sidewalls positioned adjacent one another so as to form a document receiving slot therebetween, the first sidewall containing an opening, a drive means, the drive means positioned within the first component and adapted to project through the first sidewall opening and substantially across the slot, the second sidewall including an opening, reading means contained within the second component, the reading means including a light source, means for directing light from the source through the second wall opening to the document, means responsive to light reflected from the document for converting the reflected light to digital data, control means coupled to the drive means, sensing means positioned proximate to the slot for sensing the precise location of the document, th

Abstract: An optical scanning system operates asynchronously by electro-optically detecting movement of a scanning unit directly from the data being scanned. A first embodiment of the system includes two sets of optical sensors in a handheld unit. One set extends transversely of a scanning direction for detecting the optical pattern, and a second set is approximately aligned with the scanning direction for detecting relative movement between the pattern and the scanning unit. Relative movement is detected by detecting a pattern in a first subset of the second set of sensors and then sensing a shift of the detected pattern to a second subset of the second set of sensors. In response to detecting a unit movement, the optical states of the first set of sensor elements are polled to record a portion of the pattern along the line.

Abstract: An optical scanning system operates asynchronously by electro-optically detecting movement of a scanning unit directly from the data being scanned. A first embodiment of the system includes two sets of optical sensors in a hand-held unit. One set extends transversely of a scanning direction for detecting the optical pattern, and a second set is approximately aligned with the scanning direction for detecting relative movement between the pattern and the scanning unit. Relative movement is detected by detecting a pattern in a first subset of the second set of sensors and then sensing a shift of the detected pattern to a second subset of the second set of sensors. In response to detecting a unit movement, the optical states of the first set of sensor elements are polled to record a portion of the pattern along the line.

Abstract: A process for assuring that the individual computational elements of a fault-tolerant computer system have the same view of the external world when applied in applications where input data representations of the same quantity may have slight variations without being incorrect. The process transmits data between each of the computational elements through circuitry utilizing transmitters and receivers, and provides a check as to the accuracy of each such transmission, resulting in each computational element either having the same plurality of data as each other computational element, or a representation that a transmission was faulty.

Abstract: An analog selector circuit for providing an analog output signal of a value approximate to the median value of the analog input signals, having a plurality of comparator means equal to the number of analog input signals, each comparator means being connected to receive one of the input signals and comparing the received signal with the analog output signal of the selector circuit, a plurality of electronic control valves connected to receive the output signals from the plurality of comparator means, the valves being connected such that a number of said valves equal in number to the majority of analog input signals are connected in series to form a series combination and there are a sufficient number of such series combinations to receive all combinations of the majority of voltage output signals, and each series combination connected to receive a voltage potential input signal and providing the output signals of the series combinations to a common terminal to form the analog output signal; and a resistive net

Abstract: The disclosure describes an improved analog-to-digital converter which enables the use of a reference voltage having the same polarity as the input analog voltage being converted. The converter employs an operational amplifier having a capacitive feedback network, an inverting input, and a non-inverting input. The inverting input is periodically disconnected so that the output of the operational amplifier slews to a new value without substantially changing the voltage across the capacitive feedback network.