Abstract: A demand for a change in the operating condition of at least one of a plurality of vehicle mounted devices is issued by means of a single push button switch attached to the center of the steering wheel. When the vehicle occupant intends to manipulate a device such as a radio, stereo unit or an air conditioner, he depresses the switch to supply a microcomputer with a demand signal. The microcomputer produces an instruction signal with which a sound synthesizer produces sequential vocal announcements which are emitted via a speaker. The occupant depresses the switch again within a predetermined period of time after the emission of a vocal announcement naming a device intended to control so that the sound synthesizer now provides various manipulative information relating to the available manipulations of the selected device. The driver depresses the switch to issue responsive instructions in response to an announcement of desired manipulation.

Abstract: A warning system for vehicles monitors malfunctions in various items of a vehicle which are to be detected, such as, the failure of the tail lamps, headlamps, etc., whereby when a malfunction is detected in any one of the items, a visual indication corresponding to the malfunction of the item is given inside the vehicle compartment and then the indicated malfunction is indicated by voice inside the vehicle compartment when it is determined that a predetermined time has expired from the time of beginning the visual indication. The magnitude of the voice is controlled by the ambient sound level detected in the vehicle compartment.

Abstract: A bar code recognition system in which a threshold value for discriminating each bar of bar codes is automatically corrected. Bar codes representing information are constituted by a combination of wide and narrow bars to be scanned and converted into a rectangular signal having a time width proportional to the width of each bar. In proportion to the total time widths of the rectangular signal generated in each scanning cycle, the threshold value with reference to which each bar width is discriminated is determined to enhance the recognition operation of the system.

Abstract: Bar symbols having different bar width for representing information are grouped and recorded on a surface of an object. A light-responsive sensor is swept automatically to repetitively scan the density of the surface-reflected light along the direction in which thegrouped bar symbols are arranged, while the object is moved orthogonally thereto. Electrical signals indicative of the bar width derived from the sensor are processed thereafter for the read-in of the coded data.

Abstract: A light source, a converging lens and a light responsive image sensor are optically coupled to recognize the code information such as bar codes recorded on an object. The light source supplies the code information with illumination light and the image sensor receives the reflected light through the converging lens to convert it into the image signal. The distance between the lens and the image sensor is adjusted automatically in response to the image signal such that clear reflected light is received by the image sensor, whereby correct information recognizing operation is attained.

Abstract: A system for recognizing bar code information having a plurality of bar codes. One of bar codes is constituted as an index code in a different manner from the other bar codes constituted as numerical codes. These bar codes are scanned sequentially and converted into corresponding parallel digital signals. Code scanning directions are discriminated with reference to the parallel digital signal corresponding to the index code. A plurality of registers adapted to memorize each parallel digital signal are triggered in forward and reverse sequences, when the scanning directions are discriminated to be forward and reverse, respectively.

Abstract: A great number of bar codes are recorded in dual directions on a bar code information card. Each bar code is comprised of a plurality of bar symbols juxtaposed in parallel to each other. A plurality of bar codes, constituting one group bar code, are arranged in one direction which is orthogonal to the bar symbol and a plurality of group bar codes are arranged in the other direction in which the bar symbol extends. A great deal of bar-coded information is recognized by transferring the bar code information card in the longitudinal direction of the bar symbol and scanning the bar code orthogonally thereto.

Abstract: A light source and a light responsive sensor are optically coupled to recognize information such as bar codes recorded on an object. The light source projects illumination light onto the object and the sensor receives the reflected light the density of which represents the recorded information. The sensor is swept to convert the light density into an image signal which is then passed through a filter. An image signal, the low frequency noise signal component resulting from the fluctuation of the illumination light being excluded therefrom by the filter, is available for recognizing the recorded information precisely.

Abstract: A bar code having a plurality of parallel bars recorded in either narrow width or wide width is scanned by a plurality of light responsive elements which are driven one by one by a clock pulse of a fixed frequency. The intermittent output image signal of the elements is converted into a continuous signal by sample-and holding the peak level of the image signal at the same frequency as that of the clock pulse. The continuous signal is then compared with a reference value to be converted into a rectangular signal which has time intervals proportional to respective bar widths. For discriminating each bar width, each time interval of the rectangular signal is measured by counting a clock pulse of another fixed frequency and compared with another reference value. The frequency of the clock pulse for interval measuring purpose is determined to be higher than that of the clock pulse for scanning and sample-and-holding purposes.

Abstract: A card on which at least a group of bar-coded information are printed is carried by a motor-driven carrier. The bar-coded information is sensed and converted into a group of parallel digital signals, which is compared with a previously stored data to check coincidence. The same bar-coded information is repeatedly sensed, converted, and compared as above and number of the coincidence times is counted until it has passed a read-in position driven by the card carrier. The card is accepted as readable when the number of coincidence times reaches a preset number. Otherwise, it is rejected by reversing the motor.