The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 07, 1978
Filed:
Oct. 31, 1977
David P Himmel, Dallas, TX (US);
Recognition Equipment Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for reading randomly oriented characters having a laser producing a narrow beam of coherent light which is focused by a telescope onto indicia located on a written medium. The focus beam of light is directed by a scanner located intermediate the telescope and the indicia. The scanner directs the beam of light across an area in a known sequence. The light reflected from the written medium having the indicia thereon is received by a photomultiplier detector. The processor which receives the output of the photomultiplier detector determines the observed orientation of the indicia, and the angle between the observed orientation of the indicia and a desired orientation of the indicia. The processor then generates a signal which causes a beam rotating means located between the scanner and the indicia to be rotated to a position so that the indicia are now scanned in the known sequence having the desired orientation with respect to indicia. Characters which are to be read are located adjacent to the indicia. It is desired to scan the characters with the laser beam at the orientation to which the beam rotating means was rotated. The photomultipler detector receives the reflected light from the characters and the written medium as the characters are scanned in the known sequence at the desired orientation.