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:
Jan. 21, 1986
Filed:
Oct. 17, 1984
Applicant:
Inventor:
Herbert U Ragle, San Mateo, CA (US);
Assignee:
Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
250560 ; 356376 ; 382-1 ;
Abstract
One embodiment discloses a method and apparatus whereby each time a tape is wound upon a prescribed reel, the winding pattern may be assumed to leave the array of tape edges in a unique 'edge profile' represented by the position of each winding edge as viewed from one side of the reel along a radial direction--this 'profile' being interpreted as a 'winding signature'; the signature may be detected via reflections of an energy beam and recorded in a convenient encoded fashion for possible use in uniquely identifying and documenting each unspooling/rewind sequence to thereby determine whether the tape has been 'unspooled'.