US 3,943,336 A · Photoelectric scanning systems for reading data appearing in an angular format

Abstract

There is disclosed a photoelectric scanner head for reading information pertaining to actual time, elapsed time or the like from a card or other record-bearing member, and for providing output signals that are a function of the information read; the output signals are used to obtain a useable electrical analogue of the information read from the member. The scanner comprises a rotatably driven body member mounting a source of light, read photoelectric devices and a switching circuit for retrieving information from the record member. A source of signals is supported by the body member and operably connected to the photoelectric devices by the switching circuit such that the source generates scanner output signals as a function of the information retrieved. Scanner output signals are detected, and in most disclosed embodiments, are used to controllably gate timing pulses into counters such that the counters provide on their outputs a raw electrical analogue of the information read from the record member. Means may be connected to the counters for correcting the analogue to account for error in the recording made on the record member.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A data record sensing system operative to retrieve data relating to time, the data appearing on a record member as scanning marks angularly related in a circular format, and the system being operative to convert such data into electrical signals, the system comprising:

a rotatable scanner head mounting scanning mark sensors and a scanner signal generator, the sensors being effective upon rotation of the head to switch the generator on upon sensing a first scanning mark and off upon sensing a second scanning mark,
a rotatable pulse generator providing a constant number of pulses for each complete rotation of the generator and providing a reference pulse whenever the mark sensors are located in a predetermined position relative to the circular format on the record member;
pulse counting means for providing a system output comprising an electrical binary analogue of the data appearing on said record member;
and
circuit means responsive to said reference pulse to connect said pulse counting means to receive pulses from said generator and responsive to signals from said scanner signal generator for inhibiting the further receipt of said pulses by said pulse counting means.

2 more elements

A data record sensing system for retrieving data appearing as angularly related scanning marks on a record member and operative to convert such data into electrical signals useful for operating an output device, the system comprising:

scanning means for scanning said record member to produce output signals as a function of the angular relationship of said scanning marks, said scanning means including at least one photoelectric scanning head having a radiant energy generator to produce said output signals supported for rotation and a power means for rotatively driving said scanning head;
pulse generating means for producing pulses representing predetermined incremental angles of the maximum angular relationship within which said scanning marks may appear on said record member, said pulse generating means including a rotatively supported pulse generator for producing said pulses representing predetermined inclemental angles, said pulse generator being drivingly connected to said power means for rotation at the same speed as said scanning head;
detector means responsive to said output signals from said radiant energy generator for generating control pulses from said output signals;
pulse counting means;
and
gating means responsive at least in part to said control signals for gating the pulses representing predetermined incrmental angles to said pulse counting means so that said pulse counting means provides an output which is an electrical equivalent of the angular relationship of the scanning marks.

3 more elements

A data record sensing system operative to retrieve data relating to time, the data appearing on a record member as a first set of scanning marks angularly related in a circular format and as a second set of scanning marks angularly related in a circular format;

the system being operative to convert such data into electrical signals, the system comprising:
scanning means having 1st and 2nd scanning heads supported for rotation for producing radiant energy pulses as functions of the angular relationships of the scanning marks in said first and second sets of scanning marks;
a rotatable source of pulses providing a constant number of pulses for each complete revolution of said scanning means;
power means for rotatably driving said scanning means and said source of pulses at the same rotational speed;
pulse counting means for providing electrical equivalents of the data appearing on said record members as outputs of the system;
and,
circuit means including detector means responsive to radiant energy pulses produced by said first and second scanning heads respectively for converting said pulses into equivalent electrical pulses, control pulse forming means operatively connected to said detector means to produce control pulses from the leading and trailing edges of said electrical pulses, and gating means connected to said control pulse forming means and responsive to control pulses produced from the leading edges of electrical pulses to gate pulses from said rotatable source of pulses into said pulse counting means, and being responsive to control pulses produced from the trailing edges of said electrical pulses to inhibit the passage of pulses from said rotatable source of pulses into said counting means, and for periodically resetting said pulse counting means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Photoelectric scanning systems for reading data appearing in an angular format

Life of this patent

Photoelectric scanning systems for reading data appearing in an angular format

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17