Bar code reader
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorsBarry E. Passer, George A. Sculley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical sensing member for reading a coded member having parallel aligned tracks of data and clocking coded symbols which includes a pair of sensing apertures offset to enable the sensing of the data track to occur out of phase with the sensing of the clocking track. The sensing member includes a housing having a sensing surface in which the offset apertures are located, a light source, a pair of photo-transistors for sensing the tracks of coded symbols and optical fibers for transmitting light from the light source to the tracks of coded symbols and the reflected light to the photo-transistors for the reading of the coded members.
Claims8
In combination with a record member having first and second parallel tracks of encoded indicia with each indicia of each track being horizontally aligned with the corresponding indicia in the other track, a member for sensing both tracks of indicia upon movement of the record member past the sensing member comprising:
- a housing member having a scanning surface;
- a pair of apertures located in said scanning surface each associated with one of the tracks of coded indicia wherein the aperture associated with the first track of indicia being located in said scanning surface offset along the path of movement of the record member to the other aperture;
- a source of light mounted in said housing member;
- a plurality of light sensors mounted in said housing member each associated with one of the apertures in the scanning surface of the housing member;
- and light-transmitting means located within the housing member and being in communication with the source of light, the light sensors, and the apertures whereby light is transmitted from the light source to the tracks of coded symbols on a record member positioned adjacent the apertures and reflected back to the light sensors.
In a data processing apparatus having a supporting surface and drive means located in said supporting surface for moving a record member positioned thereon along a scanning path, the combination including:
- a record member having data and clocking tracks of coded indicia with each indicia in the clocking track being horizontally aligned with a corresponding indicia in the data track, said record member positioned on the supporting surface and driven by the drive means along said scanning path;
- and an optical code reader mounted in the data processing apparatus adjacent said supporting surface for scanning aligned indicia in said tracks of coded indicia, said optical reader comprising a housing member having a scanning surface positioned adjacent the supporting surface;
- means positioned adjacent said scanning surface for urging said record member into engagement with said scanning surface;
- a pair of apertures located in said scanning surface each associated with one of the tracks of coded indicia wherein the aperture associated with said data tracks being located in said scanning surface off-set along said scanning path to the other aperture;
- a source of light mounted in said housing;
- a plurality of light sensors mounted in said housing each associated with one of the apertures in the scanning surface of the housing;
- and light-transmitting means positioned within the housing and extending between the source of light and the light sensors and the apertures whereby light is transmitted from the light source to the tracks of coded indicia on a record member positioned adjacent the aperture and reflected back to the light sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.