Method and apparatus for recognizing and assembling optical code information from partially scanned segments

In a system for reading labels by one or more optical scans, a method of label recognition comprising the steps of:

• identifying partial label segments from an electrical input signal,
• decoding said partial label segments into corresponding strings of data and feature characters,
• accumulating said strings of decoded data and feature characters in at least one store,
• assembling complete label blocks from said stored strings by the steps of;
• identifying a sub-string common to both a first stored string and a second stored string,
• determining whether said common substring is located at opposing ends of said first string and said second string,
• combining said first string and said second string having said common sub-string at opposing ends thereof into a first processed string by eliminating redundant overlapping characters and maintaining other character positions relative to said common sub-string,
• determining whether said common sub-string is located at an intermediate position within at least one of said first or second strings,
• combining said first string and said second string having said common sub-string located at an intermediate position within at least one of said first or second strings by the steps of;
• deleting characters adjacent to said common sub-string on a first end of said first string to form a first intermediate string,
• deleting characters adjacent to said common sub-string on an opposing end of said second string to form a second intermediate string,
• combining said first and second intermediate strings to form a second processed string by eliminating redundant overlapping characters and maintaining other character positions relative to the common sub-string,
• deleting characters adjacent to said common sub-string on a second end of said first string to form a third intermediate string,
• deleting characters adjacent to said common sub-string on an opposing end of said second string to form a fourth intermediate string, and
• combining said third and fourth intermediate strings to form a third processed string by eliminating redundant overlapping characters and maintaining other character positions relative to the common sub-string.

In a system for reading labels by one or more optical scans, a method of label recognition comprising the steps of:

• identifying partial label segments from an electrical input signal,
• decoding said partial label segments into corresponding strings of data and feature characters,
• accumulating said strings of decoded data and feature characters in at least one store,
• assembling complete label blocks from said stored strings by the steps of:
• identifying a common sub-string at one end of a first stored string and an opposing end of a second stored string,
• combining said first string and said second string into a first processed string by eliminating redundant overlapping characters and maintaining other character positions relative to the common sub-string, and
• wherein an integrated chip is used to identify and decode said partial label segments and said integrated chip employs more than one processor working in parallel.

A system for recognizing optical code labels from one or more optical scans comprising:

• recognition means for identifying partial label segments as strings of data and feature characters,
• storage means for storing said partial label segments as strings, and
• stitching means for assembling complete label blocks from said store of strings, said stitching means comprising:
• selection means for selecting a first string and a second string from said store of strings for processing,
• means for determining the existence of a sub-string common to both said first and second strings,
• identification means for identifying the location of said common sub-string within each of said first and second strings,
• first combination means, operative when said common sub-string is located at one end of said first string and an opposing end of said second string, for combining said first and second strings to form a first processed string by eliminating redundant overlapping characters and maintaining character positions relative to said common sub-string,
• first and second trimming means, operative when said common sub-string is located intermediately within at least one of said first or second strings, for deleting characters adjacent to said common sub-string on the ends of said first and second strings, said first trimming means deleting characters adjacent to said common sub-string from one end of said first string to form a first intermediate string and from an opposing end of said second string to form a second intermediate string, said second trimming means deleting characters adjacent to said common sub-string from the other end of said first string to form a third intermediate string and from the opposing end of said second string to form a fourth intermediate string,
• second combination means for combining said first and second intermediate strings and said third and fourth intermediate strings to form second and third processed strings, respectively.

A system for decoding labels in which at least two data representations are scanned, one or more of which contain inaccurate but possibly valid data on an end thereof, comprising:

• identification means for identifying a common sequence of data between a first and second of said at least two data representations, one or both of said first and second data representations having inaccurate data on an end thereof, respectively, wherein the end having inaccurate data with respect to one of said representations is opposite the end having inaccurate data with respect to the other of said representations when both of said representations have inaccurate data on an end thereof;
• deletion means for deleting said inaccurate data;
• and
• combination means for combining said first and second representations to form a third representation by eliminating redundant overlapping data.

In a system for decoding labels in which at least two data representations are scanned, one or more of which contain inaccurate but possibly valid data on an end thereof, an improved stitching method comprising the steps of:

• identifying a common sequence of data between a first and second of said at least two data representations, one of said first and second data representations having inaccurate data on a leading end thereof;
• deleting said inaccurate data;
• and
• combining said first and second representations to form a third representation by eliminating redundant overlapping data.

In a system for decoding labels in which at least two data representations are scanned, one or more of which contain inaccurate but possibly valid data on an end thereof, an improved stitching method comprising the steps of:

• identifying a common sequence of data between a first and second of said at least two data representations, said first and second data representations having inaccurate data on an end thereof, respectively, wherein the end having inaccurate data with respect to said first representation is opposite the end having inaccurate data with respect to said second representation;
• deleting said inaccurate data from said first representation and said second representation;
• and
• combining said first and second representations to form a third representation by eliminating redundant overlapping data.

In a system for decoding labels in which at least two data representations are scanned, one or more of which contain inaccurate but possibly valid data on an end thereof, an improved stitching method comprising the steps of:

• identifying a common sequence of data between a first and second of said at least two data representations, one or both of said first and second data representations having inaccurate data on an end thereof, respectively, wherein the end having inaccurate data with respect to one of said representations is opposite the end having inaccurate data with respect to the other of said representations when both of said representations have inaccurate data on an end thereof;
• deleting said inaccurate data;
• and
• combining said first and second representations to form a third representation by eliminating redundant overlapping data.