Oblique access to image data for reading dataforms

An oblique access system, enabling access to dataform image data via an oblique line component of an image portion containing an image of said dataform, comprising:

• a two-dimensional array of image sensor cells positioned in rows and columns and arranged to provide image data representative of an image area including said image portion containing said dataform image;
• a memory unit coupled to said array to store at memory locations image data representative of said image area and responsive to memory address signals to make available for further use output signals representative of image data at memory locations identified by said memory address signals;
• an address unit coupled to said memory unit and arranged to provide memory address signals effective to identify the memory locations of stored image data originating from sensor cells comprising a stepped pixel pattern extending between two end points within said image area and representative of said oblique line component, said oblique line component positioned obliquely to said rows and columns and said memory address signals coupled to said memory unit to access stored image data to provide output signals representative of said oblique line component of the image portion containing said dataform;
• and
• a central processing unit coupled to said address unit to provide location signals representative of the location within said image area of said end points for said oblique line component.

An oblique access system enabling access to dataform image data via an oblique line component of an image portion containing an image of said dataform, comprising:

• a two-dimensional array of image sensor cells positioned in rows and columns and arranged to provide image data representative of an image area including said image portion containing said dataform image;
• an address unit arranged to provide array address signals effective to identify a stepped pixel pattern of sensor cells representative of said oblique line component, said oblique line component positioned obliquely to said rows and columns and said array address signals usable to identify row and column locations of said sensor cells comprising said pattern;
• at least one readout circuit coupled to said array and providing random access responsive to said array address signals to selectively designate row and column intersections representative of locations of individual sensor cells of said stepped pixel pattern of sensor cells;
• at least one sampling device coupled to said array and arranged to access image data available at said sensor cells at said row and column intersections;
• and
• an output device coupled to each said sampling device and arranged to provide originating image data originating from sensor cells comprising said stepped pixel pattern, said output image data comprising signals thereby representative of said oblique line component of the image portion containing said dataform image.

An oblique access method, for accessing image data representative of a dataform, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a two-dimensional array of image sensor cells arranged in rows and columns to provide image data representative of an image area including an image portion containing an image of said dataform;
• (b) providing location signals representative of the end point coordinates of a first oblique line component extending between two end points within said image area obliquely to said rows and columns;
• (c) utilizing said location signals to provide address signals identifying a stepped pixel pattern extending between said two end points and representative of said first oblique line component;
• and
• (d) utilizing said address signals to couple from sensor cells image data for pixels included in said stepped pixel pattern, said image data thereby representative of said first oblique line component.