Magnetic ink character detection apparatus and controlling method therefore
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorEizo Takahashi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and control method therefor which compensates differences among individual media in detected signal amplitudes caused by imperfect magnetic ink character printing conditions without requiring an adjustment of amplitude of a received signal amplifier. Preferably, the magnetic ink character detection apparatus of the present invention includes a moving device that moves the magnetic head and/or the medium relative to each other at a predetermined speed; an amplitude detection unit for detecting the amplitude and/or saturation amount of the electrical signals output from the magnetic head; and a moving-speed determination unit for determining the relative moving speed caused by the moving device in accordance with the output from the amplitude detection unit.
Claims17
A magnetic ink character detection apparatus for detecting magnetic ink characters disposed on a medium, comprising:
- a magnetic signal detection unit in communication with the medium to detect a magnetic signal caused by movement therebetween and convert the detected magnetic signal into an electrical signal;
- a moving unit to move at least one of said magnetic signal detection unit and the medium relative thereto at a selectable speed;
- an amplitude detection unit having means for comparing an amplitude of the electrical signal generated by said magnetic signal detection unit with a threshold value and means for checking whether the electrical signal is in a saturated state;
- and
- a moving speed determination unit to redetermine the selectable speed of the relative movement between said magnetic signal detection unit and the medium responsive to the detection results of said amplitude detection unit;
- wherein said moving speed determination unit increases the speed of the relative movement when said amplitude detection unit detects that the amplitude of the electrical signal is less than the threshold value, and decreases the speed of the relative movement when said amplitude detection unit detects that the electrical signal is in a saturated state.
A method of controlling a magnetic ink character detection apparatus having a magnetic signal detection unit for detecting and converting a magnetic signal representative of magnetic characters disposed on a medium into an electrical signal, comprising the steps of:
- (a) moving at least one of the magnetic signal detection unit and the medium relative therebetween at a selectable speed;
- (b) detecting the amplitude of the electrical signal generated by the magnetic signal detection unit;
- (c) comparing the amplitude of the electrical signal with a threshold value;
- (d) checking whether the electrical signal is in a saturated state if the detected amplitude is not less than said threshold value in step (c);
- (e) increasing the speed of the relative movement between said magnetic signal detection unit and the medium and repeating steps (a)-(c) when the detected amplitude is less than said threshold value in step (c);
- and
- (f) decreasing the speed of the relative movement between said magnetic signal detection unit and the medium and repeating steps (a), (b) and (d) when the electrical signal is in a saturated state in step (d).
A method of controlling a magnetic ink character detection apparatus having a magnetic signal detection unit for detecting and converting a magnetic signal representative of magnetic characters disposed on a medium into an electrical signal, comprising the steps of:
- (a) moving at least one of the magnetic signal detection unit and the medium relative therebetween at a selectable speed;
- (b) detecting the amplitude of the electrical signal generated by the magnetic signal detection unit
- (c) comparing the amplitude of the electrical signal with a threshold value;
- (d) checking whether the electrical signal is in a saturated state if the detected amplitude is not less than said threshold value in step (c);
- (e) determining the magnitude of change in the selectable speed in accordance with the results obtained in steps (c) and (d);
- (f) determining a revised selectable speed based upon both current selectable speed settings and the magnitude of change in the selectable speed determined in step (e);
- (g) resetting the relative positions of the magnetic signal detection unit and said medium to an initial setting which existed prior to step (a);
- and
- (h) adjusting the selectable speed in accordance with the results obtained in steps (c) and (d).
An article of manufacture, comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for controlling a magnetic ink character detection apparatus having a magnetic signal detection unit for detecting and converting a magnetic signal representative of magnetic characters disposed on a magnetized medium into an electrical signal, the computer readable program code comprising:
- (a) computer readable program code for moving at least one of the magnetic signal detection unit and the magnetized medium relative therebetween at a selectable speed;
- (b) computer readable program code for detecting the amplitude of the electrical signal generated by the magnetic signal detection unit;
- (c) computer readable program code for comparing the amplitude of the electrical signal with a threshold value;
- (d) computer readable program code for checking whether the electrical signal is in a saturated state if the detected amplitude is not less than said threshold value in step (c);
- (e) computer readable program code for increasing the speed of the relative movement between said magnetic signal detection unit and the medium and for repeating steps (a)-(c) when the detected amplitude is less than said threshold value in step (c);
- and
- (f) computer readable progam code for decreasing the speed of the relative movement between said magnetic signal detection unit and the medium and for repeating steps (a), (b) and (d) when the delectrical signal is in a saturated state in step (d)).
An article of manufacture, comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for controlling a magnetic ink character detection apparatus having a magnetic signal detection unit for detecting and converting a magnetic signal representative of magnetic characters disposed on a medium into an electrical signal, comprising:
- (a) computer readable program code for moving at least one of the magnetic signal detection unit and the medium relative therebetween at a selectable speed;
- (b) computer readable program code for detecting the amplitude of the electrical signal detection unit;
- (c) computer readable program code for comparing the amplitude of the electrical signal with a threshold value;
- (d) computer readable program code for checking whether the electrical signal is in a saturated state if the detected amplitude is not less than said threshold value in step (c);
- (e) computer readable program code for determining the magnitude of change in the selectable speed in accordance with the results obtained by said comparing and checking program code in steps (c) and (d);
- (f) computer readable program code for determining a revised selectable speed based upon both current selectable speed settings and the magnitude of change in the selectable speed determined by said speed change magnitude determining program code in step (e);
- (g) computer readable program code for resetting the relative positions of the magnetic signal detection unit and said medium to an initial setting;
- and
- (h) computer readable program code for adjusting the selectable speed in accordance with the results obtained by said comparing and checking program code in steps (c) and (d).
A magnetic ink character detection apparatus for detecting magnetic ink characters disposed on a medium, comprising:
- a magnetic head in communication with the medium to detect a magnetic signal caused by movement therebetween and convert the detected magnetic signal into an electrical signal;
- a motor and a transport roller driven by the motor to move at least one of said magnetic head and the medium relative thereto;
- a motor driver which drives said motor at a selectable speed;
- an amplitude detection unit having means for comparing an amplitude of the electrical signal generated by said magnetic signal detection unit with a threshold value and means for checking whether the electrical signal is in a saturated state;
- and
- a moving speed determination unit to redetermine the selectable speed of the relative movement between said magnetic head and the medium responsive to the detection results of said amplitude detection unit;
- wherein said moving speed determination unit increases the speed of the relative movement when said amplitude detection unit detects that the amplitude of the electrical signal is less than the threshold value, and decreases the speed of the relative movement when said amplitude detection unit detects that the electrical signal is in a saturated state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.