Multi sensor information reader

An information reader for reading data contained on an object, where the data on the object includes at least one of bar code data, magnetic data and holographic data, comprising:

• a housing containing a laser light source and said housing including means for inserting said object within the housing;
• means within said housing for projecting a laser beam from said laser light source at a first acute angle onto a surface of said object;
• a first sensor located within said housing for sensing light reflected from an illumination point on said surface of said object at a second acute angle,
• related to the first acute angle, for detecting the presence of a hologram on said surface;
• a second sensor located within said housing for sensing scattered light reflected from said surface of said object at an obtuse angle and for sensing the reflectivity of a surface of said object in the presence or absence of a hologram;
• and
• data processing means located in said housing coupled to said first and second sensors for processing the sensors outputs and ascertaining the validity of the information being read by determining:
• a) whether there is coherence between the signal derived from the first sensor and the signal derived from the second sensor;
• and b) whether the signal produced by the second sensor lies within a given range.

A multi-sensor reader for reading coded information located on a surface of an object comprising:

• a housing including means for receiving the object;
• a light source located within the housing for projecting light onto the surface of said object at a first acute angle;
• a first optical sensor located within the housing for sensing light reflected back towards the light source from the object's surface at a second acute angle for sensing coded information;
• a second optical sensor located within the housing for sensing light reflected at an obtuse angle away from the light source for sensing reflectivity characteristics of the surface of the object;
• and
• a light shield, located within the housing, for blocking any of the light reflected at an obtuse angle from impinging on the first sensor.

A multi sensor reader comprising:

• an enclosure;
• a laser light source within said enclosure;
• means within said enclosure for projecting the light source at a first acute angle and focusing said light source at a first point on a plane within said enclosure;
• first optical means within said enclosure for sensing light reflected back from said first point at a second acute angle;
• where the second acute angle is equal to “n” times the first acute angle;
• where “n” is a number greater than one;
• second optical means within said enclosure for sensing light scattered from said first point;
• and
• shield means within said enclosure for blocking light scattered from said first point from impinging onto said first optical means.

A multi sensor reader comprising:

• first and second walls on either side of a track along which an object containing data to be read is made to pass;
• means for mounting a laser light source along the first wall including means for projecting the laser light beam at a first angle onto a first point along the track;
• means for mounting a first sensor along the first wall for sensing light reflected from said first point at a second angle;
• means on said second wall for receiving light reflected from said first point and for scattering said received reflected light back towards said first wall;
• means including a second sensor located between said first and second walls for sensing the scattered light reflected from said second wall and for blocking any of the scattered light from passing back to said first wall.

An information reader for reading data contained on a card to be inserted within said reader comprising:

• a bar code reading means for sensing bar code data contained on the card;
• a holographic sensing means for sensing any hologram present on said card, a surface detector for sensing certain reflectivity characteristics of a surface of the card and a magnetic data reading/writing means for sensing magnetic data contained on said card, said bar code reading means, said holographic sensing means and said magnetic data reading/writing means and said surface detector being contained within the same enclosure;
• and
• wherein said surface detector produces a continuous signal voltage corresponding to the reflectivity of a surface of the card as the card enters and passes through the reader, independently of said holograph sensing means.

A combination comprising:

• means for projecting a beam of light onto a point;
• means for passing an object by the point whereby a section of a surface of the object is passed entirely by the point;
• an optical detector for sensing light reflected from said surface to ascertain the reflectivity characteristics of the surface of the object as the object passes by the point and for converting the received light into a continuous signal voltage;
• and
• means for applying the continuous signal voltage to a comparator for ascertaining whether the signal voltage of the received light is within a predetermined range, where the predetermined range is derived from a memory storage means storing information regarding the permitted range of reflectivity of the object being illuminated.

A multi-sensor reader for reading coded information contained on the surface of an object comprising:

• a light source and light projecting means for projecting the light source onto a surface of the object at a first acute angle relative to a horizontal plane;
• a first optical sensor for sensing light reflected back from the surface of the object at a second acute angle, relative to the horizontal plane, for sensing the presence of coded information on the surface of the object, where the second acute angle is equal to “n” times the first angle and “n” is a number greater than one;
• a second optical sensor for sensing light reflected at an obtuse angle away from the light source and for converting the received light into a continuous signal voltage, where the obtuse angle is equal to 180 degrees minus the value of the first angle;
• means for applying the continuous signal voltage to a comparator for ascertaining whether the voltage level lies within a predetermined range;
• and
• data processing means coupled to said first and second optical sensors for processing the signals produced by these sensors and for ascertaining any phasal relationship between them.

A multi-sensor system for sensing information contained on the surface of an object comprising:

• a housing including means for enabling an object to be inserted within the housing;
• means located within the housing for projecting and focusing a stationary laser light source at a point on a surface of an object inserted within the housing;
• means for causing an object containing information to be sensed to pass the point;
• optical sensing means for sensing the laser light reflected from the object, said optical sensing means being responsive to information signals contained within light reflected from the object;
• and
• shield means within the housing for preventing scattered light from being reflected back to the optical sensing means.

An information reader, formed within a unitary enclosure for determining whether the information on a surface of an object inserted within said information reader is valid, comprising:

• a bar code reader device;
• a magnetic stripe reader/writer device;
• a hologram sensing device for sensing holographic information reflected from the surface of the object;
• a laser light beam for projecting light at an acute angle on the surface of the object;
• a surface detector device for sensing scattered light reflected, from the surface of an object, at an obtuse angle;
• said devices for sensing the presence of different types of information on the surface being read and producing corresponding outputs;
• a light shield within the enclosure for enabling the scattered light to be sensed by the surface detector device while blocking the scattered light from impinging on the hologram sensing device;
• and
• means for comparing the outputs of selected ones of said devices for determining whether a phasal relationship exists in the information read by the selected devices.

An information reader for reading data contained on a card, where the data may include holographic data contained within a target area comprising:

• a housing containing a holograph sensing means and a surface detector;
• and means for inserting a card to be read within the housing;
• said holographic sensing means including a laser light source and means for generating a laser beam and projecting the laser beam onto an illumination point along a surface at a first acute angle (alpha) relative to the plane of the surface;
• said holographic sensing means also including means for sensing light reflected from the illumination point at a second angle (beta) relative to the plane of the surface, where the second angle is equal to “n” times the first angle and “n” is a number greater than one;
• said surface detector for sensing the reflectivity characteristics of a surface of said card outside of said target area as well as within the target area;
• and
• wherein said surface detector includes means for sensing light scattered from the illumination point along a third angle which is equal to 180 degrees minus alpha.

A system for sensing information contained on the surface of an object comprising:

• a housing including means for enabling the object to be inserted within the housing and to pass through the housing;
• means located within the housing for projecting a light source at a point on a surface of the object inserted within the housing;
• optical sensing means for sensing light reflected from the object including a light guide having parallel side walls extending from a front end to a rear end, with a first light sensor located at the rear end;
• and the light guide positioned to receive light reflected from the object at its front end;
• and
• the inner walls of the light guide including means for preventing light, reflected from the point, tending to hit the inner walls of the light guide from passing along the light guide and impinging on the first light sensor.

A data reader comprising:

• an enclosure;
• a laser light source within said enclosure;
• means within said enclosure for projecting the light source at a first acute angle and focusing said light source at a first point on a plane within said enclosure;
• first optical means within said enclosure for sensing light reflected back from said first point at a second acute angle;
• where the second acute angle is equal to “n” times the first acute angle;
• where “n” is a number greater than one;
• said first optical means having an internal hollow path surrounded by side walls for passing light reflected from the first point via the internal hollow path onto a light sensor,
• the side walls of the internal hollow path including means for preventing light reflected from the walls of the path from propagating along the internal hollow path towards the light sensor.