Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for reducing the number of rejected documents when reading bar codes

US4239151A · kind A · utility

33Cited by
7References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 19, 1979
Grant dateDec 16, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 19, 1999

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06V10/98
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

This specification describes apparatus for reading and decoding data encoded in terms of the spacing between adjacent code bars on a document. The apparatus contains reading means for producing an electrical pulse for each bar recorded on the document as the bar passes the reading element. A counter is used to measure the time between each two pulses and the resultant counts are stored in a memory in the order in which the pulses were produced by the reading means. A microprocessor then compares this stored data with microcoded data representative of properly coded digits. If there is a compare the stored data is shifted out of the memory and into a computer for use. However if there is a no-compare the microprocessor alters the data on the assumption that a particular type of error has occurred and again compares the modified data with the microcoded data. If this results in a compare the modified data is again read out and into the using computer. However if it again results in a no-compare, the processor modifies the stored data a second time on the basis of another assumption and this newly modified data is compared with microcoded data. These successive data modifications and …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.