Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for transforming digitally encoded data into printed data strips

US4728783A · kind A · utility

68Cited by
4References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 1, 1987
Grant dateMar 1, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 1, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K1/121
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A data strip (2) of predetermined size is made (a) by determining the total nibbles of digital information to be encoded and the maximum number of integral nibbles per data line (14), using predetermined minimum dibit dimensions, after allowing for parity checks, alignment guides (32,36), and a start line (28), (b) by increasing the dibit dimensions to achieve the predetermined size, and adjusting the bit size to account for ink spread, and (c) by preparing a reader instruction header (16) containing coded specifications as to the data strip format. These factors are interdependent and must be correlated to provide a final data strip (2) satisfying all the predetermined criteria. An associated printer (64) prints the data strip (2) with a header (16) and a data portion (12) in the determined format. The printer (64) may be a dot matrix printer which prints a data strip having the full width of the printer, which is then reduced photographically to increase the accuracy of the final data strip (2); or a laser or dot matrix printer can be used to print in the finished size.

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