CA1145847A - High density matrix code - Google Patents
High density matrix codeInfo
- Publication number
- CA1145847A CA1145847A CA000357164A CA357164A CA1145847A CA 1145847 A CA1145847 A CA 1145847A CA 000357164 A CA000357164 A CA 000357164A CA 357164 A CA357164 A CA 357164A CA 1145847 A CA1145847 A CA 1145847A
- Authority
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- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- code
- dots
- pattern
- repeated
- reading
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 239000011159 matrix material Substances 0.000 title abstract description 35
- 125000004122 cyclic group Chemical group 0.000 description 11
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 11
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000033001 locomotion Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000000523 sample Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000009977 dual effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000012015 optical character recognition Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000010408 sweeping Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000006066 Comins reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 241000283986 Lepus Species 0.000 description 1
- 238000003491 array Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011324 bead Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052729 chemical element Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229940000425 combination drug Drugs 0.000 description 1
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000006467 substitution reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
- G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
- G06K19/06009—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code with optically detectable marking
- G06K19/06037—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code with optically detectable marking multi-dimensional coding
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Character Discrimination (AREA)
Abstract
HIGH DENSITY MATRIX CODE
Abstract of the Disclosure A machine-readable matrix-type code has either repeated or non-repeated dot patterns in one direction representing digital characters which are read by a sensor moved in a direction which is gener-ally normal to the patterns. The patterns of the code may be formed in a manner wherein the sensor views a portion of repeated patterns, or the code may be of lesser magnitude wherein the entire non-repeat-ed pattern area is covered by the field of view of the sensor.
Abstract of the Disclosure A machine-readable matrix-type code has either repeated or non-repeated dot patterns in one direction representing digital characters which are read by a sensor moved in a direction which is gener-ally normal to the patterns. The patterns of the code may be formed in a manner wherein the sensor views a portion of repeated patterns, or the code may be of lesser magnitude wherein the entire non-repeat-ed pattern area is covered by the field of view of the sensor.
Description
1145~4~
HIGH DENSITY M ATRIX CODE
Background of the Invention _ In the Eield of machine-readable information codes, the bar code is one of the most widely recog-nized by reason of being used on numerous consumerarticles and in other applications. One bar code, be-ing the universal product code (UPC), includes differ-ent width bars which are spaced one from another in an overall pattern on a consumer article for scanning along a path o~ travel by a moving reader or sensor.
Contrariwise, the path of travel of a consumer article carrier with respect to a reader or sensor could be used wherein the reader or sensor is maintained sta-tionary for scanning articles moving therepast. The different width vertical bars and the spaces there-between make up the UPC scannable symbol, and optical font characters make up the corresponding human-read-able characters. The vertical bars and spaces reflect light emitted by an optical scanner which reads the symbol-marked products--such UPC symbol identifying the manufacturer and the product.
Machine readable codes may also be triangu-lar-shaped of equal length bars or they may be o~
unequal length wherein the sensor identifies charac-ters by reading along the triangles or across thevarious lengths thereof.
Another form of bar code is the color bar code which may consist of black, green, and white bars arranged in various patterns for representing charac-ters.
A further type of code includes the optical character recognition type (OCR) which may be both machine and human-readable and is utilized where both readings are desirable.
Another code pattern utili%es a matrix which may consist of squares, dots, circles or like indicia .
.
:114S84~
which is machine-readable and which is useful for identifyin~ and printing of characters.
The above codes are generally formed along a line wherein the reader or sensor follows a straight path across the code wherein the code is di-rected and disposed in a path along a line coinciding with the direction of movement and viewing of the sensor. In most prior art codes, the entire pattern usually must be sensed and the relation between the pattern and the sensor usually must be fixed to pro-perly recognize the characters, however, the hand held wand readers allow some variation from a fixed path or line of travel.
The basic concept underlying recording is the creation of patterns in or on a record medium so that one or more patterns can be taken to represent one or more characters. The patterns are sequential-ly detected by appropriate sensor arrays when there is relative motion between the record medium and the array.
Many applications exist for the several printed codes mentioned above, which cocles have high information density and are machine readable. While none of such codes can be used for all applications, the following parameters or requirements specify a particular code for very wide usage. The code should be hiyh density for printing of at least ten alpha-numeric characters per linear inch, the code should be readable with a light weight, low cost, and preferably hand-held wand, and the first pass read rate should be at least or greater than 95~. The character substi-tution error rate should be less than one in ten million after all error detection and error correction has taken place, and the code should be printable with a low cost, computer controlled, widely available printer such as a dot matrix printer.
A dot matrix printer is defined as one ca-pable of printing dots on a record medium at selected - - \
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points on an X-Y yrid and representative types of such printers include a wire or needle matrix impact print-er, a thermal non-impact printer, or an ink jet non-impact printer. Some of these printers utilize dual 5 grids in which characters are located on a coarse grid having center-to-center spacing 0.1 inch horizontal and 0.16 inch vertical, while within a character, dots are located on a fine grid with both horizontal and vertical spacing of 0.015 inch with typical characters printed at seven dots high and five dots wide.
In many cases of the prior art, when the reading depends essentially on multiple sensing ele-ments, it is seen that the code scheme requires that the reader or sensor array have elements in an order lS where any one element always senses the same portion of the particular pattern, or stated differently, the allowable unwanted lateral displacement of the sensor with respect to the record medium must be kept less than the lateral dimension of a sensing element--the lateral dimension being along a direction perpendicu-lar to the relative motion of the mediurn and the sensor. In specific applications, for example, where the reader and the symbols are under machine control, the reader (read head) must read the same track on magnetic tape, or the photocell or contact must read the same bit of each character on paper tape. That is, the sensor array must be properly aligned with respect to the pattern so that there is no ambiguity about the meaning of the signal comin~ from each element of the array.
Representative prior art which is considered relevant to the subject matter of the present inven-tion includes U. S. Patent No. 3,53~,859, issued to J.
Laplume on October 6, 1970, which discloses an iden-tifying system using optical codes wherein a plate orcard comprises a plurality of squares in characteris-tic binary code patterns of non-reflective and reflec-,~ I
11458~7 tive surfaces. The reflective surfaces may cornprisea multiplicity of small spherical beads or a multi-plicity of convex elements alongside the non-reflec-tive or light-absorbing surfaces and be read or sensed by an illuminating and sensing unit.
U. S. Patent No. 3,558,859, issued to F. W.
Dilsner et al. on January 26, 1971, shows an automatic reading system for record media having encoded data of perforated and of printed codes. The perforated code includes legible and illegible type arranged in a matrix pattern and the printed code includes a bar code and a marking code.
U. S. Patent No. 3,860,790, issued to S. J.
Reckdahl on January 14, 1975, shows a data processing form which has a plurality of printed indication areas for use with optical sensing apparatus. Printed symbols extend uniformly within a certain dimension and have a printed area of an optical density which is selected in relation to the sensing means.
U. S. Patent No. 3,898,434, issued to A. G.
Bigelow et al on August 5, 1975, discloses a machine-readable coded member formed of pattern areas with each area corresponding to a character. Each area is divided equally into rectangular portions and the presence or absence of indicia in selected portions represents a designated character. At least two pattern portions of each area are aligned along a path of travel of the coded member with respect to the scanner or reader and an index mark is placed on a line which is perpendicular to the path of travel of the document.
U. S. Patent No. 4,114,033, issued to A.
Okamoto et al. on September 12, 1978, discloses a number of bar codes recorded in dual directions on an information card. A plurality of bar codes comprising one group bar code are arranged in one direction which is orthogonal to the bar symbol and a plurality of `-` 11~5~3~7 group bar codes are arranged in the other direction in which the bar symbol extends. The group bar codes are sequentially scanned for the recognition thereof.
And, U.S. Patent No. 4,130,243, issued to R. L. Stevens on December 19, 1978, discloses a ma-chine readable optical printed symbol format that is generally hour-glass shaped and consists of nine elements of alternate bars and spaces vertically arranged in a manner wherein the length of the bars and the spaces is greater at the top and bottom of the symbol and decreases to a minimum point at the middle of the symbol.
Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to machine-readable codes and more particularly to a high-density code of the dot matrix type. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a ma^hine readable code comprising a plurality of dots arranged in rows and columns in X and Y directions to form a pattern repre-senting characters in the Y direction and conveyinginformation by presence or absence of a dot at a specific location, said pattern of dots being repeated in the Y direction for reading in a manner wherein the field of view of reading the pattern in the Y direction is less than the repeated pattern for a character.
The code consists of a plurality of dot pat-terns in columnar fashion wherein each of the patterns in a column represents a character with the dot patterns being preferably repeated in one direction. The dot matrix patterns are read by a reader or sensor in a direction of reading which is the X or abscissa direc-tion and which is normal to the direction of the repeat-ed as well as non-repeated patterns which are in the Y
or ordinate direction. The code is constructed and oriented in a first or preferred manner wherein the reading or identification of each of the matrix patterns .~
1 lL~5~47 -5a-may be accornplished with a reader having a field of view which covers a portion of the entire code area or in a second manner with a reader which views a non-repeated code and specifically which includes and covers an area in excess of one matrix pattern in the Y direc-tion.
The code is made up of dots spaced from each other in the X and the Y directions, with the dot columns representing characters digitally in the manner of regularly spaced parallel columns of dots g 11458~7 and with various sequences of Eully-populated columns and empty columns indicating the start and finish of a symbol or oE a plurality of characters. The character code extends in the Y direction and the binary infor-mation is conveyed by sensing or reading the presenceor absence of dots at specific places or locations within the dot columns and within the matrix pattern for each character or characters.
In view of the above discussion, the princi-pal object of the present invention is to provide amachine-readable matrix code in a simple configura-tion.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a matrix code of high den~ity for conveying binary information.
An additional object of the present inven-tion is to provide a matrix code in a repeated pattern wherein reading means can be randomly moved across the code within a given range in one direction.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a matrix code in repeated patterns in one direction to provide for correction of tracking error of the code-reading means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a code which can readily be printed by dot matrix printers commonly used to print computer out-put data.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a matrix code with inherent error detec-tion features.
Additional advantages and features of thepresent invention will become apparent and fully understood from a reading of the followiny description taken with the annexed drawing.
Brief Description of the Drawing Figs. lA and lB represent a plan view of a ~1~5847 matrix coc3e with repeated patterns in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, together with a reader for reading the code;
Figs. 2A and 2s represent a plan view oE a matrix code and a reader having a field of view Eor sensing the eode;
Figs. 3A and 3B represent a plan view of the matrix code shown in Figs. 2A and 2B and depieting a particular application thereof, alony with a reader for sensing the code;
Figs. 4A and 4B represent a plan view of the matrix code shown in Figs. lA and lB and depicting a particular application thereof, along with a reader for sensing the code; and Fig. 5 is the same view as Fig. 4A with the eode shown in evenly spaeed dot matri~ manner.
Deseription of the Preferred Embodiment .
Prior to deseribing the several figures, it should be stated that the fundamental concept of the present invention is to represent characters digitally by regularly and evenly spaeed parallel columns of dots and wherein binary information is to be conveyed by presence or absence of a dot at any specific loca-tion on the record medium or paper. The possible locations for dots will be spaced along the columns so that the minimum dot-to-dot distance in one column is the same as the distance between columns and the dis-tance between rows of dots, although other column and row spacings rnay find useful application. Thus the possible locations for dots form a rec~ular array, grid or matrix with the dot columns running vertically and the dot rows running horizont:ally.
Detection of the dots is to be performed by an optical sensor or reader which has a silTIilar, but possibly dimensionally different, grid tructure, one axis of which is aligned with the code grid within a .
few degrees~ As a special case, the grid structure of the optical sensor may be a single column of sense elements arrayed approximately in the vertical or Y
direction. If the sensor is in a hand-held wand, the mechanical, electronic and digital systems must correct for or prevent errors arising from non-ideal orientation and motion of the wand. In such a wand or like hand-held reading device, accurate alignment is extremely difficult or almost impossible to achieve and, generally, any one element of the sensor array scans a different part of each code pattern each and every time the device makes another sweep across the record medium. The system must be capable, within limits of course, of making sense of and identifying the data regardless of what part of the sensor array passes over any particular part of the character pattern. Additionally, dot matrix printers are not perfect in their certainty of laying down dots of required optical contrast and spurious "dots" may appear which are caused by dirt or by defects in the record medium or paper.
The matrix code refers to the representation of one character by a single column of marks regularly spaced in a line, one class of mark representing binary one and a second class of mark representing binary zero. A black mark can represent binary one and a white mark or absence of black can represent binary zero, with the array of printed rows and col-umns of dots being a symbol and the overall invention being identified as a symbolic coding method.
In an arrangement of vertical dot columns of code, angular tracking error or drift may be corrected by repeating the n bits of the code for one character several times in a single column. The vertical height of the sensor or reader in the plane of the paper will be such that at least one full n-bit code height is detected regardless of the position of the 114584'~
_9_ sensor along the column of dots. Codes which can be converted into one another by cyclic l)ermutation will be considered equivalent and wi]l represent the same character or data. Cyclic permutation indicates or signifies that any bit may be the start bit when the code is arranged in an imaginary circle oE exactly n bits around the circumference, such codes, which can be uniquely recognized without reference to a particu-lar start bit, will be referred to as cyclic patterns or codes. Thus if the code is repeated several times in a vertical column by joining start to end bits, the reader or sensor can select any n bits from the verti-cal column of dots and uniquely identify the code. In this manner the sensor is narrower than the repeated vertical rows of dots and the code represents a re-dundant pattern.
Cyclic code patterns have inherent error de-tection capability of two types. First, since the machine will reject any code which is not a cyclic pattern and since the cyclic patterns are a small fraction of all possible patterns having the same num-ber of bits, errors consisting of unwanted marks on the medium or of missing dots have a low probability of changing a valid cyclic pattern into another accept-able pattern. Such errors will thus be detected andan alert can be given to the operator. Second, since the reader is larger in vertical extent than the length of one complete n-bit pattern, the machine can recognize more than one contiguous group of n dots and spaces to be decoded. All of these groups in any one column can be decoded during the reading period and must correspond to the same character. If not, the machine will signal an error.
Velocity error is corrected by including repeated rows of dots in a vertical direction in the printed symbol which are not recognized as code but as timing or fiduciary marks. As an example, a three-row 11458~7 combination of all white, all black, and all white marks could easily be sensed by a sensor or wand. The rate of occurrence of such marks would be analyzed to give probe velocity and thus used to generate a data clock. Further, the inclination or ~kew of the probe can be deduced from the sequence of times at which different sense elements of the probe pass over any one timing row. All of the data in the following codes would be corrected for the timing errors intro-duced by the slant or skew o, the reader on the as-sumption that the angle was changing slowly.
As an example, if a code is represented by 11 dots on 0.015 inch centers repeated four times in a vertical direction, the symbol is 0.66 inch high and the sensor field needs to be approximately 0.20 inch to see the 11 significant dots and have one or two guard dots on each end. The 11 cyclic dots can be arrayed in 188 unique ways and can represent a com-plete upper and lower case alpha font with numerics and symbols.
It is possible to provide 66 vertical col-umns of such dots per horizontal inch and if three columns of each set of 11 columns are used for timing marks, the symbol will represent 48 characters per horizontal inch. If the symbols are spaced on one inch centers vertically and 7 inches of the paper width is used, 70 inches of symbol or 33~0 characters per 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch page can be printed, which is about equal to the number of characters on a single spaced typewritten page of human readable print.
In the preferred embodiment of the inven-tion, the reader or sensor field of view is less than the length of a repeated vertical column of dots. The column of dots may contain as many as 50 dots but any ll dots in sequence can be decoded to represent the character in question regardless of which dot is taken as the first bit of the code. If, for exarnple, the ~4S847 reader or sensor is wide enough to always detect 13 dots reliably, the logic can pick out a sequence of 11 dots and uniquely assign the proper character. In this manner, the operator of the sensor can drift from top to bottom or from bottom to top ol thc repeated symbol without making errors as the symbol is scanned from left to right or from right to left all within the capabilities of the system.
A second embodiment or an alternate ap-proach, especially applicable if limited fonts areadequate, is to print codes having the same number of bits as the number of wires in a conventional print head, namely 7, 8 or 9 print wires, and which can print dots simultaneously in a vertical direction. In a typical 7 wire configuration, six dots per code can be used for a 64 character set with one dot reserved for the start position. Additional dots can be used for error checking.
Symbols made up of such codes would be printed in a single pass of the print head and each vertical column of dots would contain a single normal binary code without cyclic repetition. The sensor field would need to extend far enough above and below the printed symbol to allow for nvrmal drift during the sweep of the sensor or wand reader.
The sccond scheme is simplcr than the first scheme by reason of the code dots having a one-to-one correspondence with the bits of a simple binary code, such as ASCII. The field of view of the sensor is sufficiently wide to overlap the code symbol above and below into regions of the record med:ium where there are no printed dots. The extra width of the sensor is sufficient to allow for opcrator c3rift while sweeping or scanning the code.
There is an implication in all suggested code systems that allows for misalignment between sensor and code, which is that errors must not arise when the 1~45847 field of view of one sense element overlaps two pat-tern elements. One solution is to use a fine "grained" sensor so that each pattern element will always encompass the full field of view o~ at least one sensor element. The system logic then decides which sensor elements are "pure" in that they convey the signal from only one pattern element, and which sensor elements are "mixed" and must either be correc-ted or ignored. It is believed that, when applied to the present invention, the center-to-center spacing of view fields of the sense elements must be less than or equal to one-half the minimum center-to-center spacing of printed dots.
The choice between symbols with repeated codes to be read by a sensor having a field of view shorter than the code column of dots and symbols with non-repeated codes to be read by a sensor having a field of view longer than the code column of dots depends upon the cost of the sensor and the decoding hardware for the two embodiments. The ease of follow-ing the code during hand sweeping of the wand reader also is a determining factor of which code to use.
In the repeated or redundant pattern case, the reader or sensor sees only a part of the pattern but is capable of decoding such pattern. In the non-repeated or overlap case, any part of the sensor is capable of completely decoding the pattern as long as the entire pattern is covered.
As mentioned previously, matrix printers selectively deposit dots on the record medium or paper at locations which specify a regularly spaced grid and the presence or absence of such dots at the spaced locations along one column of the grid represent the bits of an n-bit binary number or codc. The binary data is repeated several times along each column and only those binary codes are used which can be uniquely recognized in any cyclic order without reference to , ll~S8~
-l3-most and least significant bits. The printed codes are read with the optical reader or sensor which has at least n optical elements arrayed in a line approxi-mately parallel (within the precision of hand align-ment) to the columns of the code. I'he sensor is movedin a direction approximately perpendicular to the code columns so as to detect the sequence of codes.
Referring now to the several Figures of the drawing, Figs. lA and lB illustrate a preferred em-bodiment of a dot matrix code 10 of the present inven-tion wherein such code comprises rows 12 of dots in the X direction and columns 14 of dots in the Y direc-tion. The particular code illustrated shows a com-bination of dots and spaces totaling nine and arranged in the Y direction to comprise a 9-bit code for each character. Reading or counting from the top of Fig.
lA and in the case of the letter "A", the code has eight vertical dots and a space, the letter "B" has seven vertical dots and two spaces and the letter "C"
has four vertical dots, a space, a single dot, a space and two dots. The code for letter "C" could equally well be considered to cover six dots, a space, a single dot and a space. The presence of dots or the absence of dots make up the matrix code for the res-pective letters and numerals. A 9-bit code is usually taken to represent a maximum of 29 or 512 possible dif-ferent characters. ~lowever, only 5~ of these charac-ters, excluding full and empty columns, are unique in cyclic form.
It is rcadily seen from the dot matrix codes of Figs. lA and lB that the 9-bit code Eor each letter or numeral is repeated twice in the Y direction to form the redundant pattern. The spacing oE the dots is arbitrary and is employed specifically Eor con-venience in showiny the dots separated ~rom each other in the Y direction for ease of illustration and for permitting adequate space for showing thc letters and ~14S8~7 numerals in the X direction. For example, the spa-cing or distance between dots, as represented by "a"
and by "b" may be reduced to zero so that the adjacent dots are touching, as can be accomplishe(3 where the codes are printed by a dot matrix printer of any one of the several kinds as mentioned above. A common ma-trix printer may have almost any desired dot spacing in the X direction and with little modification any desired dot spacing in the Y direction. A reader 16 is shown at the left side of Fig. lA for reading the dot matrix code, which reader, for example, may be a wand-type reader as manufactured by Caere Corporation, of Mountain View, California. The reader 16 has a field of view sufficiently wide to cover more than nine dots and/or spaces in the Y direction so as to always see a full 9-bit code, regardless of how the wand is positioned vertically within the code area.
As long as the reader is moved along a path through the repeated dot matrix code, the character repre-sented by the vertical column of dots and spaces issensed or read and retrieved for future use. The reader 16 can move in a slanted or skewed manner across the code pattern, as seen in Fig. ls, wherein it is well-known that a hand-held wand reader does not always travel along a precise line or plane when reading the code. In this respect, the logic of the control system is intended to correct for the skew of the reader.
Figs. 2A and 2B illustrate an overlap pat-tern of a dot matrix code 20 wherein the code may be printed by means of a seven element dot matrix printer (not shown) in the printing of the seven dot high code element. The codes for the respective letters and numerals are illustrated as the presence or absence of dots in a lesser height of the code. A reader 22 must overlap the top and bottom of the code symbol so that the field of view of the reader includes the height of ~145847 the 7-bit code. Again, as illustrate-l in Fig. 2B, the reader 22 ~ay be skewed in its travel along the code and the logic will correct for this condition. A
fully populated column 24 of dots at the start of a symbol and a blank column 26 adjacent thereto indicate both start and finish or end of a symbol. Various sequences of full and blank columns are used to signi-fy start and finish of a symbol or division of the symbol into blocks of data, e.g. a pair of full col-umns, a blank column and a single or a double columnof dots. The full and empty columns 24, 26 may divide blocks of code and the spacing of the columns is used to determine wand speed to assist in decoding. The repeated double dots 28 indicate end of transmission.
A column containing a single dot 29 indicates a space or a blank character.
Figs. 3A and 3B illustrate a particular application of the overlap code 30 in spelling out a "37 character ASCII subset" by reading or sensing thereof by a reader 32. A full column 34 of dots and an adjacent blank column 36 in a pattern or sequence (Figs. 3A and 3B) indicate start and finish of the symbol. The repeated double dots 38 indicate end of transmission and a column containing a single dot 39 is a space or a blank character.
Figs. 4A and 4B illustrate a particular application of the redundant pattern code 40 in spel-ling out a "58-character alpha numeric dot code"
together with a reader 42. In similar manner, a fully populated column 44 of dots and an adjacent blank col-umn 46 indicate start and finish of the symbol. The single dot 48 is end of transmission and the column of dots 49 is a space or blank character of the sym-bol.
Fig. 5 represents the identical code as Fig.
4A with the code shown in evenly s~aced dot matrix manner.
Figs. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B illustrate start and finish of the symbol by use of a pair of fully-populated columns, a blank column, and another pair of fully-populated dot columns at the left side of the code for indicating start of code. I'he right side of the code shows a single fully-populated dot column, a blank column and a pair of fully-populated columns for indicating finish of code. The single dot or double row of successive dots 28 in Fig. 2B, 38 in Fig. 3B, and 48 in Fig. 4B indicates the end of trans-mission and is printed prior to the symbol for end of code~ The pattern of columns of dots for start and finish of the symbol may be varied to operate with the array of elements of the reader and also in timing se-quence to allow for precise reading of the symbol.
In the matter of error detectionl it can beseen from Fig. 4A, for example, that the reader 42 is sufficiently wide to cover any combination of eleven dots and/or spaces to always see a full 9-bit code.
In the case of the letter "C", the reader 42 is moved toward the right and detects a code pattern for such letter which includes a single dot, a space, six dots and a space, which includes a space, six dots, a space and a single dot, and which includes six dots, a space, a single dot and a space. The several 9-bit groups are all detected and are complete patterns for the letter "C". If a different result is indicated for any one of these patterns, an error has occurred which may be caused by dirt, a missing dot, or an electronic failure of a sort. In any event, the operator would be alerted to sweep the wand across the code a second time. In this manner the error detec-tion scheme works better when the reader sees at least one full n-bit code and preferably more than the minimum number of hits required to correctly identi~y a perfectly printed pattern. Various methods exist which use the error detection mcthod a~ a hase to perform error correction.
1~45847 It is thus seen that herein shown and des-cribed is a high-density dot rnatrix code which has both repeated and non-repeated patterns in one direc-tion representing characters to be read in a direction generally normal to the patterns. The code and the reading thereof enables the accomplishment of the objects and advantages mentioned above, and while a preferred embodiment of the invention (repeated pat-tern) and a modification thereof (non-repeated pat-tern) has been disclosed herein, other variationsbeyond those herein mentioned may occur to those skilled in the art. It is contemplated that all such variations not departing from the spirit and scope of the invention hereof are to be construed in accordance with the following claims.
HIGH DENSITY M ATRIX CODE
Background of the Invention _ In the Eield of machine-readable information codes, the bar code is one of the most widely recog-nized by reason of being used on numerous consumerarticles and in other applications. One bar code, be-ing the universal product code (UPC), includes differ-ent width bars which are spaced one from another in an overall pattern on a consumer article for scanning along a path o~ travel by a moving reader or sensor.
Contrariwise, the path of travel of a consumer article carrier with respect to a reader or sensor could be used wherein the reader or sensor is maintained sta-tionary for scanning articles moving therepast. The different width vertical bars and the spaces there-between make up the UPC scannable symbol, and optical font characters make up the corresponding human-read-able characters. The vertical bars and spaces reflect light emitted by an optical scanner which reads the symbol-marked products--such UPC symbol identifying the manufacturer and the product.
Machine readable codes may also be triangu-lar-shaped of equal length bars or they may be o~
unequal length wherein the sensor identifies charac-ters by reading along the triangles or across thevarious lengths thereof.
Another form of bar code is the color bar code which may consist of black, green, and white bars arranged in various patterns for representing charac-ters.
A further type of code includes the optical character recognition type (OCR) which may be both machine and human-readable and is utilized where both readings are desirable.
Another code pattern utili%es a matrix which may consist of squares, dots, circles or like indicia .
.
:114S84~
which is machine-readable and which is useful for identifyin~ and printing of characters.
The above codes are generally formed along a line wherein the reader or sensor follows a straight path across the code wherein the code is di-rected and disposed in a path along a line coinciding with the direction of movement and viewing of the sensor. In most prior art codes, the entire pattern usually must be sensed and the relation between the pattern and the sensor usually must be fixed to pro-perly recognize the characters, however, the hand held wand readers allow some variation from a fixed path or line of travel.
The basic concept underlying recording is the creation of patterns in or on a record medium so that one or more patterns can be taken to represent one or more characters. The patterns are sequential-ly detected by appropriate sensor arrays when there is relative motion between the record medium and the array.
Many applications exist for the several printed codes mentioned above, which cocles have high information density and are machine readable. While none of such codes can be used for all applications, the following parameters or requirements specify a particular code for very wide usage. The code should be hiyh density for printing of at least ten alpha-numeric characters per linear inch, the code should be readable with a light weight, low cost, and preferably hand-held wand, and the first pass read rate should be at least or greater than 95~. The character substi-tution error rate should be less than one in ten million after all error detection and error correction has taken place, and the code should be printable with a low cost, computer controlled, widely available printer such as a dot matrix printer.
A dot matrix printer is defined as one ca-pable of printing dots on a record medium at selected - - \
114584~
points on an X-Y yrid and representative types of such printers include a wire or needle matrix impact print-er, a thermal non-impact printer, or an ink jet non-impact printer. Some of these printers utilize dual 5 grids in which characters are located on a coarse grid having center-to-center spacing 0.1 inch horizontal and 0.16 inch vertical, while within a character, dots are located on a fine grid with both horizontal and vertical spacing of 0.015 inch with typical characters printed at seven dots high and five dots wide.
In many cases of the prior art, when the reading depends essentially on multiple sensing ele-ments, it is seen that the code scheme requires that the reader or sensor array have elements in an order lS where any one element always senses the same portion of the particular pattern, or stated differently, the allowable unwanted lateral displacement of the sensor with respect to the record medium must be kept less than the lateral dimension of a sensing element--the lateral dimension being along a direction perpendicu-lar to the relative motion of the mediurn and the sensor. In specific applications, for example, where the reader and the symbols are under machine control, the reader (read head) must read the same track on magnetic tape, or the photocell or contact must read the same bit of each character on paper tape. That is, the sensor array must be properly aligned with respect to the pattern so that there is no ambiguity about the meaning of the signal comin~ from each element of the array.
Representative prior art which is considered relevant to the subject matter of the present inven-tion includes U. S. Patent No. 3,53~,859, issued to J.
Laplume on October 6, 1970, which discloses an iden-tifying system using optical codes wherein a plate orcard comprises a plurality of squares in characteris-tic binary code patterns of non-reflective and reflec-,~ I
11458~7 tive surfaces. The reflective surfaces may cornprisea multiplicity of small spherical beads or a multi-plicity of convex elements alongside the non-reflec-tive or light-absorbing surfaces and be read or sensed by an illuminating and sensing unit.
U. S. Patent No. 3,558,859, issued to F. W.
Dilsner et al. on January 26, 1971, shows an automatic reading system for record media having encoded data of perforated and of printed codes. The perforated code includes legible and illegible type arranged in a matrix pattern and the printed code includes a bar code and a marking code.
U. S. Patent No. 3,860,790, issued to S. J.
Reckdahl on January 14, 1975, shows a data processing form which has a plurality of printed indication areas for use with optical sensing apparatus. Printed symbols extend uniformly within a certain dimension and have a printed area of an optical density which is selected in relation to the sensing means.
U. S. Patent No. 3,898,434, issued to A. G.
Bigelow et al on August 5, 1975, discloses a machine-readable coded member formed of pattern areas with each area corresponding to a character. Each area is divided equally into rectangular portions and the presence or absence of indicia in selected portions represents a designated character. At least two pattern portions of each area are aligned along a path of travel of the coded member with respect to the scanner or reader and an index mark is placed on a line which is perpendicular to the path of travel of the document.
U. S. Patent No. 4,114,033, issued to A.
Okamoto et al. on September 12, 1978, discloses a number of bar codes recorded in dual directions on an information card. A plurality of bar codes comprising one group bar code are arranged in one direction which is orthogonal to the bar symbol and a plurality of `-` 11~5~3~7 group bar codes are arranged in the other direction in which the bar symbol extends. The group bar codes are sequentially scanned for the recognition thereof.
And, U.S. Patent No. 4,130,243, issued to R. L. Stevens on December 19, 1978, discloses a ma-chine readable optical printed symbol format that is generally hour-glass shaped and consists of nine elements of alternate bars and spaces vertically arranged in a manner wherein the length of the bars and the spaces is greater at the top and bottom of the symbol and decreases to a minimum point at the middle of the symbol.
Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to machine-readable codes and more particularly to a high-density code of the dot matrix type. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a ma^hine readable code comprising a plurality of dots arranged in rows and columns in X and Y directions to form a pattern repre-senting characters in the Y direction and conveyinginformation by presence or absence of a dot at a specific location, said pattern of dots being repeated in the Y direction for reading in a manner wherein the field of view of reading the pattern in the Y direction is less than the repeated pattern for a character.
The code consists of a plurality of dot pat-terns in columnar fashion wherein each of the patterns in a column represents a character with the dot patterns being preferably repeated in one direction. The dot matrix patterns are read by a reader or sensor in a direction of reading which is the X or abscissa direc-tion and which is normal to the direction of the repeat-ed as well as non-repeated patterns which are in the Y
or ordinate direction. The code is constructed and oriented in a first or preferred manner wherein the reading or identification of each of the matrix patterns .~
1 lL~5~47 -5a-may be accornplished with a reader having a field of view which covers a portion of the entire code area or in a second manner with a reader which views a non-repeated code and specifically which includes and covers an area in excess of one matrix pattern in the Y direc-tion.
The code is made up of dots spaced from each other in the X and the Y directions, with the dot columns representing characters digitally in the manner of regularly spaced parallel columns of dots g 11458~7 and with various sequences of Eully-populated columns and empty columns indicating the start and finish of a symbol or oE a plurality of characters. The character code extends in the Y direction and the binary infor-mation is conveyed by sensing or reading the presenceor absence of dots at specific places or locations within the dot columns and within the matrix pattern for each character or characters.
In view of the above discussion, the princi-pal object of the present invention is to provide amachine-readable matrix code in a simple configura-tion.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a matrix code of high den~ity for conveying binary information.
An additional object of the present inven-tion is to provide a matrix code in a repeated pattern wherein reading means can be randomly moved across the code within a given range in one direction.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a matrix code in repeated patterns in one direction to provide for correction of tracking error of the code-reading means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a code which can readily be printed by dot matrix printers commonly used to print computer out-put data.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a matrix code with inherent error detec-tion features.
Additional advantages and features of thepresent invention will become apparent and fully understood from a reading of the followiny description taken with the annexed drawing.
Brief Description of the Drawing Figs. lA and lB represent a plan view of a ~1~5847 matrix coc3e with repeated patterns in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, together with a reader for reading the code;
Figs. 2A and 2s represent a plan view oE a matrix code and a reader having a field of view Eor sensing the eode;
Figs. 3A and 3B represent a plan view of the matrix code shown in Figs. 2A and 2B and depieting a particular application thereof, alony with a reader for sensing the code;
Figs. 4A and 4B represent a plan view of the matrix code shown in Figs. lA and lB and depicting a particular application thereof, along with a reader for sensing the code; and Fig. 5 is the same view as Fig. 4A with the eode shown in evenly spaeed dot matri~ manner.
Deseription of the Preferred Embodiment .
Prior to deseribing the several figures, it should be stated that the fundamental concept of the present invention is to represent characters digitally by regularly and evenly spaeed parallel columns of dots and wherein binary information is to be conveyed by presence or absence of a dot at any specific loca-tion on the record medium or paper. The possible locations for dots will be spaced along the columns so that the minimum dot-to-dot distance in one column is the same as the distance between columns and the dis-tance between rows of dots, although other column and row spacings rnay find useful application. Thus the possible locations for dots form a rec~ular array, grid or matrix with the dot columns running vertically and the dot rows running horizont:ally.
Detection of the dots is to be performed by an optical sensor or reader which has a silTIilar, but possibly dimensionally different, grid tructure, one axis of which is aligned with the code grid within a .
few degrees~ As a special case, the grid structure of the optical sensor may be a single column of sense elements arrayed approximately in the vertical or Y
direction. If the sensor is in a hand-held wand, the mechanical, electronic and digital systems must correct for or prevent errors arising from non-ideal orientation and motion of the wand. In such a wand or like hand-held reading device, accurate alignment is extremely difficult or almost impossible to achieve and, generally, any one element of the sensor array scans a different part of each code pattern each and every time the device makes another sweep across the record medium. The system must be capable, within limits of course, of making sense of and identifying the data regardless of what part of the sensor array passes over any particular part of the character pattern. Additionally, dot matrix printers are not perfect in their certainty of laying down dots of required optical contrast and spurious "dots" may appear which are caused by dirt or by defects in the record medium or paper.
The matrix code refers to the representation of one character by a single column of marks regularly spaced in a line, one class of mark representing binary one and a second class of mark representing binary zero. A black mark can represent binary one and a white mark or absence of black can represent binary zero, with the array of printed rows and col-umns of dots being a symbol and the overall invention being identified as a symbolic coding method.
In an arrangement of vertical dot columns of code, angular tracking error or drift may be corrected by repeating the n bits of the code for one character several times in a single column. The vertical height of the sensor or reader in the plane of the paper will be such that at least one full n-bit code height is detected regardless of the position of the 114584'~
_9_ sensor along the column of dots. Codes which can be converted into one another by cyclic l)ermutation will be considered equivalent and wi]l represent the same character or data. Cyclic permutation indicates or signifies that any bit may be the start bit when the code is arranged in an imaginary circle oE exactly n bits around the circumference, such codes, which can be uniquely recognized without reference to a particu-lar start bit, will be referred to as cyclic patterns or codes. Thus if the code is repeated several times in a vertical column by joining start to end bits, the reader or sensor can select any n bits from the verti-cal column of dots and uniquely identify the code. In this manner the sensor is narrower than the repeated vertical rows of dots and the code represents a re-dundant pattern.
Cyclic code patterns have inherent error de-tection capability of two types. First, since the machine will reject any code which is not a cyclic pattern and since the cyclic patterns are a small fraction of all possible patterns having the same num-ber of bits, errors consisting of unwanted marks on the medium or of missing dots have a low probability of changing a valid cyclic pattern into another accept-able pattern. Such errors will thus be detected andan alert can be given to the operator. Second, since the reader is larger in vertical extent than the length of one complete n-bit pattern, the machine can recognize more than one contiguous group of n dots and spaces to be decoded. All of these groups in any one column can be decoded during the reading period and must correspond to the same character. If not, the machine will signal an error.
Velocity error is corrected by including repeated rows of dots in a vertical direction in the printed symbol which are not recognized as code but as timing or fiduciary marks. As an example, a three-row 11458~7 combination of all white, all black, and all white marks could easily be sensed by a sensor or wand. The rate of occurrence of such marks would be analyzed to give probe velocity and thus used to generate a data clock. Further, the inclination or ~kew of the probe can be deduced from the sequence of times at which different sense elements of the probe pass over any one timing row. All of the data in the following codes would be corrected for the timing errors intro-duced by the slant or skew o, the reader on the as-sumption that the angle was changing slowly.
As an example, if a code is represented by 11 dots on 0.015 inch centers repeated four times in a vertical direction, the symbol is 0.66 inch high and the sensor field needs to be approximately 0.20 inch to see the 11 significant dots and have one or two guard dots on each end. The 11 cyclic dots can be arrayed in 188 unique ways and can represent a com-plete upper and lower case alpha font with numerics and symbols.
It is possible to provide 66 vertical col-umns of such dots per horizontal inch and if three columns of each set of 11 columns are used for timing marks, the symbol will represent 48 characters per horizontal inch. If the symbols are spaced on one inch centers vertically and 7 inches of the paper width is used, 70 inches of symbol or 33~0 characters per 8 1/2 inch by 11 inch page can be printed, which is about equal to the number of characters on a single spaced typewritten page of human readable print.
In the preferred embodiment of the inven-tion, the reader or sensor field of view is less than the length of a repeated vertical column of dots. The column of dots may contain as many as 50 dots but any ll dots in sequence can be decoded to represent the character in question regardless of which dot is taken as the first bit of the code. If, for exarnple, the ~4S847 reader or sensor is wide enough to always detect 13 dots reliably, the logic can pick out a sequence of 11 dots and uniquely assign the proper character. In this manner, the operator of the sensor can drift from top to bottom or from bottom to top ol thc repeated symbol without making errors as the symbol is scanned from left to right or from right to left all within the capabilities of the system.
A second embodiment or an alternate ap-proach, especially applicable if limited fonts areadequate, is to print codes having the same number of bits as the number of wires in a conventional print head, namely 7, 8 or 9 print wires, and which can print dots simultaneously in a vertical direction. In a typical 7 wire configuration, six dots per code can be used for a 64 character set with one dot reserved for the start position. Additional dots can be used for error checking.
Symbols made up of such codes would be printed in a single pass of the print head and each vertical column of dots would contain a single normal binary code without cyclic repetition. The sensor field would need to extend far enough above and below the printed symbol to allow for nvrmal drift during the sweep of the sensor or wand reader.
The sccond scheme is simplcr than the first scheme by reason of the code dots having a one-to-one correspondence with the bits of a simple binary code, such as ASCII. The field of view of the sensor is sufficiently wide to overlap the code symbol above and below into regions of the record med:ium where there are no printed dots. The extra width of the sensor is sufficient to allow for opcrator c3rift while sweeping or scanning the code.
There is an implication in all suggested code systems that allows for misalignment between sensor and code, which is that errors must not arise when the 1~45847 field of view of one sense element overlaps two pat-tern elements. One solution is to use a fine "grained" sensor so that each pattern element will always encompass the full field of view o~ at least one sensor element. The system logic then decides which sensor elements are "pure" in that they convey the signal from only one pattern element, and which sensor elements are "mixed" and must either be correc-ted or ignored. It is believed that, when applied to the present invention, the center-to-center spacing of view fields of the sense elements must be less than or equal to one-half the minimum center-to-center spacing of printed dots.
The choice between symbols with repeated codes to be read by a sensor having a field of view shorter than the code column of dots and symbols with non-repeated codes to be read by a sensor having a field of view longer than the code column of dots depends upon the cost of the sensor and the decoding hardware for the two embodiments. The ease of follow-ing the code during hand sweeping of the wand reader also is a determining factor of which code to use.
In the repeated or redundant pattern case, the reader or sensor sees only a part of the pattern but is capable of decoding such pattern. In the non-repeated or overlap case, any part of the sensor is capable of completely decoding the pattern as long as the entire pattern is covered.
As mentioned previously, matrix printers selectively deposit dots on the record medium or paper at locations which specify a regularly spaced grid and the presence or absence of such dots at the spaced locations along one column of the grid represent the bits of an n-bit binary number or codc. The binary data is repeated several times along each column and only those binary codes are used which can be uniquely recognized in any cyclic order without reference to , ll~S8~
-l3-most and least significant bits. The printed codes are read with the optical reader or sensor which has at least n optical elements arrayed in a line approxi-mately parallel (within the precision of hand align-ment) to the columns of the code. I'he sensor is movedin a direction approximately perpendicular to the code columns so as to detect the sequence of codes.
Referring now to the several Figures of the drawing, Figs. lA and lB illustrate a preferred em-bodiment of a dot matrix code 10 of the present inven-tion wherein such code comprises rows 12 of dots in the X direction and columns 14 of dots in the Y direc-tion. The particular code illustrated shows a com-bination of dots and spaces totaling nine and arranged in the Y direction to comprise a 9-bit code for each character. Reading or counting from the top of Fig.
lA and in the case of the letter "A", the code has eight vertical dots and a space, the letter "B" has seven vertical dots and two spaces and the letter "C"
has four vertical dots, a space, a single dot, a space and two dots. The code for letter "C" could equally well be considered to cover six dots, a space, a single dot and a space. The presence of dots or the absence of dots make up the matrix code for the res-pective letters and numerals. A 9-bit code is usually taken to represent a maximum of 29 or 512 possible dif-ferent characters. ~lowever, only 5~ of these charac-ters, excluding full and empty columns, are unique in cyclic form.
It is rcadily seen from the dot matrix codes of Figs. lA and lB that the 9-bit code Eor each letter or numeral is repeated twice in the Y direction to form the redundant pattern. The spacing oE the dots is arbitrary and is employed specifically Eor con-venience in showiny the dots separated ~rom each other in the Y direction for ease of illustration and for permitting adequate space for showing thc letters and ~14S8~7 numerals in the X direction. For example, the spa-cing or distance between dots, as represented by "a"
and by "b" may be reduced to zero so that the adjacent dots are touching, as can be accomplishe(3 where the codes are printed by a dot matrix printer of any one of the several kinds as mentioned above. A common ma-trix printer may have almost any desired dot spacing in the X direction and with little modification any desired dot spacing in the Y direction. A reader 16 is shown at the left side of Fig. lA for reading the dot matrix code, which reader, for example, may be a wand-type reader as manufactured by Caere Corporation, of Mountain View, California. The reader 16 has a field of view sufficiently wide to cover more than nine dots and/or spaces in the Y direction so as to always see a full 9-bit code, regardless of how the wand is positioned vertically within the code area.
As long as the reader is moved along a path through the repeated dot matrix code, the character repre-sented by the vertical column of dots and spaces issensed or read and retrieved for future use. The reader 16 can move in a slanted or skewed manner across the code pattern, as seen in Fig. ls, wherein it is well-known that a hand-held wand reader does not always travel along a precise line or plane when reading the code. In this respect, the logic of the control system is intended to correct for the skew of the reader.
Figs. 2A and 2B illustrate an overlap pat-tern of a dot matrix code 20 wherein the code may be printed by means of a seven element dot matrix printer (not shown) in the printing of the seven dot high code element. The codes for the respective letters and numerals are illustrated as the presence or absence of dots in a lesser height of the code. A reader 22 must overlap the top and bottom of the code symbol so that the field of view of the reader includes the height of ~145847 the 7-bit code. Again, as illustrate-l in Fig. 2B, the reader 22 ~ay be skewed in its travel along the code and the logic will correct for this condition. A
fully populated column 24 of dots at the start of a symbol and a blank column 26 adjacent thereto indicate both start and finish or end of a symbol. Various sequences of full and blank columns are used to signi-fy start and finish of a symbol or division of the symbol into blocks of data, e.g. a pair of full col-umns, a blank column and a single or a double columnof dots. The full and empty columns 24, 26 may divide blocks of code and the spacing of the columns is used to determine wand speed to assist in decoding. The repeated double dots 28 indicate end of transmission.
A column containing a single dot 29 indicates a space or a blank character.
Figs. 3A and 3B illustrate a particular application of the overlap code 30 in spelling out a "37 character ASCII subset" by reading or sensing thereof by a reader 32. A full column 34 of dots and an adjacent blank column 36 in a pattern or sequence (Figs. 3A and 3B) indicate start and finish of the symbol. The repeated double dots 38 indicate end of transmission and a column containing a single dot 39 is a space or a blank character.
Figs. 4A and 4B illustrate a particular application of the redundant pattern code 40 in spel-ling out a "58-character alpha numeric dot code"
together with a reader 42. In similar manner, a fully populated column 44 of dots and an adjacent blank col-umn 46 indicate start and finish of the symbol. The single dot 48 is end of transmission and the column of dots 49 is a space or blank character of the sym-bol.
Fig. 5 represents the identical code as Fig.
4A with the code shown in evenly s~aced dot matrix manner.
Figs. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B illustrate start and finish of the symbol by use of a pair of fully-populated columns, a blank column, and another pair of fully-populated dot columns at the left side of the code for indicating start of code. I'he right side of the code shows a single fully-populated dot column, a blank column and a pair of fully-populated columns for indicating finish of code. The single dot or double row of successive dots 28 in Fig. 2B, 38 in Fig. 3B, and 48 in Fig. 4B indicates the end of trans-mission and is printed prior to the symbol for end of code~ The pattern of columns of dots for start and finish of the symbol may be varied to operate with the array of elements of the reader and also in timing se-quence to allow for precise reading of the symbol.
In the matter of error detectionl it can beseen from Fig. 4A, for example, that the reader 42 is sufficiently wide to cover any combination of eleven dots and/or spaces to always see a full 9-bit code.
In the case of the letter "C", the reader 42 is moved toward the right and detects a code pattern for such letter which includes a single dot, a space, six dots and a space, which includes a space, six dots, a space and a single dot, and which includes six dots, a space, a single dot and a space. The several 9-bit groups are all detected and are complete patterns for the letter "C". If a different result is indicated for any one of these patterns, an error has occurred which may be caused by dirt, a missing dot, or an electronic failure of a sort. In any event, the operator would be alerted to sweep the wand across the code a second time. In this manner the error detec-tion scheme works better when the reader sees at least one full n-bit code and preferably more than the minimum number of hits required to correctly identi~y a perfectly printed pattern. Various methods exist which use the error detection mcthod a~ a hase to perform error correction.
1~45847 It is thus seen that herein shown and des-cribed is a high-density dot rnatrix code which has both repeated and non-repeated patterns in one direc-tion representing characters to be read in a direction generally normal to the patterns. The code and the reading thereof enables the accomplishment of the objects and advantages mentioned above, and while a preferred embodiment of the invention (repeated pat-tern) and a modification thereof (non-repeated pat-tern) has been disclosed herein, other variationsbeyond those herein mentioned may occur to those skilled in the art. It is contemplated that all such variations not departing from the spirit and scope of the invention hereof are to be construed in accordance with the following claims.
Claims (8)
1. A machine readable code comprising a plurality of dots arranged in rows and columns in X and Y directions to form a pattern repre-senting characters in the Y direction and conveying information by presence or absence of a dot at a specific location, said pattern of dots being repeated in the Y direction for reading in a manner wherein the field of view of reading the pattern in the Y direction is less than the repeated pattern for a character.
2. The code of claim 1 wherein the dots are equally spaced in parallel rows and columns.
3. The code of claim 1 wherein the pattern includes a column of continuous dots and an adjacent blank column representing the start and finish of a code.
4. A machine readable high-density infor-mation printed code comprising a plurality of blocks of dots arranged in rows and columns in X and Y directions to form a pattern by means of parallel columns of dots repre-senting characters in the Y direction and conveying information by presence or absence of a dot at a specific location, said blocks of dots being repeated in the Y direction for reading in a manner wherein the field of view of reading the blocks in the Y direc-tion is less than the repeated blocks of dots for the characters.
5. The code of claim 4 wherein the dots are equally spaced in parallel rows and columns in block form.
6. The code of claim 4 wherein the pattern includes a column of continuous dots in the Y direc-tion representing the start of a code and an absence of dots along a column in said direction representing the end of a code.
7. The code of claim 4 wherein the pattern of dots is repeated at least twice in the Y direction and reading is accomplished by viewing the pattern of dots substantially perpendicular to the rows of dots in the X direction.
8. The code of claim 4 wherein the pattern of dots is repeated at least twice in the Y direction and reading of the code is accomplished by optically sensing the pattern of dots substantially perpendicu-lar to the rows of dots in the X direction.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US06/062,650 US4263504A (en) | 1979-08-01 | 1979-08-01 | High density matrix code |
| US062,650 | 1979-08-01 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1145847A true CA1145847A (en) | 1983-05-03 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000357164A Expired CA1145847A (en) | 1979-08-01 | 1980-07-28 | High density matrix code |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4263504A (en) |
| EP (1) | EP0033336B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS56500983A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1145847A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3068191D1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1981000476A1 (en) |
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| US3845279A (en) * | 1972-03-01 | 1974-10-29 | L Rosdorff | Notation system |
-
1979
- 1979-08-01 US US06/062,650 patent/US4263504A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1980
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- 1980-07-18 WO PCT/US1980/000939 patent/WO1981000476A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1980-07-18 DE DE8080901605T patent/DE3068191D1/en not_active Expired
- 1980-07-28 CA CA000357164A patent/CA1145847A/en not_active Expired
-
1981
- 1981-02-24 EP EP80901605A patent/EP0033336B1/en not_active Expired
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5602382A (en) * | 1994-10-31 | 1997-02-11 | Canada Post Corporation | Mail piece bar code having a data content identifier |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPS56500983A (en) | 1981-07-16 |
| EP0033336A1 (en) | 1981-08-12 |
| EP0033336A4 (en) | 1982-01-08 |
| WO1981000476A1 (en) | 1981-02-19 |
| US4263504A (en) | 1981-04-21 |
| DE3068191D1 (en) | 1984-07-19 |
| EP0033336B1 (en) | 1984-06-13 |
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