Grayscale barcode reading apparatus system including translating device for ...

[54] GRAYSCALE BARCODE READING APPARATUS SYSTEM INCLUDING TRANSLATING DEVICE FOR TRANSLATING A PATTERN IMAGE INTO A SEQUENCE OF BAR WIDTHS AND TRANSITION DIRECTIONS

[75] Inventors: Paul B. Chou, Montvale, N.J.;

Frederick Y. Wu, Cos Cob, Conn.;
Danny C. Wong, Ringwood, N.J.

[73] Assignee: International Business Machines
Corporation, Armonk, N.Y.

[21] Appl. No.: 368,187
[22] Filed: Jan. 4, 1995

[51] Int. CI.6 G06K 7/10

[52] U.S. CI 235/462; 235/465

[58] Field of Search 235/462, 494,

235/472, 463, 465

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,158,435 6/1979 Nakanishi et al 235/463

4,443,694 4/1984 Sanford 235/465

4,740,675 4/1988 Brosnan et al 235/462

4,880,964 11/1989 Donahue 235/462

5,278,400 1/1994 Appel 235/494

5,326,961 7/1994 Sibata 235/463

5,468,946 11/1995 Oliver 235/462

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Bonus et al.; "Will China Scuttle Its Pirates?"; Business Week, Aug. 15, 1994, pp. 40-41.

"Card Technology: Cards With Photo ID MAy Help in Fraud Fight"; American Banker, Apr. 20, 1994; 3 pages [abstract].

Primary Examiner—Donald T. Hajec

Assistant Examiner—Dong Q. Luong

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Whitham, Curtis, Whitham &

McGinn; Stephen C. Kaufman, Esq.

[57] ABSTRACT

A system for verifying an object of interest, includes a grayscale one-dimensional bar pattern coupled to the object, an illumination and imaging system using a one-dimensional imaging device for reading the pattern coupled to the object and for producing a pattern image, a device for translating the pattern image into a sequence of bar widths and transition directions representing a detected code, a device for comparing the detected code with a predetermined code, and a device for indicating one of the detected code and acceptance or rejection of the detected code based on comparison of the detected code with the predetermined code.

20 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets