METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING LETTERS, CHARACTERS, SYMBOLS AND THE LIKE

摘要

Character recognition apparatus, comprising, in combination: means for scanning characters to be identified to provide for each character to be identified a time-varying first signal comprising a serial sequence of electrical signal pulses; serial-to-parallel conversion means responsive to each said serial sequence of electrical signal pulses and operable to provide a first parallel multi-bit digital electrical signal, said conversion means including a digital temporary storage means; a multiplicity of matching circuits, each of said matching circuits being associated with a respective character of a set of characters said apparatus is designed to recognize; means for applying each said first parallel multi-bit digital electrical signal to each of said matching circuits, each of said matching circuits having an electrical characteristic for providing, upon receipt of each said first parallel multi-bit digital electrical signal, a first respective analog output signal having a magnitude which varies as a function of the degree of match between the character scanned and its respective associated character of said set; and comparison means responsive to said first analog output signals from said matching circuits for determining if said analog output signals do not differ from reference values by more than a tolerance for providing an indication of the character scanned.