Electronic engraving and recording system

Abstract

An electronic engraving and recording system comprising a television camera for picking up an image of an object and converting this image into an electrical signal, means for generating control signals on the basis of the synchronizing signal used in the television camera, memory means for storing the electrical signal under control of the control signals, means for engraving and recording the image according to the signal read out from the memory means under control of the control signals, and monitoring display means for displaying the visible image of the object in response to the application of the signal read out from the memory means. An image of an object can be simply engraved and recorded on a card within a short period of time without requiring any photographic original of the object.This invention relates to electronic engraving and recording systems, and more particularly to a system of the kind above described which can electronically engrave and record an image of an object on a sheet such as a card of suitable material which has a flat and smooth surface and is highly endurable against wear.Various attempts have heretofore been made for the identification of the true user of an identification card such as a credit card, ID card, bank card, cash dispenser card, oil card, key card, consultation ticket, communication ticket, or license card. For instance, in one of the prior attempts, a photographic print of the face or other features of a user is affixed to a base plate of a card. In another prior art attempt, a photographic print of the face or other features of a user is utilized as an original to produce a printing plate which is used to print a picture of the face or other features of the user on a base plate of a card.These methods have however had various defects. For example, the former method of affixing a photographic picture of, for example, the face of a user is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of preventing possible forgery. That is, if the card were stolen or lost, the card may be used illicitly by replacing the photograph affixed to the card and the true user of the card may suffer from unexpected damage. Another defect of this prior art method resides in the fact that the thickness of the photograph-bearing portion of the card is increased by the amount corresponding to the thickness of the photograph so that when, for example, the card is magnetically verified by a suitable mechanical apparatus, an inconvenience is frequently encountered in the mechanical handling of the card. In the latter method which resorts to printing, an individual printing plate must be prepared for producing a single card. Thus, this latter method is also defective in that the manufacturing cost of such a card increases considerably. Further, either of these prior art methods is defective in that the photographic picture or printed picture of the face of the user manifested on the base plate of the card is inferior in durability, and therefore, it tends to be worn away during prolonged use of the card to such an extent that the identifying function thereof is finally lost making it difficult to certify the identity of the user during the valid term of the card.It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electronic engraving and recording system which eliminates the necessity for preparing a photographic original of an object such as a person.Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic engraving and recording system in which a visible image, which is a magnified image of an image to be engraved on a card and having exactly the same magnification with respect to the length and width is displayed on a visible image display means so that such image can be easily monitored.The electronic engraving and recording system according to the present invention includes image pickup means for picking up an image of an object such as a person whose picture is to be engraved on a card, signal storage means for storing a digital signal obtained by converting an analog signal representative of a still picture of the image picked up by the pickup means, means for reading out the digital signal stored in the storage means and converting same into an analog signal, visible image display means or monitoring means for displaying a visible image in response to the application of the analog signal from the D-A converting means, and engraving means for engraving the image corresponding to the still picture of the object on a card which is highly endurable against wear.

Description

Claims

1. An electronic engraving and recording system comprising:

image pickup means for picking up the image of an object and for converting the image into corresponding electric signals,

sampling pulse generating means for generating sampling pulses, said sampling pulse generating means including

a pulse generator for generating clock pulses having a frequency of the order of 3 MHz,

gating means for gating said clock pulses at intervals of n pulses, where n is an integer between 2 and 8, and

counting means for counting said clock pulses and producing signals which detect the completion of one horizontal scanning, one vertical scanning and m vertical scannings, where m is an integer equal to n/2or n + 1/2,

sampling means for sampling the output of said image pickup means under the control of said sampling pulses until said m vertical scanning detecting signal is produced,

analog-to-digital converting means coupled to said sampling means for converting the sampled signal into a digital signal,

memory means connected to said analog-to-digital converting means for storing the digital signals from said analog-to-digital converting means,

digital-to-analog converting means for converting the output signal from said memory means into an analog signal,

display means connected to said digital-to-analog converting means for displaying the output of said digital-to-analog converting means as a visible image, and

engraving means associated with said memory means for engraving the image of an object on a card plate in accordance with the output signal from said memory means.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said memory means is a digital memory and includes

a first shift register for storing signals contained in one widthwise line of a picture image to be engraved,

a second shift register for storing signals contained in one lengthwise line of the picture image to be engraved, said second shift register being in cooperative relationship with said first shift register, and

a third shift register for storing signals contained in one frame of the picture image to be engraved.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said memory means is a digital memory which includes

a first shift register for storing one half of the signals contained in one widthwise line of a picture image to be engraved,

a second shift register for storing the other half of the signals contained in one widthwise line of the picture image to be engraved,

a third shift register for storing signals contained in one lengthwise line of the picture image to be engraved, said third shift register being in cooperative relationship with said first and second shift registers, and

a fourth shift register for storing signals contained in one frame of th picture image to be engraved.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said sampling pulse generating means includes a synchronizing signal generating circuit for enlarging the synchronizing signal from said image pickup means, a memory gate control circuit for producing gate pulses to store said digital signals in said memory means, a memory clock control circuit for producing clock pulses to read out digital signals stored in said memory means, and a control signal generating circuit for generating signals to control said memory gate control circuit and memory clock control circuit, and for generating pulses to drive said sampling and analog-to-digital converting means.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said analog-to-digital converting means includes an overflow detecting circuit, said overflow detecting circuit detecting an overflowing input to said analog-to-digital converting circuit and driving the output of said analog-to-digital converting means to zero level when said memory means is continuously storing and reading out said digital signals.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein n is an even number larger than 2, and said gating means has a means for gating said clock pulses in different phases when said one vertical scanning detecting signal is produced.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein n is 8.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a synchronizing signal reshaping circuit for enlarging the width of the synchronizing signal from said image pickup means, said synchronizing signal reshaping circuit constituting electric signal selecting means for selecting an electric signal to be engraved with said sampling pulse generating means.

9. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory gate control circuit connected to said counting means for producing gate pulses to store said digital signals in said memory means; and a memory clock control circuit connected to said sampling pulse generating means for producing clock pulses to read out digital signals stored in said memory means, said memory clock control circuit including signal producing means for producing a signal to selectively take out the picture signal from said memory means, said signal producing means including a counter for producing a signal which determines a linear place to be engraved on the card plate, a coincident circuit connected to said counter and a horizontal division counter in said sampling pulse generating means.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said memory clock control circuit includes a colored frame preventing circuit, said colored frame preventing circuit comprising:

a first counter for counting signals for controlling the card engraving position,

a second counter for counting signals for controlling the engraving of one vertical line of the picture, and

a gate circuit connected to said first and second counter for producing an engraving picture gate signal.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said counting means comprises:

a first counter for assigning in one horizontal scanning period a predetermined number of pulses from said pulse generator and for producing a signal which detects the completion of one horizontal scanning, said number corresponding to a number of picture elements to be engraved,

a second counter for counting the detection signal of the completion of one horizontal scanning supplied by said first counter and for producing a signal which detects the completion of one vertical scanning, and

a third counter for counting the detection signal of the completion of one vertical scanning supplied by said second counter and for detecting the completion of taking in of information of the whole one frame.