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Somewhere around 11pm there was some conscious decision to cross a threshold and give a finger to being responsible. Vodka soda, whisky ginger, beer and more beer – and now last call has reminded you that tomorrow will probably suck and turning down for what is something you probably should've reconsidered.
There are very few good decisions made past midnight, but, wolfing down terrible food to curb a hangover isn't one of those bad calls you have to continue making. The next time you drop it a little too low and really need some direction when it comes stomach-filing sobriety, keep these late night joints in mind.
Bánh Mì Chè Cali
15551 Brookhurst St
Westminster, CA 92683
Every culture has their post-drinking junk food. Southern California houses just about every culture. This means plenty of options. When it comes to Vietnamese food, the Banh Mi is pretty far from junk food however. Typically slow cooked pork, loads of pickled veggies including onion, carrots, cucumber, and cilantro all nestled in a warm baguette. Banh Mi Che Cali happens to be one of the few 24/7 spots that always have fresh bread baking and run a regular buy 2 get 1 free special. This Little Saigon treasure is not only cheap, but damn delicious.
Harbor House Café
16341 Pacific Coast Hwy
Sunset Beach, CA 90742
On the east coast, the diner is king. An ongoing brew of coffee, slices of pie in a glass case, and a menu that includes everything from breakfast classics to sirloin steak and baked potato – Harbor House is the California coastal equivalent. Complete with film posters mounted on every wall (including the ceiling) and menu options that allow you to smother whatever you order in gravy, this 24/7 365 destination is well-know among night owls and perpetual drunks. The stuff isn't gourmet, but anytime you can order an omelette, a wet burrito, and a strawberry shake in the same sitting, you know it's gonna hit the spot.
Taqueria De Anda
308 W Valencia Dr
Fullerton, CA 92832
When it comes to California cuisine, the taco remains in the top tier of drunk food alongside the bacon-wrapped street dog. Something about chopped meat in a tortilla that erases all cultural and social division – it's a thing of beauty really. In the OC, Taqueria De Anda has been holding late night court over party animals for years with a keep it simple style menu. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas – that's it. Asada, Carnitas, Pollo, Cabeza (that's pretty much beef cheek), and Al Pastor, a slow cooked pork marinated with pineapple and onion are the options and trust it is munchie mastery.
***Sidenote – Great for people watching. Nothing like seeing hoodrats release their Spanx to inhale five tacos of buche and wash it down with a Horchata while talking about their man that, "is afraid of a real woman."
The Donuttery
17420 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA 92641
Far from the typical 24-hour donut spot, the Donuttery actually employs pastry chefs and bakers with some 20-plus years of experience in the kitchen. The nondescript shop almost always has a line and with options like crème brulee, S'more (yeah, toasted mini marshmallows covering a chocolate donut, and the maple bacon bar with an actual full strip of crispy, salty bacon – the hype here is all the way real. Offering fresh bagels, vegan donut options, and deli sandwiches that showcase some variety on the menu, the appeal here is polishing off a baker's dozen of some of California's most ambitious donuts after a long night at the bar.
2801 W Ball Rd
Ste 15
Anaheim, CA 92804
Quality Chinese food after midnight – yep! Family owned and operated Choy's advertises plainly (massive sign on the building) they are open nightly until 2am. In addition, the café has a local delivery service that runs until midnight and maybe later if you are nice enough. Can't miss classics from Kung Pao Shrimp, Crispy Duck, and mounds of fried rice with a protein of your choice are tasty enough, but somehow tastes even better in the wee hours of the morning.


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KT Astrologer
Vedic Astrology Horoscope
Still there is no sign of relief indicated for the students. You will focus more on to sports to divert your mind and you would be successful for the next couple of weeks. But this would be temporary and you would start feeling bad since you could not perform well like your peers on the studies. The problems with your girl or boy friend would create another sequence of problems for you. You may not be able to get into your desired schools or colleges. If you can wait until early Sep 2016, then you would get admission into reasonably good colleges after going through waiting list.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Take advantage of a Health Savings Account (HSA). "The HSA is like a personal savings account with investment options for health care, except it's all tax-free. Participation through payroll deductions allows employee contributions to be pre-taxed," says Dr. Rhonda Medows, commissioner, Georgia Department of Community Health. It also allows consumers to save for future medical and retiree health expenses. It rolls over each year. If your employer does not offer this, sign up with banks, credit unions, insurance companies or other approved organizations.
Take advantage of a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). "An FSA is an employee benefits program that allows employees to set aside a portion of their pre-tax earnings to pay for qualified expenses such as doctor co-pays and prescriptions. This account provides a substantial tax advantage since contributions are made before your paycheck is taxed," says Tassey. The FSA allowed Toney to take out up to $3,000, though she decided on $1,000. The employer deducts a certain amount from the employee's check each pay period that goes into an account. The only downside is that, unlike the HSA, the amount does not roll over to the new year and consumers can only sign up or make changes during open enrollment.
For more information, go to the Dependent Care and Health Accounts Website.
Carefully read your bill to solve any billing problems. "Medical identity theft is very real. Check to ensure that the services attributed to you were actually received by you. Review the bill to check for errors and duplications in billing," says Dr. Medows. Make sure the document is actually a bill and not simply an insurance statement. Many billing problems can be alleviated by practicing prevention. Know your specific benefits and ensure that you are covered before you schedule doctor's visits and procedures. Save all receipts from the doctors' office, canceled checks, receipts, and billing statements. Once the insurance provider has paid and you have received your final bill, call the insurance company to go over the statement if you have concerns.
Wealth For Life Principles
1. I Will Live Within My Means
2. I Will Maximize My Income Potential Through Education and Training
3. I Will Effectively Manage My Budget, Credit, Debt, and Tax Obligations
4. I Will Save At Least 10% of My Income
5. I Will Use Homeownership as a Foundation For Building Wealth
6. I Will Devise An Investment Plan For My Retirement Needs And Childrens' Education
7. I Will Ensure That My Entire Family Adheres To Sensible Money Management Principles
8. I Will Support the Creation and Growth of Minority-Owned Businesses
9. I Will Guarantee My Wealth Is Passed On To Future Generations Through Proper Insurance And Estate Planning
10. I Will Strengthen My Community Through Philanthropy


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The Mean Green of the 7-8 division of the Denton All-Star Football League kept its perfect record intact Saturday with a 27-0 victory over the Broncos.
Zachary Sutton had two carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns, while Jason Carter had two carries for 62 yards and a TD to lead the Mean Green offense.
On defense, Cameron Anderson returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown, while Kalib Hicks had eight tackles and Tommy Davis recovered a fumble.
The Mean Green (8-0) will play the 380 Panthers on Saturday for the league championship.
Denton Soccer Association
4U Coed
Tigers 14, Tiny Tigers 0
Sally Downing had a steal of a goal kick and scored her first goal of the season as the Tigers dominated the Tiny Tigers.
Rhyan Roberts led the scoring effort with six goals, while AJ McCray, Ethan Goldman and Kennedy Coward turned in strong efforts for the Tigers, who finished with a 9-0-1 record.


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Katherine Helm
Found 10 Records, 10 Photos and 279,243 Family Trees
Born in Kentucky, USA on 1783 to Henry Helm and Barbara Everhart. Katherine married John Antle and had 14 children. She passed away on 1858 in Russel.
Family Members
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Simply start with yourself and we'll do the searching for you.
Potential photos and documents for Katherine HelmView All 10 Images
Top record matches for Katherine Helm
Surname meaning for "Helm"
English (chiefly Lancashire): topographic name for someone who lived by or worked at a rough temporary shelter for animals, Middle English helm (Old Norse hjalmr, related to the Old English and Old High German words in 2 below), or a habitational name from a minor place named Helm or Helme from this word, as for example in County Durham, Northumberland, and West Yorkshire.


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Spoof news snippets from Monday 8 July 2013
Another Chinese Toy recalled
This time it's Mr. Grenade Head. Be sure to leave the ring in the right ear alone and return to store (which will escort you to the Firehouse).
Identical Twins Lose Memory In Car Wreck!
"We didn't know which of us was which until we made our husbands undress.", stated Gale. "I knew my Tommy right away. Sorry Kale. Looks like you get the short end of the stick."
Mr. Wiffle Dead
Long time commercial star Mr. Wiffle of Charmin fame squeezed to death by Grizzly while on tour with group in Alaska.
Dr. Oz This Thursday:
"Carnival Pinhead insists that angels are dancing up on top!" What will Dr. Oz recommend?
Rumors of Joe Biden False!
Joe did not barbecue a horse for the 4th of July! "It was for Father's Day", whinnies family joker.
101 Million Americans Receive Food Aid from Federal Gov't.
How much longer before we are placed on reservations?
STIMULUS: Second-largest U.S. employer is temp agency
This should give the job market a boost for at least three weeks!
WH ORDERS: Greek yogurt for school children!
Kids can't wait for their first yogurt fight. Will wind up in garbage with apple.
Justin Bieber's voice changes
Justin Bieber announced that his voice has gotten deeper. "My testicles descended," he announced, "and I sprouted pubic hair." No word yet on whether puberty will adversely affect his teen idol iamge.
Alec Baldwin clarifies "homophobic" tweets
"Do I hate gays?" Alec Baldwin tweeted. "It depends on what's in their wallets." He said he was trying out a new slogan for his Capital One commercials, which ask viewers, "What's in your wallet?"
Paula Deen tweets Alec Baldwin
Embattled celebrity chef Paula Deen tweeted actor Alec Baldwin: "It could be worse, dear: at least I don't hate gays and you don't hate black folk."
Alec Baldwin embraces gays
"I don't hate gays," actor Alec Baldwin insists. "In fact, I love gays; I just wouldn't want to marry one."
Alec Baldwin apologizes
Actor Alec Baldwin apologized for bashing gays. "I'm sorry if my comments made limp-wristed, mincing faggots ruin their mascara with all their girly tears," he said.
Turkish police fire rubber bullets
Riot police in Turkey fired rubber bullets at demonstrators at Istanbbul's Gezi Park. "I just wish the ecomony would improve enough for us to afford real ammo," one police officer lamented.
Snowden's popularity soars
Not only do many Americans regard whistleblower Edward Snowden as a national hero, but his popularity has also soared worldwide, with Russia, Cuba, and Venezuela competing to offer him citizenship.
Egypt to start over from scratch
Following the military's ousting of President Mohammed Morsi, Eqypt plans to rebuild from scratch, which is why the army has begun a wholesale slaughter of the nation's citizenry.
Is That A Threat?
Congressman who refused identification says he's been told that congress will be broken in half if it rules against steroid use.
Reagan Is Getting Closer
GOP followers of Ronald Reagan have pointed out that on windy days, there isn't a single hair moving on Reagan's head in the old videos. That's his second miracle. "Just one more", says Limbaugh.
George Zimmerman Friends Insist It's His Voice Screaming for Help
"I'd recognize that scream anywhere", stated male friend. "He did that every time he saw a spider."
Bin Laden wore cowboy hat 'to avoid detection': Pakistani report
Apparently Osama bin Laden wore a cowboy hat to avoid detection. "Everybody who saw him thought it was the ghost of Ronald Reagan and kept quiet so they wouldn't lose their jobs", says CIA agent.
Belated Apologizes
Families and friends of the late Red Fox and Moms Mabley apologize for their famous relative using the "N" word on records and tapes over 2,000 times.
China Economy Can Be Imitated
U.S. Treasury Dept. says Chinese prosperity can be copied. "We can either work their hours for what they pay workers OR we can learn to copy their money perfectly." 95% vote for the latter.
San Jose Police To Record Race Of Every Person They Stop, Question
Will no longer accept the one-word answer: "Human".
IRS Mistakenly Exposes Thousands of Social Security Numbers.
"And they all turn out to be Republican voters", says spokesman. "Can you figure the odds of that, you'd win the lottery."
New "Puke Rock" Teenager Speaks Out
"Puke Rock" is a much misunderstood group", says young man with total of 58 piercings and 111 tattoos. "We just want to be mistreated like everyone else who pukes."
Indiana Man Ran Over By Hearst on Way to Grave
"George would have wanted it this way", says the late Georges' friend. "He was always a minimalist." The late George Smith was buried in the same grave below coffin of stiff in hearse.
New Album From Ringo Going Nowhere
Even though he gave it the title "John & George Are Dead" the new album by Ringo Starr seems to be going nowhere. Most teens are asking, who's George and John?"
Gun Shoots Off It's Mouth, Denies Blame
A gun on a rack in an old pick-up truck in Tennessee says that it has never killed anybody. "I've taken down a squirrel and a couple of rabbits but I refuse to take the blame for anything else."
Most Horrible Way To Go?
New York City man killed after urinating on subway's third rail!
"Come & Look At This Daddy!"
Bin Laden raid files reportedly purged from Pentagon computers, sent to CIA, 8-year-old in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Congress Divided Over Whether to Cut Off Aid to Egypt
"Let's hold off on that and see who's in charge and what the Chinese tell us to do with their money", says Joe Biden
The Study Continues
After ten years 100 monkeys in room with 200 typewriters have not written a Shakespeare play. Thus far, only one episode of The Love Boat has been completed plus eleven monkeys have died of boredom.
Man arrested for taking "indecent liberties" with animal twice
A Texas man was arrested for having sex with the same horse twice. "Even if he'd mounted a different mount, he'd have been jailed, though," the sheriff said. "In Texas, we frown on horsing around."
Hillary Clinton's secret of staying young-looking
"A study shows that regular sex keeps a body looking seven years younger," Hillary Clinton said, "and Bill's nothing if not 'regular' when it comes to sex, even with me."
Obama scandals keep on cumming
The U. S. State Department is trading passports for sex in a worldwide prostitution ring. "Only in America!" Hillary Clinton said, praising the operation for "the opportunities it provides women."
...........Actung-Actung Campers!!
Britains answer to Stalug Luft 8 POW camp, namely Center Parcs are recruiting 1,500 'prisoners' for their new Woburn Forest set up... Any inmate able to escape without recapture is awarded a 10% bonus
California sterilizes female prisoners
To prevent them from fornicating and producing possible future criminals, California forces female prisoners to undergo sterilization. Tubal ligations are cheaper than incarceration, officials say.
...........Monty told me to do it!
China told to stop 'uprooting Tibetans' never knew you grew 'em in the first place?
...........pass the beer Sheila!
New Australian PM Kevin Rudd packs his new cabinet with women...this joker is no fool...dirty boy!
...........Royal JSA?
Belgium's King Albert II to abdicate....get those CV's ready campers!
......not another one!!
Zara and Mike expecting their first baby...how terribly terribly mind numbing what!
Four ways Obama needs to control his spies
Number One (and most important) is the way he....sorry, just been arrested. Will try to give you these later.
Studies Show No Long-Term Benefit From Glucosamine
Also, no other vitamin/mineral/herb pills. Studies financed by drug companies.
The Hottest Sunglasses This Season: See Top Picks
Number One Once Again: The Jake and Elwood Chi-town Specials.
California Prisons Were Illegally Sterilizing Female Inmates
"It was either that or castrating the guards", says former warden.
Blames Global Warming On Sun
Scientists reveal that earth's increase in global warming is caused by the increase in the use of solar power. (Wonder if increase in hurricanes caused by too much reliance on wind power?)
Nearly half of babies have flat skull spot
Doctors blame horny husbands during last months of pregnancy.
One In Four Have Guns
Close to one-quarter of teenagers and young adults treated for shooting injuries in a Michigan emergency room reported owning or carrying a gun, according to a new study. No kidding, Einstein.
Secret move keeps bin Laden records in the shadows
Great! It takes us ten years to find bin Laden and now we can't find his records.
Dalai Lama calls for 'happier century'.
Hopes next incarnation will be that of a clown. "If it's a mime, shoot me."
Singapore moves to tighten regulation of news web sites.
"Of course 'The Spoof' will always be welcome here. We need laughs badly."
"They're Here!"
Hurricane Chantel may be headed straight toward Florida say weather experts. "Let's just hope Chantel isn't a #5!"
Paula Deen In Trouble Again
Paula Deen admitted this morning that she has a tattoo of "Aunt Jemima" on her left buttock.
No Win Situation In Egypt
Most countries are giving up on Egypt. "They're at the point of throwing fits, rocks, 'Yo Mama' jokes at each other.", says Joe Biden.
Prisoners May Be Released At Gitmo
After recent hunger strike U.S. sends in hypnotists. "In their weakened state, they all think they're chickens", says guard. "See that one pecking around over there."
Walmart Asks Girl Scouts Not To Sell Cookies
A spokeswoman says that too many of their obese customers cause huge ham up in front of store, purchasing Girl Scout Cookies. "Nothing personal. Someone might fall on one of the little girls."
Cuba's Raul Castro backs asylum offers for Snowden
"He needs to go asylum", says Raul. "He's crazy as Fidel!"
Criminals Hate New Public Records Website
Many are striking back by hacking into innocent peoples records and recording them as molesters, especially the families of police officers.
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It's time for Week 3 of the Dog Days of Winter Series and this week it's all about Pinning It and Making It!
So how many of you have heard of Cowboy Caviar? In case you haven't yet, its a delicious salsa like dip filled with corn, avocados, beans, cilantro and tons of other wonderful southwest flavors. It's been a favorite in my family for a long time. We generally serve it with basic tortilla chips but was planning on bringing this this dish to a nice engagement party and wanted to make them a little more elegant. And that's when I found this recipe from Cheryl over at Tidy Mom. I just fell in love with those beautiful homemade tortilla cups and thought they would make the perfect addition to my dish!
And here is my version! My photos may not be as pretty as Cheryl's but mmm mmm mmm they sure were tasty!
Cheryl used her own version of Cowboy Caviar but I decided to use a recipe that I got from my mom, who got it from a friend, who got it from her sister and so on. I've tried several different Cowboy Caviar recipes and this one is by far my favorite! And those little cups… SO easy to make!
- 1 can Shoepeg Corn
- 1 can 15.5 oz Blackeyed Peas (drained)
- 2 Avocados chopped
- 2 Roma Tomatoes chopped
- ⅔ cup Cilantro chopped
- ⅔ cup Green Onions chopped
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Garlic Cloves Pressed
- ¾ tsp. Kosher Salt
- ⅓ tsp. Pepper
- 1 tsp. Cummin
- 1 package of mini White Corn Tortillas
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place a stack of 4 tortillas inside damp paper towels and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Take the tortillas and mold them inside of a muffin tin. You'll want to gently press them into the pan and slightly molding them. Make sure they don't collapse too much or you won't be able to put any caviar into them!
- Place inside the oven for 20-25 minutes or until browned and crispy.
- Let them cool.
- In the mean time, combine all of the ingredients above and toss until evenly coated.
- Take a spoonful of Cowboy Caviar and fill each up. Topping it off with fresh cilantro.
- Enjoy!


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Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Washington
Hi, My husband and I have twin boys (2 1/2 years old). We do not have a will or anything in place at the moment, except for Health Care Power of Attorneys. We want a basic will that names a specific friend of ours to be guardian of our boys and that also gives that guardian power to control our finances (life insurance, retirement, etc) in the event of our demise. We don't have a lot of assets (e.g., house or properties), just some basic retirement and life insurance accounts. My questions is- what specific documents should I ask a lawyer for that encompass our needs as described above (what are the specific legal terms/verbage)? Also, what is a ball-park cost for components if we met with someone in person? Is there a way to do this for free online?
1 Answer from Attorneys
The simplest mechanism would be to either create a trust or do wills that create a trust for the benefit of your children. You would also want to nominate a standby guardian or nominate a standby guardian in your will. You should make sure (I usually suggest that they get a writing) that the proposed guardian agreeing to the duties. As to whether you can do this online, I don't know; I've never looked. The advantage of having an attorney do this with you is that you will get more attention to detail and reduce the risk that an something will be missed. As to what an attorney would charge. If the wills are reciprocal, I would expect that it will cost you about $550 total to do with an attorney.


text: i think the best feature is online (even tho the lag needs to be fixed). finally a time where im not stuck playing npcs or cpus all day long. i think the worst feature is online because theres no records or anything else relating to it even for friends. im sure they put alot of work into making it online but it seems unfinished especially for random games.


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Friday, September 14, 2007
Did I Ever Tell You About...
...Ann Gorman. Ann was born Stephanie St. Claire in County Cork, Ireland, known as "Bandit Country" by the locals. She immigrated to New York in 1922. After taking her cut from a bank robbery with Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, in which she drove the getaway car, Ann opened a numbers bank in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan. During this time she would become affiliated with the 40 Thieves street gang, but it was not long before she branched off on her own and operated the leading numbers racket in the city. Ann's departure from the gang was due greatly to the fact she wanted to control the gang. Ann challenged leader Edward Brennan for leadership. They would settle the dispute in bare knuckle fight. Owen Madden, boxing promoter and Cotton Club proprietor, heard of the challenge and decided to promote and stage fight at the Cotton Club itself. Ann would beat Brennan into submission, but the gang could not bear the embarrassment and ousted Ann anyway After the Great Depression and with the end of Prohibition gangsters all over the city saw a decrease in profits. This led to Dutch Shultz muscling in on her numbers game. Ann and her main enforcer Hap "Cement Head" Haswell refused to give into Schultz. This led to one of the biggest waves of violence the city had ever seen. With the wave of violence wearing her and her men down Ann began to complain to the local authorities who just brushed her off, Ann then went to the newspapers and told of the corruption amongst it's senior officers. Shortly thereafter Ann was arrested on trumped up charges. While Ann was in custody Haswell approached Lucky Luciano to aid in ending this turf war. Ann and "Cement Head" Haswell realizing the war couldn't go on agreed to a truce with Schultz that was mediated by Luciano. Ann was allowed to live and operate as long as she payed tax to Luciano and the Commission. Schultz was assassinated on the orders of Luciano in 1935, it has long been rumored "Cement Head" himself did the deed. Ann had nothing to do with his murder, but is remembered for sending a telegram to his hospital bed. It read, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." This incident made headlines across the country. After the death of Arnold Rothstein and Luciano taking firm control and creating the Commission, Ann was asked to move upstate to Saratoga Springs and operate The Brook Gambling House. Ann would operate this establishment up until 1944 when it mysteriously burned down. Ann would then open up the Race View Motel located on Nelson Avenue across from the Back Stretch. The motel became a hot spot in the late 40's and 50's. It became famous for a often imitated but never duplicated duet sang there by Saratoga's own Eddie Sabitini and Frank Sinatra. Their duet of "Paris In the Spring Time" became world famous. Ann has retired to a private life now but her mark has been left on Saratoga forever. Celtic great Bob Cousy said in his autobiography, "Mrs. Gorman was the greatest host when me and the boys played those summer league games at The Brook".
Posted by Mags O'Toole at 12:09 AM
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Artist description:
okay hinta shes part fox!but looks like a cat.her ears and tails are always out!
Flash Draw Created Mar 02, 2009 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2009 puddingmewmew.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
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whitecat2 Mar 02, 2009
Aww! She is so cute!♥ 5/5
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By Adrienne Credo, Regular ContributorSeptember 10, 2015
How are you feeling today? How have you been feeling for the past week? Month? Year? Have you taken the time out of your busy day to check in on yourself? If you haven't, this is your reminder.
We are humans, and we feel. We forget that what we feel is valid, and we forget to try to understand our feelings.
I have learned to become more aware of my feelings and why I'm feeling them. This practice in self-awareness helps me to understand who I am as a person and how and why these particular feelings exist.
But again, we are humans. We get wrapped up in everything around us but ourselves. We want to know who is dating who in the celebrity world, and we worry less about how our personal relationships are doing. We often want to be someone else for a day, and we don't question that, even though we should. A lot of things we desire stem from emotions that we may not be addressing. This is why it's important for us to consistently check in with ourselves. It helps us understand how we're developing as a person and whether or not that development leads us to become the best versions of ourselves.
image via pgcememoirs.com
Questions that may arise when we reflect upon our lives and how we have developed include: What are we proud of? What are we not so proud of? How are our priorities? Are any of these things factoring into how I am feeling?
Many of us are so busy with our lives that we don't take the time to sit down and reflect.
I am most certainly a victim of time, in that I never make time to ask these questions. I always find a reason to not write in my journal or quickly brush off my emotions by saying, "oh, I'm just a bit moody today." As I sit here and write this post, I reflect on these questions and realize how long it's been since I asked these questions and how different my responses are since a few months ago.
So this is a reminder to all of us. We must make time to check in with ourselves as often as possible. We cannot sacrifice our emotional health, because it affects how we conduct ourselves in our daily lives without realizing it. With so much going on in our lives, we have to take the time to sit down and reflect on ourselves and how the hustle and bustle of our lives is affecting us. But most of all, we are humans. We may forget to check in with ourselves, but reminders like these allow us to reflect more often. My hope is that through this blog, I will hold not only myself, but all of you, accountable for continually checking in, because how and why we feel matters.
Let's chat!
When was the last time you checked in with yourself? How have you been doing? Tell us below!
About Adrienne
Adrienne is an undergraduate at University of California, Irvine studying Criminology, Law and Society with a minor in International Studies. She is also a passionate photographer (you can check out her work below!). She loves watching TV shows like Chicago PD (shout out to Sophia Bush!) and Law & Order: SVU with her roommates and creates funny videos with her friends.
Check out some of her photographs on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/123906482@N03/
Follow Adrienne on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ayjaycee and on Instagram: http://instagram.com/a.credo
Every girl is a work in progress. If you need more help, click here.
Sheila Moeschen, Senior Editor followed this page 2015-09-09 18:12:19 -0700


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Climate change though broadly have impact on livelihood, natural resources and environment, it is also necessary to deal with- how it has implications on energy resources, energy demand and supply chain. This is necessary because energy consumption pattern has a close relation with human development index.
Energy access has a close relation with sustainable development and MDGs. Among different supporting themes to build adaptive capacities to the climate change, energy access also has an important value. This can be correlated and rationalized by analyzing importance of synergizing energy access for productive and basic needs for the livelihood enhancement. In the same context, in developing countries like Nepal, renewable energy has crucial value to increase access to information, opportunity to improve their normal livings through different income generation activities. All these are the pre-requisite to build resilient capacities to adapt with the changes.


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Motion and fluid control specialists Norgren asked ClickThrough to help them find new clients in a mature industrial market. The result was a PPC campaign built around prospects needs, which generated a significant increase in enquiries.
BRIEF: Create a PPC campaign to find new customers, drive brochure downloads
TARGETS: Find new clients, improve visibility
OUTCOME: £9 return for every £1 spent, five-fold increase in traffic, PPC roll-out across Europe, Australia and the US
The Client
Norgren is an international engineering business which specialises in motion and fluid control technologies. It is part of the FTSE 250 listed IMI group (£1.9bn annual group revenue), and offers products under the trusted Herion, Buschjost, KIP and Webber brands.
The Challenge
To maintain their growth, Norgren wanted to expand their client base outside of their traditional customers. Their target market (manufacturing companies who use pneumatics in their own products) were proving difficult to reach using traditional online and offline marketing methods.
The Strategy
ClickThrough identified that this informed audience preferred to work through product brochures themselves, and then speak to a technical specialist to answer any queries they might have, rather than be pushed into a sales process at the outset.
With this knowledge, our conversion experts developed bespoke landing pages, incorporating brochure download calls-to-action, video content and the creation of a dedicated AdviceLine for prospects to call for specific advice relevant to their needs from Norgren product specialists.
Then, working with Norgren, ClickThrough created a PPC marketing campaign based around the industry terminology that would only be used by prospects from this industry: reducing wastage from the outset.
The Results
As a direct result, Norgren received a significant increase in brochure enquiries, including one lead which turned into a multi-million pound client contract. In the UK, at the peak of the campaign, almost half of all clicks resulted in brochure downloads. Thanks to the success of this campaign, ClickThrough now manages all of Norgren's pay per click marketing in 11 languages, across 19 countries in three continents (North America, Europe and Oceania).
"ClickThrough has made Norgren's motion control expertise central to our Pay Per Click campaign. This informed approach has paid dividends by helping us to expand our customer base considerably."
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Key PPC Campaign Takeaways
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text:
Turkey issues apology ultimatum to Israel
Turkey's foreign minister gave Israel one day to apologize for its 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla ship or the country would "resort to Plan B."
Ahmet Davutoglu said he would not agree to any more delays in the release of the United Nations-authored Palmer Report investigating Israel's raid on the Mavi Marmara ship in May 2010, which led to the deaths of nine Turkish citizens, including a dual Turkish-American citizen.
The report, which originally was scheduled to be released in February, is now set to be released Friday after several agreed-upon delays in an attempt to solve the diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey.
"It is not remotely possible for us to agree to a six-month delay," Davutoglu said Thursday during a visit to Sarajevo, Today's Zaman reported. "For us the [apology] deadline is the day the U.N. report gets released, or we resort to Plan B." He did not say what Plan B would be, according to the newspaper.
"We waited patiently for Israel to come to a decision, but it looks like the country is having a hard time arriving at one," the foreign minister said, adding that "Turkey will be imposing sanctions that are well known by Israel and some other international parties."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month in a telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton turned down an Obama administration request to apologize to Turkey. Israel has offered its "regret."
The Palmer Report, according to advance copies given to the two countries, reportedly will vindicate Israel for blockading the Gaza Strip.
Relations between Israel and Turkey had begun to deteriorate even before the flotilla incident, beginning with the monthlong Gaza war that began in late December 2008.


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Live Commentary
Well, that's it from Old Trafford this afternoon. Many thanks for joining me, and stay with Goal.com today for more Premier League action!
Sir Alex's side go top with that win. For the time being, anyway. More questions than answers for Arsene Wenger's side however. It was a very lacklustre performance from the Gunners.
FULL TIME at Old Trafford. The referee didn't even bother with kick-off as he blows for the end straight after that Cazorla strike, and United win 2-1.
90' + 5'Goal Santi Cazorla
GREAT GOAL FROM CAZORLA!! The visitors load the box and Cazorla - at the second time of asking - drives a superb effort from the edge of the box into the far corner.
90' + 2'Rooney nearly finds himself through on goal but Mannone comes out to smother. Giroud has a fantastic chance at the other end, meeting Cazorla's low ball six yards out, but he drills it straight at De Gea.
90' + 1'Arteta is booked for a clumsy challenge on van Persie as we enter four minutes of stoppage time at Old Trafford.
90'Yellow Card Mikel Amatrian Arteta
90'The Arsenal fans are still singing away. They haven't had much to cheer about this afternoon. United snuff out another Gunners attack as we approach injury time.
89'Arsenal deal with the danger and Cazorla nearly breaks forward, but the Spaniard finds himself isolated and eventually loses the ball in the centre circle.
88'Giroud blasts a 30-yard effort straight into Ferdinand's back and United move quickly up the other end, with Mertesacker conceding a corner
86'Anderson flies past Mikel Arteta with far too much ease, before trying to find Valencia with a slotted pass, but Mannone gathers again.
85'United content with keeping the ball and moving it around at walking pace. Arsenal are tiring and the hosts could try to exploit that and push for a third. Van Persie is nearly set loose but Mannone comes out quickly to smother the ball.
83'Yellow Card Andrey Arshavin
83'The game has hit a bit of a lull since that red card. Substitute Andrey Arshavin adds to the yellow card tally by taking out Rafael.
82'SubstitutionAntonio Valencia Nani
81'SubstitutionLukas Podolski Andrey Arshavin
81'Yellow Card Wayne Rooney
81'Walcott breaks forward over the halfway line and Rooney cynically clips the Arsenal man's heels, sending him flying. Rooney unsurprisingly earns a yellow card for his efforts.
80'Another offside goal! Van Persie slides the ball across goal into the path of Anderson who coolly slots it into the corner, but the flag goes up.
79'Giroud - another Arsenal player who has had a frustrating afternoon - gets on the end of a cross but can't direct his header anywhere meaningful and United gather possession.
78'Van Persie drills the ball into the net after being flagged offside, before Valencia tries to trick his way through three Arsenal players. The Gunners defence holds firm though and the pressure is eventually let off after Young fouls Sagna
76'Walcott finally has a chance to get forward after Carrick gives the ball away in midfield. Cazorla collects and feeds the substitute, but Walcott disapppointingly blasts it high up into the stands.
75'This will be United's fourth straight league win if they hold out as expected, and the Red Devils will also go top of the league for a few hours at least.
74'Arsenal press forward but Santos loses the ball and eventually concedes the foul. That pretty much sums up his afternoon.
72'Yellow Card Anderson
72'More from Greg Stobart; here are his thoughts on that sending off: "A few of us in the press box predicted that second booking for Jack Wilshere. He was clearly starting to tire and grow increasingly frustrated - and now the game is effectively over as a contest. Arsene Wenger looks very, very miserable."
71'United keeping the ball comfortably, and Rooney has a 20-yard effort blocked. The hosts still have possession though and Arsenal look like they're chasing shadows.
69'Yellow/Red Jack Wilshere
You felt it was coming, and Jack Wilshere is heading off for an early bath. He goes in late on Evra and the referee has no choice but to give the Arsenal midfielder a second yellow. An even bigger mountain to climb for the visitors now.
68'Anderson nearly makes it three after Valencia pulls back to him on the edge of the box, but the Brazilian blasts it well over the bar. Arsenal in danger of slipping away here.
67'Assist Wayne Rooney
67'Goal Patrice Evra
EVRA MAKES IT TWO!! Young and Rooney work the short corner, and the England man's perfect cross is met by Evra, who nods into the corner to double the hosts' lead.
66'WHAT A SAVE!! Van Persie springs the offside trap and has time to collect Young's ball and pick his spot, but Mannone produces a world-class fingertip save to push it wide.
65'Cazorla wins a foul on the right-hand side and Wilshere swings it into the area. The ball evades everyone and Vermaelen can't quick reach it at the far post.
64'Anderson had a superb match against Chelsea on Wednesday, and nearly finds Young with a fantastic chipped ball, but the winger is caught offside.
63'Rooney steals the ball off Walcott and United stroke the ball around. Substitute Anderson presses forward and finds Valencia who wins a throw off Santos.
62'Greg Stobart is glad to see the Gunners fighting to get back into it here: "Some signs of life, finally, from Arsenal, and it has brought a response from their supporters, who are starting to believe they can get back in the game. Arsene Wenger is marching around his technical area as the action picks up, with Robin van Persie just booked for a crunching late challenge on Bacary Sagna."
61'SubstitutionTom Cleverley Anderson
61'Robin van Persie shows just why he is not a defender, wildly sliding into Sagna and picking up a booking. That was not pretty.
60'Yellow Card Robin van Persie
59'Cleverley is treading thin ice after taking out Wilshere, but escapes a second yellow. Arsenal can't make anything of the set piece opportunity though and United clear.
58'Rafael lifts a cross from the right to find Evra at the far post. The left-back lays back to Rooney who shoots first time. It hits Mertesacker and the United players appeal for handball, but replays show the defender's arms were at his side and it would have been very harsh.
56'Oh dear Andre Santos. He's not had a good afternoon at the back, and has a chance to redeem himself going forward, but completely overhits the cross and the chance is wasted.
55'Oof! Wilshere clatters into van Persie halfway inside the Arsenal half. Clearly no love lost there...
54'Off the post! Arsenal enjoying more possession and are desperate to push forward. Cazorla drives a low cross in from the left and Giroud swivels at the near post, fires towards goal and it smacks against the upright and out for a goal kick.
53'STAT ATTACK: Robin van Persie has now scored against ALL current PL clubs. Only one other player has done this - Yakubu. Incredible statistic from our friends at Infostrada there.
52'SubstitutionAaron Ramsey Theo Walcott
52'And here comes Walcott. It didn't take Wenger long to make that decision. Ramsey is the man to come off so it's a straight swap.
50'It's United's turn to lose possession as Rafael gives the ball away. Podolski needs support but it isn't forthcoming. Arsenal starting to press at last and Theo Walcott is getting ready to come on.
48'Arsenal don't seem to have got started yet. The ball pings around the area before Carrick tries a 25-yard effort which flies well wide.
47'Should be two! Vermaelen is caught out again and van Persie bursts into the area, sliding the ball across for Valencia but the winger, with the goal at his mercy, can only push the ball wide. Another massive let-off for the Gunners.
46'The teams are out and Manchester United start things off in the second half.
Greg Stobart can only see one way this might turn around: "Arsene Wenger has never been the most proactive manager with his substitutions but this game is screaming out for the introduction of Theo Walcott. Wayne Rooney's penalty miss means Arsenal are still in with a chance but the visitors desperately need to inject some energy into their attacks after a listless first-half."
That was a pretty quiet half of football, and Arsene Wenger will be very disappointed with his side's performance so far. Can he turn things round in the second half?
STAT ATTACK: Six of the 10 penalties in Premier League games between Man Utd and Arsenal have been missed.
HALF TIME at Old Trafford and Manchester United go into the break 1-0 up against Arsenal. It could, and should, have been two after Wayne Rooney missed that stoppage time penalty. Will he rue that come the end of the game?
45' + 3'Rooney doggedly chases Arteta, fouling the Spaniard in the process and conceding a free-kick. Just a few seconds left in the half now.
45' + 1'Missed Penalty Wayne Rooney
ROONEY MISSES!! The England international goes low to the left and it flies wide of the post. What an escape for Arsenal! Could that change things for the second half?
45'PENALTY TO UNITED!! Mertesacker has a lucky escape after he slices a clearance over his own crossbar. Rooney plays short to Young, who fires a cross in and Cazorla raises his hands to protect himself and hits the ball. Mike Dean has no choice but to award the spot-kick.
44'It's given away in midfield yet again by the visitors and United break forward. Young has a chance to cross but completely fluffs it, much to the frustration of the several players who had got into the box.
42'Cazorla finds Ramsey with an excellent long diagonal ball. The Wales midfielder links up with Sagna but Patrice Evra gets back well to dispossess the Arsenal man.
41'United seem comfortable with their 1-0 lead and look happy to take that scoreline into the break. Arsenal lift it high to the edge of the area but Jonny Evans clears and the hosts start moving the ball around in the middle.
39'The Gunners win a corner and Giroud meets it with a header that flies in completely the wrong direction. The referee had already blown for a foul in the box but it was a very poor effort on goal from the striker.
37'Yellow Card Tom Cleverley
37'It's another first-half booking, this time for Tom Cleverley who clips Santi Cazorla. The Gunners have a free-kick which Mikel Arteta whips in from a fairly central position 40 yards out, but United clear.
36'Arsenal aren't being completely denied possession; they just aren't doing very much with it. Wilshere is forced wide but has no support and eventually runs it out for a goal kick to the hosts.
34'Van Persie wins a header in midfield and sets Cleverley free. The midfielder has two in the box but can't clear Mertesacker with his cross and Arsenal escape once again.
33'Evra slides a pass around Sagna looking for Young, who is caught offside. A let-off for the visitors there as Sagna and Mertesacker looked out of position.
32'Rio Ferdinand lofts it high down the right flank for Rafael to chase, but Santos stays calm and gathers the ball on the by-line.
31'Arsenal still have the ball but it's all being played in front of the hosts at the moment; no real inroads being made. Ramsey eventually gives it away but the Gunners win it back before Santos swings a cross straight into the arms of De Gea.
29'Yellow Card Ashley Young
29'Ashley Young picks up a caution for treading on Sagna's toes with a late challenge and Arsenal have possession at the back.
28'Great save! Carrick lifts a delightful ball into the path of Rooney on the left-hand side of the area, and Mannone produces a strong palm to deny the striker's left-footed effort. Van Persie then heads towards goal but Mannone gathers comfortably.
27'Rooney pops up on the right-hand side this time, and blasts in a dangerous cross which Bacary Sagna does very well to get a head to and force away.
25'Wilshere concedes possession in midfield; something Arsenal are doing far too often in this match so far. Santos fouls Valencia on halfway and United keep the ball.
24'Arsenal break quickly and Ramsey darts into the area, trying a low drilled cross, but David De Gea gets a strong hand to the ball and United survive the attack.
23'United win a corner from the left which Rooney swings in, but it comes to nothing and the visitors eventually regain possession.
21'Nearly two! And nearly a brace for van Persie already! Wayne Rooney slides a superb pass through and the Netherlands international shoots right-footed from wide, forcing a parried stop from Mannone.
20'It's been a strange game so far, with everything happening in midfield. The visitors are still trying to work some meaningful possession but it's all very tentative.
18'Young drives a low cross in from the left after good work between Wayne Rooney and van Persie, but Mertesacker produces a no-nonsense clearance.
17'Van Persie is nearly through on goal after Carrick plays the ball past Per Mertesacker, but the 29-year-old is flagged offside, much to Arsenal's relief.
16'Apart from the goal, it's been a fairly uneventful opening, but the first 15 minutes have flown by. Antonio Valencia tries to get on the end of Carrick's diagonal pass but Arsenal clear the danger.
14'Yellow Card Jack Wilshere
14'Aaron Ramsey tries to burst down the right flank but doesn't quite have the pace and Michael Carrick tidies up. Jack Wilshere then slams into Tom Cleverley from behind and Mike Dean brandishes the first yellow card of the afternoon.
13'The hosts have the ball in midfield, and are passing it around comfortably. Sir Alex's side not in any rush to push forward.
11'Arsenal desperate to get back into it quickly. They move the ball around in midfield but Olivier Giroud concedes possession with a poor crossfield pass looking for Aaron Ramsey.
10'Andre Santos has just shown why he plays in defence, blasting a long range effort just inside the corner flag. Not one for the scrapbook.
6'It was inevitable really, wasn't it? Here are Greg's thoughts: "Just as the Arsenal fans' unsavoury chants about Robin van Persie reached a crescendo, he answered in the best possible manner. The Dutchman refused to celebrate out of respect for his former club - which is rather ironic given the lengths he went to in forcing through his £24m in the summer. No sign of Arsene Wenger on the touchline yet but he will be furious with his side's defending."
3'Goal Robin van Persie
UNITED TAKE THE LEAD!! And it just had to be that man Robin van Persie, didn't it. Thomas Vermaelen fluffs a clearance and the former Gunner hits it first time with his right foot and into the corner. What a start!
2'It's a slow, tentative start from both sides as they settle into the match. United press forward with Ashley Young but his cross deflects straight into the arms of Mannone.
1'Referee Mike Dean blows the whistle and Arsenal get the match underway.
The players emerge from the tunnel and we are only a few minutes away from kick-off. I don't know about you, but I can't wait for this to get going.
More from Mr Stobart at Old Trafford now: "The teams have completed their warm-ups and as the announcer reads out the starting line-ups; the Arsenal fans in the corner to my right respond with huge boos when Robin van Persie's name is read out. So much for Ferguson's optimistic claim that the Dutchman should be treated like a hero."
STAT ATTACK: Rooney's 10-goal haul is the highest by a Premier League player against the Gunners (along with Robbie Fowler). Will the England international add to that tally today?
Greg Stobart seems to think so. He's our man in the stands this afternoon: "Hello from Old Trafford, where supporters are tucking in to their bacon sandwiches ahead of today's lunchtime kick-off between Manchester United and Arsenal. This is a fixture that has rarely failed to deliver in the Premier League era and fans are arriving today expecting another thrilling encounter. I was here for United's 8-2 win over the Gunners last season and I'm expecting plenty of goals again this afternoon between two teams with strong attacking options but porous defences."
So Robin van Persie faces his old club, and Theo Walcott is only on the bench for the Gunners despite his midweek heroics. It's been a crazy week in the Capital One Cup; both sides conceded five but enjoyed varying fortunes. This fixture last season famously finished 8-2 to United. All signs point to goals today, surely?
ARSENAL: Mannone; Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Santos; Arteta, Wilshere; Ramsey, Cazorla, Podolski; Giroud. Subs: Martinez, Koscielny, Walcott, Coquelin, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Chamakh
MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea; Rafael, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Cleverley, Young; Rooney, van Persie. Subs: Lindegaard, Anderson, Chicharito, Nani, Scholes, Powell, Wootton
First up, let's have a look at today's teams...
Good afternoon and welcome to our play-by-play coverage of today's mammoth Premier League clash between Manchester United and Arsenal. I'm Tom McKeown and I'll be with you through the afternoon to guide you through all the action at Old Trafford. And boy does it promise to be a belter of a match today!


text:
MILWAUKEE, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Sean Halton hit a first-inning grand slam Wednesday and Tyler Thornberg gave up two hits over six innings, leading Milwaukee to a 7-0 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Halton's blast was the highlight of a five-run inning, after which the Brewers coasted to their fourth straight victory.
The home run by Halton, the seventh batter of the inning, came with two away off Chris Rusin (2-5).
Thornberg (3-1) walked two and struck out four while making his sixth start of the season and the ninth in his two years in the majors.
The Cubs dropped their fifth in a row and moved within one reaching 90 losses for the campaign.


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Undertakers San Paola La Cremasca take care of all funeral administrative procedures and burial formalities, dress the deceased, arrange floral decoration, post notices of the death, print announcements and obituaries in the local press. The company handles every moment of the funeral and its arrangements, the farewell ceremony, transport of the deceased and burial or cremation, with qualified staff and funeral vehicles in perfect condition.
Company websites
www Corporate site


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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jul 16, 1996
|Filing date
|Jun 15, 1994
|Priority date
|Jun 15, 1994
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Chin-Long Chen, Mu-Yue Hsiao
|Original Assignee
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (9), Referenced by (50), Classifications (10), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention is generally directed to methods and devices for reading and decoding single width bar codes. More particularly, the present invention is particularly directed to the decoding of scanned bar code patterns which may be presented either as dark bars on a light background or as light bars on a dark background. The present invention also includes a preprocessor for removing "glitches" that may be present as a result of the scanning operation. Additionally, the present method and apparatus is particularly amenable to incorporation of check digit symbols, redundancy and repeated measurements all of which contribute to the overall robustness of the decoding.
The utilization of bar codes has become a very convenient phenomena. Many people are already familiar with the universal product code (UPC) typically employed at supermarket checkout counters not only for purposes of speeding data entry but also for inventory control and the creation of detailed receipts. This is but one example of the utility found in bar code marking systems. The UPC code is however a multi-width bar code and therefore, as a result, reading and decoding operations are more complicated than necessary.
Typically, a bar code pattern is provided on a product by marking with dark bars on a white background. This background may be provided as part of a separate adhesive label or the bar code may be printed as part of the packaging of the box containing various forms of merchandise. However, in certain circumstances it is desirable to provide bar code markings directly on materials like glass, aluminum, plastic, silicon and the like. This is particularly important in those cases when the object being marked will be subjected to process steps which would be inimical to such things as paper labels. In these instances, bar code patterns may be present in the form of light bars on a relatively dark background. Accordingly, it is therefore seen to be desirable to have a mechanism for reading bar code patterns having either of these formats, that is, independently of the nature of the relationship between the background and the foreground in terms of lightness and darkness. It would be desirable to have this operation performed automatically and certainly have it performed in a manner in which the recognition rate is extremely high. It would also be desirable to achieve these goals without the utilization of expensive equipment.
The desirability of reading black on white bar codes and white on black bar codes is evidenced in U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,345, issued Apr. 7, 1987 to Yukuo Kurimoto which is assigned to Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. and which was filed in the U.S. on Sep. 11, 1985. However, the bar code reader described therein depends upon the manual intervention of the user to operate a switch which in one position inverts the output from a wave shaping circuit. Such a mechanism is naturally disadvantageous in that it requires prior knowledge of the nature of the bar code in order for the system to function. Applicants' invention overcomes this and other problems.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for decoding a bar code pattern comprises a plurality of steps. First, the bar code pattern is scanned to produce an output waveform which is representative of the variations in relative reflectivity occurring along the scan direction. This waveform is then converted into a sequence of binary signals which are representative of the widths of the bars and spaces within the scanned bar code pattern. Accordingly, this signal sequence contains alternating indicia of bar and space widths. Next, this signal of binary sequences representing bar and space widths, is converted into a signal sequence of indicia indicative of gap size. This gap sequence is then compared with predetermined gap sequence patterns to determine which symbol is represented by the bar code pattern.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a preprocessor is employed to treat the electrical waveform signal so as to remove unwanted spikes and also to fill in erroneous data dropouts. A method of carrying out this preprocessing is also described herein.
The present invention also preferably employs a signal range finder mechanism which serves to isolate the beginning and the end of the bar code sequence. It is this second preprocessing mechanism which provides the desired degree of foreground/background independence described above. The signal processing operations described herein as part of the present invention may be implemented either in the form of dedicated hardware structures or instead may be implemented through the utilization of a computer having stored therein programming capable of carrying out the signal processing requirements of the present invention.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve the signal processing capabilities associated with the scanning and reading of bar codes.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide signal processing systems which are automatically capable of reading bar codes having dark bars on a light background or light bars on a dark background.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide signal processing capabilities for bar code scanning in which extra bars and dropouts generated from optical and electrical glitches in the scanning process are eliminated.
It is another object of the present invention to provide greater reliability in bar code reading by the utilization of methods which are consistent with rescanning and other bar code redundancies provided for error detection and correction.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide signal processing capabilities for bar code scanning in which multiple bar to bar spacing measurements are implemented so as to improve scanning reliability.
Lastly, but not limited hereto, it is an object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for the scanning and decoding of single width bar code patterns.
The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of practice, together with the further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGS. 1(A-J) are pulse train waveforms representing real data sampled from a bar code scanner;
FIGS. 2(A-J) are views of the signal waveforms shown in FIG. 1 after preprocessing to remove extraneous glitches and to fill in dropout signal portions;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the overall signal processing carried out in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 4(A-D) are illustrations of two cases for glitch correction such as that which is more particularly done in the preprocessing carried out in the generation of the waveform in FIG. 2 from the waveform in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the signal processing steps carried out to provide a clean width sequence signal;
FIG. 6 is a diagram more particularly illustrating a sliding window approach to glitch correction which is more particularly shown in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an illustration of the three methods that may be employed in preferred embodiments of the present invention to generate desired gap sequences which are ultimately used to provide symbol and/or character recognition indications.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the flow of scanning, conversion and comparison operations carried out in accordance with the present invention.
When a bar code is scanned, the typical bar code reader directs a beam of light across the surface on which the bar code is imprinted. By either electrical or mechanical means the beam is made to sweep across the bar code pattern. Because of the different degrees of reflectivity presented during the sweep across the pattern, different voltage level signals are produced at the detector of the bar code reader. A typical one of the waveform patterns that is produced in the detector is shown in FIG. 1. (See step 200 in FIG. 8) However, FIG. 1 is shown herein in broken up form as portions A-J simply because of the length of the scan involved. The scan represents real data. The numbers shown above and below the waveform pattern indicate the duration of that pattern in arbitrary bit units. The reader should not however yet consider this signal waveform as representing either black bar codes on a white background or as a white bar code on a black background. Its nature will be discerned during the signal processing operations described below.
Thus the numbers shown in FIG. 1 do not necessarily represent either bar widths or space widths. This is to be determined. A signal waveform shown such as that shown in FIG. 1 is a function of time which is typically derived from a sequence of signals from a clocked binary counter. Such signals are typically generated by a clocking mechanism which is started and stopped as a result of transitions encountered during the scanning process. (See step 210 in FIG. 8) Accordingly, the numbers shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 represent signal readings which are proportional to the widths of the bars and spaces. It is an important consideration for the present invention for the reader to understand that the raw data shown in FIG. 1 is independent of the relationship between the foreground and the background. In particular, there may be a dark bar placed on a light background or a light bar placed upon a dark background. Either bar code arrangement will be recognizable and processable by the signal processing apparatus of the present invention. Once the incoming scan signal indicative of the bar and space widths is received, it is preferably converted to a numerical signal equivalent and stored in a computer memory system in a table such as that shown in Table I below.
TABLE I______________________________________Width SequenceODD EVENPosition Width Position Width______________________________________ 1 330 2 458 3 7 4 10 5 8 6 6 7 4 8 1 9 2 10 1611 5 12 113 2 14 1615 5 16 117 2 18 419 6 20 621 5 22 123 1 24 2125 7 26 727 6 28 1129 7 30 731 6 32 433 7 34 3035 5 36 137 2 38 439 6 40 641 5 42 143 1 44 445 7 46 1147 1 48 149 3 50 2551 6 52 453 1 54 255 4 56 757 6 58 1759 7 60 1761 7 62 1263 1 64 165 4 66 2467 6 68 469 1 70 271 4 72 673 6 74 1875 7 76 477 6 78 1379 5 80 181 1 82 1183 6 84 1185 7 86 687 4 88 2489 6 90 791 7 92 1093 7 94 1695 8 96 1097 7 98 799 4 100 1101 1 102 14103 3 104 2105 1 106 9107 5 108 1109 1 110 4111 7 112 11113 6 114 7115 7 116 502117 11______________________________________
It is to be noted in Table I above, that it is divided into two portions. Each width measurement is associated with a position in the table. The odd numbered positions are shown in the first column of the table and width measurements associated with even positions are shown in the righthand portions of Table I. This distinction is important for considerations associated with the symbol range finder portion of the present invention which is more particularly described below.
It is noted that, because of drawing space limitations, FIG. 1 was of necessity broken into portions A-J. It is also seen that the numbers shown in FIG. 1 correspond to the width measurements present in Table I. It is these width measurements which provide the raw signal input for signal processing operations carried out in the method and apparatus of the present invention to produce a recognized symbol which is presented by the bar code pattern.
It should be appreciated from FIG. 1 that there are present "glitches" that have occurred during the scanning operation. Two kinds of "glitches" are typically found in the signal pattern from FIG. 1. These are illustrated in FIG. 4. In case I, a portion of a bar or space has been "dropped out" during the scanning operation. In such cases it is desirable to provide a corrective mechanism which fills in the gap. This gap filling is best illustrated by the signal pattern differences shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
In another form of error, scanning operations produce extraneous glitches. It is possible that a narrow extra bar or space pulse is generated. Such an extraneous pulse is illustrated in FIG. 4C. However, it should be appreciated that it would be very desirable to provide a mechanism for eliminating this extraneous pulse to produce the desired waveform shown in FIG. 4D. This is shown as case II in FIG. 4.
The mechanism for removing these extraneous glitches is provided in a preprocessor portion of Applicants' signal processing method. This process is shown in context as functional block 40 in FIG. 3 and in a more detailed form in FIGS. 5 and 6, which are discussed more fully below. In any event, if the waveform pattern shown in FIG. 1 is processed according to the signal processing method provided by preprocessor 40, the resultant output waveform signal is that which is shown in FIG. 2. However, in preferred implementations of the present invention, it is desirable to provide an internal representation of the sequence of widths encountered in a preprocessed waveform. It is this sequence of widths which contains the information present in the scanned bar code pattern. In accordance with methods of the present invention, the signal represented by the width sequence in Table I above is employed in conjunction with Applicants' preprocessor to effectively produce the signal shown in FIG. 2 whose width sequence is shown in Table II below.
TABLE II______________________________________Processed Width SequenceODD EVENPosition Width Position Width______________________________________ 1 458 2 7 3 10 4 8 5 6 6 7 7 16 8 8 9 16 10 811 4 12 613 6 14 715 21 16 717 7 18 619 11 20 721 7 22 623 4 24 725 30 26 827 4 28 629 6 30 731 4 32 733 11 34 535 25 36 637 4 38 739 7 40 641 17 42 743 17 44 745 12 46 647 24 48 649 4 50 751 6 52 653 18 54 755 4 56 657 13 58 759 11 60 661 11 62 763 6 64 465 24 66 667 7 68 769 10 70 771 16 72 873 10 74 775 7 76 677 14 78 679 9 80 781 4 82 783 11 84 685 7 86 787 502______________________________________
It is noted above that the preprocessed width sequence in Table II is decidedly shorter than the width sequence provided to preprocessor 40. This is a natural occurrence that arises because of the elimination of extraneous glitch pulses and the filling in of short dropout signal portions.
The overall signal processing operations carried out in accordance with the present invention are most particularly illustrated in FIG. 3. In particular, it is seen that Applicants' preferred signal processing apparatus is provided with a signal which is represented by the width sequence such as that shown in Table I above. The first step in Applicants' process is the identification of beginning and end locations of bar code symbol patterns. This operation is carried out by symbol range finder 20. The operation of this portion of the invention is described more particularly below.
Once having produced indications of the beginning and end of the bar code pattern using a method which is described below, it should be appreciated that at this point it becomes irrelevant to the rest of the processing that the bar code comprises dark bars on a light background or light bar on a dark background. In particular, it will be seen below that processing by symbol range finder 20 automatically results in the identification of the first bar code bar whether it be light or dark in color with respect to its background.
Once having determined the beginning and end locations of a bar code pattern, preprocessor 40 is employed to remove glitches as partially described above. In particular, the waveform shown in FIG. 2 is typically that which is produced by processor 40 from the input waveform shown in FIG. 1. It is noted however that in Applicants' preferred embodiments of the present invention, the waveform pattern in FIG. 2 is represented internally by digital counter pattern such as those shown in Table II.
Accordingly, the output of preprocessor 40 is a corrected width sequence such as that shown in Table II. At this point the present invention employs bar spacing processor 60 to produce a gap sequence. (see step 220 in FIG. 8) This gap sequence is provided to decoder 80 which compares the resultant gap sequence with characters from predetermined stored character set representations. In particular, the gap sequence translation association shown in Table III illustrates the BC412 bar code which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,504 and is shown in the table below.
TABLE III______________________________________BC412 Character SetCharacter Gap Sequence Character Gap Sequence______________________________________0 (2, 2, 2, 6) I (3, 2, 5, 2)1 (2, 2, 3, 5) J (3, 3, 2, 4)2 (2, 2, 4, 4) K (3, 3, 3, 3)3 (2, 2, 5, 3) L (3, 3, 4, 2)4 (2, 2, 6, 2) M (3, 4, 2, 3)5 (2, 3, 2, 5) N (3, 4, 3, 2)6 (2, 3, 3, 4) P (3, 5, 2, 2)7 (2, 3, 4, 3) Q (4, 2, 2, 4)8 (2, 3, 5, 2) R (4, 2, 3, 3)9 (2, 4, 2, 4) S (4, 2, 4, 2)A (2, 4, 3, 3) T (4, 3, 2, 3)B (2, 4, 4, 2) U (4, 3, 3, 2)C (2, 5, 2, 3) V (4, 4, 2, 2)D (2, 5, 3, 2) W (5, 2, 2, 3)E (2, 6, 2, 2) X (5, 2, 3, 2)F (3, 2, 2, 5) Y (5, 3, 2, 2)G (3, 2, 3, 4) Z (6, 2, 2, 2)H (3, 2, 4, 3) START (3) STOP (2)______________________________________
It will be noted from the above that the BC412 character set is based upon a single width bar code pattern in which each bar code symbol employs twelve modules four of which contain a bar. It is further noted that this particular code may also employ start and stop characters as shown. It is also to be noted that the gap sequence structure in this particular code lends itself well to comparisons based upon tree structures. For example, if it is determined that the first gap is two units wide, then it is seen that it is only necessary to search through characters 0 through E.
It is also seen that bar spacing processor 60 receives coded width sequences and produces as a result thereof coded waveform gap sequences. It is these gap sequences which are provided to decoder 80 for comparison with bar code character set information such as that shown in Table III.
Also, as more fully discussed below, the gap sequence may be produced in accordance with one of three methods. In a first method, gap sequence is determined using a center-to-center bar approach. In a second method, gap sequence information is derived from leading edge information and, in a third alternate embodiment, the gap sequence is derived from trailing edge measurements. It is to be particularly noted that these three different approaches to gap sequence generation may be employed independently of one another or may be employed in conjunction with one another to provide increased decoding reliability. In particular, one of the aspects of the present process for bar code scanning and decoding is that the gap sequence generated by any of the three above described measurement methods is capable of standing on its own as a means for symbol detection. In contrast, in approaches employed for recognizing multi-width bar codes such as the so called universal product code (UPC) it is necessary to pair together rising edge gap and trailing edge gap measurements to uniquely decode the data into characters. Instead, in the present invention, the different measurements made are employable independently of one another and as such, can be used to make the process either faster or more reliable. In particular, in the present invention reliability is enhanced by processing all three forms of gap measurements.
In particular, one of the primary advantages provided by the present invention is its usability in conjunction with various mechanisms for enhancing the reliability and robustness of the decoding operation. In particular, if the gap sequence provided to decoder 80 does not result in a recognizable gap sequence, it is possible to rescan the entire bar code pattern. This decision is made in functional block 100 shown in FIG. 3. Additionally, at the end of the scan, particularly, when all characters have been matched with an entry in the gap sequence table, it is possible to employ a check sum processor such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,504. Of course, this assumes that bar code was initially written with a check symbol. If so, error detection and single error correction operations may be performed as described in the aforementioned patent. This operation is carried out in functional block 120 shown in FIG. 3. Again, if an error is still found to persist, it is possible to either issue an uncorrectable error signal or to automatically rescan the bar code pattern. It is noted that while these added operations of rescanning and check sum processing are preferable in certain applications of the present invention, they are not required elements of the present process or apparatus.
Having provided an outline of the processes carried out in preferred embodiments of the present invention in FIG. 3, it is now appropriate to consider specific process steps carried out by the various functional blocks shown.
Symbol range finder 20 of the present invention operates in the following manner to determine the beginning and end positions of the bar code symbol in the input width sequence. In particular, this method does not assume a fixed correspondence between ones or zeros and the bar marks. Because of this, the present invention is able to decode dark bar marks on light backgrounds and light bar marks on dark backgrounds. Symbol range finder 20 determines the range of the bar code pattern without specific association of bar-one or bar-zero correspondence.
The symbol range finder works as follows: let So be the sum of the width component values at odd positions of the width sequence. Using the data from Table I as the basis for this example, So =610. Let N be the total number of components of the width sequence. From Table I it is seen that N=117 for this example. Then Ao is defined as being So /N. This is the average length for the odd components averaged over the total number of components present (even components included).
The present method employs a parameter Mo. Typically, this parameter is set between 2.0 and 4.0, dependent upon the width of the quiet zone at the beginning and end of the scan. Generally, Mo is set to smaller values for wider quiet zones. In the present example, it is assumed that Mo =3.5. From Ao and Mo the value Ho =Mo Ao is computed. For this particular case, Ho =18.2.
Then the table of width values is scanned to find the largest interval in the odd positions in the width sequence such that all of the component widths in this interval have values less than Ho, excepting at the ends thereof. R1 and R2 are designated as the beginning and end positions of this interval. For the present example, with Ho =18.2 as above, R1 =1 and R2 =117.
Next, let Se be the sum of the width component values at even positions between R1 +1 and R2 -1 in the width sequence from Table I. Let Ne be the number of width components in the range between R1 +1 and R2 -2. Let Ae be defined as Se /Ne, the "average even length". In the present example, since Se =1438 and Ne =58, Ae =Se /Ne =24.8. For the even portion of the process, there is also defined a parameter Me which provides an additional error control factor. For the BC412 code illustrated herein, Me preferably lies between 2.0 and 4.0. In the present example, Me was preferably selected as being 2.5. Accordingly, the corresponding value He is computed as Me Ae. For the present example, He =62. Again, the largest interval in the width sequence between positions R1 +1 and R2 -1 is found such that these components have values less than He, except at the ends. This interval is detected and its beginning position is denoted as R3 and its end position is denoted as R4. The next task is thus to define actual values for the beginning and end of the symbol pattern. These values are referred to herein as Rb for the beginning or initial value and Re for the ending or final value.
In particular, if R1 is greater than R3, Rb is set equal to R1. Otherwise Rb is set equal to R3. If Rb is set to R1, then set Re =R2 if R2 is less than R4 but set Re =R4 -1 if R2 is greater than or equal to R4. Similarly, if Rb has been set equal to R3 then set Re =R4 if R4 is less than R2 but if R4 is greater than or equal to R2, then Re is set equal to R2 -1.
The two value values Rb and Re determine the range of the bar code symbol. The first bar position is at Rb +1; and the last bar position is at Re -1. For the data presented in Table I, R1 is 1, R2 is 117, R3 is 2, R4 is 116, Rb is 2 and Re is 115. The first bar of the code symbols is located at position Rb +1 which in this case is 3 and the last bar position is located at Re -1, which in this case is 114. It is thus in this fashion that the beginning and end of the bar code pattern is discerned irrespective of its relative foreground and background darkness or coloration.
Attention is next directed to FIG. 5 which illustrates the signal processing functions which are carried out in preprocessor 40. This process employs several parameters. The value Minb is defined as being the minimum bar width. For the waveform collected from the bar code pattern shown in Table I, Minb=1.2. Mins is the minimum space width. For the present example, Mins is equal to 3. MEb is defined as being the maximum number of allowable narrow bars. For the present example, MEb is 3. Likewise, MEs is the maximum allowable number of narrow spaces. In the present example, this parameter is also 3. Likewise, Maxb is defined as being the maximum bar width and Maxs is defined as being the maximum space width. In this example, Maxb is 8 and Maxs is 30.
Let Eb be the number of bars that are narrower than Minb; and let Es be the number of spaces that are narrower than Mins.
If Eb is less than MEb and Es is less than MEs, no modification of the width sequence is necessary (steps 42 and 43 in FIG. 5).
The width sequence is processed sequentially by taking two components, a space and a bar or a bar and a space at a time, to form a new width sequence. The width sequence preprocessing is more particularly shown in FIG. 6 where a sliding window is seen to encompass the sequence pairs which are considered at any given time. Additionally, FIG. 6 shows the presence of two triangles T1 and T2 representing two distinct summations which are carried out at each positioning of the sliding window. The sliding window is a construct employed herein only as an aid in understanding the process. It is noted that the vertical placement of the sliding window and the two triangles is thus employed only for illustrative purposes. In general, at any one point in the sequential processing of the width sequence, the sliding window and the two triangles occupy the same position. The triangles are shown separated here only for clarity of illustration. In particular, it is seen that triangle T2 represents the sum T2 =S(i)+S(i+1)+B(i). In a similar fashion, the value T1 is defined as B(i)+ B(i+1)+S(i+1). The value S(i) represents the space width of the i-th bar-space pair; B(i) is the corresponding bar width. For each position of the sliding window the values for T1 and T2 are computed (step 45).
If T1 is greater than Maxb and T2 is greater than Maxs, or if S(i+1) is greater than Mins and B(i) is greater than Minb, no change is made to the previous space and bar values. In this case, S(i+1) and B(i+1) are stored and the next pair is processed. This is visualized simply by moving the sliding window down one row.
If T1 is not greater than Maxb, the previous bar width B(i) is set equal to T1. In this case, the values S(i+1) and B(i+1) are not stored, or alternatively are deleted from the list. Next, the next pair of entries is processed (see FIG. 5, step 52).
Next set S(i) to T2 and set B(i) to B(i+1). Maxb is set equal to the larger of the previous value of Maxb and B(i+1). Again, S(i+1) and B(i+1) are not stored. Processing continues on therefore with the next pair of values from Table I. In this fashion, Table II as illustrated above is created. It is seen from comparing FIGS. 1 and 2 that it is desirable to provide a preprocessing stage where signal glitches (extra pulses and dropouts) are removed in the manner described above and as shown in flowchart form in FIG. 5. In those circumstances where scanning inaccuracies are at a minimum, it is possible to eliminate the preprocessing step carried out in FIG. 5 while still achieving other desirable benefits related to bar code pattern recognition.
Next is considered the operation of bar spacing processor 60 in FIG. 3. This function receives a corrected width sequence such as that shown in Table II above and produces an output gap sequence such as might be obtained by concatenating the elements shown above and produces an output gap sequence such as might be obtained by concatenating the elements shown in Table III. In particular, it is noted that the gap sequences (as opposed to the width sequences) may be produced from any one of three approaches. These approaches are illustrated in FIG. 7. Approach A1 is designated herein as the approach in which center-to-center bar gaps are measured. Approach A2 designates the approach in which gaps are measured from the leading edge of one bar to the leading edge of the next bar. Lastly, approach A3 denotes that method used herein in which gap distances are measured from the trailing edge of a first bar to the trailing edge of the next bar. For an overview of the process see FIG. 8.
For example, suppose that WS=(w1, w2, . . . , wn) be the processed width sequence ready for decoding. Accordingly, bar spacing processor 60 produces a gap sequence GS=(g1, g2, g3, . . . ). Thus GS is the translated gap sequence which is output from processor 60. The values gi may be computed in accordance with any one of the three approaches shown in FIG. 7. For the center-to-center approach, A1, it is seen that gi =0.5 (w2i +w2i+2)+w2i+1. In the leading-edge to leading-edge approach, A2, the values gi are determined by gi =w2i +w2i+1. Lastly, in the trailing edge to trailing edge approach, A3, the values are computed as gi =w2i+1 +w2i+2. If the above approaches are applied to the width sequence shown in Table II the resulting gap sequences are those which are shown in Table IV below.
TABLE IV______________________________________Distances Between Bars (GS = (g.sub.1, g.sub.2, . . .))A1 A2 A3______________________________________17.5 17.0 18.013.5 14.0 13.023.5 23.0 24.024.0 24.0 24.011.0 12.0 10.012.5 12.0 13.028.0 28.0 28.013.5 14.0 13.017.5 17.0 18.013.5 14.0 13.010.5 10.0 11.037.5 37.0 38.011.0 12.0 10.012.5 12.0 13.011.0 11.0 11.017.0 18.0 16.030.5 30.0 31.010.5 10.0 11.013.5 14.0 13.023.5 23.0 24.024.0 24.0 24.018.5 19.0 18.030.0 30.0 30.010.5 10.0 11.012.5 13.0 12.024.5 24.0 25.010.5 11.0 10.019.5 19.0 20.017.5 18.0 17.017.5 17.0 18.011.5 13.0 10.029.0 28.0 30.013.5 13.0 14.017.0 17.0 17.023.5 23.0 24.017.5 18.0 17.013.5 14.0 13.020.0 20.0 20.015.5 15.0 16.011.0 11.0 11.017.5 18.0 17.013.5 13.0 14.0______________________________________
It is noted above in Table IV that there are three columns which are derived from the three different approaches to gap sequence generation. The first column describes the center-to-center bar measurement approach; the middle column denotes the leading edge to leading edge measurement approach result; and lastly the third column denotes the gap sequence measurements that result when one looks to the trailing edges of the bars to determine gap sequences.
It is noted that in the present invention any one or all three or a weighted average of all three of these results may be employed as a mechanism for producing the ultimate quadruples of gap sequences such as is shown in Table III. It is of course from this Table that the proper decoding and recognition comparison operation is made.
However, before utilizing this Table, it is desirable to produce an auxiliary sequence of values from the gap sequence of values gi. In particular, let G=g2 +g3 +g4 +g5. Let H=(h1, h2, h3, h4, h5). The values of hi are defined as hi =12 (gi /G). The hi numbers are rounded to the nearest integer. When this is done, the resultant sequence H should define an encoded bar code symbol.
If the above operations for computing the auxiliary sequence H are carried out in accordance with the numbers in the present example using the center-to-center approach, the following results occur: G=13.5+23.5+24+11=72; h1 =12 (g1 /G)=12(17.5)/72=3 (to the nearest integer); h2 =12(13.5)/72=2; h3 =12(23.5)/72=4; h4 =12(24)/72=4; and h5 =12(11)/72=2 (all these results being given to the nearest integer).
It is to be noted that in the present case that the first five results in the auxiliary sequence H are three, two, four, four and two corresponding to a start character of "3" and a sequence (2, 4, 4, 2) corresponding to the letter B. When a match for H is found in the patterns of Table III, the corresponding character is decoded and the corresponding four components of the gap sequence are deleted and the process continues with the next four components (See step 230 in FIG. 8). Otherwise the decoding fails. Upon recognition though processing continues with the next 4 values of gi.
From the above, several important aspects of the present invention are apparent. The first is the methodology of processing and decoding binary output data from a bar code scanner in substantially three steps as shown in FIG. 3. These steps include the symbol range finding operation (functional block 20), preprocessing to remove glitches (functional block 40) and a gap sequence generation (functional block 60). It is further seen that the present invention employs the representation of binary data in the form of a width sequence. It is furthermore seen that the present invention provides a method for finding the range of width sequences that actually represent the bar code pattern. This provides a method for determining the start and starting space for the bar code pattern. It is also noted that the present invention provides relatively flexible parameters which may be employed to improve the decoding process. It is also seen that the present invention provides three independent mechanisms for the generation of the gap sequence. These generation methods depend upon where one starts to measure the beginning of a gap and the end of the next gap. It may be from center to center, leading edge to leading edge or trailing edge to trailing edge. It is a unique aspect of the present invention that these measurements may be employed independently to arrive at a recognized character. Other methods must employ these approaches in pairs. As such other methods suffer from reduced ability to provide redundancy in signal processing and pattern recognition. It is further noted that the present invention fulfills all of the objectives cited above.
While the invention has been described in detail herein in accordance with certain preferred embodiments thereof, many modifications and changes therein may be effected by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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|U.S. Classification
|714/808, 235/470, 235/462.07, 235/901
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jun 15, 1994
Owner name: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, NEW Y
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CHEN, CHIN-LONG;HSIAO, MU-YUE;REEL/FRAME:007049/0346
Effective date: 19940614
|Dec 29, 1999
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