US2413965A - Statistical system - Google Patents

Description

J 7, 1947. A. N. GOLDSMITH 2,413,955

STATISTICAL SYSTEM Filed Feb. 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 44 dowzfins Yf ea no {IQ ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 7, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STATISTICAL SYSTEM Alfred N. Goldsmith, New York, N. Y.

Application February 28, 1942, Serial No. 432,780

3 Claims.

This invention relates to statistical systems, and

more particularly to an arrangement for compiling statistics in regard to facts and data such as may be denoted by signals transmitted over a communication system.

In a copending application, Serial No. 421,898, which I filed on December 6, 1941, entitled Radio centercasting system, I disclosed apparatus and methods for use in obtaining an expression of public opinion according to votes of a considerable number of voters, each having facilities conveniently located whereby he might register his vote.

In the aforementioned copending application, I have shown how the transmission of voting signals from a plurality of outlying stations might be received and recorded at a central station. I also indicated the possibility of using facsimile recording methods for registering the votes.

The apparatus and methods which are herein described and outlined do not, strictly speaking, constitute facsimile systems, although I prefer to use certain forms of facsimile apparatus for the recording and for scanning a record after it has been made. These signals, however, do not represent images or pictures, since I have no need for a picture scanner at the point or points of signal transmission. The signals are transmitted individually by separate stations, each in accordance with a voting selection as made by a respondent voter. The recording of such signals .on a facsimile recording machine is a matter of convenience in setting down the individual signals in a predetermined order. The signal recording is very rapid and the records thus made are in convenient form for automatic scanning so as to tabulate such statistics as are obtainable in a radio polling system.

In the present disclosure, I have outlined a system including apparatus and methods whereby a so-called facsimile record of votes as compiled at a centercasting station may be utilized for a variety of statistical compilations. Such compilations may be made in accordance with any predetermined classification of voters. Different classifications may be considered as groupings of the voters in different categories. Thus, for example, the voters in a certain group may be classified as adults over 25 years of age and those under 25 years of age. category, the voters may be classed as men or women. In still another category, the voters may be classified as city dwellers in contrast with the rural population. In still another category, the voters may be classified in accord- In another ance with their several occupations or in accordance with the educational advantages which they have had. All such categories are useful in obtaining polls of public opinion.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a statistical system having great flexibility of analytical scope, whereby statistics as compiled by radio centercasting methods may be quickly analyzed and tabulated.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be made apparent in the more detailed description to follow. This description is accompanied by drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically, and partly in perspective, an arrangement of so-called facsimile apparatus whereby recordings of the votes may be made on a record sheet wrapped around the periphery of a recording cylinder;

Fig. 2 shows a fiat record sheet having indications thereon of the tracks to be followed by a group of styli, each representative of a diiferent voting choice on the part of the voters;

Fig. 3 shows a fragmentary portion of a'record sheet having demarcations thereon which represent the difierent individual votes of a group of voters;

Figs. 4 and 5 show stencils which may be superimposed upon the record sheet for classifying the votes in accordance with difierent categories or groups of voters;

Fig. 6 shows, also diagrammatically, and partly in perspective, an arrangement for photo-electrically scanning selected portions of a sheet which bears vote markings along a plurality of record tracks, categories of votes being differently defined by the use of one or another of the stencils of Figs. 4 and 5; and

Fig. 7 shows a modified arrangement which uses a cam-operated switch in a device for selectively tabulating the vote records according to a given category of voters.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a facsimile-recording drum 20 mounted on a threaded spindle 2| and having wrapped around it a record sheet 22. The upper and lower edges of this sheet are in registry so that after the record 22 is removed from the cylinder, the bottom of each recording track can be matched with the top of a continuing track in an adjoining column. I have shown six styli 23 bearing upon the record sheet. Merely by way of example, I have indicated that these styli may be used as conductors in difierent circuits fed by the radio receiver 24 through respectively different filters 25, 26,21, 28, 29, and and thence through correspondingly different rectiflers 3|. Each of the rectiflers' 3! has a common return circuit 32 connected to the shaft 2| for applying a ground potential to the cylinder 20. The latter is metallic, so that when a sheet of chemically treated paper is wrapped around it, this paper will conduct signal currents from the rectifiers 3| and styli 23 to the periphery of the cylinder 20. It is well known in facsimile recording that a sheet suitably treated with chemicals may become stained at the points where electric currents are caused to penetrate. Other methods of recording may, of course. be used, but for the purpose of this discloslure, the use of chemically treated recording paper maydae considered illustrative. I

The styli 23 are mounted on a common insulating support, not shown, but which may be movable longitudinally of the drum if the latter is arranged to rotate without longitudinal displacement. It is preferable, however, to arrange the recording cylinder for rotation on a stationary'threaded shaft 2! so that its axial movement will be in definite ratio to the number of revolutions which the cylinder makes while producing a complete record. The styli will then be held in a stationary position and the movement of the recording surface thereunder will cause spiral tracks to be traced. Where as many as six parallel tracks are provided, one for each of the different vote designations and one for the 'no-vote designation, the pitch of the feed screw, or the threaded shaft, on which the cylinder rotates is suitably determined to avoid overlapping of the records in successive revolutions of the cylinder. Another advantage in providing a movable cylinder with a stationary recording or pick-up holder is that the same construction may be employed for recording and for scanning. The scanning process involves the use of translucent rods for distributing the pickup of recorded signals to different photo-electric cells 42. These cells must occupy more space than is required for the different parallel records representing different vote selections. If the translucent rods used as light conductors between the scanning position and the photo cells are mounted in a stationary position, then they do not need to be of flexible material, and they may be composed of fused quartz or molded plastic material if desired.

The recording sheet 22 is shown in the perspective view of Fig. 1 as being wrapped around the drum 2!], and in Fig. 2, the sheet 22 appears fiat. In both figures it is seen that the six styli are set close together and are thus enabled to trace their markings along the tracks of eleven columns, with six parallel lines in each column. The number of columns is of no significance, but only. illustrative.

If it is desired to space the styli at relatively large uniform distances from one end of the drum 20 to a point near the other end, then the pitch of the feed screw would be sufficiently fine to produce a relatively small axial displacement of the drum per revolution, In this case the tracks made by a given stylus would be contiguous instead of being interlaced with the tracks of other styli.

Each of the different styli 23 corresponds with a difier'ent voting selection. The different voters are enabled to send in their signals successively and in a predetermined sequence by means of the radio centercasting system disclosed in my aforementioned copendlng application. For example, these voting selections may be distinguished by different modulation frequencies applied to the signalling carrier. The different modulation frequencies are then'selectable by the filters 25 to 30 inclusive, and, accordingly, different currents are applied to each of the several styll 23 for 10- eating the voting records in different vertical columns on the record sheet 22. Other methods of vote discrimination may, however, be adopted in the centercasting system. That is to say, it is not essential that the voting choices be represented .by frequency variations in the vote signals, but use may be made, if desired, of time differentiation, or any other differential characterization of the signals such as would denote their voting significance..

In Fig. 3 I have shown in detail a fragment of a record sheet 22 having markings thereon in different columns, each of which is designated from left to right as follows: YES, yes, doubtful, no, NO," no vote." The capitalized"YES" and NO votes designate more emphatic or decisive opinions than the yes" and no" votes. As the paper rotates, each stylus traverses a vertical column from top to bottom of the sheet so that the choices of different voters are recorded in different horizontal lines which are shown in Fig. 3 by the reference numbers 1 to 14 inclusive, et seq. The recorded markings may be visually read if desired, but in order to quickly compile and tabulate the wanted statistics in regard to any accumulation of votes, it is far preferable to utilize an electro-optical device and a set of automatic counters. The arrangements which I have herein disclosed are, therefore, intended to minimize errors of compilation and to obtain greater speed of accumulation of the facts that would be possible by visual readin of the record.

After the record has been obtained, (and it is to be understood that the recording itself may be made in a very brief space of time covering a large number of votes) the recorded facsimile sheet can be removed from the cylinder 20 and placed upon another cylinder 40 shown in Fig. 6. In cooperation with the cylinder 40, which may be rotated at any suitable speed, I have provided an optical scanning means including a plurality of translucent conductors and photo-electric devices whereby the record may be read from start to finish along the same recording tracks as were produced upon the facsimile machine shown in Fig. 1. Hence, the lead screw which feeds the drum from right to left across the stationary scanningposition will be such as to maintain the different scanning elements in registry with the spiral columns of the recordings.

It is well known that light may be conducted in curved paths through rods of suitable materials. For example, C. W. Hansell in his Patent No. 1,751,584, issued March 25, 1930, showed how a bundle of quartz rods might be used for multiplex transmission of picture signals. By using rods of very small diameter, the bundle itself can be made ,quite flexible, if necessary; and this would be particularly useful if the pick-up scanner comprised a carriage which is axially movable with respect to the drum. In addition to quartz there are other available materials which possess the property of bending light rays through curved paths. Such materials include certain of the synthetic resins and other plastics, and these may well be used as herein set forth. I, therefore, have adopted an arrangement of translucent rods similar to the one proposed by Hansell, but designed to scan the recorded signals analyt cally in accordance with the.diflerent votes which are marked on the recording sheet.

In making the different analyses which may be desired for compilation of facts regarding any given popular vote, it may be necessary to scan the record in several successive runs. Each run, however, would be made by superimposing a different stenc l or mask over the record so that different portions thereof would be exposed to the light conducting rods 4|, and so that the votes may be tabulated and counted according to different categories of voters.

six light-conducting rods 4| are shown in Fig. 6, the scanning position being along a horizontal line which includes six spiral tracks of the record. The light variations are conducted through the rods to the photo-electric cells 42. Each of the photo-electric cells 42 is connected to an amplifier 43 the output from which may be utilized for actuating an electric or other form of counter 44. The amplifiers 43 are so designed and controlled so as to produce a counter-actuating impluse whenever the amount of light transmitted to a photocell 42 is decreased by scanning a record marking. I have shown six counters 44 and they are each separately labelled in accordance with the vote designations which are to be tabulated. The no-vote counter registers signals automatically transmitted from voting stations where there was no person voting.

The scanning ends of the translucent rods 4| which are presented to the surfaces of the record are arranged close together so as to select the record markings which are in parallel vertical columns. The illumination of the record is obtained in a conventional manner by'focusing a beam of light directly on the scanning area. The beam of light may be emitted by a lamp 45 and focused on the proper area by means of an optical system comprising lenses 46. The light source may comprise a linear filament, if desired, and the optical system may include cylindrical, or spherical lenses or both. This light beam is pref erablly web-shaped so as to extend transversely across six record tracks. The light conducting rods 4| are suitably aimed for individually scanning respective ones of the six record tracks.

Closely adjacent the illuminated record area is a composite scanner 39 consisting of a thin strip of light conducting material which may be arranged to control a single photo-electric cell 41 for the purpose of indicating any drop-outs of votes and thus to sense the condition of inoperability of any of the voting stations. out signals will be indicated by the absence of any record across a given horizontal scanning area. The photo-electric cell 4'! is arranged to control an amplifier 48. According to a technique which is well known in the art, this amplifier is arranged to deliver an output pulse whenever the light intensity reflected by the scanning area reaches a maximum, that is, when no mark has been recorded in any of the six vote-counting positions. The drop-outs, due to failure; of any of the voting stations to register their votes, are thus counted by the counter 49, whichis electrically controlled by impulses from the amplfier 48. Obviously, no mask would be used when counting the drop-outs.

The purpose of the drop-out counter is to provide a count of transverse spaces on the record which bear no marks or other vote responses so that investigation may be subsequently made as The dropsired category selection of the voters.

to the reason for failure to receive signals from particular ones of the voting stations.

In order to make masks suitable for different category selections of voters any well known methods may be adopted. For example, the masks may be mechanically perforated or they may be made of opaque material, portions of which are selectively rendered translucent. As another alternative, the mask may be in the form of a film which bears thereon a photographic reproduction of suitable opaque and transparent areas. This film, when superimposed on the record sheet, will then expose only those markings which are to be sensed by the photo-electric device. Disregarding the particular method of preparing the masks, it is to be understood that they must of necessity be accurately delineated so that the areas of the recording sheet which are to be exposed through the mask for scanning and for classification shall come in exact registry with the intended selections, based upon the order in which the entire original record is made from the received signals. Other considerations which may determine the particular method of preparing the masks are those which involve mechanical precision in cutting the apertures as well as durability of the mask itself when subjected to repeated handling.

The category selections of voters, as determined by the use of different masks, may be such as to assign all votes to one or another classification without duplication. In the aforementioned copending parent application, it has been shown that each respondent station must be selected in a definite order for purposes of transmitting their vote signals sequentially. Each station is, therefore, numbered and all necessary data as to the categories under which the several voters are to be classified may be arranged in the order of the voting sequence. It is thus possible to predetermine the exact positions where perforations should appear on a mask representing any de- The number of classes of voters is unlimited. There may be only two classes, such as, men and women,

or there may be three classes, such as, professional men, industrial workers, and agricultural workers. Again the classification may be in different age groups, say from 15 to 19 years, 20 to 24 years, 25 to 29 years, etc. Then again masks may be used which provide category selection of voters in unrelated and overlapping classes'not necessarily inclusive of all the voters. For example, one mask might select all the musicians among the voters. Another mask might select all of the city dwellers. Obviously, some musicians may dwell in the city and others would be of the rural population. So these categories would be overlapping.

Aside from the utility of my invention as a means for tabulating voting statistics, it is to be understood that the system itself has possibilities of widely extended usein tabulating statistics of various kinds. For example, if the parallel tracks to be selectively recorded by different styli and thereafter to be separately accumulated on different counters, is increased to ten in number, then each one of the recording tracks-may represent a different digit and different successive horizontal lines may represent digits of different order. Thus, in a rectangle which comprises 10 vertical recording tracks and three horizontal rows of recording positions, thereprsentation of any number up to three digits may be recorded.

7 For counting purposes a mask would then be required which exposes the first, fourth, seventh, tenthpetc horizontal lines containing digits of the hundreds order. .After reading and resetting the counters 44, the mask is shifted to expose the second, fifth, eighth, eleventh, etc., horizontal lines containing. digits of the tens order. The counters are again read and reset. Finally the mask is shifted so as to expose the third, sixth, ninth, twelfth, etc., horizontal lines containing digits of the units order. The partial totals are thus accumulated by successive scanning rows and are either transcribed by visual reading of the counters or they may be transferred to an ordinary adding machine, thus obtaining a grant total. An example of this arithmetical operation is given below:

Successive runs of scanner In the above, 11 is the numeral designation of each counter, and this is used as one factor in the accumulation. The other factor 1 represents the number of marks scanned in each of the record tracks. n f=p", or p or 11, depending upon the place of the digit in the total to be accumulated. Hence,

The grand total 94,758 may obviously be arrived at with the aid of an ordinary computing machine, such as the well-known Burroughs, Monroe, Comptometer, or other type, it being only necessary to manipulate the keys in accordance with the respective readings f displayed by the counters 44, giving effect to the factor 11 corresponding to the values of the digits accumulated in each counter.

According to Fig. 7, I show a modification in which selective seaming of the original record may be made without applying perforated or other translucent stencils to the record. Where it is known that 'the category selections must be made in a predetermined order of scanning the record markings, it may be preferable to utilize an electronic control system for blocking each of the amplifiers 43.when no selection is to be made.

In accordance with this modification, the drum 4|] has integrally fixed at one end thereof a pinion 50 which is geared to a gear wheel 5| mounted on a shaft 52. Also mounted on this shaft 52, and rotated by the gear 5|, is a cam wheel 53 which has notches cut in its periphery. Opposed to the periphery is a contact spring 54 and a companion spring 55 which contact with each other whenever a high part of the cam 53 passes under the button 58. The cam itself may be cut to any desired pattern for making the category selections. Diflerent cams may be placed upon the shaft 52 for obtaining different selections.

The circuit arrangement of Fig.7 is only schematic, since there are man well-known variants of photoelectric scanners and associated circuits leading to an amplifier such as the unit 43. Assuming, however, that the record to be scanned is marked with black indicia, the photoelectric action in tube 42 may be one in which a photoelectric response is normally produced in the absence of black marks on the record and the photoelectric action will be interrupted upon scanning a black mark. Under these conditions, the potential generated in the photoelectric tube 42 as a response to light reflected by the unmarked record sheet will be applied to the first stage of amplification in the amplifier 43 so as to render the grid thereof negative with respect to the cathode. By connecting the anode of the photoelectric tube 42 to the grid in the first stage of the amplifier unit 43, the interruption of light response is caused to drive said amplifier grid more positive, thus rendering the amplifier tube conductive. The output from the amplifier 43 is, therefore, in the form of an impulse of sufilcient intensity to actuate the counter 44. When it is desired to block the action of the scanning device, a strong negative bias is applied to the grid of the amplifier tube (or tubes) greater than can be overcome by the positive impulse from the photoelectric tube 42. This strong negative bias is derived from battery 57 upon the making of contacts 54 and 55 by upraised peripheral portions of the cam 53. The closure of the circuit through contacts 54 and 55 produces a potential drop through resistor 56 such that the negative terminal voltage of the battery 51 is applied directly to the control grid or grids in the amplifier unit 43. The output from the amplifier 43 may be cathode-driven or anode-driven, depending upon the number of stages in the unit. With cathode drive, it would, of course, be necessary to employ a cathode resistor in circuit between cathode and ground in the final amplifier stage, as is well known in the art.

In operation of the system shown in Fig. 7, it will be clearly observed that as the drum 411 rotates for scanning the several records thereon, impressions transmitted by light through the translucent rods 4| and sensed by the photo electric cells 42 will control the amplifier 43 only when permitted so to do by the removal of the blocking bias from the source 51. Such removal of this bias is produced when the button 58 on the spring 54 drops into one of the depressions in the periphery of the cam 53. The

, design of the cam 53 and the choice of gear ratio between the gears 50 and 5| will be so determined as to permit of scanning the entire record sheet, even though several revolutions of the drum 40 are necessary to complete the scanning operation.

It will be clear that by the substitution of one cam 53 for another, different category selections of the voting records may be obtained, and thus different accumulations of the votes may be registered on the counters 44.

While I have described my invention illustratively with particular reference to a conventional electro-chemical recording method, it is to be understood that other recording methods may be adopted if desired. For example, as is well known in the art of facsimile recording, impressions may be made upon the paper by means of a fine jet of ink emitted from a capillary tube,

where this let intermittently intercepted by a screen operative under the control of the signalling impulss.

Other facsimile recording methods may also be utilized, such as electrolytic, brush discharge, thermal influence, or photographic control of sensitized film. All of these methods are well known in the facsimile art and need not be further described in this connection.

My invention is believed to be described hereinabove with suflicient presentation of details as to structure and methods to enable any one skilled in the art to practice the invention. Furthermore, it will. be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention is therefore limited only as necessitated by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a statistical system for sensing the indicia which" are recorded in a plurality of parallel-disposed' tracks on a substantially opaque record sheet, and for counting those of the indicia which are appropriate to a given category, a rotatable drum for carrying said record sheet, means overlying said record sheet on the drum and movable therewith for masking selected portions and for exposing other selected portions of said record sheet, optical means for scanning the indicia which are exposed through the masking means, photo-electric devices selectively operable under control of reflected light variations produced by said optical scanning means, and means individual to the several record tracks for separately counting the indicia which appear therein.

2. In an optical scanning system for sensing successively a series of markings on a recordv sheet which is wrapped around the periphery of a drum, said markings being arranged in closely adjacent parallel spiral tracks, and diflerent ones of a plurality of interlaced tracks having diiferent recording significance, a scanning structure disposed transversely of the interlaced tracks, a

said spindle and hub being suitable for maintaining said spiral tracks in the field of" said scantracks for impressing light variations on difierent ones of said photoelectric cells, counting apparatus electrically operable in response to impulses generated under control of said light variations and arranged to accumulate totals of the markings in different tracks as scanned, and masking means for causing only the markings of a. selected category to be effective in the accumulation.

3. In an optical scanning system for sensing selected ones of a series of markings on a record sheet, said markings being arranged in closely adjacent parallel tracks and different ones of said tracks having different recording significance, a scanning structure disposed transversely of said tracks, means providing movement of the record sheet relative to the scanning structure such that the tracks are scanned longitudinally, a plurality of photoelectric cells each corresponding with one of said tracks, means for illuminating the scanning area of said record sheet, means including translucent rods individual to said tracks for impressing light variations on difierent ones of said photoelectric cells, counting apparatus electrically operable in response to impulses generated under control of said light variations, means electrically interposed between said light cells and said counting apparatus for amplifying said impulses, a blocking bias circuit for the imput of said amplifying means, and

. a selective code disk operable in accordance with a predetermined code to produce intermittent circuit closures in said blocking bias circuit, said amplifying means being rendered controllable by said impulses 'during openings of said blocking bias circuit, thereby to cause said counting apparatus to be actuated only when record markthreaded spindle for carrying said drum, a ings of a given category are'scanned.

threaded hub for said drum. the screw pitch-oh ALFRED N. GOLDSMITH.

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