Color-Coded Ternary Scale Reading for Compact Length Measurement

The patent changes the base parameter of the code system from binary (base-2) to ternary (base-3). This parameter change allows the same measurement range to be achieved with fewer digits, as ternary codes provide more information per digit. For example, a 3-digit ternary code can represent 27 different values (3³), while a binary code would require 5 digits (2⁵=32) to represent the same range, thus reducing code length and device size.

The patent assigns different colors to different ternary digits (0, 1, 2), creating a color-based code system. This allows the reading device to distinguish between different code values through color detection rather than complex binary pattern recognition. The color-coded ternary patterns simplify the reading process and reduce errors, as color differentiation is more robust than detecting subtle variations in binary dot patterns.

The patent implements a self-service system where the measuring device automatically reads the ternary color patterns from the measure, converts them to decimal values, and transmits the measurement data to the terminal. This eliminates the need for manual data entry by size memo writers, as the system performs the data capture, conversion, and transmission functions autonomously, thereby improving productivity without significantly increasing device complexity.

The patent uses ternary (base-3) notation instead of binary (base-2), which fundamentally changes the code structure parameters. This parameter change enables the implementation of Hamming distance of 1 between adjacent code patterns, meaning that only one digit needs to change between consecutive measurement values. This simplifies the code structure compared to binary systems while maintaining high reading accuracy, as the color-based ternary digits with unit Hamming distance are easier to distinguish and less prone to misreading.