US998833A - Code-changing system. - Google Patents

Description

H. W. BODWELL. GODE CHANGING SYSTEM.

APPLIGATION 111.1111 111111.15, 1911.

Patented July 25, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEETI.

WLUMBIA PLANOGIIAPH C0.. WASHImN. D. C.

11. w. BODWELL.

GODE CHANGING SYSTEM.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR.15, 1911.

Patented J111y`25, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

WORD COMP/LING TABLE NLUMIM PLANDURAPH C0.. WASHINOTDN. D. C.

H. W. BODWELL. CODE CHANGING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED 111111.15, 1911.

Patented July 25, 19111.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

TRNJLAT/A/G TA BLE CULUMBIA PLANDQRAPH 50 WASHINGTON. D. C

NLTF@ @AT HARRY W. BODWELL, OF BURLINGAME, CALIFORNIA.

CODE-CHANGING SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY W. BoDwELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlingame, in the county of San Mateo and State of California, have invented new and useful improvements in Code- Changing Systems, of which the following is a specilication.

The object of the present invention is to provide a code to be used in combination with any telegraphic code or cipher, such as the A. B. C. code, the A. l. code, Liebers code, or any code wherein the various phrases or sentences used are represented each by a number of not more than five figures, whereby two phrases or sentences, taken from any one of said codes, may be transmitted in a single word, thereby effecting a saving of one-half of the expense of cabling the text of the message.

A further object is to provide such a code whereby the above result may be effected and at the same time each single word, thus compiled from said figures, will serve in itself as a check or proof as t-o the correct transmission of the word.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3 are plan views respectively of three different tables forming my improved code.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a check table, having thereon aseries of symbols 2, which l term checks, each symbol being designated by an ordinal number, shown at 3. These checks consist each of a horizontal line t and five pairs of dots 5. rihe positions of said several pairs, with reference to the line, whether above or below it, constitute by their different combinations the differences in the checks.

7 indicates a word compiling table (Fig. 2) comprising a series of one hundred groups 8 of letters, each group being designated by a number, as shown at 9, and each group consisting of four letters two above a line and two below it.

10 indicates a translating table (Fig. 3) which consists of a series of pairs of letters,

' as shown at 11, each pair comprising a consonant and a vowel. In some of the pairs the vowels are before the consonants and in others the order is reversed. The letter Y is sometimes used as a consonant and sometimes as a vowel. Upposite each pair of letters is placed the corresponding number section 12, and, beneath it, the corresponding check section 13, consisting of two dots Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. March 15, 1911.

Patented July 25., 1911.

Serial No. 614,546.

either above or below a short horizontal line.

The nature of the code will be understood by means of specific examples and eX- planations, which are as follows Example: Compiling a. message of two words which embody four phrases taken from the A. B. C. code 5th edition:

Tiixplanation: In the A. B. C. code 5th edi-- tion, the sentence 'Ve cannot accept the order is represented by the number 00493, and the sentence Frice has advanced since writing you is represented by the number 31038. By joining these two numbers together there is produced a number of ten numerals as shown in the above example (0019331038). This number is converted into a word of ten let-ters by the combined use of the check table and the word compiling table, and the manner of doingl so is as follows: At one side jot down each two numerals that form the number so as to form a column of tive numbers, as shown in the example. Add up the column and the total gives what we will call the check number. 1When the total exceeds 99,ignore the-hundreds and employ the last two numerals as the check number; for instance, were the total 100 the check number would be 00; were the total 199, the check number would be 99 were the total l-11, the check number would be 11, and so on. lin the above example the total being 130, the check number is 30. Refer to the check table, wherein are found check numbers ranging from 00 to 99 inclusive, and to the right of each check number appears the check that applies to the same. The check that applies to check number 30 is found to be as follows Copy this check directly beneath the number, so that each two dots occupy a position directly below two numerals, as shown in the example. For convenience in referring to these dots we will speak of them as being related to the numerals below which they appear. The number is now ready to be converted into a word of ten letters by means of the word compiling table, the conversion being made two letters at a time. Refer to the word compiling' table, wherein are found numbers ranging from 00 to 99 inclusive, and opposite each number are found two sets of letters (consisting of two letters each) separated by a line, one setbeing` above the line and the other set below the line, both applying to the same number. Each two dots in the check copied beneath the number indicate which set of letters is to be used in substituting' letters for the two numerals to which each two dots are related. Dots above the line in the check indicate that letters above the line must be used to represent the numerals to which such dots are related, while dots below the line in the check indicate that Vletters below the line must be used to represent the numerals to which they are related. Hence, in keepingy with the requirements of the check copied beneath the number 0049331038, the numerals 00 must be converted into the letters BA (taken from above the line) 49 must be converted into the letters IM (taken from below the line), 33 into the letters ES (taken from below the line), l0 into the letters NA (taken from above the line) and 38 int-o the letters YE (taken from above the line). These five sets of letters joined together form the word BIMESNAYE.

ln the A. E. C. code, 5th edition, the phrase The lowest price possible is is represented by the number 30937, and the phrase $6.10 per case is represented by the number 88250. The manner of embodyingI these two phrases into one word is the same as explained above. Joining together the two numbers that represent the phrases produces the number 3093788256, and making the addition in the manner already explained `gives a check number of 39 as shown in the example. Reference to the check table shows the check that applies to the check number 39 to be as follows Copy this check directly beneath the number as shown in the example. adhering' to the rule that dots above the line of the check call for letters above the line in the word compiling' table, and dots below the line call for letters below the line, the conversion of the number into a word is as follows: 30 is converted into NE (taken from above the line), 93 is converted into US (taken from below the line), 78 into Y@ (taken from above the line), 82 into FU (taken from below the line), and 56 into (taken from below the line). These five sets of letters joined together form the word NEUS YOFUWI..

The compiling' of the message is of course done on a blank sheet of paper, and when completed, the words that have been formed are copied on the regular blank form furnished by the cable companies.

The message above compiled reads BHVIESNAYE NEUSYOFUYV. rhese two words when translated give the four phrases that were taken from the A. E. C. code, which, were it not for the assistance of my improved code, would req uire the employment of four A. B. C. code words.

Example: Translating the message BA- MESNAVE NEUS YFUVVI BAIMESNAYE gg 00 49 33 10 3S (check number 30) 33 u u n u 3S Total 130 00493 We cannot accept the order. 31038 Price has advanced since writing you.

NEUSYOFUWI se es @e a2 5s (Cheeknumberse) gi? l Total 339 30937 Lowest price possible is. S8256 36.10 per case.

Explanation: In translating a word, the first thing to be done is to convert the word into a number of ten numerals, the conversion being accomplished two numerals at a time. rThis is done by means of the translating table, in which all sets of letters employed in the code appear, alphabetically arranged, and opposite each set of letters are found the two numerals that the letters represent and also the section of check that is related to the numerals. (Each section of check is one fifth of a complete check). ln the above message BAMESNAYE is the rst to be translated, so write the word 'on a blank sheet of paper, dividing the word into syllables of `two letters each, refer to the translating table, and look for the first two letters of the word, BA, which are found to represent the two numerals 00. frite these two numerals directly beneath the letters BA, and below the numerals copy the sect-.ion of check related to same, which as shown in the translating table is L rlhe next two letters, M, are found to represent a9, so write 49 below lM and below these two numerals copy the section of check related to same, it being` T in copying these sections of checks join the second section to the first section by elongating` the line of the first, and continue in the same manner with the third, fourth, and ifthsections, so that when the conversion of a word into a number has been completed, the check formed below the number will have an unbroken line. Continuing with the translation, the third set of letters, ES, is found to represent 33, so write 33 beneath ES and copy the section of cheek related to this number, it being w The next letters,

NA, represent l0, so write this number beneath NA and copy the section of the check as above described. The next letters YIG, represent 3S, so write this number' below YE and copy the section of check. As a result of this operation the word BAIMESNAYE has been converted into the number 0040381038, and at the same time a check has been formed below the number as shown in the example. rIhe object of this check is to prove whether or not the word has been transmitted without error. At one side jot down each two numerals that form the number, in the same manner as when compiling a word, add up the column, and it gives a check number of 30. Refer to the check table and compare the check that has been formed below the number with the check that applies to the check number 30 in the check table. If the two checks do not exactly coincide it is a proof that some error has occurred in the transmission of the word. In the above example having compared the two checks and finding that they coincide, we proceed with the translation of the word. Divide the number 0049331038 into two numbers of five numerals each, 00493 and 31038, look up these numbers in the A.. B. C. code, and opposite each write the phrase that corresponds to same, and the translation of the word BAIMESNAYE is completed.

'Ihe translation of the word NEUSYO- FUVVI is accomplished in identically the saine manner as the word above described, so an explanation of the translation of this word is unnecessary.

rIhe above examples show how four phrases taken from the A. B. C. code 5th edition are embodied in two words by the use of my improved code, thus effecting an economy of 50% in the expense of cabling the text of the message. employing the code is identically the saine whether two phrases are to be cabled or a thousand phrases. The manner of employing the code is the same whether used in combination with the A. B. C. code, A. l code, Iiiebers code, or any other code wherein the phrases or expressions are represented by numbers of five numerals. rIhe same general plan of employing the code is followed when used in combination with any code wherein the phrases or expressions are represented by numbers of less than live numerals.

From the foregoing examples and explanations it will be seen that by my improved code two useful results are obtained. By the substitution of letters for the code numbers a single word of ten letters can be used to cable two phrases or sentences of the code. Because the word is composed of live syllables, each consisting of a vowel and a consonant it will always be a pronounceable The manner of word, and therefore no objection will be made by the cable company to its transmission by cable. There are obviously 100 numbers of two digits which can be formed of the digits 0 to 9 inclusive. Therefore 100 permutations of letters, two at a time, each consisting of one vowel and one consonant. would provide sufficient symbols for said numbers, andenable all variations of two code numbers, of live digits each, each to be represented by a single word of ten letters and of five syllables, each syllable containing a vowel and a consonant.v But to obtain t-he second result, namely, to insure that the message has been correctly transmitted, I employ, not 100 syllables of two letters, each consisting of a vowel and a consonant, but 200 such syllables. I find that by using the letter Y sometimes as a vowel and sometimes as a consonant- 200 different syllables of this kind can be formed. I am thus enabled to substitute for each number of two digits, from O0 to 99 inclusive, either one of two such syllables. A. choice being thus provided, I am thus able to employ the election as a means of verifying whether the translation has been correctly made. For I can take some function of the original code numbers and use this function as a means of determining` which of the two syllables I select in each case. This function may be obtained in a variety of ways, but I prefer the method shown as being simple and not liable to error. By this means there is obtained a check number, which, upon referring to the table, gives a check showing in which one of 2st different ways the live groups, of two digits each, are to be translated into syllables, that is, in which one of two ways each group in turn is to be so translated. The numerals having been translated into letters, the message is ready for transmission. If, upon re-translating the word into code numbers, the check obtained from the re-translation does not correspond with the check number of the code numbers produced, it is known that an error has been made in transmission.

Since my invention may possibly be varied by using instead of groups each of two letters, groups of another number of letters as one or three or more, I desire it to be understood that in the claims the word group is to be so interpreted.

It will be seen that, of the above tables, the word compilin table is the most important. The transIating table could, except for convenience, be dispensed with, and an inferior form of the invention could also be used by even dispensing with the check table. In the word compiling table the essential characteristics are that, for each of the series of numbers, there shall be a pair of groups of two letters, and that these groups shall be distinguishable from one another independently of the form of the letters themselves. In the present instance this distinction is obtained by placing one group above a line and the o-ther group below it. But evidently the same result could be obtained in other ways, as, for instance, by marking one of the groups with a star and the other without a star. The inferior form of the invention might be obtained by dispensing with the check numbers, and providing a rule, dependent upon all the figures of a code number for distinguishing between the groups of said pairs. Such a rule might be that if the sum of all the digits in the complete code number were odd, the upper group of letters should be taken for the translation of said first pair of digits, if even, the lower group; for the second pair of digits, the same rule could be used except that the sum would be obtained of the gures taken two at a time; for the third group, three at a time; and so on. F rom this it appears that the check table is not absolutely indispensable in my invention, and that the only indispensable table is that shown in F ig. 2. However I prefer the form of the invention illustrated, as thereby no error can be made in transmission without its being detected.

I claim l. ln a code-changing system, a series of code numbers, and a corresponding series of pairs of groups of code-changing letters, the two groups of each pair being distinguishable from each other independently of the letters themselves of the groups, substantially as described.

2. ln a code-changing system, a series of numbers, and a corresponding series of pairs of groups each of two letters, the two groups of each pair being distinguishable from each other independently of the letters themselves of the groups, substantially as described.

3. A code-changing system comprising a series of numbers, a series of pairs of groups of two letters each consisting of a vowel and a consonant, said groups being distinguishable from one another by means other than the letters themselves forming the groups, a series of compound checks, each consist-ing of check sections, each check section being indicative of which group of a corresponding pair is to be employed for translation of the number', substantially as described.

4. A code-changing system for changing code numbers comprising a series of numbers, a series of pairs of groups of two letters each consisting of a vowel and a consonant, said groups being distinguishable from one another by means other than the letters themselves forming the groups, a series of compound checks, each consisting of check sections, as many in number as there are numbers of the series in the total code number to be translated, each check section being indicative of which group of a corresponding pair is to be employed' for translation of the number, substantially as described.

5. In a code-changing system, a series of numbers of two digits, and a corresponding series of pairs of groups of letters, the two groups of each pair being distinguishable from each other independently of the letters themselves of the groups, and a corresponding series of symbols adapted to indicate which group of the pair is to be employed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS M. VRIGHT, D. B. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing1 the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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