optical scanning

noun

the process of interpreting data in printed, handwritten, bar-code, or other visual form by a device (optical scanner or reader) that scans and identifies the data.
Compare optical character recognition.

Origin of optical scanning

First recorded in 1955–60

Words nearby optical scanning

optical pumping, optical pyrometer, optical resonator, optical rotation, optical scanner, optical scanning, optical sound, optical soundtrack, optical tooling, optical tweezers, optical wedge

British Dictionary definitions for optical scanner

optical scanner

noun

a computer peripheral device enabling printed material, including characters and diagrams, to be scanned and converted into a form that can be stored in a computer See also optical character reader

Scientific definitions for optical scanner

optical scanner

A device that converts printed images and text into digital information that can be edited, transmitted, and stored. Optical scanners work by electronically measuring the intensity of color at a large number of individual locations across the page (often using phototransistors), and converting these measurements into digital numerical values usable by computers and other digital devices. See also A/D converter.