Patent Document ID: 5553084
Application ID: 08369731

Base Claim:
1. A method of error correction enhancement for machine-readable symbols having symbol characters, a series of consecutive repeating characters, and error correction characters derived from the symbol and repeating characters, the method comprising the steps of: reading a selected machine-readable symbol, the selected symbol having at least one damaged repeating character; attempting to decode the selected symbol; if the selected symbol cannot be decoded, then determining if the selected symbol has any repeating characters; locating at least two consecutive repeating characters in the selected symbol; replacing the damaged repeating character with an undamaged repeating character; and decoding the selected symbol, using at least the error correction characters, after replacing the damaged repeating character with the undamaged repeating character.

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Claim 3:
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of locating locates three consecutive repeating characters.