Coding pattern

• US 20030066896A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Pettersson, Mats Peter, Ericson, Petter
• Granted Patent: US 7,175,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 Architecture adapted for a particular function
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes

Abstract

A product is provided with a coding pattern, which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points on the product with the aid of a plurality of marks belonging to each point. The marks have a first parameter which varies for coding of the position information. The marks additionally have a second parameter which varies for coding of further information in the coding pattern. A method and a device for coding of the coding pattern and a method and a device for decoding of the coding pattern are also described.

Claims

1. A product which is provided with a coding pattern, which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points on the product with the aid of a plurality of marks belonging to each point, the marks having a first parameter which varies for coding of the position information, characterized in that the marks have a second parameter which varies for coding of further information in the coding pattern.

2. The product as claimed in claim 1, in which the first parameter and the second parameter is one of the following pairs:

location and size;

location and color;

size and location;

size and shape;

size and color;

shape and location;

shape and color;

shape and size;

color and location;

color and size; and

color and shape.

3. The product as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the further information is further position information.

4. The product as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the further information is information other than position information.

5. The product as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2 and 4, in which the further information defines at least two different areas on the coding pattern.

6. The product as claimed in claim 5, in which the further information defines how coordinates which are recorded from said at least two different areas are to be processed.

7. The product as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2 and 4, in which the further information defines whether a predetermined area in the coding pattern is activated or not.

8. The product as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the coding pattern is divided into a plurality of cells, each of these comprising at least two marks, and in which the further information consists of a cell value which is coded by said at least two marks for each cell.

9. The product as claimed in claim 8, in which the cells comprise fewer marks than said plurality of marks belonging to each point.

10. The product as claimed in claim 8 or 9, in which each mark has one of at least two predetermined values for the second parameter, and in which each cell comprises at least one mark with each of the predetermined values.

11. The product as claimed in any one of claims 8-10, in which the coding pattern comprises a first area and a second area, and in which the cells in the first area have a first cell value and the cells in the second area have a second cell value.

12. The product as claimed in claim 11, in which a boundary area between the first area and the second area comprises cells with the first cell value and cells with the second cell value.

13. A method in a coding device for coding of a coding pattern which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points with the aid of a plurality of marks belonging to each point, comprising the step of allocating, for the coding of the position information, to each mark in the coding pattern one of at least two predetermined values for a first parameter, characterized by the step of allocating to each mark one of at least two predetermined values for a second parameter for coding of further information in the coding pattern.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, in which the first parameter and the second parameter is one of the following pairs:

location and size;

location and color;

size and location;

size and shape;

size and color;

shape and location;

shape and color;

shape and size;

color and location;

color and size; and

color and shape.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 or 14, comprising the step of allocating to marks which belong to points within a first coordinates area values for the second parameter, which makes it possible, on the basis of the marks, to detect the extent of the first coordinates area in the coding pattern.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 or 14, comprising the step of marking a predetermined area of the coding pattern as activated, by allocating to marks which belong to points within the predetermined area a predetermined value for the second parameter.

17. The method as claimed in any one of claims 13-16, further comprising the steps of dividing the coding pattern into cells, each of these comprising at least two marks, and allocating to each cell a cell value which constitutes the further information, the step of allocating to each mark a value for the second parameter taking place dependent on the cell value.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, in which the marks within each cell are allocated values so that each cell contains at least one mark with each of the predetermined values.

19. The method as claimed in any one of claims 13-18, further comprising the step of creating a product with a coding pattern, by applying the coding pattern with marks which have the allocated values for the first parameter and the second parameter, on a product.

20. A computer program, which comprises instructions for making a computer execute a method according to any one of claims 13-19.

21. A device for coding of a coding pattern, which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points with the aid of a plurality of marks belonging to each point, which device comprises processing means for determining a value for a first parameter for each mark and a value for a second parameter for at least some of the marks, and a memory for storing the values of the marks for the first parameter and the second parameter.

22. A method for decoding, in a decoding device, of a coding pattern which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points on a product with the aid of a plurality of marks belonging to each point, comprising the steps of receiving a digital representation of the coding pattern, decoding the position information with the aid of the value for the first parameter for at least some of the marks in the digital representation, characterized by the step of decoding further information from the coding pattern on the basis of the value for a second parameter for at least some of the marks in the digital representation.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, in which the first parameter and the second parameter is one of the following pairs:

location and size;

location and color;

size and location;

size and shape;

size and color;

shape and location;

shape and color;

shape and size;

color and location;

color and size; and

color and shape.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22 or 23, further comprising the step of determining how coordinates which have been recorded from the coding pattern are to be processed on the basis of the value of the second parameter for at least some of the marks in the digital representation.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22 or 23, further comprising the step of determining whether a pre-defined area in the coding pattern is activated or not on the basis of the value of the second parameter for marks which belong to points in the area.

26. The method as claimed in any one of claims 22-25, further comprising the step of dividing, on the basis of the position information, the coding pattern into cells and determining a cell value for each cell on the basis of the value of the second parameter for the marks of the cell.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising the step of processing the position information dependent on the cell values for corresponding cells.

28. A computer program, which comprises instructions for making a computer execute a method according to any one of claims 22-27.

29. A device for decoding of a coding pattern which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points on a product with the aid of a plurality of marks belonging to each point, which device comprises processing means which are arranged to receive a digital representation of the coding pattern, to decode the position information with the aid of the value for the first parameter for at least some of the marks in the digital representation, characterized in that the processing means are also arranged to decode further information from the coding pattern on the basis of the value for a second parameter for at least some of the marks in the digital representation.