System and method for bar code rendering and recognition

• US 20030117635A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: E Centives Inc.
• Inventors: Roberts, Gregory B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,882,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• 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: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A method and system for rendering accurate bar code images in a distributed network wherein a plurality of different types of rendering devices, such as printers, having different resolution characteristics are connected for rendering such images. The resolution of a connected rendering device is detected and the bar code image to be rendered by such device is scaled to effect proper alignment of the resolution units of the bar code and the rendering device whereby the need for interpolation is effectively obviated. The bar code is scaled by a whole integer multiplier of the minimum bar code size based upon at least one dimension of the print area of the bar code display and the resolution characteristic of the rendering device. The bar code image is aligned or mapped and is centered in the display area with equal units of the excess print area on either side of the image. By avoiding the need to interpolate print data by the rendering device, the bar code rendering system defeats inaccuracies in detection and decoding and provides a more reliable data recovery system.

Claims

1. A system for rendering an image by use of a rendering device, the image comprising a bar code within a bar code display area, the bar code having a minimum unit display size requirement, the bar code display area having a maximum display size in at least a first direction, and the rendering device having a particular resolution, the system comprising:

means for detecting the resolution of the rendering device; and

means for scaling the bar code by a scaling factor to a size that is essentially the largest whole number multiple of the minimum unit display size, but less than the product of the maximum display size multiplied by the detected resolution of the rendering device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image is a coupon, the rendering device is a printer and the bar code comprises one or more of a UPC bar code or a unique coupon identifier.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector means accesses the interface between the computer hardware and the rendering device hardware to acquire data relating to the resolution of the rendering device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the rendering device is a printer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the minimum unit display size has a width PW and the maximum display size includes a width W, the scaling factor is a whole number and resolution units along PW align essentially exactly with resolution units along W of the display.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the scaling factor is a whole number.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for comparing the rendering device resolution and the bar code minimum unit display size to determine whether scaling of the bar code is necessary.