Active embedded interaction code

• US 20040086181A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Qiang, Li, Yue, Wang, Jian, Zhang, Chunhui
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments

Abstract

A system and method is described for providing an encoding scheme for a bit stream and displaying or printing the encoded bit stream. Using the encoded bit stream, a pen with a camera may capture an image of a portion of the encoded bit stream. The captured image may then be decoded to provide an indication of the location of the image in relation to the encoded bit stream. The encoding scheme includes information regarding orientation, thus making decoding easier.

Claims

1. A system for encoding an image of a document comprising:

an input for receiving a bit stream;

a storage having at least two visual representations of data;

a processor for encoding the bit stream using the at least two visual representations of data, said encoded bit stream having orientation information; and

,

an output for outputting the encoded bit stream.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said output is a paper printer.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said output is a computer display.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least two visual representations is a bar of dark pixels.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least two visual representations is a bar of regularly alternating dark and light pixels.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least two visual representations is an irregular bar of alternating dark and light pixels.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least two visual representations is at least two bars of alternating dark and light pixels.

8. A system for decoding an encoded bit stream comprising:

an input receiving an image from a camera, said image representing a portion of an encoded data stream; and

a processor for processing said image, said processing including determining a rotation of said image and decoding said image.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said processor determines the rotation of said image from a predefined grid orientation and determines the rotation of a pattern in said image.

10. A method for decoding an encoded image comprising the steps of:

receiving said encoded image;

determining a rotation of said encoded image to be aligned with a predefined grid orientation;

retrieving a pattern from said encoded image based on said determination of rotation step;

determining an orientation of said pattern;

rotating said pattern based on said determining an orientation step; and

,

decoding the rotated pattern to extract a data stream.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said determining a rotation step includes determining the rotation of said encoded image from at least one of horizontal and vertical.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said determining an orientation step further comprises the steps of:

determining which type of shape does not occur in said pattern; and

,

rotating said pattern by an angle associated with said missing type of shape.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said determining an orientation step further comprises the steps of:

determining which type of shape does not occur in said pattern; and

,

rotating said pattern by an angle until the type of shape not occurring in said pattern is identical to a predefined missing shape.

14. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-implemented instructions, said instructions comprising:

determining a rotation of an encoded image to be aligned with a predefined grid orientation;

retrieving a pattern from said encoded image based on said determination of rotation step;

determining an orientation of said pattern;

rotating said pattern based on said determining an orientation step; and

,

decoding the rotated pattern to extract a data stream.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein said determining a rotation step includes determining the rotation of said encoded image from at least one of horizontal and vertical.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein said determining an orientation step further comprises the steps of:

determining which type of shape does not occur in said pattern;

rotating said pattern by an angle associated with said missing type of shape.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein said determining an orientation step further comprises the steps of:

determining which type of shape does not occur in said pattern;

rotating said pattern by an angle until the type of shape not occurring in said pattern is identical to a predefined missing shape.

18. A computer-readable medium having a data structure, said data structure comprising:

a first data region represented by a row of dark images associated with at least another row of light images;

a second data region represented by a column of dark images associated with at least another column of light images,

wherein said first data region represents a first bit of a data stream and

wherein said second data region represents a second bit of a data stream.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18,

wherein said computer-readable medium is printed paper.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18,

wherein said computer-readable medium is a computer display.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18,

wherein said first and second data regions have a horizontal and vertical orientation.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18,

wherein said first and second data regions have a non-horizontal and vertical orientation.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18,

wherein said first and second data regions have regularly alternating dark and light portions.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18,

wherein said first and second data regions have irregularly alternating dark and light portions.

25. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18,

wherein said first and second data regions have alternating dark and light portions that alternate over at least two rows or columns.

26. A process of associating annotations with a document having a document identifier comprising the steps of:

printing an encoded version of said document identifier with a printed version of said document;

capturing said encoded version of said document identifier with a camera associated with a pen;

decoding said encoded version of said document identifier;

associating annotations created by said pen with said document identified by said document identifier.