Position determination II - graphic

• US 20040095337A1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Edso, Tomas, Pettersson, Mats Petter
• Granted Patent: US 7,281,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• 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 19/06018 one-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1456 determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/19 by sensing codes defining pattern positions

Abstract

A product provided with a coding pattern which comprises a plurality of marks, each of which represents one of at least two different values, and which further comprises a plurality of nominal positions, each of said plurality of marks being associated with a nominal position and the value of each mark being determined by its location relative to its nominal position. The invention also comprises use of the product.

Claims

1. A product which is provided with a coding pattern, which comprises a plurality of marks, each of which represents one of at least two different values, characterized in that the coding pattern also comprises a plurality of nominal positions, each of said plurality of marks being associated with one of said plurality of nominal positions and the value of each mark being indicated by its location relative to its nominal position.

2. A product according to claim 1, in which each nominal position is allocated a mark.

3. A product according to claim 1 or 2, in which essentially all the marks are displaced relative to their nominal positions.

4. A product according to claim 3, in which essentially all the marks are displaced the same distance relative to their nominal positions.

5. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each mark is displaced in one of four orthogonal directions relative to its nominal position.

6. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the coding pattern comprises a raster with raster lines, where the intersections of the raster lines define the nominal positions of the marks.

7. A product according to claim 6, in which the distance between the raster lines is approximately 250 μ

m to 300 μ

m.

8. A product according to claim 6 or 7, in which the raster lines form a rectangular, preferably square, grid.

9. A product according to claim 6, 7 or 8, in which each mark is displaced along one of the raster lines.

10. A product according to any one of claims 6-9, in which each mark is displaced from its nominal position by a distance which is ¼

to ⅛

, preferably ⅙

, of the distance between the raster lines.

11. A product according to any one of claims 6-10, in which the raster is virtual.

12. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, in which all the marks have an essentially identical appearance.

13. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the marks are approximately circular, triangular or rectangular.

14. A product according to any one of claims 4-13, in which the effective diameter of the marks is approximately 50% to 240% of the displacement of the mark relative to its nominal position.

15. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the coding pattern is optically readable.

16. A product according to claim 15, in which the coding pattern is readable by infrared light.

17. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the product has a surface which is provided with the coding pattern.

18. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the marks constitute 0.25% to 20%, preferably approximately 9%, of the surface which is provided with the coding pattern.

19. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the coding pattern is a position-coding pattern which codes a plurality of positions on the product, each position being coded by means of a plurality of marks.

20. A product according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the product is a sheet of paper.

21. Use of a coding pattern which comprises a plurality of marks, each of which represents one of at least two different values, and which further comprises a plurality of nominal positions, each of said plurality of marks being associated with a nominal position and the value of each mark being determined by its location relative to its nominal position.