Method and apparatus for capturing and decoding an image of a remotely located bar code

• US 20050258250A1
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tripletail Ventures, Inc.
• Inventors: Melick, Bruce D., Baych, Leslie D., Snyder, David M., Staman, Paul R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,150,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.460
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1095 the scanner comprising adaptations for scanning a record carrier that is displayed on a display-screen or the like

Abstract

A method for remotely decoding a bar code includes capturing an image of a bar code using a camera, transmitting the image of the bar code across a network, receiving the image of the bar code at a remote location on the network, reproducing the image of the bar code at the remote location to provide a reproduced image of the bar code, and scanning and decoding the reproduced image of the bar code.

Claims

1. A method for remotely decoding a bar code, comprising:

capturing an image of a bar code using a camera;

transmitting the image of the bar code across a network;

receiving the image of the bar code at a remote location on the network;

reproducing the image of the bar code at the remote location to provide a reproduced image of the bar code;

scanning and decoding the reproduced image of the bar code.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the camera is selected from the set consisting of a phone camera, a security camera, a camcorder, a digital camera, and a web camera.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code is a 2D bar code.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code is a 1D bar code.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code comprises a human readable text portion and a machine readable bar code portion.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the human readable text portion does not match the machine readable bar code portion to provide increased security.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code is printed using a thermochromic ink.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code is printed using a standard ink and a thermochromic ink.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code includes a visible portion and an invisible portion and wherein the invisible portion comprises a photoluminescent ink.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a digital watermark is associated with the bar code.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code is a tagged bar code.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of reproducing the image is reproducing the image on a display at the remote location.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of reproducing the image is printing the image at the remote location.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the security information to be displayed as the bar code and verifying that information extracted from the reproduced image of the bar code matches the security information.

15. A method of providing security through remote use of a bar code, comprising:

sending information to be displayed as a bar code over a first communication link;

displaying an image of the bar code;

capturing the image of the bar code using a camera;

transmitting the image of the bar code over a second communication link;

receiving the image of the bar code at a remote location over the second communication link;

reproducing the image of the bar code at the remote location to provide a reproduced image of the bar code;

scanning and decoding the reproduced image of the bar code to provide decoded information;

verifying that the information sent matches the decoded information.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising granting physical access to a secured site after the step of verifying.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of sending information is sending a hash code.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of sending information is sending information to a cell phone.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the camera is a security camera.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising verifying a cell phone electronic identification code of the cell phone.

21. An apparatus for providing security via remote bar codes, comprising:

a camera adapted for imaging a bar code;

a computer remotely located from the camera;

a network operatively connected between the camera and the computer;

a bar code reader operatively connected to the computer and adapted for scanning and decoding a reproduction of the bar code;

software executing on the computer adapted for verifying that information obtained from the reproduction of the bar code matches stored information.