Embedded method for embedded interaction code array

• US 20060242562A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Qiang, Dang, Yingnong, Wu, Jiang, Wang, Jian, Lin, Zhouchen
• Application Number:
  US11/112,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242562A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/210
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention configure and analyze an embedded interaction code (EIC) array of an EIC document. An EIC font, having a selected geometric shape, is configured so that a generated EIC symbol encodes EIC data. The EIC font is configured with at least one orientation dot so that a captured image can be properly orientated. An EIC document system is configured to support a desired address space of an EIC array, a desired decoding performance, and a desired level of readability of an EIC document. An EIC font is configured to include a plurality of data dots along an edge. The selection of the EIC font takes into consideration a number of dimensions and the order of a constituent m-array, which is associated with one of the dimensions. An EIC font may be configured with at least one clock dot to support segmenting EIC symbols in the captured image.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium for configuring an embedded interaction code (EIC) document system and having computer-executable instructions to perform the steps comprising:

(a) determining an address space of an EIC array, the EIC array including at least one m-array;

(b) estimating a size of an EIC symbol from a characteristic of a display device and document contents;

(c) in response to (a) and (b), selecting a geometric shape for the EIC symbol; and

(d) configuring an EIC font to represent the EIC symbol by including at least one data dot that is located on an edge of the EIC font.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(e) determining whether decoding performance satisfies a performance criterion.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(f) in response to (e), repeating (a), (b), (c), and (d).

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(e) determining whether the address space satisfies a performance criterion.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(f) in response to (e), repeating (a), (b), (c), and (d).

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(e) in response to (d), receiving an indication whether an EIC pattern is visually acceptable when printed on paper.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(f) if the EIC pattern is not acceptable, repeating (c)-(d).

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(a)(i) determining a number of dimensions of the EIC array.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(a)(ii) increasing the number of dimensions of the EIC array to reduce a complexity measure of constituent m-arrays decoding.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(f) configuring the EIC font to take an expected number of occluded EIC symbols in the camera image into account.

11. A computer-readable medium for selecting an embedded interaction code (EIC) font and having computer-executable instructions to perform the steps comprising:

(a) estimating a size of an EIC symbol;

(b) selecting a geometric shape for the EIC font, the geometric shape supporting a determined number of dimensions for an EIC array;

(c) configuring the EIC font with a least one data dot to support the determined number of dimensions and with the selected geometric shape; and

(d) generating the EIC symbol using the EIC font.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(e) configuring the EIC font with at least one clock dot for segmenting the EIC symbol.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(e) configuring the EIC font with one parity check dot.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(e) configuring the EIC font with at least one orientation dot, the at least one orientation dot being unused for conveying information bits.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(e) configuring a plurality of data dots along an edge of the EIC font, wherein the plurality of data dots are mapped to a plurality of information bits using a Gray code.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(f) encoding the plurality of information bits in the EIC symbol by marking only one of the plurality of data dots.

17. A computer-readable medium for processing an embedded interaction code (EIC) symbol that is included in an EIC document and that is captured in a camera image, the computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to perform the steps comprising:

(a) obtaining the camera image that contains the EIC symbol;

(b) segmenting the EIC symbol to distinguish the EIC symbol from other EIC symbols; and

(c) properly orientating the EIC symbol from at least one orientation dot.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(c)(i) analyzing a plurality of EIC symbols from the EIC document;

(c)(ii) determining a number of orientation dots that are marked;

(c)(iii) rotating the EIC symbols and repeating (c)(i) and (c)(ii); and

(c)(iv) selecting a rotational position corresponding to a least number of orientation dots that are marked.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(d) extracting one parity dot; and

(e) determining whether a parity of the EIC symbol is correct.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, containing further computer-executable instructions for:

(d) determining an offset of an EIC pattern that includes the EIC symbol.