Code pattern image generation apparatus and method, code pattern image reader apparatus and method, and code pattern image medium

• US 20070023523A1
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Onishi, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,770,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/454
• 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 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/143 Glyph-codes

Abstract

A code pattern image generation apparatus for generating a code pattern image, which includes position-dependent information differing at every position and position-independent information in common at various positions, the code pattern image generation apparatus includes; an image generator that generates a code pattern image by disposing a plurality of position-dependent code images, which include position-dependent information, at a mutually predetermined spacing along at least one side and repeatedly disposing a position-independent code image, which includes position-independent information, in the spacing between the disposed position-dependent code images.

Claims

1. A code pattern image generation apparatus for generating a code pattern image, which includes position-dependent information differing at every position and position-independent information in common at various positions, the code pattern image generation apparatus comprising:

an image generator that generates a code pattern image by disposing a plurality of position-dependent code images, which include position-dependent information, at a mutually predetermined spacing along at least one side and repeatedly disposing a position-independent code image, which includes position-independent information, in the spacing between the disposed position-dependent code images.

2. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the image generator generates the code pattern image in which is closely disposed a unit pattern of identical size and shape to include the position-dependent code image and the position-independent code image;

the position-dependent code image is disposed in a region that is at least on one side within the unit pattern; and

the position-independent code image is disposed in a portion except the region in the unit pattern.

3. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the image generator generates the code pattern image in which is closely disposed a unit pattern of identical size and shape that includes the position-dependent code image and a portion of the position-independent code image;

the position-dependent code image is disposed in a region that is at least on one side within the unit pattern;

the portion of the position-independent code image is disposed in a portion except the region in the unit pattern;

one position-independent code image is assigned for every set of a predetermined plurality of unit patterns having a predetermined positional relationship; and

a portion is disposed in each unit pattern in accordance with the position of the unit pattern in a set to which the unit pattern belongs among the various portions forming the position-independent code image.

4. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the unit pattern is a square and the code pattern image has the unit patterns arranged closely in two dimensions.

5. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the image generator disposes the position-independent code image in a one to one relationship and in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to each position-dependent code image.

6. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the image generator disposes one position-independent code image in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to every set formed from a plurality of position-dependent code images having a predetermined positional relationship.

7. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the position-dependent information is coordinate information for each position of a surface determined by two axes having mutually different directions.

8. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the position-independent information differs for every medium formed with the code pattern image.

9. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an image output section that outputs image data including the code pattern image that was generated by the image generator;

the image output section has a section that combines and outputs a document image with the code pattern image; and

the position-independent information specifies the document.

10. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an image output section that outputs image data including the code pattern image that was generated by the image generator;

the image output section has a section that combines and outputs a document image with the code pattern image; and

the position-independent information is mapped to usage conditions for the document.

11. The code pattern image generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the position-independent information specifies an image formation apparatus for forming the code pattern image on a surface of a medium.

12. A code pattern image generation method for execution by a computer for generating a code pattern image that includes position-dependent information differing at every position and position-independent information in common at various positions, the method comprising:

disposing a plurality of position-dependent code images that include position-dependent information at a mutually predetermined spacing along at least one side; and

repeatedly disposing a position-independent code image, which includes position-independent information, in the spacing between position-dependent code images.

13. A code pattern image scanning apparatus for reproducing position-dependent information and position-independent information from a scanned image, by a localized scan of a code pattern image, the code pattern image in which is closely disposed a unit pattern of identical size and shape that includes the position-dependent code image and the position-independent code image, the position-dependent code image is disposed in a region that is at least on one side within the unit pattern, and the position independent code image is disposed in a portion except the region in the unit pattern, the code pattern image scanning apparatus comprising:

a position-dependent information scanning section that detects the position-dependent code image from the scanned image and decodes the position-dependent information from the position-dependent code image;

a position-independent code image reconstruction section that reconstructs the position-independent code image by extracting a position-independent code image fragment from each unit pattern that is included in the scanned image and combining various fragments according to the positional relationship between unit patterns; and

a position-independent information decoding section that decodes position-independent information from the reconstructed position-independent code image.

14. The code pattern image scanning apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

the position-independent code image reconstruction section, in accordance with a position of each fragment with respect to the position-dependent code image that was scanned by the position-dependent information scanner, specifies a position to be occupied by each fragment in the position-independent code image and assembles the fragments.

15. A code pattern image scanning method for reproducing position-dependent information and position-independent information from a scanned image, the code pattern image in which is closely disposed a unit pattern of identical size and shape that includes the position-dependent code image and the position-independent code image, the position-dependent code image is disposed in a region that is at least on one side within the unit pattern and the position independent code image is disposed in a portion except the region in the unit pattern, the code pattern image scanning method comprising:

detecting the position-dependent code image from the scanned image and decoding the position-dependent information from the position-dependent code image;

reconstructing the position-independent code image by extracting a position-independent code image fragment from each unit pattern that is included in the scanned image and combining various fragments according to the positional relationship between unit patterns; and

decoding position-independent information from the reconstructed position-independent code image.

16. A code pattern image scanning apparatus for reproducing position-dependent information and position-independent information from a scanned image, the code pattern image in which is closely disposed a unit pattern of identical size and shape that includes the position-dependent code image and the position-independent code image, the position-dependent code image is disposed in a region that is at least on one side within the unit pattern and a portion of the position independent code image is disposed in a portion except the region in the unit pattern, one position-independent code image is assigned for every set of a predetermined plurality of unit patterns having a predetermined positional relationship, a portion is disposed in each unit pattern in accordance with the position of the unit pattern in a set to which the unit pattern belongs among the various portions forming the position-independent code image, the code pattern image scanning apparatus comprising:

a position-dependent information scanning section that detects the position-dependent code image from the scanned image and decodes the position-dependent information from the position-dependent code image;

a position-independent code image reconstruction section that reconstructs the position-independent code image by extracting a position-independent code image fragment from each unit pattern that is included in the scanned images of a plurality of frames having different scanning positions and combining various fragments according to the positional relationship between unit patterns; and

a position-independent information decoding section that decodes position-independent information from the reconstructed position-independent code image.

17. The code pattern image scanning apparatus according to claim 16, wherein:

the position-dependent information indicated by the position-dependent code within the unit pattern is information indicating coordinates of the unit pattern in the code pattern image;

the position-independent code image reconstruction section specifies, from coordinates indicated by the position-dependent code image that was detected by the position-dependent information scanning section from the scanned image of each frame, the position of the unit pattern within a set belonging to the respective unit pattern, and on the basis of the specified position, specifies the location occupied by each fragment within the position-independent code image and assembles the fragments.

18. A code pattern image scanning method for execution by a computer for reproducing position-dependent information and position-independent information from a scanned image, by a localized scan of a code pattern image, the code pattern image in which is closely disposed a unit pattern of identical size and shape that includes the position-dependent code image and the position-independent code image, the position-dependent code image is disposed in a region that is at least on one side within the unit pattern and a portion of the position independent code image is disposed in a portion except the region in the unit pattern, one position-independent code image is assigned for every set of a predetermined plurality of unit patterns having a predetermined positional relationship, a portion is disposed in each unit pattern in accordance with the position of the unit pattern in a set to which the unit pattern belongs among the various portions forming the position-independent code image, the code pattern image scanning method comprising:

detecting the position-dependent code image from the scanned image and decoding the position-dependent information from the position-dependent code image;

reconstructing the position-independent code image by extracting a position-independent code image fragment from each unit pattern that is included in the scanned images of a plurality of frames having different scanning positions and combining various fragments according to the positional relationship between unit patterns; and

decoding position-independent information from the reconstructed position-independent code image.

19. A code pattern image medium that is printed with a code pattern image in which are disposed a plurality of position-dependent code images, which includes position-dependent information differing at every position, at a mutually predetermined spacing along at least one side and in which is repeatedly disposed a position-independent code image, which includes position-independent information in common at various positions, in the spacing between the disposed position-dependent code images.

20. The code pattern image medium according to claim 19, wherein:

a unit pattern of identical size and shape that includes the position-dependent code image and the position-independent code image is closely disposed in the code pattern image;

the position-dependent code image is disposed in a region that is at least on one side within the unit pattern; and

the position independent code image is disposed in a portion except the region in the unit pattern.

21. The code pattern image medium according to claim 19, wherein:

a unit pattern of identical size and shape that includes the position-dependent code image and a portion of the position-independent code image is closely disposed in the code pattern image;

the position-dependent code image is disposed in a region that is at least on one side within the unit pattern;

the portion of the position-independent code image is disposed in a portion except the region in the unit pattern;

one position-independent code image is assigned for every set of a predetermined plurality of unit patterns having a predetermined positional relationship; and

a portion is disposed in each unit pattern in accordance with the position of the unit pattern in a set to which the unit pattern belongs among the various portions forming the position-independent code image.