Systems and Methods for Generating, Reading and Transferring Identifiers

• US 20070272738A1
• Filed: 02/14/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Labels That Talk, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Labels That Talk, Ltd
• Inventors: Berkun, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,775,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1404 Methods for optical code recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/00 Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating, reading and transferring identifiers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a handheld system for associating a selected audio content with an object includes an identifier applied to a surface of the object and having a predetermined graphical format that is configured to encode the selected audio content, and a handheld device operable to encode the identifier and further operable to detect an audio content associated with the identifier.

Claims

1. A handheld system for associating a selected audio content with an object, comprising:

an identifier that may be applied to a surface of the object and having a predetermined graphical format that is configured to encode the selected audio content; and

a handheld device operable to encode the identifier and further operable to detect an audio content associated with the identifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier further comprises one of a one-dimensional bar code and a two-dimensional bar code.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical content of the identifier is printed on a suitable substrate material that may be fixably applied to the surface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical content of the identifier is applied directly to the surface of the object.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the graphical content of the identifier is applied to the surface of the object using one of a stamping, an embossing, an etching, an engraving, and a photolithographic process.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a printer operably coupled to the handheld device that is configured to reproduce the identifier on a selected medium.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a personal computer operably coupled to the handheld device that is configured to store and display the identifier.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld device is incorporated into one of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone unit, a digital camera device and a personal computer.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a database, wherein the personal computer is operably coupled to the database through a communications system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier is includes a pixel section and an alphanumeric section.

11. A method of creating identifiers configured to encode selected audio content using a handheld device, comprising:

capturing analog audio signals with the handheld device;

converting the captured analog audio signals to digital audio signals using the handheld device; and

producing an identifier that encodes the digital audio signals.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising applying the identifier on a selected surface of an object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein producing an identifier further comprises generating one of a pigment-based identifier and a non-pigmented identifier.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein converting the captured analog audio signals to digital audio signals further comprises applying an encryption algorithm to the captured audio signals.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein producing an identifier that encodes the digital audio signals further comprises applying a encoder/decoder (CODEC) algorithm to the digital signals.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein producing an identifier that encodes the digital audio signals further comprises applying the identifier to an object.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein applying the identifier to an object further comprises applying the identifier to a selected portion of a photograph, a display panel, a sign, and a printed publication.

18. A method of verifying an identity of an individual, comprising:

producing an identifier that encodes a first selected audio content received from the individual;

applying the identifier having the encoded first selected audio content to an identification article assigned to the individual;

acquiring a second selected audio content from the individual; and

comparing the first selected audio content to the second selected audio content to verify the identity of the individual.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein producing the identifier further comprises providing the first selected audio content to a handheld device operable to encode the identifier.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the identifier further comprises reading the identifier with a handheld device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein acquiring a second selected audio content from the individual further comprises providing the second selected audio content to a handheld device operable to encode the identifier.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein comparing the first selected audio content to the second selected audio content further comprises transferring the first selected audio content and the second selected audio content to a voice recognition device operable to make the comparison.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the transferring the first selected audio content and the second selected audio content to a voice recognition device further comprises communicating the first selected audio content and the second selected audio content to a computer having voice recognition software.

24. A handheld system for associating a selected audio content with an object, comprising:

an identifier applied to a surface of the object and having a graphical portion having a predetermined graphical format that is configured to encode the selected audio content and an alphanumeric translation of the audio content; and

a handheld device operable to encode the identifier and further operable to detect an audio content associated with the identifier.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the alphanumeric translation further includes alphanumeric translations from multiple audio sources recorded in the graphical portion.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the alphanumeric translations from multiple audio sources are positioned adjacent to the graphical portion.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the alphanumeric translations from multiple sources is positioned about a periphery of the graphical portion.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the predetermined graphical format includes pixel patterns.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the pixel patterns include at least one of a rectangular pixel array and a curvilinear pixel array.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the alphanumeric translations coaxially circumscribe the curvilinear pixel arrays.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the alphanumeric translations coaxially inscribe the curvilinear pixel arrays.

32. A handheld system for associating a selected audio content with an object, comprising:

an identifier applied to a surface of the object and having a graphical portion having a predetermined graphical format that is configured to encode the selected audio content and an alphanumeric translation of the audio content; and

a handheld device operable to duplicate the identifier and further operable to detect an audio content associated with the identifier.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the handheld device is configured to duplicate the graphical portion and create an alphanumeric translation of the duplicated graphical portion.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the alphanumeric translation is positioned adjacent to the duplicated graphical portion.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the original translation includes a plurality of text messages.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the plurality of text messages are positioned adjacent to the duplicated graphical portion.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the plurality of text messages circumscribe the duplicated graphical portion.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the handheld device duplicates the identifier from segment images of the identifier.

39. A method to record a document transaction comprising:

producing a first identifier that encodes a first audio content spoken from a first person;

affixing the first identifier to the document;

producing a second identifier that encodes a second audio content spoken from a second person; and

affixing the second identifier to the document.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the second audio content of the second person confirms the spoken understanding contained within the first audio content from the first person.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the first person includes at least one selected from the group consisting of the visually impaired and the mentally challenged.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the second audio content of the second person disputes the spoken understanding contained within the first audio content from the first person.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the first person includes at least one selected from the group consisting of the visually impaired and the mentally challenged.

44. A method to record a document transaction comprising:

producing a first identifier that encodes a first audio content spoken from a visually impaired person;

affixing the first identifier to the document;

producing a second identifier that encodes a second audio content spoken from a witness; and

affixing the second identifier to the document.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the second audio content of the witness confirms the spoken understanding contained within the first audio content from the visually impaired person.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the second audio content of the witness disputes the spoken understanding contained within the first audio content from the visually impaired person.

47. A method to record a document transaction comprising:

producing an identifier that encodes a first audio content spoken from a visually impaired person, and a second audio content spoken by a witness; and

affixing the identifier to the document,

wherein the spoken content of the witness includes a witness statement regarding the spoken content of the visually impaired person.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the witness statement confirms the spoken content from the visually impaired person.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the witness statement refutes the spoken content from the visually impaired person.