Encoding and Decoding Alphanumeric Data

• US 20080191909A1
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Technology Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: bCode Pty Limited
• Inventors: Mak, Michael Man Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/95
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/368 Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Information, such as ticket information is encoded, for transmission of the encoded information to a device that can display the encoded information as visible alphanumeric characters. Original information is converted into a binary format then separated into x bit binary words, where x is the same as a maximum number of bits data required by every data character in a pre-determined data character map. The binary words are formed into a sequence of characters using a data character map. Special marker characters are inserted into the sequence. The special characters demarcate the sequence into sets of characters separated by one or more special marker characters. Line feed command characters are also inserted. The encoded information is transmitted to a client device that displays it as a rectangular array of characters bounded by the special marker characters.

Claims

1. A method for encoding information, for transmission of the encoded information to a device that can display the encoded information as visible alphanumeric characters, comprising the steps of:

converting an n-digit information into a binary format;

separating the binary format into x bit binary words, where x is the same as a maximum number of bits data required by every data character in a pre-determined data character map;

converting the x bit binary words into a sequence of characters using the data character map;

inserting special marker characters into the sequence that demarcate the sequence into sets of characters separated by one or more special marker characters;

inserting one or more special marker characters at the beginning and end of the sequence; and

inserting line feed command characters into the sequence prior to transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein,

x is four or five.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data character map excludes one or more alphanumeric characters because of the potential for confusion at a visual level with another character.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the special marker character is the symbol =.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the line feed command characters divide the sequence into portions that are visually displayable when received by a user'"'"'s device, as two or more lines of equal length.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

each line initiates and terminates with one or more special marker characters.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

each line is subdivided by one or more special marker characters.

8. A scanner for reading a visible code and capturing data from a captured image, comprising:

an image capture device;

an OCR engine that has an image from the image capture device as an input and has as an output, a guess of characters and a location for each character from a geometric display of characters;

software for recognising a rectangular target area from the presence of special marker characters in the output;

a module for subdividing the target area into sets of a predetermined size and location to create an expected character location values;

software for combining the guess of a characters and character location from the OCR engine with the expected character location values to arrive at best guess;

software for converting the best guess into a binary; and

one or more modules for applying data correction or recovery techniques to the binary for the purpose of arriving at the data.

9. The scanner of claim, 8 further comprising:

a diffuse lighting source that minimises highlights in the captured image.

10. The scanner of claim, 8 further comprising:

software for de-skewing the captured image.

11. The scanner of claim, 8 further comprising:

a printer for providing a printed version of the data.

12. The scanner of claim, 8 further comprising:

an auxiliary display on which the data can be displayed.

13. The scanner of claim, 12 wherein:

the auxiliary display can be physically separated from but functionally connected to the scanner.

14. A method for decoding visible characters into original information data, comprising the steps of:

capturing an image of a user'"'"'s display;

using an OCR engine on the image, the engine having as an output, a guess of characters and a location for each character;

recognising a target area from the presence of special marker characters in the output;

deriving a character string from characters within the target area;

converting the character string into a binary; and

applying data correction or recovery techniques to the best guess for the purpose of arriving at the data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

subdividing the target area into sets of a predetermined size and location to create pre-determined character location values;

combining the guess of a characters and character location from the OCR engine with the pre-determined character location values to arrive at best guess of a character string.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the character string is an alphanumeric character string.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

deriving the character string further comprises comparing the guess of a characters and character location from the OCR engine with a map of expected character location values to arrive at best guess.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

mapping the decoded original information data to produce a data having a size that is larger than the decoded original information data.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

not decoding characters that are part of a transmission but that are outside of the target area.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the target area is pre-defined as rectangular, being comprised of two or more equal lines of characters and being bounded by special marker characters.