Method of Conferring Interactivity on Previously Printed Graphic Images

• US 20090034016A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/178,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20090034016A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/462
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1318 using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14623 Optical shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14678 Contact-type imagers

Abstract

A method of conferring interactivity on a pre-printed image containing a URI text string. The method comprises the steps of: (i) receiving association data indicating an association between an impression identity, absolute positions and a scanned image; (ii) performing Optical Character Recognition on the scanned image to convert text images into computer text; (iii) identifying a URI text string in the computer text; (iv) generating an input description for the scanned image, and (v) storing a page description comprising the input description and the scanned image. The page description is indexed with the impression identity and, further, is retrievable so as to confer interactivity on the image.

Claims

1. A method of conferring interactivity on a pre-printed image containing a URI text string, said image having been scanned and had a position-coding pattern printed thereon, said position-coding pattern identifying a plurality of absolute positions and an impression identity for the image, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving, in a computer system, association data indicating an association between the impression identity, the plurality of absolute positions and a scanned image;

(ii) performing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on the scanned image to convert text images into computer text;

(iii) identifying a URI text string in the computer text;

(iv) generating an input description for said scanned image, said input description describing a URI corresponding to said URI text string and a zone of the URI text string in the scanned image; and

(v) storing a page description comprising said input description and said scanned image, said page description being indexed with said impression identity, wherein said page description is retrievable so as to confer interactivity on the image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone of the URI text string is explicitly described with reference to coordinate positions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone of the URI text string is inferred from one or more of:

a length of the URI text string, a point size of the computer text containing the URI text string, and a position of the URI text string in the computer text.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(vi) receiving interaction data from an optically imaging sensing device interacting with the URI text string contained in the pre-printed image, said interaction data identifying the impression identity and a position of the sensing device;

(vii) retrieving the page description using the impression identity; and

(viii) identifying the URI using the position of the sensing device and the retrieved page description.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving a resource corresponding to the identified URI; and

sending the resource to a user'"'"'s display device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

sending the URI to a user'"'"'s web browser.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-printed image is scanned using a swipe-scanner, said swipe-scanner comprising a printhead for printing said position-coding pattern during scanning of said pre-printed image.

8. A method of conferring interactivity on a pre-printed image containing a URI text string, said image having been scanned and had a position-coding pattern printed thereon, said position-coding pattern identifying a plurality of absolute positions and an impression identity for the image, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving, in a computer system, association data indicating an association between the impression identity, the plurality of absolute positions and a scanned image;

(ii) receiving interaction data from an optically imaging sensing device interacting with the URI text string contained in the pre-printed image, said interaction data identifying the impression identity and a position of the sensing device;

(iii) performing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on at least a portion of the scanned image to convert text images into computer text;

(iv) identifying the URI text string in the computer text; and

(v) identifying the URI from the URI text string.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the portion of the scanned image is a word, sentence or paragraph containing the position of the sensing device.

10. A method of conferring interactivity on a pre-printed image containing a URI text string, said image having been scanned and had a position-coding pattern printed thereon, said position-coding pattern identifying a plurality of absolute positions and an impression identity for the image, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving, in a computer system, association data indicating an association between the impression identity, the plurality of absolute positions and a scanned image;

(ii) performing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on the scanned image to convert text images into computer text;

(iii) generating an input description for said scanned image, said input description describing words of computer text and zones of corresponding text images in the scanned image;

(iv) storing a page description comprising said input description and said scanned image, said page description being indexed with said impression identity,

(v) receiving interaction data from an optically imaging sensing device interacting with the URI text string contained in the pre-printed image, said interaction data identifying the impression identity and a position of the sensing device;

(vi) retrieving the page description using the impression identity;

(iv) identifying the URI text string in the computer text; and

(v) identifying the URI from the URI text string.