CODING PATTERN COMPRISING COLUMNS AND ROWS OF COORDINATE DATA

• US 20100084478A1
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/539,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20100084478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10772 Moved readers, e.g. pen, wand
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes

Abstract

A substrate having a coding pattern disposed on a surface thereof. The coding pattern comprises a plurality of contiguous square tags of length l, each tag comprising x-coordinate data and y-coordinate data. A plurality of data elements are contained in each tag. The x-coordinate data is represented by a respective set of data elements and the y-coordinate data is represented by a respective set of data elements. All the x-coordinate data is represented in a column of the tag parallel with a y-axis, and all the y-coordinate data is represented in a row of the tag parallel with an x-axis. The column and the row each have a width v, such that any square portion of the coding pattern having a length (l+v) is guaranteed to contain the x-coordinate data and the y-coordinate data for a tag irrespective of whether a whole tag is contained in that portion.

Claims

1. A substrate having a coding pattern disposed on a surface thereof, said coding pattern comprising:

a plurality of contiguous square tags of length l, each tag comprising x-coordinate data and y-coordinate data; and

a plurality of data elements contained in each tag, said x-coordinate data being represented by a respective set of data elements and said y-coordinate data being represented by a respective set of data elements, wherein;

all said x-coordinate data is represented in a column of said tag parallel with a y-axis;

all said y-coordinate data is represented in a row of said tag parallel with an x-axis; and

said column and said row each have a width v,

such that any square portion of said coding pattern having a length (l+v) is guaranteed to contain said x-coordinate data and said y-coordinate data for a tag irrespective of whether a whole tag is contained in said portion.

2. The substrate of claim 1, wherein said coding pattern comprises:

a plurality of target elements defining a target grid, said target grid comprising a plurality of cells, wherein neighboring cells share target elements and wherein each tag is defined by a plurality of contiguous cells.

3. The substrate of claim 2, wherein each tag comprises M² contiguous square cells, wherein M is an integer having a value of at least 1.

4. The substrate of claim 1, wherein said data elements are macrodots.

5. The substrate of claim 1, wherein v=ts,

wherein:

s is defined as a spacing between adjacent macrodots;

t is an integer value of 2 or more.

6. The substrate of claim 4, wherein said macrodots encode data values by pulse position modulation (PPM).

7. The substrate of claim 6, wherein a portion of data is represented by m macrodots, each of said macrodots occupying a respective position from a plurality of predetermined possible positions p within said cell, the respective positions of said macrodots representing one of a plurality of possible data values.

8. The substrate of claim 7, wherein m is an integer of 1 or more, and p>

m.

9. The substrate of claim 7, wherein said portion of data is a Reed-Solomon symbol.

10. The substrate of claim 9, wherein each cell defines a symbol group, each symbol group comprising a plurality of said Reed-Solomon symbols.

11. The substrate of claim 9, wherein said x-coordinate data is encoded as an x-coordinate codeword comprised of a respective set of said X-Reed-Solomon symbols, and said y-coordinate data is encoded as a y-coordinate codeword comprised of a respective set of said Y-Reed-Solomon symbols.

12. The substrate of claim 11, wherein said X-Reed-Solomon symbols are configured and oriented in said column so as to have said width v, and wherein said Y-Reed-Solomon symbols are configured and oriented in said row so as to have said width v.

13. The substrate of claim 10, wherein each tag comprises a plurality of common codewords, each common codeword being comprised of a respective set of said Reed-Solomon symbols, wherein said plurality of common codewords are defined as codewords common to a plurality of contiguous tags.

14. The substrate of claim 13, wherein each symbol group comprises a fragment of at least one of said common codewords, and contiguous symbol groups are arranged such that any tag-sized portion of said coding pattern is guaranteed to contain said plurality of common codewords irrespective of whether a whole tag is contained in said portion.

15. The substrate of claim 13, wherein said one or more of said common codewords encode region identity data uniquely identifying a region of said surface.

16. The substrate of claim 15, wherein said region identity data uniquely identifies said substrate.

17. The substrate of claim 2, wherein each cell comprises a registration symbol encoded by a respective set of said data elements, said registration symbol identifying one or more of:

a translation of said cell relative to a tag containing said cell;

an orientation of a layout of tag data with respect to said target grid;

a number of cells in each tag;

a flag associated with said tag.

18. The substrate of claim 17, wherein each cell comprises first and second registration symbols, said first registration symbol identifying a first orthogonal translation of said cell, said second registration symbol identifying a second orthogonal translation of said cell.

19. The substrate of claim 18, wherein said first registration symbol identifies a first direction component of said orientation, and said second registration symbol identifies a second direction component of said orientation, such that said first and second orthogonal registration symbols together identify said orientation via said first and second direction components.

20. The substrate of claim 2, wherein said target elements are target dots and said data elements are macrodots, and each target dot has a diameter of at least twice that of each macrodot.