CODED VISUAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

• US 20110149090A1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QYOO LLC
• Original Assignee: QYOO LLC
• Inventors: STAFFORD, Mark Alexander, BERTHIAUME, Jeffrey, STAFIRA, John Ellis
• Granted Patent: US 9,008,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00

Abstract

Information is arranged within a predetermined shape. The predetermined shape is captured in an image taken by a tangible image-capturing element of a device which captures images at the direction of a user. The device includes a tangible processor that analyzes the image captured by the image-capturing element to determine whether a predetermined shape is present in the image. The tangible processor determines an alignment of the predetermined shape when the predetermined shape is present in the image, and reads data within the predetermined shape in accordance with the determined alignment. The device automatically forwards a request for content over a communications network in accordance with the data read within the predetermined shape. The device receives the content over the network and displays the content.

Claims

1. A tangible mobile communications device, comprising:

a tangible image-capturing element which captures images at the direction of a user of the device;

a tangible processor that analyzes an image captured by the image-capturing element to determine whether a predetermined shape is present in the image;

that determines an alignment of the predetermined shape when the predetermined shape is present in the image; and

that reads data within the predetermined shape in accordance with the determined alignment;

a tangible communications transmitter that automatically forwards a request for content over a communications network in accordance with the data read within the predetermined shape; and

a tangible communications receiver that receives the content over the network and displays the content using the tangible mobile communications device.

2. The tangible mobile communications device of claim 1,

wherein the predetermined shape includes an outline with curved and linear components.

3. The tangible mobile communications device of claim 2,

wherein the curved components include an outline of incomplete circle.

4. The tangible mobile communications device of claim 2,

wherein the curved components include an outline of an incomplete square.

5. The tangible mobile communications device of claim 2,

wherein the alignment of the predetermined shape is determined from relative placement of the curved and linear components.

6. The tangible mobile communications device of claim 3,

wherein the incomplete circle is completed and a grid is imposed in the incomplete square such that presence of information in each of a plurality of components of the grid can determined.

7. The tangible mobile communications device of claim 6,

wherein the grid comprises multiple elements arranged in columns and rows.

8. The tangible mobile communications device of claim 7,

wherein information present in elements arranged in a row is assigned values from most significant value to least significant value.

9. The tangible mobile communications device of claim 8,

wherein the values of elements in a row are summed to provide a value for the row.

10. The tangible mobile communications device of claim 9,

wherein values for multiple rows are determined, and considered together to identify a unique value for the grid.

11. A tangible application system that includes a first server and a second server, comprising:

a tangible memory of the first server that stores a predetermined application for recognizing predetermined shapes in images, the alignment of the predetermined shapes in the images, and data carried in the predetermined shapes in the images;

a tangible receiver of the first server that receives a request for the predetermined application from a mobile communications device over a network;

a tangible transmitter of the first server that forwards the predetermined application to the mobile communications device over the network;

a tangible memory of the second server that stores predetermined content in association with a predetermined identifier of the content;

a tangible receiver of the second server that receives a request for content from the mobile communications device over the network;

a tangible communications transmitter of the second server that forwards the content over the network,

wherein the request for content requests content in accordance with data carried in a predetermined shape recognized in an image by the predetermined application on the mobile communications device.

12. The tangible application system of claim 11,

wherein the predetermined shapes include an outline with curved and linear components.

13. The tangible application system of claim 12,

wherein the curved components include an outline of incomplete circle.

14. The tangible application system of claim 12,

wherein the curved components include an outline of an incomplete square.

15. The tangible application system of claim 12,

wherein the alignment of the predetermined shapes is determined from relative placement of the curved and linear components.

16. The tangible application system of claim 13,

wherein the incomplete circle is completed and a grid is imposed in the incomplete square such that presence of information in each of a plurality of components of the grid can determined.

17. The tangible application system of claim 16,

wherein the grid comprises multiple elements arranged in columns and rows.

18. The tangible application system of claim 17,

wherein information present in elements arranged in a row is assigned values from most significant value to least significant value;

and

wherein the values of elements in a row are summed to provide a value for the row.

19. The tangible application system of claim 18,

wherein values for multiple rows are determined, and considered together to identify a unique value for the grid.

20. A method for obtaining content, comprising:

capturing, using a tangible image-capturing element of a device, images at the direction of a user of the device;

analyzes, using a processor of the device, an image captured by the image-capturing element to determine whether a predetermined shape is present in the image;

determining, using the processor of the device, an alignment of the predetermined shape when the predetermined shape is present in the image; and

reading, using the processor of the device, data within the predetermined shape in accordance with the determined alignment;

automatically forwarding a request for content over a communications network in accordance with the data read within the predetermined shape; and

receiving the content over the network and displaying the content using the tangible mobile communications device.