APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USING MACHINE-READABLE CODES

• US 20130062402A1
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ronald Steven Cok, Thomas Joseph Murray
• Inventors: COK, RONALD STEVEN, MURRAY, THOMAS JOSEPH
• Granted Patent: US 8,646,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned

Abstract

A method of using a machine-readable code to extract information includes using an image-capture device to capture a digital image of a machine-readable code encoding information wherein the image-capture device is positioned at any of a plurality of angles relative to the machine-readable code; using a processor to extract the information encoded in the machine-readable code; using the processor to analyze the captured digital image of the machine-readable code and calculate the relative positioned angle at which the image-capture device was positioned when the image-capture device captured the digital image of the machine-readable code; and using the processor and the calculated relative positioned angle to determine information.

Claims

1. A method of using a machine-readable code to extract information, comprising:

using an image-capture device to capture a digital image of a machine-readable code encoding information wherein the image-capture device is positioned at any of a plurality of angles relative to the machine-readable code;

using a processor to extract the information encoded in the machine-readable code;

using the processor to analyze the captured digital image of the machine-readable code and calculate the relative positioned angle at which the image-capture device was positioned with respect to the machine-readable code when the image-capture device captured the digital image of the machine-readable code; and

using the processor to determine information related to the extracted information from the calculated relative positioned angle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined information provides additional information related to the extracted information or modifies the extracted information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined information relates to information found in either the machine-readable code or an external source.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined information is used to access further information or to process information.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracted information is used to access information stored in an external source.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the extracting step includes extracting a universal resource indicator (URI) and wherein the determining step determines an argument to the URI.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining step determines an action and the extracting step determines information relevant to the action.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracting step determines an action and the determining step determines information relevant to the action.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracted or determined information specifies a task, and further including performing the task.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the positioned angles include a normal angle, one or more left angles, one or more right angles, one or more above angles, one or more below angles, or a combination of left and above angles, a combination of left and below angles, a combination of right and above angles, or a combination of right and below angles.

11. Apparatus for a machine-readable code to extract information, comprising:

a mobile imaging device including an image-capture device and a processor;

the image capture device including means to capture a digital image of a machine-readable code encoding information at any of a plurality of angles;

the processor including means to extract the encoded information from the captured digital image;

the processor including means for analyzing the captured digital image to calculate the angle at which the machine-readable code was positioned relative to the image-capture device when the image-capture device captured the digital image of the machine-readable code; and

the processor including means for determining information related to the extracted information from the calculated relative positioned angle.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor includes means to perform a task specified by the extracted information and to use the determined information in the task.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor includes means to perform a task specified by the determined information and using the extracted information in the task.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor includes means to perform a task selected from a group of tasks by using the determined information.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor includes means to access external information using the extracted information and the determined information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the positioned angles include a normal angle, one or more left angles, one or more right angles, one or more above angles, one or more below angles, or a combination of left and above angles, a combination of left and below angles, a combination of right and above angles, or a combination of right and below angles.