TWO-DIMENSIONAL BARCODE TO AVOID UNINTENTIONAL SCANNING

• US 20140061310A1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Topkara, Umut, Narayanaswami, Chandrasekhar
• Granted Patent: US 10,565,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06075 the marking containing means for error correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07318 by hindering electromagnetic reading or writing jamming of communication, counter-measures H04K3/00; secret communication H04K1/00

Abstract

A method of disseminating a message is disclosed. The message is encoding in a barcode. A selected region of the barcode is damaged so as to hinder decoding of the message at a scanning device. The damaged region of the barcode may be occluded from the scanning device in order to enable the scanning device to read the barcode and the message therein.

Claims

1. A method of disseminating a message, comprising:

encoding the message in a barcode; and

damaging a selected region of the barcode to hinder decoding of the message at a scanning device, wherein removing the damaged region of the barcode from the purview of the scanning device enables the scanning device to read the barcode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein damaging the selected region expands a search space of the barcode and wherein occluding the damaged region reduces the search space.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein expanding the search space of the scanner increases a read time of the scanning device and occluding the selected region decreases the read time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the increased read time is greater than at least one of:

a decoding time of another barcode, and a scanning duration of the scanning device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bar code uses a two-dimensional Quick Response coding rule.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein damaging the selected region further comprises at least one of:

adding a finder pattern in the selected region, adding a pattern encroaching into a quiet zone surrounding a data area of the barcode;

printing a portion of another barcode in the selected region, placing a sticker over a portion of the barcode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the selected region from the purview of the barcode further comprises one of:

placing an object over the damaged region, tearing out the damaged region, folding over the damaged region, overlaying the damaged region with clear region, overwriting the damaged region, adding a sticker over the damaged region, removing a sticker that creates the damaged region, and placing an object over the scanning device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the barcode scanning device includes one of:

a laser scanner, a smartphone, and a point-of-view device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the barcode scanning device reads the barcode and at least one other barcode during a same scanning operation.

10. A method of disseminating a message, comprising:

encoding the message in a first signal that includes a removable second signal configured to obscure the encoded message; and

enabling a user to perform a physical action that removes the second obscuring signal from the first signal, obtain the first signal, and read the encoded message from the obtained first signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first signal that includes the encoded message and the removable second obscuring signal further comprises a barcode that includes a damaged region, and wherein removing the second obscuring signal from the signal further comprises removing the damaged region from the purview of a barcode scanning device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the removing the second obscuring signal from the first signal reduces a search space of the encoded message.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first signal includes a first radio frequency identification device providing the encoded message and a second radio frequency identification device providing the removable second obscuring signal, wherein removing the second obscuring signal includes performing an action that prevents a radio frequency identification reader from reading the second obscuring signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein performing the action to prevent the radio frequency identification read from reading the second obscuring signal includes at least one of:

destroying, deactivating, removing and covering the second radio frequency identification device.

15. A method of reading an encoded message, comprising:

directing a scanning device at the encoded message formed on an article, wherein the scanning device is configured to search a search space of the encoded message; and

performing an action that reduces the search space of the encoded message to enable reading of the encoded message at the scanning device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the search space of the encoded message is configured so as to hinder reading of the encoded message for a time that is at least one of:

a time to decode another encoded message that is scanned substantially simultaneously with the encoded message, and a scanning duration of the scanning device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the encoded message includes a barcode and performing the action to reduce the search space further comprises removing a portion of the barcode from purview of the scanning device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the barcode includes a pattern that is at least one of:

a finder pattern, a pattern that encroaching into a quiet zone surrounding a data area of the barcode; and

a portion of another barcode.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein removing the pattern from purview of the scanner further comprises by performing at least one of:

placing an object over the pattern, overlaying the damaged region with a clear region, overwriting the damaged region, and placing an object over the scanning device to that occludes the pattern at the scanning device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein removing the pattern from purview of the scanner further comprises modifying a physical structure of the article by performing at least one of folding the article, tearing the article to remove at least part of the pattern, placing a sticker on the damaged region, and removing a sticker that creates the damaged region.