Identification symbol, system and method

• US 4,924,078 A
• Filed: 11/25/1987
• Issued: 05/08/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vcode Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Veritec Incorporated (Matthews Group LLC)
• Inventors: Sant'Anselmo, Robert, Sant'Anselmo, Carl, Hooper, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fuller, Leon K.
• Application Number:
  US07/125,616
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 235/494, 235/487, 235/460, 235/461, 235/462, 235/463, 235/466
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06262 with target- or other orientation-indicating feature
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1456 determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore

Abstract

The present invention is a symbol 10 that includes a square array 12 of data cells 14 surrounded by a border 30 of orientation and timing data cells. The border 30 can be surrounded by an external data field 18 also including information data cells 20. The orientation and timing for sampling each data cell can be determined from the border 30 or from additional orientation and timing cells in the internal data field 12 or external data field 18. A system 40 and 42 is also included that captures an image of the symbol, determines symbol orientation, decodes the contents of the symbol and outputs the decoded contents to a display or other device. The present invention also includes a device 48 that can produce symbols on a substrate such as a label.

Claims

1. An identification symbol, comprising:

a computer readable data matrix data field providing symbol information for uniquely identifying the symbol; and

a computer readable orientation border positioned adjacent said field on at least two sides.

2. A symbol as recited in claim 1, wherein said border further comprises a timing border for data capture timing.

3. A symbol as recited in claim 1, wherein said orientation border surrounds said field.

4. An identification symbol, comprising:

a square data matrix data field providing symbol information; and

an orientation border positioned adjacent said field on at least two sides.

5. An identification symbol, comprising:

a matrix data cell data field providing symbol information; and

an orientation border positioned adjacent said field on at least two sides, said border comprising a width of a known number of data cells.

16. A symbol as recited in claim 5, wherein said data cells are encoded using a gray scale.

17. A symbol as recited in claim 5, wherein said data cells are encoded using a color scale.

6. An identification symbol, comprising:

a data matrix data field providing symbol information;

an orientation border positioned adjacent said field on at least two sides; and

a timing line of data cells adjacent said border.

7. A symbol as recited in claim 6, wherein said timing line is on two sides of said border.

8. A symbol as recited in claim 7, wherein said timing line is a different distance from the border on each side.

9. A symbol as recited in claim 6, wherein said timing line is on three sides of said border.

10. A symbol as recited in claim 9, wherein said timing line is a different distance from the border on each side.

11. A symbol as recited in claim 6, wherein said timing line surrounds said border.

12. A symbol as recited in claim 11, wherein said timing line is a different distance from the border on each line.

13. An identification symbol, comprising:

a data field providing symbol information;

a computer readable orientation border positioned adjacent said field at least two sides; and

a timing cell in said field.

14. An identification symbol, comprising:

a data matrix data field providing symbol information;

an orientation border positioned adjacent said field on at least two sides; and

a timing cell outside said border.

15. An identification symbol, comprising:

a data matrix data field providing symbol information;

an orientation border positioned adjacent said field on at least two sides; and

an orientation cell outside said border.

18. An identification symbol, comprising:

a substrate;

an internal data matrix data field of information data cells representing first information and formed on said substrate;

data cells for orientation and timing surrounding said internal data field and formed on said substrate; and

an external data field of information data cells representing second information and formed on said substrate.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

image capture means for obtaining image data representing an image field including a symbol comprising a rectilinear data matrix data field of information data cells and an orientation border surrounding the data field; and

decoding means for processing the image data to identify the border, determine orientation and timing information from the border and sample the data cells.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for producing a symbol image of a symbol comprising a rectilinear data matrix data field of information data cells and an orientation border surrounding the data field; and

means for forming the image on a substrate.