Apparatus for producing a dynamically variable machine readable binary code and method for reading and producing thereof

• US 5,324,923 A
• Filed: 05/07/1991
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: International Data Matrix Incorporated
• Inventors: Nielsen, Christen V., Cymbalski, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPPERD, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US07/694,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 341/95, 235/436, 235/437, 235/454, 235/456, 235/494, 371/43
• US Class Current: 235/454
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus for forming a dynamically variable machine readable N-ary code executes operations on an electronic code. The apparatus includes a generator for generating a machine readable non-electronic code in response to the received electronic code. A data integrity enhancer forms the electronic code into output blocks which are formed as a linearly determined function of the binary values of the N-ary digits of the electronic binary code.

Claims

1. An apparatus for executing operations on an electronic N-ary code formed of a plurality of N-ary digits, comprising means for receiving said electronic code and means for generating a machine readable optical code in response to the received electronic code, and said machine readable optical code comprising data formed as a matrix of a plurality of data cells representing the electronic code and a nondata area enabling recognition of said data area, wherein said matrix includes a perimeter, said perimeter being formed with density indicia means for determining the density of data contained within the matrix, said density indicia means including a first side of the perimeter and a second side of the perimeter each being formed of a broken line pattern formed of alternating dark areas and light areas, the product of the number of said light areas and dark areas of the first and second sides corresponding to the density of data contained within the matrix;

data integrity enhancer means for dividing said N-ary code into a plurality of input blocks and forming input blocks into output blocks, said output blocks forming said data cells, said output blocks being formed as a linearly determined function of the N-ary values of said N-ary digits of said electronic code thereby representing the electronic code with enchanced data integrity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electronic code is divided into input blocks and each input block has a N-ary digit length M and each of said output blocks has a N-ary digit length N, M being less than N.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electronic code is a binary code and said N-ary digits are bits.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a subset of said data cells represents a single binary character.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said output blocks are formed sequentially by said data integrity enhancer means, a respective output block being a linearly determined function of at least one of said input block immediately sequentially preceding said respective output block.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data cells visually represent the electronic code.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said output blocks are formed of N-ary digits corresponding to said plurality of data cells and further comprising scattering means for situating said data cells within the matrix so that said N-ary digits which are closely tied logically are not situated adjacent one another within the matrix.

8. An apparatus of executing operations on an electronic executable binary code, comprising means for receiving said electronic executable binary code and means for generating a machine optically readable binary code in response to the received electronic executable binary code, said machine optically readable binary code comprising data formed as a matrix, said matrix being formed as plurality of data cells, said data cells representing the electronic executable binary code;

data integrity enhancer means for forming said electronic binary codes into output block, said output blocks forming said data cells and being formed as a linearly determined function of the binary values of said electronic binary code;

said electronic binary code being formed as input blocks, each input block having a bit length M and each of said output blocks having a bit length N, M being less than N;

said output blocks being formed sequentially by said data integrity enhancer means, a respective output block being a linearly determined function of at least one of said input blocks immediately sequentially preceding said respective output block and scattering means or situating said data cells within the matrix so that said bits which are closely tied logically are not situated adjacent one another within the matrix.

9. A method for forming a machine readable optical code having data formed as a matrix, said data being formed as data cells in a data area, a nondata area enabling recognition of said data area, said data cells representing a data string formed of an electronic N-ary code comprising the steps of:

receiving said electronic code as a data string of electronic values;

dividing said data string into a plurality of input blocks;

forming a plurality of output blocks of equal length by sequentially performing a linear deterministic function of the N-ary values of said N-ary digits of each of said input blocks, said output blocks representing said electronic code with enhanced data integrity; and

forming said matrix from said outputs block by scattering said output block N-ary digits so that said N-ary digits which are closely tied logically are not situated adjacent one another in the matrix.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the N-ary digit length of said output blocks is greater than the N-ary digit length of said input blocks.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of

performing the linear deterministic function on at least one input block utilizing at least a portion of the data contained in an input block sequentially preceding said at least one input block.

12. The method of claim 11

wherein the step of forming a plurality of output blocks further comprises forming a plurality of output block of equal N-ary digit length by sequentially performing convolutional logic on the N-ary values of said N-ary digits each of said input blocks.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said electronic N-ary code is a binary code and said N-ary digits are bits.

14. An apparatus of executing operations on an electronic N-ary code formed of a plurality of N-ary digits, comprising means for receiving said electronic code and means for generating a machine readable optical code in response to the received electronic code, and said machine readable optical code comprising data formed as a matrix of a plurality of data cells representing the electronic code and a nondata area enabling recognition of said data area;

data integrity enhancer means for dividing said N-ary code into a plurality of input blocks and forming input blocks into output blocks, said output blocks forming said data cells, said output blocks being formed as a linearly determined function of the N-ary values of said N-ary digits of said electronic code thereby representing the electronic code with enchanced data integrity; and

scattering means for situating said data cells within the matrix so that said N-ary digits which are closely tied logically are not situated adjacent one another within the matrix.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said electronic code is divided into input blocks and each input block has a N-ary digit length M and each of said output blocks has N-ary digit length N, M being less than N.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said electronic code is a binary code and said N-ary digits are bits.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a subset of said data cells represents a single binary character.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said output block are formed sequentially by said data integrity enhancer means, a respective output block being a linearly determined function of at least one of said input blocks immediately sequentially preceding said respective output block.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said data cells visually represent the electronic code.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said matrix includes a perimeter, said perimeter being formed with density indicia means for determining the density of data contained within the matrix, said density indicia means including a first side of the perimeter and a second side of the perimeter each being formed of a broken line pattern formed of alternating dark areas and light areas, the product of the number of said light areas and dark areas of the first and second sides corresponding to the density of data contained within the matrix.

21. A method for forming a machine readable optical code having data formed as a matrix, said data being formed as data cells in a data area, a nondata area enabling recognition of said data area, said data cells representing a data string formed of an electronic N-ary code comprising the steps of:

receiving said electronic code as a data string of electronic values;

dividing said data string into a plurality of input blocks;

forming a plurality of output blocks of equal length by sequentially performing a linear deterministic function of the N-ary values of said N-ary digits of each of said input blocks, said output blocks representing said electronic code with enhanced data integrity; and

forming said matrix from said output blocks with a perimeter having a first side and a second side, each side being formed with a broken line pattern formed of alternating dark areas and light areas, the product of the number of said light areas and dark areas of the first and second sides corresponding to the density of data contained within the matrix.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the N-ary digit length of said output blocks is greater than the N-ary digit length of said input blocks.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising performing the linear deterministic function on at least one input block utilizing at least a portion of the data contained in an input block sequentially preceding said at least one input block.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of forming a plurality of output blocks further comprises forming a plurality of output blocks of equal N-ary digit length by sequentially performing convolutional logic on the N-ary values of said N-ary digits each of said input blocks.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein said electronic N-ary code is a binary code and said N-ary digits are bits.