System and method for bar code rendering and recognition
First Claim
1. A system for rendering an image by use of a rendering device, the image comprising a bar code within a bar code display area, the bar code having a minimum unit display size requirement in a first direction, PW, the bar code display area having a maximum display size in the first direction, W, and the rendering device being connected to a computer and having a particular resolution, the system comprising:
- a detector module operably connected to the computer and adapted to access and obtain information relating to the resolution of the rendering device;
a scaling module receiving resolution data R from the detector module and being adapted to scale the bar code based on the following operation;
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for rendering accurate bar code images in a distributed network wherein a plurality of different types of rendering devices, such as printers, having different resolution characteristics are connected for rendering such images. The resolution of a connected rendering device is detected and the bar code image to be rendered by such device is scaled to effect proper alignment of the resolution units of the bar code and the rendering device whereby the need for interpolation is effectively obviated. The bar code is scaled by a whole integer multiplier of the minimum bar code size based upon at least one dimension of the print area of the bar code display and the resolution characteristic of the rendering device. The bar code image is aligned or mapped and is centered in the display area with equal units of the excess print area on either side of the image. By avoiding the need to interpolate print data by the rendering device, the bar code rendering system defeats inaccuracies in detection and decoding and provides a more reliable data recovery system.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for rendering an image by use of a rendering device, the image comprising a bar code within a bar code display area, the bar code having a minimum unit display size requirement in a first direction, PW, the bar code display area having a maximum display size in the first direction, W, and the rendering device being connected to a computer and having a particular resolution, the system comprising:
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a detector module operably connected to the computer and adapted to access and obtain information relating to the resolution of the rendering device;
a scaling module receiving resolution data R from the detector module and being adapted to scale the bar code based on the following operation;
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a system for distributing and generating at a remote site coupons, the system including a centrally located repository of electronically stored coupon data, a transmission means operatively associated with the centrally located repository for providing data communication between the repository and a plurality of remote user computers, and a remote user computer operatively associated with the transmission means and being attached to a coupon rendering device, the remote user computer adapted to request coupon data from the centrally located repository and execute a coupon data management program for generating printable coupon data, the printable coupon data comprising a bar code display area, a module for rendering a bar code image comprising:
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a detector adapted to access information pertaining to the rendering device and detect the resolution of the rendering device;
a scaler adapted to process image data included in the printable coupon data, the image data comprising bar code data and bar code display area data, the bar code data including a minimum unit display size requirement, the bar code display area data including a maximum display size in at least a first direction; and
wherein the scaler scales the bar code to a size that is the largest whole number multiple of the minimum unit display size, but is less than the product of the maximum display size multiplied by the detected resolution of the rendering device.
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11. A system for issuing, distributing, remotely printing and redeeming coupons, the system comprising:
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(a) a central server connected to a database of electronically stored coupon data;
(b) transmission means operatively associated with the central server for providing data communication between the central server and a plurality of remote user computers;
(c) a remote user computer operatively associated with the transmission means, the remote user computer comprising an interface for providing user interaction with ad for requesting coupon data from the central server, a memory, a coupon data management program for generating printable coupon data at least in part from coupon data received from the central server, the printable coupon data includes data representing a bar code image and a bar code image display area;
a coupon output buffer operatively associated with the data management program for storing the printable coupon data generated by the coupon data management program;
(d) a printer operatively associated with the coupon output buffer for printing coupons from the printable coupon data stored in the coupon output buffer;
(e) a detector adapted to determine resolution data R associated with the printer;
(f) a scaler operatively associated with the coupon data management program and the detector and receiving resolution data R and image data, the scaler being adapted to scale the bar code image based on the following formula;
- View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for printing incentives that bear a bar code image at a remote computer via an attached printer, the bar code image comprising a bar code within a bar code display area,
the bar code having a minimum unit display size requirement, the bar code display area having a maximum display size in at least a first direction W, and the printer having a particular resolution R, the method comprising the steps of: -
(a) accessing a central server by the remote computer and requesting transmission of at least one incentive data file to the remote computer, the incentive data file comprising the bar code image;
(b) detecting the resolution of the printer attached to the remote computer;
(c) scaling the bar code to a size that is the largest whole number multiple of the minimum unit display size, but less than the product of the maximum display size multiplied by the detected resolution of the printer;
(d) generating printable incentive data comprising at least part of the received incentive data and the scaled bar code; and
(e) printing incentives based at least in part on the printable incentive data, the incentives having thereon the bar code image. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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18. The method of claim 17, wherein scaling factor is a whole integer.
Specification