Method and apparatus for encoding data in logos

• US 6,691,922 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Brooks, David, Sprague, Ackley
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/033,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20020134846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/462.02, 235/462-3-4, 235/462-6-4, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/468, 235/470, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details

Abstract

A machine readable symbology suitable for inclusion into larger symbols or markings with a minimum of visibility. The symbology data set has a majority of one color enabling data to be embedded within symbols that are of the same color. The most used characters of the data set have the highest proportion of the selected masking color.

Claims

1. A machine readable symbology comprising:

a graphic having a data area comprised substantially of a first color;

a data set embedded in the data area utilizing at least the first color and a second color;

the data set selected, on average, to use a majority of the first color.

2. The machine readable symbology of claim 1 wherein:

the data set has a subset of most commonly used characters and a remainder subset,

the most commonly used characters having a higher percentage of the first color as compared to the remainder subset.

4. The machine readable symbology of claim 1 wherein the graphic is selected from the group consisting of a logo, an image, a design, or combinations thereof.

5. The machine readable symbology of claim 1 wherein said graphic has at least one feature and the at least one feature is used to orient the data set.

6. The machine readable symbology of claim 1 wherein the data set uses about 80% of the first color.

7. The machine readable symbology of claim 1 wherein the graphic is selected from the group consisting of a logo, an image, a design or combinations thereof and the graphic has at least one feature and the at least one feature is used to orient the data set.

8. The machine readable symbology of claim 7 wherein the data set uses about 80% of the first color.

3. A symbol with machine readable data comprising:

a data area within a graphic having a majority color;

the data area having data encoded in a machine readable symbology which utilizes more than 50% of the majority color.

9. The symbol of claim 3 wherein the graphic is selected from the group consisting of a logo, an image, a design or combinations thereof.

10. The symbol of claim 3 wherein said graphic has at least one feature and the at least one feature is used to orient the data.

11. The symbol of claim 3 wherein the machine readable symbology utilizes about 80% of the majority color.

12. The symbol of claim 3 wherein the graphic is selected from the group consisting of a logo, an image, a design or combinations thereof and the graphic has at least one feature and the at least one feature is used to orient the data.

13. The symbol of claim 12 wherein the machine readable symbology utilizes about 80% of the majority color.