Data distribution mechanism in the form of ink dots on cards

• US 6,786,420 B1
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/112,781
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.1, 235/462.24, 235/462.11, 235/462.01, 235/470
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0005 Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1629 wet etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1635 dividing the wafer into individual chips
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1637 molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1642 thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1645 thin film formation by spincoating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1646 thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 : Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 : for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 : in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 : Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/2022 : Flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 : Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 : by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/00 : Conveying record carriers from one station to another, e.g. from stack to punching mechanism conveying record carriers combined with another operation, e.g. with reading G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/00 : Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06 : characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 : multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 : by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 : Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• 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 7/1417 : 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 : Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/02 : Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0281 : Arrangement of scan or data electrode driver circuits at the periphery of a panel not inherent to a split matrix structure
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 : using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 : with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00355 : Mark-sheet input sensing record carriers G06K7/00; character recognition G06V30/10; document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 : for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 : using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 : the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2307 : Circuits or arrangements for the control thereof, e.g. using a programmed control device, according to a measured quantity H04N1/27, H04N1/29 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 : on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0008 : Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 : Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 : of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3276 : of a customised additional information profile, e.g. a profile specific to a user ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 : Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/14 : Structural association of two or more printed circuits providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 : characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An improved form of information distribution information distribution medium is disclosed comprising a card on which at least one surface thereof contains distributed information encoded as an array of dots printed on the surface in a fault tolerant manner. Preferably, the array of dots is grouped into a plurality of data segment blocks with each data segment block having a delineated border region for accurately spatially locating the dots. The delineated border region can include a series of periodically spaced markers, the periodicity being substantially twice the pitch of the array of dots. The delineated border region can further include at least one line of dots spaced adjacent to the periodically spaced markers. The periodically spaced markers can comprise substantially 2 or 3 adjacent printed dots. Applications and uses of such-a system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An information carrier comprising a card having a surface and an array of dots printed on the surface, the array of dots carrying information that incorporates both operative and redundant information, the dots being configured so that the operative information is dispersed within the redundant information to protect the operative information and to facilitate the use of error correcting algorithms so that the information is recorded on the surface in a fault tolerant manner, the dots defining at least one data area and at least one corresponding border region that is detectable by a reader to facilitate location of the, or each, data area wherein the dots defining the, or each, border region further define a plurality of targets, said targets being positioned at a predetermined location relative to the, or each, data area and each of said targets comprises an array of dots.

2. An information carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information carried by the dots defines recovery algorithms, the information defining the recovery algorithms being repeatedly duplicated and dispersed on the card in a fault tolerant manner so that said information is recoverable when a localized area of said array of dots is obliterated.

3. An information carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dots defining each said target are disposed so that each said target comprises a first relatively small region of a first color disposed within a relatively large region of a second color, said second color being distinguishable from said first color.

4. An information carrier as claimed in claim 3, wherein the dots defining each said target are disposed so that each said target further comprises a second relatively small region of the first color, the size of said second relatively small region being indicative of target identification information associated with said target.

5. An information carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dots are configured to define at least one rotation marker, said rotation marker being detectable by a reader to indicate orientation of the card.

6. A method of decoding an array of dots that are printed on a card, the array of dots carrying information including both operative and redundant information with the operative information being dispersed within the redundant information, to facilitate the use of error correcting algorithms and to protect the operative information, the array of dots defining at least one data area, the, or each, data area having a border region defined by the dots, the dots also defining a plurality of targets in each border region, each said target comprising a relatively small region of a first color disposed within a relatively large region of a second color, said second color being distinguishable from said first color, said method comprising the steps of:

applying pattern analysis algorithms to the dots to detect the position of the targets in the, or each, border region and thus the data area associated with the, or each, border region;

sensing a bit pattern defined by the dots in the, or each, data area;

decoding the bit pattern to extract information relating to decoding algorithms; and

decoding the operative information using the decoding algorithms and the redundant information to correct errors in the operative information.

7. An information carrier that comprises

a card;

and

a plurality of dots that are printed on the card, the plurality of dots carrying data representing a set of instructions that are readable by a processing device, the array of dots having the following characteristics;

the dots are set out in a generally rectangular array with a logical upper side, a logical lower side, a logical left side and a logical right side, with a data area bounded by the logical sides;

the dots define a plurality of targets that extend along both the logical left and the right side of the array, each target being identifiable as such by a reading device;

the dots are positioned in a plurality of substantially parallel columns that extend between the logical upper and lower sides of the array; and

the dots define a plurality of clock markers that are positioned along each of the upper and lower logical sides of the array, in aligned pairs with each said column extending between clock markers of respective pairs.

8. An information carrier that comprises

a card;

a plurality of dots that are printed on the card, the plurality of dots carrying data representing a set of instructions that are readable by a processing device, the array of dots having the following characteristics;

the dots are set out in a generally rectangular array;

the dots define a plurality of rectangular data blocks making up the array, each rectangular data block having a logical left side, a logical right side, a logical upper side and a logical lower side;

the dots define a plurality of targets that extend along both the logical left side and the right side of the array, each target being identifiable as such by a reading device;

the dots of each data block are positioned in a plurality of substantially parallel columns that extend between the logical upper and lower sides of the data block; and

the dots define a plurality of clock markers that are positioned along each of the upper and lower logical sides of the data blocks, in aligned pairs with each said column extending between clock markers of respective pairs.