Coding pattern

• US 7,175,095 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Pettersson, Mats Petter, Ericson, Petter
• Primary Examiner(s): Stcyr; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/242,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20030066896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 235/494, 235/487, 235/454
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 Architecture adapted for a particular function
• 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

Abstract

A product is provided with a coding pattern, which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points on the product with the aid of a plurality of marks belonging to each point. The marks have a first parameter which varies for coding of the position information. The marks additionally have a second parameter which varies for coding of further information in the coding pattern. A method and a device for coding of the coding pattern and a method and a device for decoding of the coding pattern are also described.

Claims

1. A product which is provided with a coding pattern, which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points on the product utilizing a plurality of marks belonging to each point, the plurality of marks referencing a common raster, each mark of the plurality of marks having a first parameter which varies for coding of the position information, and each mark of the plurality of marks have a second parameter which varies for coding of further information in the coding pattern.

2. The product as claimed in claim 1, in which the second parameter is detectable independently of the first parameter.

3. The product as claimed in claim 1, in which the first parameter and the second parameter is one of the following pairs:

location and size;

location and color;

size and location;

size and shape;

size and color;

shape and location;

shape and color;

shape and size;

color and location;

color and size; and

color and shape.

4. The product as claimed in claim 1, in which the further information is further position information.

5. The product as claimed in claim 1, in which the further information is information other than position information.

6. The product as claimed in claim 1, in which an area of the coding pattern is marked out utilizing the second parameter.

7. The product as claimed in claim 6, in which the area of the coding pattern is associated with a predetermined function.

8. The product as claimed in claim 1, in which the further information defines at least two different areas on the coding pattern.

9. The product as claimed in claim 8, in which the further information defines how coordinates which are recorded from said at least two different areas are to be processed.

10. The product as claimed in claim 1, in which the further information defines whether a predetermined area in the coding pattern is activated or not.

11. The product as claimed in claim 1, in which the coding pattern is divided into a plurality of cells, each of these comprising at least two marks, and in which the further information consists of a cell value which is coded by said at least two marks for each cell.

12. The product as claimed in claim 11, in which the cells comprise fewer marks than said plurality of marks belonging to each point.

13. The product as claimed in claim 11, in which each mark has one of at least two predetermined values for the second parameter, and in which each cell comprises at least one mark with a first value of said at least two predetermined values and at least one mark with a second of said at least two predetermined parameters.

14. The product as claimed in claim 11, in which the coding pattern comprises a first area and a second area, and in which the cells in the first area have a first cell value and the cells in the second area have a second cell value.

15. The product as claimed in claim 14, in which a boundary area between the first area and the second area comprises cells with the first cell value and cells with the second cell value.

16. The product of claim 11, wherein the cells are non-overlapping or at least some of the plurality of marks may code both position information and further information utilizing the first and second parameter, respectively.

17. The product of claim 1, wherein the raster is a virtual raster.

18. A method in a coding device for coding of a coding pattern which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points utilizing a plurality of marks belonging to each point, the plurality of marks referencing a common raster, comprising allocating, for the coding of the position information, to each mark of the plurality of marks one of at least two predetermined values for a first parameter, wherein each mark of the plurality of marks is allocated one of at least two predetermined values for a second parameter for coding of further information in the coding pattern.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, in which the second parameter, which is allocated to said each mark, is detectable independently of the first parameter.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, in which the first parameter and the second parameter are one of the following pairs:

location and size;

location and color;

size and location;

size and shape;

size and color;

shape and location;

shape and color;

shape and size;

color and location;

color and size; and

color and shape.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18, comprising allocating to marks, which belong to points within an area of the coding pattern, values for the second parameter, wherein, based on the marks, the limits of said area in the coding patterns may be detected.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, in which the allocation to marks of values for the second parameter is carried out depending on how coordinates recorded from said area of the coding pattern is to be processed.

23. The method as claimed in claim 18, comprising marking a predetermined area of the coding pattern as activated, by allocating to marks which belong to points within the predetermined area a predetermined value for the second parameter.

24. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising dividing the coding pattern into cells, each of these comprising at least two marks, and allocating to each cell a cell value which constitutes the further information, the allocation to each mark of one of at least two predetermined values for the second parameter taking place dependent on the cell value.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, in which the marks within each cell are allocated values for the second parameter so that each cell contains at least one mark with each of the predetermined values for the second parameter.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the cells are non-overlapping or at least some of the plurality of marks may code both position information and further information utilizing the first and second parameter, respectively.

27. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising creating a product with a coding pattern, by applying the coding pattern with marks which have the allocated values for the first parameter and the second parameter, on a product.

28. A computer readable-medium for storing instructions, executed by a processor, for performing the method according to claim 18.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising dividing, based on the position information, the digital representation of the coding pattern into cells and determining a cell value for each cell on the basis of the value of the second parameter for the marks of the cell.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, further comprising processing the position information dependent on the cell values for corresponding cells.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the cells are non-overlapping or at least some of the plurality of marks may code both position information and further information utilizing the first and second parameter, respectively.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the raster is a virtual raster.

33. A device for coding of a coding pattern, which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points utilizing a plurality of marks belonging to each point, the plurality of marks referencing a common raster, comprising:

a processor for determining a value for a first parameter and a value for a second parameter for each mark of the plurality of marks, and a memory for storing the values of each mark of the plurality of marks for the first parameter and the second parameter.

34. A method for decoding, in a decoding device, of a coding pattern which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points on a product utilizing a plurality of marks belonging to each point, the plurality of marks referencing a common raster, comprising receiving a digital representation of the coding pattern, decoding the position information utilizing a value for the first parameter for at least some of the marks of the plurality of marks in the digital representation, wherein further information is decoded from the coding pattern on the basis of the value for a second parameter for at least some of the marks of the plurality of marks in the digital representation.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, in which the decoding of the position information and the decoding of further information is made independently of each other.

36. The method as claimed in claim 34, in which the first parameter and the second parameter is one of the following pairs:

location and size;

location and color;

size and location;

size and shape;

size and color;

shape and location;

shape and color;

shape and size;

color and location;

color and size; and

color and shape.

37. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising determining how coordinates which have been recorded from the coding pattern are to be processed based on the value of the second parameter for at least some of the marks in the digital representation.

38. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising determining whether a pre-defined area in the coding pattern is activated or not based on the value of the second parameter for marks which belong to points in the area.

39. A computer readable medium for storing instructions, executed by a processor, to perform the method according to claim 34.

40. A device for decoding of a coding pattern which codes position information in the form of coordinates for a plurality of points on a product utilizing a plurality of marks belonging to each point, the plurality of marks referencing a common raster, which device comprises a processor which is arranged to receive a digital representation of the coding pattern, to decode the position information with the aid of the value for the first parameter for at least some of the marks of the plurality of marks in the digital representation, wherein the processor is also arranged to decode further inforamtion from the coding pattern based on the value for a second parameter for at least some of the marks of the plurality of marks in the digital representation.

41. A product with a coding pattern which codes coordinates for a plurality of points on the product through variation of a first parameter of a plurality of marks belonging to each point, all marks on the product referencing a common raster;

which coding pattern is used for digital recording of information which is written on the coding pattern; and

which coding pattern comprises at least a first area and a second area;

said information which is recorded digitally being processed in different ways depending on from which of said areas the information is recorded, and the first area and the second area being coded in the coding pattern through variation of a second parameter of marks of the first and second area.

42. A product which is provided with a position-coding pattern which codes coordinates for a plurality of points on the product based on a number sequence which has the property that a partial sequence of the number sequence of a predetermined length has an unambiguously defined position in the number sequence, said number sequence having at least a first section and a second section which each have the property and areas with a position-coding pattern on the product having different properties depending on whether they are coded with the first section or the second section of the number sequence.