Two-dimensional data carrier incorporating dot-based data package templates

• US 7,175,097 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2004
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Lapstun, Paul, Walmsley, Simon Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/962,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20050061891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46225, 235/454, 235/456, 235/455, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/494
• 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 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 19/06168 the marking being a concentric barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06262 with target- or other orientation-indicating feature
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1421 Circular bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1456 determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore

Abstract

A two-dimensional data carrier, readable with an optical reader, includes a plurality of dot-based data image templates that each defines at least one locating formation, at least one orientation formation and a plurality of data areas of predetermined dimensions and orientation, which contain bits of data. A plurality of dot-based data packages of said bits of data are positioned in a respective data area. Each image template and its associated data package define a readable tag.

Claims

1. A two-dimensional data carrier, readable with an optical reader, which comprises

a plurality of dot-based data image templates that each define at least one locating formation, at least one orientation formation and a plurality of data areas of predetermined dimensions and orientation, which contain bits of data;

and

a plurality of dot-based data packages of said bits of data, each data package positioned in a respective data area, each image template and its associated data package defining a readable tag.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which each template includes one locating formation that is circular so that it is orientation-independent.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which each image template has one orientation formation centrally positioned within the locating formation and shaped so that detection of the formations provides data representing the orientation of the tags.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which each template defines one entry for each dot position within a particular data area.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, in which each template has a width parameter which represents a width dimension in dots for each data area and a height parameter representing a height dimension in dots for each data area.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, in which each template has an entry width parameter representing a number of bits in each data entry made on the template.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5, in which each template has a bit number parameter representing a number of data bits associated with each tag.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which the dot-based data packages are redundancy-encoded.