Tag and tag format structure

• US 7,182,267 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Walmsley, Simon Robert, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/667,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20040079808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 235/494, 235/456, 235/432, 235/454, 235/455, 235/462, 235/472
• 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 generic data package template is described that allows data to be encoded and printed in any arbitrary shape using an arbitrary encoding scheme. The template comprises an arbitrary shaped constant background pattern that is read to locate and orient a data area. The data are contains a plurality of dots that are decoded to extract the stored information.

Claims

1. A tag embedded with data, the tag comprising dots, each dot having a position, the tag conforming to a tag format structure, wherein:

the tag format structure contains a plurality of entries, there being an entry associated with each dot'"'"'s position;

each entry specifying whether the associated dot is data or not; and

the tag is printed with an infrared absorptive ink that can be read with a tag sensing device.

2. The tag of claim 1, wherein:

each entry of the tag format structure comprises bits including a low order bit and the entry is interpreted according to the low order bit.

3. The tag of claim 2, wherein:

the low order bit determines if the entry is interpreted as data or not.

4. The tag of claim 3, wherein:

the low order bit indicates that the entry is data and a remainder of the bits of the entry is interpreted as an address.

5. The tag of claim 1, wherein:

each entry is interpretable independently without reliance on state information.

6. The tag of claim 1, wherein:

the tag format structure is comprised of one or more lines;

the tag is scaled by a factor of N by scaling the number of entries in the tag format structure;

the scaling of the tag format structure being a replication of each entry N times and a replication of each line N times.

7. The tag of claim 1, wherein:

each dot is a macrodot generated from the tag format structure.

8. The tag of claim 1, wherein:

dot positions have a relationship and the relationship takes into account a redundancy encoding of the data.

9. The tag of claim 1, wherein:

the tag is produced using a tag encoder in which the tag format structure is implemented, the encoder encoding fixed data together with tag specific data into the tag.

10. The tag of claim 9, wherein:

the tag encoder merges encoded tag data with a basic tag structure and places dots in an output FIFO in a correct order for subsequent printing.

11. The tag of claim 10, wherein:

the encoded tag data is generated from the original data bits on-the-fly to minimize buffer space.

12. The tag of claim 1, wherein:

dots may be located in a data area or located in an arbitrarily shaped constant background pattern.

13. The tag of claim 12, wherein:

the background pattern further comprises a locator component.

14. The tag of claim 13, wherein:

the locator component is circular.

15. The tag of claim 9, wherein:

the encoding further comprises double indirection encoding.

16. The tag of claim 1, wherein:

the dots are printed as continuous tone dots.

17. The tag of claim 1, wherein:

each entry of the tag format structure comprises a selected and the entry is interpreted according to the selected bit.

18. The tag of claim 17, wherein:

the selected bit determines if the entry is interpreted as data or not.

19. The tag of claim 18, wherein:

the selected bit indicates that the entry is data and a remainder of the bits of the entry is interpreted as an address.