Block-based encoding and decoding information transference system and method

• US 7,319,862 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 01/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: expHand, Inc.
• Original Assignee: expHand, Inc.
• Inventors: Nemirofsky, Frank Robert, Lincoln, Larry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Sheila B.
• Application Number:
  US10/673,047
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/14, 455/52, 455/57, 705/14, 705/52, 705/57
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems enabling an information exchange system allowing for the transmission of a message carrier containing at least one message code along with video and television data, as well as subsequent capture and decoding of the message carrier to identify the at least one message code. As discussed herein, implementations of the invention can be used in connection with an electronic commerce and data interchange system featuring a Universal Digital Assistant (UDA) that facilitates financial transactions and data interchange, as well as dissemination, management and exchange of commercial information (e.g., advertising, promotions, sales announcements, and the like) and personal information (e.g., address and other contact information, driver'"'"'s license number, and memberships). The invention, in one implementation, provides an end-to-end e-commerce solution that can transform a mobile phone/PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) into a Universal Digital Assistant configured to receive data (e.g., advertising, promotions, and sales announcement information) based on message codes encoded into message carriers disseminated through advertising and content from analog and digital television broadcasts, television receivers, the Internet, wireless signals, radio broadcasts, satellite broadcasts, and print media.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving promotional messages comprising:

a display;

a digital image capturing device;

a wireless communication system;

a processor;

a memory; and

a client application, physically stored in the memory, for receiving promotional messages, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless communication system to;

capture an image of a message carrier using the digital image capturing device;

process the image to acquire a message code from the message carrier wherein the instructions to process the image further comprise instructions operable to cause the processor to;

read intensity values for pixels forming the image;

locate the message carrier by analyzing the intensity values;

locate the message code within the message carrier; and

read intensity values for pixels forming the message code to acquire the message code;

transmit the message code to a remote system using the wireless communicaton system; and

receive a promotional message using the wireless communication system based on the transmitted message code.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intensity values are read by scanning substantially vertical columns of pixels forming the image.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions to locate the message carrier comprise instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless communication system to analyze the scanned vertical columns of pixels to identify one or more transitions between dark-colored regions and light-colored regions.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the instructions to locate the message carrier comprise instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless communication system to analyze the scanned vertical columns of pixels to identity a dark-colored border.

5. An apparatus for receiving promotional messages comprising:

a display;

a digital image capturing device;

a wireless communication system;

a processor;

a memory; and

a client application, physically stored in the memory, for receiving promotional messages, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless communication system to;

capture an image of a message carrier using the digital image capturing device wherein the message carrier comprises an identifying border and the message code, and wherein the identifying border comprises a dark-colored border around at least a portion of the message code;

process the image to acquire a message code from the message carrier;

transmit the message code to a remote system using the wireless communication system; and

receive a promotional message using the wireless communication system based on the transmitted message code.

6. An apparatus for receiving promotional messages comprising:

a display;

a digital image capturing device;

a wireless communication system;

a processor;

a memory; and

a client application, physically stored in the memory, for receiving promotional messages, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless communication system to;

capture an image of a message carrier using the digital image capturing device wherein the message carrier comprises an identifying border and the message code, and one or more transitions between dark-colored regions and light-colored regions;

process the image to acquire a message code from the message carrier;

transmit the message code to a remote system using the wireless communication system; and

receive a promotional message using the wireless communication system based on the transmitted message code.

7. An apparatus for receiving promotional messages comprising:

a display;

a digital image capturing device;

a wireless communication system;

a processor;

a memory; and

a client application, physically stored in the memory, for receiving promotional messages, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless communication system to;

capture an image of a message carrier using the digital image capturing device;

transmit the image to an image processing system using the wireless communication system wherein the image processing system is configured to;

receive the image;

read intensity values for pixels forming the image;

locate the message carrier by analyzing the intensity values;

locate a message code within the message carrier;

read intensity values for pixels forming the message code to acquire the message code; and

transmit the message code;

receive the message code from the image processing system based on the transmitted image;

transmit the message code to a promotional message system using the wireless communication system; and

receive a promotional message from the promotional message system based on the transmitted message code.

8. An apparatus for receiving promotional messages comprising:

a display;

a digital image capturing device;

a wireless communication system;

a processor;

a memory; and

a client application, physically stored in the memory, for receiving promotional messages, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the wireless communication system to;

capture an image of a message carrier using the digital image capturing device;

transmit the image to a remote system using the wireless communication system wherein the remote system is configured to;

receive the image;

read intensity values for pixels forming the image;

locate the message carrier by analyzing the intensity values;

locate a message code within the message carrier;

read intensity values for pixels forming the message code to acquire the message code; and

transmit a promotional message based on the message code; and

receive a promotional message from the remote system based on the transmitted image.

9. A computer program product, physically stored on a machine-readable medium, for receiving promotional messages, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

capture an image of a message carrier using the digital image capturing device;

process the image to acquire a message code from the message carrier wherein the instructions to process the image further comprise instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to;

read intensity values for pixels forming the image;

locate the message carrier by analyzing the intensity values;

locate the message code within the message carrier; and

read intensity values for pixels forming the message code to acquire the message code;

transmit the message code to a remote system using the wireless communication system; and

receive a promotional message using the wireless communication system based on the transmitted message code.