Method of data storage by encoding bit stream on surface

• US 7,861,143 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Alphonse; Fritz
• Application Number:
  US12/505,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 714/769, 714/770, 714/776, 714/784, 714/798, 714/799, 714/763, 714/22
• US Class Current: 714/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding

Abstract

A method is provided of data storage by encoding a bit stream on a surface. The method involves printing coded data on the surface which encodes the bit stream, and printing alignment data on the surface which is indicative of a position of the coded data on the surface. The alignment data has a first registration structure indicative of a plurality of reference points indicative of a position of the coded data in an alignment direction, and a second registration structure indicative of a plurality of reference points indicative of a position of the coded data in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction.

Claims

1. A method of data storage by encoding a bit stream on a surface, the method comprising:

printing coded data on the surface which encodes the bit stream; and

printing alignment data on the surface which is indicative of a position of the coded data on the surface and includes;

a first registration structure indicative of a plurality of reference points indicative of a position of the coded data in an alignment direction; and

a second registration structure indicative of a plurality of reference points indicative of a position of the coded data in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first registration structure includes:

a number of markers indicative of a gross position of the coded data in the alignment direction; and

a clock track indicative of a fine position of the coded data in the alignment direction.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second registration structure includes:

at least two clock tracks indicative of a position of the coded data in the direction perpendicular to the alignment direction; and

,

two alignment lines for each clock track, the two alignment lines being indicative of the position of the respective clock track in the alignment direction.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising printing a data block on the surface which has an arrangement of marks defining a plurality of possible values, and alignment data indicative of the position of the marks.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the data block, is at least one of:

provided with its own pilot track;

provided with its own registration feature;

provided with its own clocking feature;

provided with two clocking features on opposite sides of a data-encoding area;

encoding a fragment of the bit stream;

encoding a fragment of a bitstream in a data-encoding area; and

,

formed from a rectangular data-encoding area.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising printing parameter data on the surface which is indicative of a parameter used to encode the bit stream.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein at least part of the bit stream is encoded as a data block, the data block encoding at least some parameter data and at least some encoded data.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the data block has a data grid defining an arrangement of marks defining a plurality of possible values, at least a first and a last column of the data grid being used to encode the parameter data.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the parameter data is at least one of:

indicative of a size of the encoded data;

indicative of an interleave factor;

encoded fault-tolerantly using at least one of;

a checksum associated with parameters;

a CRC checksum associated with parameters;

redundancy data associated with parameters;

Reed-Solomon redundancy data associated with parameters; and

,

replication of parameters and a checksum.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the alignment data includes a pilot feature, the pilot feature being at least one of:

encoded fault-tolerantly;

formed from a set of parallel lines;

formed from a set of parallel lines that encode a binary pilot sequence;

a pilot sequence which encodes at least one of;

110101100100011; and

,

110010001111010.