Method for the dual coding of information on physical media and in a computerized format (DOTEM)

• US 7,878,413 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alphacode (Randstad NV)
• Original Assignee: Alphacode (Randstad NV)
• Inventors: Rivaillier, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Seung H
• Application Number:
  US11/890,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20080179406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 235/494, 235/462.01
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding

Abstract

DOTEM is an information-coding method which is used to represent same on physical media with the aid of dots and in a computerised format, in memory and on networks with bits. Said method is based on the broad concept of characters grouped into alphabets. The characters comprise dots on documents, for example, and bits in machine format. The physical characters have specific dots that are not represented in machine format in order to enable same to be located on media, such as the foot of a character and the head of a character. Each character can represent at least the 256 values of an octet. The character concept is extended such that it can be identified by the value thereof and, such that it can be identified by the value thereof and, taken together, can represent one or more variables having any dimension but determined in the structure of the character. The complex data and the context thereof can be described by a series of characters in the form of words or even sentences with a direct language correspondence. As a result, the representation is simpler and more concise. The characters are constructed over several columns for documents and over several octets for machine format. Said characters can code values far greater than the octet, such that tags or field delimiters can be designated directly without the need for prior formatting. Specific alphabets can be developed for each application domain, such as for sound recordings, chemical compounds and text and file security. Non-standard characters have been developed for discrete applications, such as to combat the fraudulent erasure of data.

Claims

1. A method of coding information comprising;

creating sets of independent structures of any size, including elements carrying information allowing the identification and descriptive and functional control of structure of the elements;

defining links with other structures;

creating the structures to further include characters representing conjointly the information on a physical medium by dots and in computing format by bits;

creating the structures of the physical characters which comprise on the one hand detection or marking dots that are peculiar to the physical characters and on the other hand dots which each correspond to 1 bit in computing format; and

creating as mixed dot which is half white and half black.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the structure of the physical characters has a header capping the bodies, which includes an alternating succession of black dots and additional mixed dots (half black dots and half white dots), or an absence of black dots, in order to form a crenellated line with any pitch and length.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the physical structures include one or more so-called control/extension columns and a value column, while the computing structures include as many bytes as there are columns, wherein the physical structures defined by 2 columns at least one is value and at least one is control/extension, these structures comprising:

2 dots reserved for the extension of the coding of the value coded by the value column,

1 dot characterising the parity of the number of its own black dots,

1 dot for the parity of the number of black dots in the value column,

1 dot specifying the parity of the number of segments formed from black dots in the value column,

1 dot giving the state of the first dot in the value column,

1 dot indicating whether the present column is the last of the character or whether the following control/extension column also forms part of it, and

the value column being formed by dots generally weighted to a power of 2 increasing from 2⁰ as from the header.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the dots along one and the same column (direction x) of the physical characters are of the same dimension, but possibly variable in the other dimension (y), and in that the distances between the columns may be any distance, including zero.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the characters with a definition greater than 2 columns are composed of a non-limitative succession of columns of any length and composition, the last preferably comprising at least the mixed dot (½

white dot+½

black dot).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first column of the structure of physical characters has the mixed dot, which is the last dot, formed from a white half dot and a black half dot.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third column of the characters of 3-column definition comprises:

1 dot characterising the parity of the number of its black dots,

1 dot indicating whether the present column is the last of the character or whether the following control/extension column also forms part of this character,

1 dot expressing the linking of the properties or independence with the following control/extension column,

1 dot specifies the parity of the number of segments of black dots of the previous control/extension column,

4 dots reserved for the extension of the coding of the value coded by the previous columns, and

the first two columns being identical to those of the characters defined on 2 columns.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the characters with a definition greater than three columns are composed beyond the third by a succession of columns produced according to the same coding rules as column 3.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dots are N colours or N shades of grey, and the match between physical character and computing character is modified but transposable from the physical characters as follows:

a column represents M successive bytes such that for N=2^P, M=P.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the exception characters are produced in accordance with a particular coding so that in particular the coding of the dots or bits are all or some the opposite of that of the standard characters.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the header consists of a black dot and the mixed dot so that a succession of characters creates a continuous line converting a row of physical characters into one and the same connected component.