Bar code validation using a wireless communication device

• US 8,251,290 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bushman, Serge J. L., Stone, M. Jeffrey, Haubrich, Sharon T., Shashindranath, Ashwin, Barrington, Jeffrey Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US12/043,239
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/472.01, 235/375, 235/384
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image

Abstract

A wireless communication device optically receives and processes a bar code and a background item to the barcode to generate image data. A processing system processes the image data to identify a bar code portion of the image data and to identify a background portion of the image data. The processing system processes the barcode portion of the image data to generate decoded data. The processing system processes the background portion of the image data to generate background data. The processing system processes the decoded data and the background data to determine if the bar code is valid. The wireless communication device generates a bar code valid signal if the bar code is valid and generates a bar code invalid signal if the bar code is invalid.

Claims

1. A method of validating a bar code, the method comprising:

in a wireless communication device, optically receiving and processing a bar code and a background item to the barcode to generate image data;

in the wireless communication device, transferring the image data to a processing system;

in the processing system, processing the image data to identify a bar code portion of the image data and to identify a background portion of the image data;

in the processing system, processing the barcode portion of the image data to generate decoded data;

in the processing system, processing the background portion of the image data to generate background data;

in the processing system, processing the decoded data and the background data to determine if the bar code is valid;

in the processing system, transferring a bar code valid message to the wireless communication device if the bar code is valid;

in the processing system, transferring a bar code invalid message to the wireless communication device if the bar code is invalid;

in the wireless communication device, in response to receiving the bar code valid message, generating a bar code valid signal;

in the wireless communication device, in response to receiving the bar code invalid message, generating a bar code invalid signal if the bar code is invalid.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code is attached to a license plate having a license number and the background item to the barcode includes the license number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code identifies a retail product and the background item to the barcode includes at least a portion of the retail product.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code identifies a price of a retail product and the background item to the barcode includes at least a portion of the retail product.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code is held by a person and the background item to the barcode includes a face of the person.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar code comprises a two-dimensional bar code.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication device comprises a wireless telephone having a camera.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing system is integrated within the wireless communication device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing system is remote from the wireless communication device and wherein the image data, the bar code valid message, and the bar code invalid message are transferred through a communication system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the bar code is attached to a license plate having a license number and the background item to the barcode includes the license number.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the bar code identifies a retail product and the background item to the barcode includes at least a portion of the retail product.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the bar code identifies a price of a retail product and the background item to the barcode includes at least a portion of the retail product.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the bar code is held by a person and the background item to the barcode includes a face of the person.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the bar code comprises a two-dimensional bar code.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the wireless communication device comprises a wireless telephone having a camera.

16. A validation system for a bar code comprising:

a wireless communication device configured to optically receive and process a bar code and a background item to the barcode to generate image data, transfer the image data to a processing system, generate a bar code valid signal in response to receiving a bar code valid message, and generate a bar code invalid signal in response to receiving a bar code invalid message;

the processing system configured to process the image data to identify a bar code portion of the image data and to identify a background portion of the image data, process the barcode portion of the image data to generate decoded data, process the background portion of the image data to generate background data, process the decoded data and the background data to determine if the bar code is valid, transfer the bar code valid message to the wireless communication device if the bar code is valid, and transfer the bar code invalid message to the wireless communication device if the bar code is invalid.

17. The validation system of claim 16 wherein the bar code is attached to a license plate having a license number and the background item to the barcode includes the license number.

18. The validation system of claim 16 wherein the bar code identifies a retail product and the background item to the barcode includes at least a portion of the retail product.

19. The validation system of claim 16 wherein the bar code identifies a price of a retail product and the background item to the barcode includes at least a portion of the retail product.

20. The validation system of claim 16 wherein the bar code is held by a person and the background item to the barcode includes a face of the person.

21. The validation system of claim 16 wherein the bar code comprises a two-dimensional bar code.

22. The validation system of claim 16 wherein the wireless communication device comprises a wireless telephone having a camera.

23. The validation system of claim 16 wherein the processing system is integrated within the wireless communication device.

24. The validation system of claim 16 wherein the processing system is remote from the wireless communication device and wherein the image data, the bar code valid message, and the bar code invalid message are transferred through a communication system.

25. The validation system of claim 24 wherein the wireless communication device comprises a wireless telephone having a camera.