Readable matrix code

• US 8,978,989 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Eyeconit Ltd. (Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Itamar, Alva, Nevo, Peled, Uriel
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US14/116,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20140144996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 235/494, 235/492, 235/488, 235/375
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06103 the marking being embedded in a human recognizable image, e.g. a company logo with an embedded two-dimensional code

Abstract

A method of generating a readable matrix code image encoding a message based on an input image and a readable matrix coding specification, comprising: calculating function areas readable to comply with a function patterns specification; determining an extent of free cells and derived cells according to a code word specification; calculating decode input values for free cells such that the appearance of the free cells compared to respective areas of the input image complies with a visual perceptual similarity criterion and with the code word specification; and calculating decode input values for derived cells based on the free cells decode input values and in compliance with the code word specification.

Claims

1. A method of generating a readable matrix code image encoding a message based on an input image and a readable matrix coding specification:

calculating function areas readable to comply with a function patterns specification;

determining an extent of free cells and derived cells according to a code word specification;

calculating decode input values for free cells such that the appearance of the free cells compared to respective areas of the input image complies with a visual perceptual similarity criterion and with the code word specification; and

calculating decode input values for derived cells based on the free cells decode input values and in compliance with the code word specification.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising fusing the input image and each of the calculated functions areas, the free cells, and the derived cells to form a readable matrix code.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

scanning and decoding the readable matrix code to obtain the message.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting cells from the free cells as selected cells, wherein the selected cells are cells which are selected from the free cells readable to provide a specified message or a specified part of a message.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising assigning decode input values to the selected cells such that the encoded message includes a URL of a network resource.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising assigning decode input values to the selected cells such that the URL includes a network resource and a key that is associated with the input image or with the readable matrix code.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising implementing a saliency criterion and using the saliency criterion to designate the free cells.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

implementing a saliency criterion to determine a portion of the input image to which the matrix code is to be applied; and

applying each of said calculating function areas, calculating free cells decode input values and calculating derived cells decode input values based on the portion of the input image to which the matrix code is to be applied.

9. The method according to claim 2, where said fusing comprises processing at least one of the free cells'"'"' decode input values and the derived cells'"'"' decode input values considering imaging conditions, to thereby adjust at least one decode input value accordingly.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein said fusing comprises calculating pixels values for a group of pixels corresponding to a cell from the calculated free cells or from the calculated derived cells, such that a sub-group of the pixels is assigned with values which are visually similar according to a local visual similarity criterion to pixels from neighboring cells, and the remaining pixels receive values which combine with pixels from the sub-group to provide a valid readable matrix code cell which has the decode input value that is associated with the cell.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said fusing comprises implementing a tolerance criterion, and wherein the tolerance criterion is used to provide a range of possible values for pixels in the sub-group and/or for the remaining pixels.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein said fusing comprises calculating pixels values for a group of pixels corresponding to a cell from the free cells or from the derived cells, such that a sub-group of the pixels is assigned with values which are visually similar according to a local visual similarity criterion to pixels from the input image which are associated with the cell, and the remaining pixels which are associated with the cell receive values which when read and processed by a reader device with the pixels in the sub-group, the cell is considered valid and is decoded to provide the decode input value associated with the cell.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the free cells are data cells and the derived cells are error correction cells, and wherein the error correction decode input values encoded in the error correction cells are derived from the data in the data cells.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the free cells comprise portions of readable matrix code modules including error correction cells and the derived cells include complementing portions of the modules and of the error correction cells.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the free cells are error correction cells and the derived cells are data cells, and wherein the data decode input values encoded in the data cells are derived from the error correction decode input values in the error correction cells.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the free cells include one or more of the following:

padding cells, border cells and metadata cells.

17. An apparatus for generating a readable matrix code image encoding a message based on an input image and a readable matrix coding specification:

a memory unit capable of storing the input image and the readable matrix coding specification;

a processing unit capable of;

applying a function patterns specification to function areas of the readable matrix code image;

applying a code word specification to code word areas of the readable matrix code image, the code word areas including free areas and derived areas in an extent which is in compliance with the code word specification;

wherein the free areas include free cells and derived cells, and the processing unit is configured to apply a visual perceptual similarity criterion when processing the free cells, such that the appearance of the free cells, when compared to respective areas of the input image, comply with a visual perceptual similarity criterion, and

wherein the processing unit is configured to process the derived cells, such that the derived cells form, together with the free cells, providing a valid code word.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further configured to fuse the input image and each of the calculated functions areas, the free cells, and the derived cells to form a readable matrix code.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further configured to select cells from the free cells as selected cells, wherein the selected cells are cells which are selected from the free cells readable to provide a specified message or a specified part of a message.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the processing unit is configured to assign decode input values to the selected cells such that the encoded message includes a URL of a network resource.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processing unit is further configured to assign decode input values to the selected cells such that the URL includes a network resource and a key that is associated with the input image or with the readable matrix code.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is configured to implement a saliency criterion and to use the saliency criterion to designate the free cells.

23. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is configured to implement a saliency criterion to determine a portion of the input image to which the matrix code is to be applied, and wherein the processing unit is configured to calculate decode input values for each of said function areas, free cells and derived cells based on the portion of the input image to which the matrix code is to be applied.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein as part of the fusing of the input image and each of the calculated functions areas, the free cells, and the derived cells, the processing unit is configured to process decode input values of at least one of the free cells or derived cells using a robustness criterion that is associated with imaging conditions, to thereby adjust at least one decode input value accordingly.

25. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein as part of the fusing of the input image and each of the calculated functions areas, the free cells, and the derived cells, the processing unit is configured to calculate pixels values for a group of pixels corresponding to a cell from the calculated free cells or from the calculated derived cells, such that a sub-group of the pixels is assigned with values which are visually similar according to a local visual similarity criterion to pixels from neighboring cells, and the remaining pixels receive values which combine with pixels from the sub-group to provide a valid readable matrix code cell which has the decode input value that is associated with the cell.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein as part of the fusing of the input image and each of the calculated functions areas, the free cells, and the derived cells, the processing unit is configured to implement a tolerance criterion, and wherein the tolerance criterion is used by the processing unit to provide a range of possible values for pixels in the sub-group and/or for the remaining pixels.

27. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein as part of the fusing of the input image and each of the calculated functions areas, the free cells, and the derived cells, the processing unit is configured to calculate pixels values for a group of pixels corresponding to a cell from the free cells or from the derived cells, such that a sub-group of the pixels is assigned with values which are visually similar according to a local visual similarity criterion to pixels from the input image which are associated with the cell, and the remaining pixels which are associated with the cell receive values which when read and processed by a reader device with the pixels in the sub-group, the cell is considered valid and is decoded to provide the decode input value associated with the cell.

28. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the free cells are data cells and the derived cells are error correction cells, and the processing unit is configured to derive error correction decode input values encoded in the error correction cells from the data in the data cells.

29. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the free cells comprise portions of readable matrix code symbols and error correction cells, and wherein the processing unit is configured to include in the derived cells complementing portions of the symbols and of the error correction cells.

30. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the free cells are error correction cells and the derived cells are data cells, and wherein the processing unit is configured to derive the data decode input values encoded in the data cells from the error correction decode input values in the error correction cells.

31. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is configured to include in the free cells one or more of the following:

padding cells, border cells and metadata cells.

32. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the memory unit is further capable of storing charge information for enabling charging for the readable matrix code image.

33. A readable matrix code image fusing an input image and a message based on a readable matrix coding specification, comprising:

function patterns areas readable to comply with a function patterns specification;

code word area readable to comply with a code word specification, the code word area including a free cells area and a derived cells area in an extent which is in compliance with the code word specification,

wherein the free cells area represents free cells'"'"' whose appearance, when compared to respective areas of the input image, complies with a visual perceptual similarity criterion, and

wherein the derived cells area forms, together with the free cells area, a valid code word.

34. The readable matrix code image according to claim 33, further comprising a selected cells area, wherein the selected cells area corresponds to readable matrix code cells which are selected from the free cells, and wherein the selected cells areas are readable to provide a specified message or a specified part of a message.

35. The readable matrix code image according to claim 34, wherein the specified message or the specified part of a message that is encoded in the selected cells area includes a URL of a network resource.

36. The readable matrix code image according to claim 35, wherein the specified message or the specified part of a message that is encoded in the selected cells area includes a URL of a network resource and a key that is associated with the input image or with the readable matrix code.

37. The readable matrix code image according to claim 33, wherein for a group of pixels corresponding to a free cell or to a derived cell, providing pixel values such that a sub-group of the pixels has values which are visually similar according to a local visual similarity criterion to pixels from neighboring cells, and the remaining pixels of the cell providing values which combine with pixels from the sub-group to provide a valid readable matrix code cell which has a decode input value that is associated with the cell.

38. The readable matrix code image according to claim 33, wherein for a group of pixels corresponding to a cell from the free cells or from the derived cells calculating pixels values, such that a sub-group of the pixels has values which are visually similar according to a local visual similarity criterion to pixels from the input image which are associated with the cell, and the remaining pixels which are associated with the cell have values which when read and processed by a reader device with the pixels in the sub-group, yield a valid readable matrix code cell.

39. The readable matrix code image according to claim 33, wherein the free cells area corresponds to data cells and the derived cells area corresponds to error correction cells, and wherein error correction decode input values encoded in the derived cells area are derived from the data decoded in the free cells area.

40. The readable matrix code image according to claim 33, wherein the free cells areas encode portions of readable matrix code modules including error correction cells and the derived cells areas encode complementing portions of the modules and of the error correction cells.

41. The readable matrix code image according to claim 33, wherein the free cells area encodes error correction data and the derived cells area encodes data, and wherein data decode input values encoded in the derived cells area are derived from the decode input values encoded in the free cells area.

42. The readable matrix code image according to claim 33, wherein one or more portions of the free cells area are associated with one or more of the following:

padding cells, border cells and metadata cells.

43. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to generate a readable matrix code image encoding a message based on an input image and a readable matrix coding specification:

providing function areas readable to comply with a function patterns specification;

providing code word areas readable to comply with a code word specification, the code word areas including free areas and derived areas in an extent which is in compliance with the code word specification;

wherein the free areas include free cells whose appearance, when compared to respective areas of the input image, comply with a perceptual similarity criterion, and

wherein the derived cells form, together with the free cells, a valid code word.

44. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for causing the computer to generate a readable matrix code image encoding a message based on an input image and a readable matrix coding specification:

computer readable program code for causing the computer to provide function areas readable to comply with a function patterns specification;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to provide code word areas readable to comply with a code word specification, the code word areas including free areas and derived areas in an extent which is in compliance with the code word specification,

wherein the free areas include free cells whose appearance, when compared to respective areas of the input image, comply with a perceptual similarity criterion, and

wherein the derived cells form, together with the free cells, a valid code word.