Optimizing quick response code capacity using gray luminance

• US 9,286,557 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Deffeyes, Suzanne C., Miller, Grant D., Nassar, Nader M., Newhook, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US14/199,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20150254542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.04, 235/462.01, 235/462.07, 235/462.25, 235/494
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1426 Multi-level bar codes

Abstract

A system and methods are provided. A method includes determining a set of Grayscale bands providing an increase in a Quick Response Code data capacity that is an integer multiple of the Quick Response Code data capacity provided by a Black and White Quick Response Code that uses only Black and White to represent data. The method further includes generating, using a processor, a Grayscale Quick Response Code using the determined set of Grayscale bands to represent the data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a set of Grayscale bands providing an increase in a Quick Response Code data capacity that is an integer multiple of the Quick Response Code data capacity provided by a Black and White Quick Response Code that uses only Black and White to represent data; and

generating, using a processor, a Grayscale Quick Response Code using the determined set of Grayscale bands to represent the data.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a calibration for a Quick Response Code optical reader using a Grayscale color code primer in the Quick Response Code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the calibration for the Quick Response Code calibrates a median brightness level for the Quick Response Code optical reader.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the Quick Response Code comprises large markers and small markers, and the Grayscale color code primer comprises displaying only one of the large markers and all of the small markers in a predetermined percentage of Gray to establish a median brightness level for the Quick Response Code optical reader.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined percentage of Gray is fifty percent.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising scanning the Quick Response Code using the Grayscale color code primer to read the data in the Quick Response Code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of Grayscale bands comprises sixteen shades of Gray, and the integer multiple is equal to four to provide four times the amount of data per pixel than the Black and White Quick Response Code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of Grayscale bands comprises eight shades of Gray, and the integer multiple is equal to three to provide three times the amount of data per pixel than the Black and White Quick Response Code.

9. A non-transitory article of manufacture tangibly embodying a computer readable program which when executed causes a computer to perform the steps of claim 1.

10. A system, comprising:

a memory for storing a set of Grayscale bands providing an increase in a Quick Response Code data capacity that is an integer multiple of the Quick Response Code data capacity provided by a Black and White Quick Response Code that uses only Black and White to represent data; and

a Quick Response Code generator for generating a Grayscale Quick Response Code using the determined set of Grayscale bands to represent the data.

11. A system of claim 10, wherein said Quick Response Code generator establishes a calibration for a Quick Response Code optical reader using a Grayscale color code primer in the Quick Response Code.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the calibration for the Quick Response Code calibrates a median brightness level for the Quick Response Code optical reader.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the Quick Response Code comprises large markers and small markers, and the Grayscale color code primer comprises displaying only one of the large markers and all of the small markers in a predetermined percentage of Gray to establish a median brightness level for the Quick Response Code optical reader.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined percentage of Gray is fifty percent.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of Grayscale bands comprises sixteen shades of Gray, and the integer multiple is equal to four to provide four times the amount of data per pixel than the Black and White Quick Response Code.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of Grayscale bands comprises eight shades of Gray, and the integer multiple is equal to three to provide three times the amount of data per pixel than the Black and White Quick Response Code.

17. A method, comprising:

determining a set of Grayscale bands providing an increase in a Quick Response Code data capacity that is an integer multiple of the Quick Response Code data capacity provided by a Black and White Quick Response Code that uses only Black and White to represent data;

generating, using a processor, a Grayscale Quick Response Code using the determined set of Grayscale bands to represent the data; and

establishing a calibration for a median brightness level for a Quick Response Code optical reader using a Grayscale color code primer in the Quick Response Code that assigns a predetermined percentage of Gray to predetermined elements of the Quick Response Code,

wherein the set of Grayscale bands comprises sixteen shades of Gray, and the integer multiple is equal to four to provide four times the amount of data per pixel than the Black and White Quick Response Code.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the Quick Response Code comprises large markers and small markers, and the Grayscale color code primer comprises displaying only one of the large markers and all of the small markers in a predetermined percentage of Gray to establish the median brightness level for the Quick Response Code optical reader.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising scanning the Quick Response Code using the Grayscale color code primer to read the data in the Quick Response Code.

20. A non-transitory article of manufacture tangibly embodying a computer readable program which when executed causes a computer to perform the steps of claim 17.