Machine-readable glass
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising:
- a display window at a retail store; and
means for forming a subliminal pattern on said glass, the pattern encoding an identifier in a machine-readable symbology;
wherein a camera-equipped user device on one side of the window can capture imagery depicting an item of merchandise on the opposite side of the window, which imagery also includes said machine-readable symbology, but said symbology is not evident to the user.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a sidewalk-facing display window of a retail store is treated to scatter (or absorb) a portion of incident light, in a narrow wavelength spectral band. A machine-readable pattern, which encodes an identifier, is projected onto the treated window from outside the store. The reflection (absorption) of that projected pattern, within the narrow spectral band, escapes notice of shoppers on the sidewalk. Yet if a shopper captures imagery of a product displayed on the other side of the display window, using a mobile device camera, the pattern is captured with the imagery, and can be analyzed to decode the identifier. The mobile device can use this decoded identifier to access online information about the displayed product, for presentation to the shopper on the mobile device display. The technology is particularly suited for wearable computing devices, and more generally enables glass windows to subliminally convey digital information to image sensors conveyed by passing shoppers. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
37 Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising:
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a display window at a retail store; and means for forming a subliminal pattern on said glass, the pattern encoding an identifier in a machine-readable symbology; wherein a camera-equipped user device on one side of the window can capture imagery depicting an item of merchandise on the opposite side of the window, which imagery also includes said machine-readable symbology, but said symbology is not evident to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of associating machine readable data with an item of merchandise presented at a retail store, the method comprising the acts:
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providing a medium through which a person can view the item of merchandise, said medium having a notch in a spectral transmissivity function that notches a band of wavelengths, including a first wavelength; and projecting light including said first wavelength onto the medium, the projected light producing a pattern on the medium that encodes an identifier in a machine-readable symbology; wherein a camera-equipped device conveyed by the person can capture imagery of the item of merchandise through the medium, which imagery also includes said machine-readable symbology, but said symbology is not evident to the user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification