Two-dimensional barcode to avoid unintentional scanning

• US 9,715,647 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Narayanaswami, Chandrasekhar, Topkara, Umut
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Thien T
• Application Number:
  US13/617,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20140061316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06075 the marking containing means for error correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07318 by hindering electromagnetic reading or writing jamming of communication, counter-measures H04K3/00; secret communication H04K1/00

Abstract

A method of disseminating a message is disclosed. The message is encoding in a barcode. A selected region of the barcode is damaged so as to hinder decoding of the message at a scanning device. The damaged region of the barcode may be occluded from the scanning device in order to enable the scanning device to read the barcode and the message therein.

Claims

1. A system for reading an encoded message, comprising:

a scanning device configured to read the encoded message; and

an article having a two-dimensional barcode disposed thereon, the barcode comprising;

the encoded message in a data area of the two-dimensional barcode, wherein the two-dimensional barcode employs a two-color encoding scheme,

a quiet zone surrounding the data area that enables the scanning device to locate the data area,

a finder pattern in each of three corners of the data area for allowing the scanning device to determine an orientation of the barcode for reading the barcode, and

a finder pattern in a selected region in a fourth corner of the data area configured to disable decoding of the encoded message at the scanning device by preventing the scanning device from determining the orientation of the barcode for reading the barcode, wherein occluding the finder pattern in the selected region from a purview of the scanning device while the scanning device scans the barcode enables the scanning device to orient the barcode for reading and to read the encoded message in a non-occluded region of the barcode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the finder pattern in the selected region is configured to expand a search space of the barcode searched by the scanning device and wherein occluding the finder pattern in the selected region from the purview of the scanning device reduces the search space.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the finder pattern is configured to increase a read time of the barcode by the scanning device and wherein occluding the pattern from the purview of the scanning device decreases the read time.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the increased read time is greater than at least one of:

a decoding time of another barcode scanned substantially simultaneously with the barcode, and a selected scanning duration of the scanning device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the barcode uses a two-dimensional Quick Response coding rule.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the finder pattern in the selected region further comprises at least one of:

a pattern that encroaches into a quiet zone surrounding the data area of the barcode;

a portion of another barcode; and

a finder pattern printed on a sticker that is placed in the selected region.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the pattern is occluded from the purview of the scanning device by performing at least one of:

placing an object over the pattern, folding over the pattern, overlaying the pattern with a clear region, overwriting the pattern, adding a sticker over the pattern, removing a sticker from the selected region, and placing an object over the scanning device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the scanning device includes one of:

a laser scanner, a smartphone, and a point-of-view scanning device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the article further comprises at least one other barcode that is scanned with the barcode during a same scanning operation.

10. A system, comprising:

a scanning device configured to read an encoded message; and

an article having the encoded message, the article including;

a QR code disposed on the article that provides a first signal that includes the encoded message in a data area of the QR code and a quiet zone surrounding the data area that enables the scanning device to locate the data area wherein the QR code employs a two-color encoding scheme,

a finder pattern in each of three corners of the data area for allowing the scanning device to determine an orientation of the QR code for reading the QR code, and

a second signal in a fourth corner of the data area of the QR code configured to disable reading of the encoded message at the scanning device by preventing the scanning device from determining an orientation of the QR code for reading the QR code when the second signal is read along with the finder patterns, wherein occluding the second signal from the purview of the scanning device and leaving the first signal non-occluded while scanning the QR code with the scanning device enables the scanning device to determine the orientation of the QR code for reading the QR code, obtain the first signal and read the encoded message from the obtained first signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the removing the second signal from the data area reduces a search space of the encoded message.

12. A system for reading an encoded message, comprising:

a scanning device for reading the encoded message; and

an article having the encoded message disposed thereon, comprising;

a data area of a QR code having the encoded message, wherein the QR code includes a two-color encoding scheme,

a quiet zone surrounding the data area that enables a scanning device to locate the data area,

a finder pattern in each of three corners of the data area for allowing the scanning device to determine an orientation of the QR code for reading of the QR code, and

a finder pattern in a fourth corner of the data area configured to disable reading of the encoded message by the scanning device by preventing the scanning device from determining the orientation of the barcode for reading the barcode, wherein occluding the finder pattern in the fourth corner from purview of the scanning device while scanning the QR code enables the scanning device to determine the orientation of the QR code for reading the QR code and to read the encoded message in a non-occluded region of the QR code.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the finder pattern in the fourth corner of the data area is configured to disable reading of the encoded message by performing at least one of:

hindering reading of the encoded message for a time that is greater than a read time of another encoded message scanned substantially simultaneously with the encoded message, and hindering reading of the encoded message for a time that is greater than a scanning duration of a scanning device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the finder pattern in the fourth corner is at least one of:

a pattern that encroaches into a quiet zone surrounding the data area of the barcode;

a portion of another barcode; and

a finder pattern printed on a sticker placed in the fourth corner.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein occluding the finder pattern in the fourth corner from the purview of the scanning device further comprises performing at least one of:

placing an object over the pattern, overlaying the pattern with a clear region, overwriting the pattern, and placing an object over the scanning device to occlude the pattern at the scanning device.

16. The article of claim 12, wherein occluding the finder pattern in the fourth corner from the purview of the scanning device further comprises modifying a physical structure of the article by performing at least one of:

folding the article, removing a sticker from the fourth corner, and placing a sticker on the pattern.