Method for producing indicators and processing apparatus and system utilizing the indicators

• US 9,846,797 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2014
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sonix Technology Company Limited (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sonix Technology Company Limited (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsai, Yao-Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/507,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20150083799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 235494, 235454
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06 characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06178 the marking having a feature size being smaller than can be seen by the unaided human eye
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06234 miniature-code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06262 with target- or other orientation-indicating feature
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1408 the method being specifically adapted for the type of code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1456 determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for producing graphical indicators and interactive systems for utilizing the graphical indicators. On the surface of an object, visually negligible graphical indicators are provided. The graphical indicators and main information, i.e. text or pictures, co-exist on the surface of object. The graphical indicators do not interfere with the main information when the perception of human eyes are concerned. With the graphical indicators, further information other than the main information on the surface of object are carried. In addition to the main information on the surface of object, one is able to obtain additional information through an auxiliary electronic device or trigger an interactive operation.

Claims

1. A processing system, comprising:

a surface of an object including multiple index zones, multiple visually negligible graphical indicators are arranged in each index zone; and

an electronic system comprising an optical device for capturing an image on the surface of the object by a user, the electronic system retrieving the graphical indicators from the image and producing an response by using an additional information corresponding to one graphic indicator,

wherein each graphical indicator comprises a plurality of graphical micro-units arranged in a layout, the layout corresponds to an indicator information, the processing device analyses the layout of the graphical micro-units to retrieve the indicator information and further to acquire the additional information from the indicator information by processing and/or transforming the indicator information,

wherein the surface of the object comprises a main information that overlaps and co-exists with the graphical micro-units on the surface of the object,

wherein the graphical micro-units are negligible when the user observes the main information and the main information is imperceptible to the optical device,

wherein each graphical indicator is formed in a square shape area and comprises a content information and a header information, and the header infoimation is positioned only along a first side of the square shape area and a second side of the square shape area perpendicular to the first side of the square shape area, and

wherein each graphical micro-unit is printed in the Black (K) primitive color ink for being read by the optical device, and the main information is colorful and printed in the Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) primitive color ink, or a combination thereof.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the optical device captures the image by transmitting infrared ray to the surface of the object.

3. The processing system of claim 1, where each graphical indicator has a visually negligible size.

4. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the surface of the object comprises multiple index zones, each index zone corresponds to one index value, and multiple identical graphical indicators are arranged in each index zone.

5. The processing system of claim 1, wherein each header information within each graphical indicator is configured to distinguish the corresponding graphical indicator from adjacent graphical indicators and indicate the orientation of the corresponding graphical indicator to the optical device.

6. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an optical device for capturing an image on a surface of an object by a user, the image comprising a graphical indicator that is visually negligible and is affixed onto the surface of the object, the graphical indicator comprising a plurality of state zones for selectively respectively storing a plurality of graphical micro-units, and each state zone displaying a state from at least two candidate states;

an image-processing circuit coupled to the optical-reading device and used to retrieve the image from the graphical indicator and acquire an additional information corresponding to the graphical indicator; and

an output circuit being coupled to the image-processing circuit and outputting the additional information;

wherein the surface of the object comprises multiple index zones, each index zone corresponds to one index value, and multiple identical graphical indicators are arranged in each index zone, the surface of the object further comprises a main information that overlaps and co-exists with the graphical micro-units on the surface of the object, and the graphical micro-units are negligible when the user observes the main information and the main information is imperceptible to the optical device, and each graphical micro-unit is printed in an ink that substantially absorbs infrared ray, and the main information is printed in an ink that hardly absorbs infrared ray,

wherein the graphical indicator is formed in a square shape area and comprises a content information and a header information, and the header information is positioned only along a first side of the square shape area and a second side of the square shape area perpendicular to the first side of the square shape area, and

wherein each graphical micro-unit is printed in the Black (K) primitive color ink for being read by the optical device, and the main information is colorful and printed in the Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) primitive color ink, or a combination thereof.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the optical-reading device captures the image by transmitting infrared ray to the surface of the object.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the graphical indicator has a visually negligible size.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, wherein the surface of the object comprises multiple index zones, each index zone corresponds to one index value, and multiple identical graphical indicators are arranged in each index zone.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 6, wherein each header information within each graphical indicator is configured to distinguish the corresponding graphical indicator from adjacent graphical indicators and indicate the orientation of the corresponding graphical indicator to the optical device.

11. A coordinate positioning system allowing a user to make positioning action over a surface of an object, said surface including a main information, comprising:

a coordinate system, implemented over said surface, including multiple coordinate zones, each coordinate zone including at least a visually negligible graphical indicator, the graphical indicator including multiple graphical micro-units co-existing with the main information over the surface without interference with the main information, multiple graphical micro-units being arranged in a layout in the graphical indicator, the layout corresponding to an indicator information indicating a coordinate value of each coordinate zone; and

an optical device, wherein the main information is imperceptible to the optical device, and the optical device captures the layout from the graphical indicator, retrieves the coordinate value responsive to the layout, and provides a response in response to the coordinate value,

wherein the graphical indicator is formed in a square shape area and comprises a content information and a header infoiiiiation, and the header information is positioned only along a first side of the square shape area and a second side of the square shape area perpendicular to the first side of the square shape area, and

wherein each graphical micro-unit is printed in the Black (K) primitive color ink for being read by the optical device, and the main information is colorful and printed in the Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) primitive color ink, or a combination thereof.

12. The coordinate positioning system of claim 11, wherein the optical device captures the layout by transmitting infrared ray to the surface of the object.

13. The coordinate positioning system of claim 11, wherein the graphical indicator has a visually negligible size.

14. The coordinate positioning system of claim 11, wherein the surface of the object comprises multiple index zones, each index zone corresponds to one index value, and multiple identical graphical indicators are arranged in each index zone.

15. The coordinate positioning system of claim 11, wherein each header information within each graphical indicator is configured to distinguish the corresponding graphical indicator from adjacent graphical indicators and indicate the orientation of the corresponding graphical indicator to the optical device.