Methods, media, and mobile devices for providing information associated with a visual code

• US 7,946,492 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Rohs
• Original Assignee: Michael Rohs
• Inventors: Rohs, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/871,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 235/468, 235/492, 23546201-46245, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03
• US Class Current: 235/462.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs

Abstract

Methods, media, and mobile devices for providing information associated with a visual code are provided. In some embodiments, methods for providing information associated with a visual code are provided, including capturing an image including a visual code and non-visual code regions using a mobile device; selecting a non-visual code region of the non-visual code regions based at least in part on the visual code and an orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code; retrieving information associated with the selected non-visual code region; and displaying the retrieved information on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for providing information associated with a visual code, comprising:

capturing an image using a digital camera in a mobile device, the image including a visual code and at least one non-code region associated with the visual code;

locating the visual code in the captured image;

retrieving information related to the at least one non-code region based at least in part on the visual code and an orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code; and

displaying the retrieved information on the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a screen displaying the image and further comprising superimposing at least one of textual and graphical information over the image on the screen based at least in part on the visual code and the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-code region includes an entry form containing entered data and further comprising:

reading the entered data; and

sending the entered data to a server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual code comprises a plurality of visual codes arranged in a grid to store data across the plurality of visual codes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is online content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a projective mapping from a coordinate system of the image to the coordinate system of the visual code;

computing a projective mapping from a coordinate system of the visual code to the coordinate system of the image; and

determining the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code based at least in part on the projective mappings.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

computing a rotation angle of the visual code located in the image;

computing a horizontal tilting values of the visual code;

computing a vertical tilting values of the visual code;

computing a distance of the at least one visual code to the mobile device; and

wherein the determining the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code is further based at least in part on the rotation angle, the horizontal tilting value, the vertical tilting value, and the distance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual code comprises three cornerstones, a small guide bar, and a large guide bar and further comprising:

identifying the three cornerstones, the small guide bar, and the large guide bar; and

locating the visual code based on the identification of the three cornerstones, the small guide bar, and the large guide bar.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading encoded bits in the visual code to produce a decoded value.

10. A mobile device for providing information associated with a visual code, comprising:

a screen;

a digital camera; and

a processor in communication with the screen and the digital camera, wherein the processor;

receives from the digital camera an image including a visual code and at least one non-code region associated with the visual code;

locates the visual code in the captured image;

retrieves information related to the at least one non-code region based at least in part on the visual code and an orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code; and

displays the retrieved information on the screen.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processor further displays the image on the screen and superimposes at least one of textual and graphical information over the image on the screen based at least in part on the visual code and the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the at least one non-code region includes an entry form containing entered data and wherein the processor further:

reads the entered data; and

sends the entered data to a server.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the processor further:

computes a projective mapping from a coordinate system of the image to the coordinate system of the visual code;

computes a projective mapping from a coordinate system of the visual code to the coordinate system of the image; and

determines the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code based at least in part on the projective mappings.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the processor further:

computes a rotation angle of the visual code located in the image;

computes a horizontal tilting values of the visual code;

computes a vertical tilting values of the visual code;

computes a distance of the at least one visual code to the mobile device; and

wherein the determining the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code is further based at least in part on the rotation angle, the horizontal tilting value, the vertical tilting value, and the distance.

15. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the visual code comprises three cornerstones, a small guide bar, and a large guide bar and wherein the processor further:

identifies the three cornerstones, the small guide bar, and the large guide bar; and

locates the visual code based on the identification of the three cornerstones, the small guide bar, and the large guide bar.

16. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for providing information associated with a visual code, the method comprising:

capturing an image using a digital camera in a mobile device, the image including a visual code and at least one non-code region associated with the visual code;

locating the visual code in the captured image;

retrieving information related to the at least one non-code region based at least in part on the visual code and an orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code; and

displaying the retrieved information on the mobile device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the mobile device includes a screen displaying the image and wherein the method further comprises superimposing at least one of textual and graphical information over the image on the screen based at least in part on the visual code and the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one non-code region includes an entry form containing entered data and wherein the method further comprises:

reading the entered data; and

sending the entered data to a server.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

computing a projective mapping from a coordinate system of the image to the coordinate system of the visual code;

computing a projective mapping from a coordinate system of the visual code to the coordinate system of the image; and

determining the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code based at least in part on the projective mappings.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

computing a rotation angle of the visual code located in the image;

computing a horizontal tilting values of the visual code;

computing a vertical tilting values of the visual code;

computing a distance of the at least one visual code to the mobile device; and

wherein the determining the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code is further based at least in part on the rotation angle, the horizontal tilting value, the vertical tilting value, and the distance.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the visual code comprises three cornerstones, a small guide bar, and a large guide bar and wherein the method further comprises locating the visual code based on identifying the three cornerstones, the small guide bar, and the large guide bar.

22. A method for providing information associated with a visual code, comprising:

capturing an image comprising a visual code and non-visual code regions using a mobile device;

identifying regions in the image including the visual code and at least one non-visual code region;

calculating at least one of orientations and shapes of at least one of the identified regions;

locating the visual code based at least in part on the at least one of the orientations and shapes of the at least one of the identified regions;

reading encoded bits in the visual code to produce a decoded value;

determining an orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code;

selecting a non-visual code region of the at least one non-visual code region of the at least one identified regions based on the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code;

retrieving information associated with the selected non-visual code region based at least in part on the decoded value; and

displaying the retrieved information on the mobile device.

23. A mobile device for providing information associated with a visual code, comprising:

a screen;

a digital camera; and

a processor in communication with the screen and the digital camera, wherein the processor;

captures an image comprising a visual code and non-visual code regions using the digital camera;

identifies regions in the image including the visual code and at least one non-visual code region;

calculates at least one of orientations and shapes of at least one of the identified regions;

locates the visual code based at least in part on the at least one of the orientations and shapes of the at least one of the identified regions;

reads encoded bits in the visual code to produce a decoded value;

determines an orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code;

selects a non-visual code region of the at least one non-visual code region of the at least one identified regions based on the orientation of the mobile device relative to the visual code;

retrieves information associated with the selected non-visual code region based at least in part on the decoded value; and

displays the retrieved information on the mobile device.