Information reproduction/i/o method using dot pattern, information reproduction device, mobile information i/o device, and electronic toy

• US 7,967,217 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenji Yoshida
• Original Assignee: Kenji Yoshida
• Inventors: Yoshida, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US10/529,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20060154559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,832 Days
• Field of Search: 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/00 Card games aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00; card games played on a gaming machine G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00662 with an electric sensor for playing pieces A63F2009/2444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/003 specially adapted for a particular function not connected with dolls as electric lighting devices A63H3/006
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/02 made of fabrics or stuffed
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/22 Optical, colour, or shadow toys puzzles with optical elements A63F9/0613; kaleidoscopes G02B27/08
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/38 Picture books with additional toy effects, e.g. pop-up or slide displays picture books B42D1/00
• 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 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0395 Mouse pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06 characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• 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 2007/10524 : Hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 : Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 : Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10772 : Moved readers, e.g. pen, wand
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 : constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 : using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 : 1D bar codes

Abstract

The present invention proposes a dot pattern on which code information and x and y coordinate information can be defined even if the dot pattern is extremely small, and proposes an information reproducing method and an information reproducing device based on the dot pattern. More specifically, a medium such as a printed material on which is formed a dot pattern portion by arranging in accordance with a given rule dots generated by a dot code generating algorithm in order to recognize various kinds of multimedia information is scanned as image data by scanning means. Then, the image data is converted into code data. Multimedia information corresponding to the code data is read out of storing means to be reproduced.

Claims

1. An information reproducing method using a dot pattern, comprising:

scanning a medium as image data by a scanner such as a printed material on which is formed a dot pattern portion, which formed by arranging in accordance with a given rule dots generated by a dot code generating algorithm, in order to recognize various kinds of multimedia information;

converting the image data of the dot pattern portion into code data; and

reading multimedia information corresponding to the code data out of a storage unit to reproduce the multimedia information,

wherein the dot pattern forms a lattice block by a horizontal line composed of successive equally spaced dots and a vertical line extending vertically from the horizontal line, the lattice block has a lattice area surrounded by lattice points, and an information dot that defines data is generated by the algorithm and arranged within the lattice area.

2. The information reproducing method using a dot pattern according to claim 1, wherein the medium is a printed material or a picture and the dot pattern portion is formed so as to recognize voice information corresponding to image of the medium.

3. The information reproducing method using a dot pattern according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dot pattern portion includes a plurality of areas which are separately printed depending on image of the printed material.

4. The information reproducing method using a dot pattern according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dot pattern portion is formed on a seal member which can be attached to the printed material or a card.

31. The information reproducing method according to claim 1, 5, 6 or 29 wherein the scanner extracts the horizontal line and the vertical line and scans the dot defined in the lattice area.

5. An information reproducing device using a dot pattern comprising:

a scanner for scanning image data of a dot pattern portion formed on a medium such as a printed material, the dot pattern portion being formed by arranging in accordance with a given rule dots generated by a dot code generating algorithm, in order to recognize various kinds of multimedia information, the information reproducing device;

an extractor for extracting a line composed by successive equally spaced dots, assuming one extracted line as a horizontal line, extracting a vertical line which extends vertically from the horizontal line, recognizing a vertical direction from the vertical line by a prescribed method, and extracting an information area;

a storage unit for, after the image data is digitalized into numeric values, storing multimedia information corresponding to the dot pattern portion based on the numeric values; and

an outputting unit;

for reproducing the multimedia information of the storage unit

wherein the dot pattern forms a lattice block by a horizontal line composed of successive equally spaced dots and a vertical line extending vertically from the horizontal line, the lattice block has a lattice area surrounded by lattice points, and an information dot that defines data is generated by the algorithm and arranged within the lattice area.

6. An information reproducing device using a dot pattern comprising:

a scanner housed in a pen type case to capture image data of a dot pattern portion that is formed on a medium surface by arranging in accordance with a given rule dots generated by a dot code generating algorithm in order to recognize various kinds of multimedia information;

an extractor for extracting a line composed by successive equally spaced dots, assuming one extracted line as a horizontal line, extracting a vertical line which extends vertically from the horizontal line, recognizing a vertical direction from the vertical line by a prescribed method, and extracting an information area;

a storage unit for, after the image data is digitalized into numeric value, storing multimedia information such as a voice corresponding to a code or x and y coordinates of the numeric values, or a code which is defined in advance based on the x and y coordinates; and

an outputting unit for outputting the multimedia information stored in the storage unit;

wherein the dot pattern forms a lattice block by a horizontal line composed of successive equally spaced dots and a vertical line extending vertically from the horizontal line, the lattice block has a lattice area surrounded by lattice points, and an information dot that defines data is generated by the algorithm and arranged within the lattice area.

7. An information inputting/outputting method by camera inputting comprising the steps of:

printing on one surface of a printed material a dot pattern portion formed by arranging in accordance with a given rule dots generated by a dot code generating algorithm in order to recognize various kinds of multimedia information and an information transfer portion which includes a text, an illustration or the like to be recognized as information content;

wherein said dot pattern portion includes three different kinds of dots including, key dots, lattice dots and information dots;

capturing by a camera unit only image data of the dot pattern portion in the printed material and digitalizing the image data into numeric values; and

based on the numeric values, outputting information and a program corresponding to the dot pattern portion from a storing portion and executing the information and the program.

8. The information inputting/outputting method by camera inputting according to claim 7, wherein the dot pattern portion and the information transfer portion of the text, the illustration or the like are printed on the one surface to be superimposed.

9. The information inputting/outputting method by camera inputting according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the dot pattern portion comprises x and y coordinate information and the x and y coordinate information is associated with description of the information transfer portion.

10. The information inputting/outputting method by camera inputting according to claim 9, wherein the dot pattern portion of the x and y coordinate information and the dot pattern information of the code number information are printed on a flat surface of the printed material.

11. The information inputting/outputting method by camera inputting according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the dot pattern portion comprises code number information and the code number information is associated with content of the information transfer portion.

12. The information inputting/outputting method by camera inputting according to claim 7 or 8, wherein in the step of capturing image data of the dot pattern portion by a camera unit, the dot pattern portion, which is printed with an ink that absorbs infrared light, is radiated with the infrared light.

13. The information inputting/outputting method by camera inputting according to claim 12, wherein the dot pattern portion is printed with a carbon ink.

14. The information inputting/outputting method by camera inputting according to claim 12, wherein the dot pattern portion is printed with a transparent ink.

15. The information inputting/outputting method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein in the step of capturing image data of the dot pattern portion, the dot pattern portion is radiated with ultraviolet light.

16. A portable information inputting/outputting device using a camera inputting method, comprising:

a camera unit for scanning only image data of a dot pattern portion printed on the printed material, the dot pattern portion formed by arranging in accordance with a given rule dots generated by a dot code generating algorithm in order to recognize various kinds of information and an information transfer portion which includes a text, an illustration or the like to be recognized as information content being printed on one surface of the printed material;

wherein said dot pattern portion includes three different kinds of dots including, key dots, lattice dots and information dots;

an image processing portion for digitalizing the image data into numeric values;

processing means for reading information of a storing portion corresponding to the dot pattern portion based on the numeric values obtained by the image processing portion; and

outputting means for outputting the information read out by the processing means.

17. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, further comprising an infrared light emitting portion for radiating the dot pattern portion in the printed material with infrared light.

18. The information portable inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, further comprising an ultraviolet light emitting portion for radiating the dot pattern portion in the printed material with ultraviolet light.

19. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, wherein the camera unit is a C-MOS camera.

20. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, wherein the camera unit is a CCD camera.

21. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, wherein the camera unit is configured separated from the image processing portion, the storing portion, the processing means and the outputting means to carry out transmission via an interface portion.

22. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, wherein the camera unit and the image processing portion is configured separated from the storing portion, the processing means and the outputting means to carry out transmission via an interface portion.

23. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, further comprising a microphone as an inputting portion.

24. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, wherein data of the numeric values of the dot pattern portion input by the camera unit is transmitted to a computer such as a server via a communication card.

25. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, wherein data of the numeric values of the dot pattern portion input by the camera unit is transmitted to a computer such as a server via a communication card, and information and a program corresponding to the data is received.

26. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, further comprising a GPS (global positioning system) unit for inputting position information.

27. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, wherein the portable information inputting/outputting device is a portable phone.

28. The portable information inputting/outputting device according to claim 16, wherein the camera unit is part of a portable phone.

29. An electronic information device comprising:

a scanner for scanning a medium surface on which dots are arranged in accordance with a given rule by a dot code generating algorithm in order to recognize various kinds of multimedia information;

an extractor for extracting a line composed by successive equally spaced dots, assuming one extracted line as a horizontal line, extracting a vertical line which extends vertically from the horizontal line, recognizing a vertical direction from the vertical line by a prescribed method, and extracting an information area;

a storage unit for, after image data of the scanned medium is converted into numeric values, storing multimedia information corresponding to the numeric values; and

an outputting unit for reading the multimedia information stored in the storage unit storing means to output the multimedia information, the scanner, the storage unit and the outputting unit being housed in a pen type case;

wherein the dot pattern forms a lattice block by a horizontal line composed of successive equally spaced dots and a vertical line extending vertically from the horizontal line, the lattice block has a lattice area surrounded by lattice points, and an information dot that defines data is generated by the algorithm and arranged within the lattice area.

30. The electronic information device according to claim 29, further comprising an inputting unit for inputting the multimedia information into the storage unit.

32. A computer executable program for registering a paper icon which has a dot pattern portion formed on a medium and code information associated with the paper icon by using a scanner connected to an information processing device, the program comprising the steps of

designating a display icon displayed on a display screen;

setting allocation of the paper icon to a ON state by selection on the display screen;

instructing the scanner about scanning processing of the paper icon on the display screen or by a voice data output while the ON state is kept;

after the scanning processing is performed based on the step of instructing, extracting code information from image data obtained by the scanning processing; and

associating the code information with the display icon designated in the step of designating.

33. The computer executable program according to claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

deleting from the display screen the display icon corresponding to the paper icon registered; and

executing a function of the display icon associated with the code information when the paper icon is scanned by the scanner.