Product provided with a coding pattern and apparatus and method for reading the pattern

• US 8,534,566 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Original Assignee: Anoto Group AB
• Inventors: Pettersson, Mats Petter, Edso, Tomas
• Primary Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US13/440,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20120193419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/494
• 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 19/06018 one-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1456 determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/19 by sensing codes defining pattern positions

Abstract

A product has a surface and a plurality of marks detectable on the surface, wherein each mark is arranged at a predetermined displacement value relative to a raster location, wherein each mark has associated with the mark a displacement value corresponding to each mark'"'"'s displacement relative to the raster location, and wherein a plurality of displacement values collectively encode a position on the surface.

Claims

1. A product, comprising

a surface, and

a plurality of marks detectable on the surface, wherein each mark is arranged at a predetermined displacement relative to a raster location, wherein each mark has associated with the mark a displacement value corresponding to each mark'"'"'s displacement relative to the raster location, and wherein a plurality of displacement values of a subset of the plurality of marks collectively encode a position on the surface.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein said plurality of marks are optically detectable.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein said plurality of marks are substantially identical.

4. The product of claim 1, wherein said plurality of marks are rotationally invariant.

5. The product of claim 1, wherein the raster location is included in a raster having a plurality of raster locations, and each raster location in the raster is associated with a same number of marks included in the plurality of marks.

6. The product of claim 1, wherein each mark is displaced relative to a raster location in two or four predetermined directions.

7. The product of claim 1, wherein a center of gravity of each mark is displaced from the raster location.

8. The product of claim 1, wherein each mark is sized such that the mark does not overlap with the raster location relative to which the mark is displaced.

9. The product of claim 1, wherein the displacement values encode a plurality of positions on said surface to enable digital recording of handwriting.

10. The product of claim 1, further comprising an invisible raster, the position of which is defined by said plurality of marks.

11. The product of claim 10, wherein said invisible raster comprises raster lines having meeting points that correspond to said raster locations.

12. An apparatus for decoding positions, comprising

a sensor for detecting a subset of marks of a plurality of marks provided on a surface, wherein each mark of said plurality of marks is arranged at a predetermined displacement relative to a raster location, and

a processor configured to

determine a displacement value of each mark of the subset of marks, said displacement value corresponding to the mark'"'"'s displacement relative to the raster location;

and

decode a position encoded on the surface, wherein the position is encoded using the displacement values of the subset of marks.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said plurality of marks are at least one of optically detectable, substantially identical, and rotationally invariant.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the raster location is included in a raster having a plurality of raster locations, and each raster location in the raster is associated with a same number of marks included in the plurality of marks.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the displacement values encode a plurality of positions on said surface to enable digital recording of handwriting.

16. A method for decoding a position encoded on a surface, the method comprising

detecting a subset of marks of a plurality of marks provided on the surface, wherein each mark of said plurality of marks is arranged at a predetermined displacement relative to a raster location;

determining a displacement value of each mark of the subset of marks, said displacement value corresponding to the mark'"'"'s displacement relative to the raster location; and

decoding the position encoded on the surface, wherein the position is encoded using the displacement values of the subset of marks.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of marks are at least one of optically detectable, substantially identical, and rotationally invariant.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the raster location is included in a raster having a plurality of raster locations, and each raster location in the raster is associated with the same number of marks included in the plurality of marks.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed on a processor causes the processor to cause a method for decoding a position encoded on a surface, the method comprising

detecting a subset of marks of a plurality of marks provided on the surface, wherein each mark of said plurality of marks is arranged at a predetermined displacement relative to a raster location;

determining a displacement value of each mark of the subset of marks, said displacement value corresponding to the mark'"'"'s displacement relative to the raster location; and

decoding the position encoded on the surface, wherein the position is encoded using the displacement values of the subset of marks.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said plurality of marks are at least one of optically detectable, substantially identical, and rotationally invariant.