U.S. patent application number 16/191762 was filed with the patent office on 2020-05-21 for layered barcodes readable from multiple angles in three dimensions.
The applicant listed for this patent is INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Zheng Lei An, Hua Wei Fan, Hong Wei Sun, Lei Wang, Ting Yin, Xin Zhao.
Application Number | 20200160129 16/191762 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 70727975 |
Filed Date | 2020-05-21 |
![](/patent/app/20200160129/US20200160129A1-20200521-D00000.png)
![](/patent/app/20200160129/US20200160129A1-20200521-D00001.png)
![](/patent/app/20200160129/US20200160129A1-20200521-D00002.png)
![](/patent/app/20200160129/US20200160129A1-20200521-D00003.png)
![](/patent/app/20200160129/US20200160129A1-20200521-D00004.png)
![](/patent/app/20200160129/US20200160129A1-20200521-D00005.png)
![](/patent/app/20200160129/US20200160129A1-20200521-D00006.png)
United States Patent
Application |
20200160129 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fan; Hua Wei ; et
al. |
May 21, 2020 |
LAYERED BARCODES READABLE FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES IN THREE
DIMENSIONS
Abstract
A computer-implemented method includes determining a set of
parameters defining an arrangement of a plurality of copies of a
standard barcode in two or more of layers of a layered barcode
encoding subject data. The layered barcode has a plurality of
cells, and for each cell in the layered barcode, a combined value
for the cell is determined, where the combined value of the cell
indicates a respective value of each layer at the cell, and the
combined value is mapped to a color corresponding to the combined
value. The plurality of layers of the layered barcode are
generated, such that, at each cell of the plurality of cells, the
layered barcode includes the color corresponding to the combined
value of the cell.
Inventors: |
Fan; Hua Wei; (Beijing,
CN) ; Zhao; Xin; (Beijing, CN) ; Wang;
Lei; (Beijing, CN) ; An; Zheng Lei; (Beijing,
CN) ; Yin; Ting; (Beijing, CN) ; Sun; Hong
Wei; (Beijing, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION |
Armonk |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
70727975 |
Appl. No.: |
16/191762 |
Filed: |
November 15, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06K 7/1417 20130101;
G06K 19/06131 20130101; G06K 7/1426 20130101; G06K 19/06037
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06K 19/06 20060101
G06K019/06; G06K 7/14 20060101 G06K007/14 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: determining a set of
parameters defining an arrangement of a plurality of copies of a
standard barcode in two or more of layers of a layered barcode
encoding subject data, wherein the layered barcode comprises a
plurality of cells; for each cell in the layered barcode:
determining a combined value for the cell, wherein the combined
value of the cell indicates a respective value of each layer at the
cell; and mapping the combined value to a color corresponding to
the combined value; and generating the plurality of layers of the
layered barcode, wherein, at each cell of the plurality of cells,
the layered barcode comprises the color corresponding to the
combined value of the cell, wherein each layer of the plurality of
layers has a corresponding offset position within the layered
barcode, and wherein a first offset position of the first layer is
distinct from a second offset position of the second layer.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the
determining the set of parameters defining the arrangement of the
plurality of layers comprises: receiving a description of a
three-dimensional (3D) object; wherein the set of parameters are
based on the 3D object.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising
applying the layered barcode to a surface of the 3D object.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the 3D
object is a cylinder.
5. (canceled)
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the
determining the set of parameters defining the arrangement of the
plurality of layers comprises determining an offset between layers
of the plurality of layers.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each copy of
the standard barcode of the layered barcode is individually
decodable to produce the subject data.
8. A system comprising: a memory having computer-readable
instructions; and one or more processors for executing the
computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions
for: determining a set of parameters defining an arrangement of a
plurality of copies of a standard barcode in two or more of layers
of a layered barcode encoding subject data, wherein the layered
barcode comprises a plurality of cells; for each cell in the
layered barcode: determining a combined value for the cell, wherein
the combined value of the cell indicates a respective value of each
layer at the cell; and mapping the combined value to a color
corresponding to the combined value; and generating the plurality
of layers of the layered barcode, wherein, at each cell of the
plurality of cells, the layered barcode comprises the color
corresponding to the combined value of the cell, wherein each layer
of the plurality of layers has a corresponding offset position
within the layered barcode, and wherein a first offset position of
the first layer is distinct from a second offset position of the
second layer.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the determining the set of
parameters defining the arrangement of the plurality of layers
comprises: receiving a description of a three-dimensional (3D)
object; wherein the set of parameters are based on the 3D
object.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable
instructions are further for applying the layered barcode to a
surface of the 3D object.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the 3D object is a
cylinder.
12. (canceled)
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the determining the set of
parameters defining the arrangement of the plurality of layers
comprises determining an offset between layers of the plurality of
layers.
14. A computer-program product for generating a layered barcode,
the computer-program product comprising a computer-readable storage
medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program
instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to
perform a method comprising: determining a set of parameters
defining an arrangement of a plurality of copies of a standard
barcode in two or more of layers of a layered barcode encoding
subject data, wherein the layered barcode comprises a plurality of
cells; for each cell in the layered barcode: determining a combined
value for the cell, wherein the combined value of the cell
indicates a respective value of each layer at the cell; and mapping
the combined value to a color corresponding to the combined value;
and generating the plurality of layers of the layered barcode,
wherein, at each cell of the plurality of cells, the layered
barcode comprises the color corresponding to the combined value of
the cell, wherein each layer of the plurality of layers has a
corresponding offset position within the layered barcode, and
wherein a first offset position of the first layer is distinct from
a second offset position of the second layer.
15. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the
determining the set of parameters defining the arrangement of the
plurality of layers comprises: receiving a description of a
three-dimensional (3D) object; wherein the set of parameters are
based on the 3D object.
16. The computer-program product of claim 15, the method further
comprising applying the layered barcode to a surface of the 3D
object.
17. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein the 3D object
is a cylinder.
18. (canceled)
19. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the
determining the set of parameters defining the arrangement of the
plurality of layers comprises determining an offset between layers
of the plurality of layers.
20. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein each copy of
the standard barcode of the layered barcode is individually
decodable to produce the subject data.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to barcodes and, more
specifically, to layered barcodes readable from multiple angles in
three dimensions.
[0002] Barcodes have become popular to convey information in
various circumstances. Quick Response (QR) codes are a versatile
type of two-dimensional barcode that can be used to encode web
addresses, resource locations, or other data. Typically, a QR code
includes square cells arranged in a square grid on a white
background. The arrangement of cells can be interpreted as a binary
representation of encoded data. A scanner captures the QR code with
a camera and then decodes the data to discover the encoded
data.
[0003] Compared to traditional one-dimensional barcodes, QR codes
are able to encode a greater amount of information and can
typically be read faster. Various applications exist for
smartphones and other devices to enable these devices to read QR
codes and other barcodes, so as to quickly convey information to
users of such devices. As a result, businesses are using QR codes
with the expectation that users will be able to scan them and
extract the information those businesses want customers to have.
For instance, QR codes are often used in promotional materials to
provide links to a business's website or to product purchase pages.
For another example, QR codes are used to provide coupons within
brick-and-mortar stores or elsewhere.
SUMMARY
[0004] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
computer-implemented method for generating a layered barcode. A
non-limiting example of the computer-implemented method includes
determining a set of parameters defining an arrangement of a
plurality of copies of a standard barcode in two or more of layers
of a layered barcode encoding subject data. The layered barcode has
a plurality of cells, and for each cell in the layered barcode, a
combined value for the cell is determined, where the combined value
of the cell indicates a respective value of each layer at the cell,
and the combined value is mapped to a color corresponding to the
combined value. The plurality of layers of the layered barcode are
generated, such that, at each cell of the plurality of cells, the
layered barcode includes the color corresponding to the combined
value of the cell.
[0005] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
system for generating a layered barcode. A non-limiting example of
the system includes a memory having computer-readable instructions
and one or more processors for executing the computer-readable
instructions. The computer-readable instructions include
instructions for determining a set of parameters defining an
arrangement of a plurality of copies of a standard barcode in two
or more of layers of a layered barcode encoding subject data. The
layered barcode has a plurality of cells, and for each cell in the
layered barcode, a combined value for the cell is determined, where
the combined value of the cell indicates a respective value of each
layer at the cell, and the combined value is mapped to a color
corresponding to the combined value. Further according to the
computer-readable instructions, the plurality of layers of the
layered barcode are generated, such that, at each cell of the
plurality of cells, the layered barcode includes the color
corresponding to the combined value of the cell.
[0006] Embodiments of the invention are directed to a
computer-program product for generating a layered barcode, the
computer-program product including a computer-readable storage
medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program
instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor
to perform a method. A non-limiting example of the method includes
determining a set of parameters defining an arrangement of a
plurality of copies of a standard barcode in two or more of layers
of a layered barcode encoding subject data. The layered barcode has
a plurality of cells, and for each cell in the layered barcode, a
combined value for the cell is determined, where the combined value
of the cell indicates a respective value of each layer at the cell,
and the combined value is mapped to a color corresponding to the
combined value. Further according to the method performed by the
processor, the plurality of layers of the layered barcode are
generated, such that, at each cell of the plurality of cells, the
layered barcode includes the color corresponding to the combined
value of the cell.
[0007] Additional technical features and benefits are realized
through the techniques of the present invention. Embodiments and
aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are
considered a part of the claimed subject matter. For a better
understanding, refer to the detailed description and to the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The specifics of the exclusive rights described herein are
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at
the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other
features and advantages of the embodiments of the invention are
apparent from the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a barcode-generation system for
generating layered barcodes, according to some embodiments of the
invention;
[0010] FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate layers of a layered barcode,
according to some embodiments of the invention;
[0011] FIG. 3A is an example layered barcode applicable to an
example three-dimensional object, according to some embodiments of
the invention;
[0012] FIG. 3B illustrates an example image of the layered barcode
of FIG. 3A as captured by a scanner, according to some embodiments
of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of generating a layered
barcode, according to some embodiments of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method of reading a layered
barcode, according to some embodiments of the invention; and
[0015] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computer system for
implementing some or all aspects of the barcode-generation system,
according to some embodiments of this invention.
[0016] The diagrams depicted herein are illustrative. There can be
many variations to the diagram or the operations described therein
without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance,
the actions can be performed in a differing order or actions can be
added, deleted or modified. Also, the term "coupled" and variations
thereof describes having a communications path between two elements
and does not imply a direct connection between the elements with no
intervening elements/connections between them. All of these
variations are considered a part of the specification.
[0017] In the accompanying figures and following detailed
description of the disclosed embodiments, the various elements
illustrated in the figures are provided with two- or three-digit
reference numbers. With minor exceptions, the leftmost digit(s) of
each reference number correspond to the figure in which its element
is first illustrated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Various embodiments of the invention are described herein
with reference to the related drawings. Alternative embodiments of
the invention can be devised without departing from the scope of
this invention. Various connections and positional relationships
(e.g., over, below, adjacent, etc.) are set forth between elements
in the following description and in the drawings. These connections
and/or positional relationships, unless specified otherwise, can be
direct or indirect, and the present invention is not intended to be
limiting in this respect. Accordingly, a coupling of entities can
refer to either a direct or an indirect coupling, and a positional
relationship between entities can be a direct or indirect
positional relationship. Moreover, the various tasks and process
steps described herein can be incorporated into a more
comprehensive procedure or process having additional steps or
functionality not described in detail herein.
[0019] The following definitions and abbreviations are to be used
for the interpretation of the claims and the specification. As used
herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes,"
"including," "has," "having," "contains" or "containing," or any
other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive
inclusion. For example, a composition, a mixture, process, method,
article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not
necessarily limited to only those elements but can include other
elements not expressly listed or inherent to such composition,
mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus.
[0020] Additionally, the term "exemplary" is used herein to mean
"serving as an example, instance or illustration." Any embodiment
or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be
construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or
designs. The terms "at least one" and "one or more" may be
understood to include any integer number greater than or equal to
one, i.e., one, two, three, four, etc. The terms "a plurality" may
be understood to include any integer number greater than or equal
to two, i.e., two, three, four, five, etc. The term "connection"
may include both an indirect "connection" and a direct
"connection."
[0021] The terms "about," "substantially," "approximately," and
variations thereof, are intended to include the degree of error
associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon
the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For
example, "about" can include a range of .+-.8% or 5%, or 2% of a
given value.
[0022] For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to
making and using aspects of the invention may or may not be
described in detail herein. In particular, various aspects of
computing systems and specific computer programs to implement the
various technical features described herein are well known.
Accordingly, in the interest of brevity, many conventional
implementation details are only mentioned briefly herein or are
omitted entirely without providing the well-known system and/or
process details.
[0023] Turning now to an overview of technologies that are more
specifically relevant to aspects of the invention, while QR codes
and other barcodes are have proved useful for various purposes,
they are still limited in some respects. For instance, if a single
QR code is displayed in public, then typically only a single person
can scan that barcode at a time. For instance, in a store setting,
a QR code may be displayed near a product or upon entry into the
store, to provide one or more coupons to shoppers who scan that QR
code. However, QR codes are two-dimensional and thus cannot be
scanned from extreme angles or if only a portion of the QR code is
reachable. Thus, in a setting where multiple people wish to scan a
QR code, some people will have to wait until the QR code becomes
available. While in some cases this can be addressed by using very
large QR code, this may occupy too much space, which can become
costly if a business is using paid advertising space for the
placement of the QR code.
[0024] Turning now to an overview of the aspects of the invention,
one or more embodiments of the invention address the
above-described shortcomings of the prior art by providing a
layered barcode, such as a QR code, provided in three dimensions. A
layered barcode may be positioned on a three-dimensional (3D)
object for capture from various angles. Given a standard QR code
and a 3D object, such as a cylinder, embodiments of the invention
determine how to arrange two or more overlapping layers of copies
of the QR code around the 3D object. Across the various layers, the
copies of the QR code may be shifted by a determined offset. In
some embodiments of the invention, each layer includes one or more
copies of the QR code. Based on the data and position of the QR
code within a layer, it may be determined whether the layer is set
or not (i.e., TRUE or FALSE) for each cell in the layered barcode.
When combined, the settings of the various layers form a value at
each cell in the layered barcode, and each possible value may be
assigned a respective color representing that value. Thus, when
scanned by a scanner, the scanner can identify the values of the
various layers at each cell, based on the resulting color of the
cell, and may thus identify and read a complete QR code within the
various layers.
[0025] The above-described aspects of the invention address the
shortcomings of the prior art by providing a layered barcode on a
3D object, where each layer contributes to the resulting color of
each cell in the layered barcode. As a result, a scanner can
capture an image of a portion of the layered barcode and can
identify, within the image, a complete layer to be decoded. As a
result, the layered barcode can be read and used more efficiently,
especially in crowds.
[0026] Turning now to a more detailed description of aspects of the
present invention, FIG. 1 is a diagram of a barcode-generation
system 100 according to some embodiments of the invention. As shown
in FIG. 1, the barcode-generation system 100 may include a barcode
generator 110 and a layering engine 120. Generally, the barcode
generator 110 may generate a standard barcode 130, such as a QR
code, for input into the layering engine 120. The layering engine
120 may also take as input a description of an object 140, which
may be 3D, on which a resulting layered barcode 150 is to be
positioned in 3D space, thereby making the layered barcode 150
three-dimensional. After its generation, the layered barcode 150
may be printed onto the object 140 or may be printed onto some
other material and placed onto the object 140. When a scanner 160
captures an image of at least a portion of the layered barcode 150,
the scanner 160 can isolate a standard barcode 130 of the layered
barcode 150 to determine what data is encoded in the layered
barcode 150.
[0027] In some embodiments of the invention, a layered barcode 150
includes two or more layers 155, where each possible combination of
the layers 155 is coded to a distinct color or pattern, as will be
described below. Each layer 155 may itself include an encoded
version of one or more standard barcodes 130, which may be arranged
in a series. The various layers 155 may overlap one another but may
be shifted such that the series of standard barcodes 130 take
various positions across the layers 155. In some embodiments of the
invention, each layer 155 includes a standard barcode 130 that is
common to all the layers 155. Generally, a standard barcode 130
includes a matrix of cells, in which some are black or some other
foreground color and other cells are transparent, white, or some
other background color. The cells in the foreground color are
considered to be set (i.e., on or TRUE), while the cells in the
background are considered unset (i.e., off or FALSE). Thus, because
a layer 155 includes a series of standard barcodes 130, at each
cell within a layer 155, the value of the layer 155 is on or off
based on whether the standard barcode 130 is on or off in that
cell.
[0028] When each layer 155 is assigned to a dimension within a
vector, then the set of layers 155 results in a value of that
vector each cell of the layered barcode 150. When the layered
barcode 150 is applied to a 3D object 140, the various layers 155
positioned differently from one another may be angled differently
from one another and may thus be readable at various angles. Thus,
a scanner 160 in one position relative to the object 140 may have a
full view of one encoded standard barcode 130 in one layer 155 but
not another encoded standard barcode 130 in another layer 155,
which may be in full view of a scanner 160 in another position.
[0029] Although the layered barcodes 150 described herein are
largely layered QR codes, it will be understood by one skilled in
the art that a layered barcode 150 may instead be, for example, a
linear barcode in a layered format as described herein. A layered
QR code may benefits over a linear barcode due to the versatility
of the QR code. Further, although the objects 140 described herein
are largely cylinders, it will be understood by one skilled in the
art that other 3D objects 140 are also usable for placement of a
layered barcode 150.
[0030] FIGS. 2A-2B conceptually illustrate the layers 155 of an
example layered barcode 150, according to some embodiments of the
invention. Although FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate three layers 155 for the
sake of simplicity, it will be understood by one skilled in the art
that a layered barcode 150 may have fewer layers 155 or a greater
number of layers 155. Further, although each layer 155 of the
layered barcode 150 in this example has only sixteen cells in a
four-by-four arrangement, it will be understood that many more
cells may be included in each layer 155.
[0031] Each layer of the layered barcode 150 may encode a plurality
of bits, or cells, each of which may have a value of 0 or 1,
corresponding respectively to being unset or set, or being off or
on. As shown in the example of FIG. 2A, each layer 155 may encode
the same data. More specifically, the data encoded may be a series
of copies of a standard barcode 130, where each layer 155 includes
this data shifted according to the offset of the layer. In some
embodiments of the invention, each layer 155 is the same size as
the other layers 155.
[0032] FIG. 2B illustrates another conceptual view of the example
layers 155 of FIG. 2A. The layered barcode 150 may be printed on a
plane, which may be transformed to fit the object 140 being used,
and thus, the layers 155 themselves overlap within a single plane
according to some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2B illustrates
how the values in each layer 155 may overlap within common cells,
given the offset between layers 155. Each layer 155 includes a
matrix of cells representing values of the standard barcode 130
being represented, and because the layers 155 overlap, so do these
cells. More specifically, in each cell of FIG. 2B, a vector
includes three dimensions, or bits, with each dimension
corresponding to one of the three layers 155. The vector within
each cell shows the value of the various layers within the cell,
where a value of 1 in a cell for a first layer 155 (i.e., in a
first position of the vector) indicates the corresponding cell of
the first layer 155 is set (i.e., a copy of the standard barcode
130 in the first layer 155 is set at that cell). For instance,
given the cell in the top row and third from the left, this cell
has a value of 1 for the first layer 155, 0 for the second layer
155, and 1 for the third layer 155, resulting in the vector {1, 0,
1}.
[0033] In some embodiments of the invention, each combination of
values in the various layers may be assigned a color. For instance,
in this example, in which the vector has three dimensions, there
are a possibility of 2.sup.3=8 vectors. Thus, eight colors may be
assigned, with one color assigned to each possible vector. As a
result, the appearance of a particular color in a cell of the
layered barcode 110 indicates that the vector to which that
particular color is assigned describes the setting of the layers in
that cell. For instance, if the vector {1, 0, 1} is assigned the
color red, then the cell in the top row and third from the left,
which is associated with this vector, may be colored red based on
the vector value. For each cell in the layered barcode 150, the
barcode-generation system 100 may determine whether the bit (i.e.,
dimension of the vector) corresponding to that position is set for
each layer 155, and may apply the color assigned to the resulting
vector. To generate the layered barcode 150, this evaluation may be
performed for each cell in the layered barcode 150 (i.e., at each
cell of the object 140 desired to be covered by the layered barcode
150).
[0034] FIG. 3A is an example layered barcode 150, specifically a
layered QR code, applicable to an example 3D object 140, according
to some embodiments of the invention. In this example, the object
140 is a right cylinder 310, as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG.
2, the side of the cylinder 310 can be flattened into a rectangle,
as shown, and thus by generating a layered barcode 150 to fit
within such a rectangle, this layered barcode 150 can be wrapped
around the cylinder 310, such as by being printed on the cylinder
310 itself or being affixed around the cylinder 310.
[0035] FIG. 3B illustrates an example image 320 of the layered
barcode 150 as captured by a scanner 160, according to some
embodiments of the invention. In this example, the captured image
320 includes two complete standard barcodes 130 encoded as colors
in the layered barcode 150. A scanner 160 configured to read a
layered barcode 150 may include a mapping from colors to vectors.
Thus, given this mapping, the scanner 160 may be able to isolate
each of the layers 155 of the captured image 320, which is at least
a portion of the layered barcode 150. Each standard barcode 130 may
include position markers, which are known in the art to mark the
boundaries of QR codes. Based on the detection of position markers
in each layer 155 within the captured image 320, the scanner 160
may determine which standard barcodes 130 encoded in the isolated
layers 155 of the layered barcode 150 are complete standard
barcodes 130. Upon identifying a complete standard barcode 130
within a layer 155, the scanner 160 may interpret that standard
barcode 130 to determine the subject data encoded in that standard
barcode 130, which is also the subject data encoded in the layered
barcode 150.
[0036] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method 400 of generating a
layered barcode 150, according to some embodiments of the
invention. As shown in FIG. 4, at block 401, subject data is
received to be encoded in a layered barcode 150. For example, and
not by way of limitation, the subject data may be a web address,
text, or other data. At block 402, the subject data is encoded into
a standard barcode 130 by way of a barcode generator 110. For
example, and not by way of limitation, the barcode generator 110
may be one known in the art or may implement a barcode-generation
methodology known in the art.
[0037] However, in some embodiments of the invention, the
barcode-generation system 100 may receive the generated standard
barcode 130 rather than receiving the subject data, and in that
case, blocks 401 and 402 of the method 400 may be skipped. In some
embodiments of the invention, the remainder of this method 400 may
be performed by the layering engine 120.
[0038] At block 403, a description of the 3D object 140 is
received. The information in that description may vary based on the
type of object 140. For instance, each supported object type (e.g.,
sphere, cylinder 310) may have a set of fields for which values are
expected to describe the object 140. For example, and not by way of
limitation, if the object 140 is a right cylinder 310, the
description may include the height as well as the circumference,
radius, or diameter. For another example, if the object 140 is a
sphere, the description may include the radius, diameter, or
circumference.
[0039] Below, various calculations are performed to determine
parameters related to how to arrange copies of a standard barcode
130 within layers 155 of the layered barcode 150. In this example
method 400, these parameters include the length of each copy of the
standard barcode 130, the length of each cell, the quantity of
copies of the standard barcode 130 within a layer 155, the offset
of the layers 155, and the quantity of layers 155. One of skill in
the art will understand, however, that the copies of the standard
barcode within each layer 155 of the layered barcode 150 may be
arranged in various ways and that the parameters determined below
are exemplary and not restrictive, and further, the method of
determining these parameters is also exemplary and not restrictive.
For example, and not by way of limitation, the copies of the
standard barcode 130 may be sized and arranged, at least in part,
based on a random-number generator, as long as the copies are
arranged to face various angles around the object 140. In that
case, the random-number generator may be used to generate a set of
parameters for arranging the copies. For another example, a user
may specify the values of these parameters or others, and such
values may be used as received.
[0040] At block 404, the length of each standard barcode 130 (i.e.,
each copy of the standard barcode 130) in the layers 155 of the
layered barcode 150 is determined. In some embodiments of the
invention, for instance, when the object 140 is a cylinder 310, the
length of each standard barcode 130 may be the height of the
cylinder 310. Further, each standard barcode 130 within each layer
155 may have the same length and height, and thus this may be the
height of each standard barcode 130 and of each layer 155 as
well.
[0041] In one example, a cylinder 310 used as the 3D object 140 is
30 cm tall and has a circumference of 180 cm. This description of
the object 140 may be received at block 403, for instance. For a
cylinder 310, the surface of the object 140 is made up of a top
circle, a bottom circle, and continuous side connecting to both the
top circle and the bottom circle. In this example, the layered
barcode 150 is configured to wrap around the side of the cylinder
310, and thus, the layered barcode 150 may be configured to fit
into the rectangle that forms that surface of the cylinder 310. In
this example, the length of each standard barcode 130 is 30 cm, to
match the height of the object 140. In some embodiments of the
invention, as in this example, the circumference of the cylinder
310, and thus the length of the rectangle onto which the layered
barcode 150 is to be printed, is an integer multiple of the length
of each layer 155. However, it will be understood that this need
not be the case.
[0042] Although application of a layered barcode 150 to a cylinder
310 is described herein, it will be understood by one skilled in
the art that various 3D objects 140 may be used. For example, and
not by way of limitation, a layered barcode 150 may be generated
for and applied to a sphere. Various techniques exist for printing
on a sphere or for applying a two-dimensional image onto a sphere.
Such techniques can be used in conjunction with embodiments of this
invention to apply a layered barcode 150 to a sphere. In that case,
for instance, there may be both a horizontal and a vertical offset
between layers, and these offsets may or may not be the same. In
some embodiments of the invention, the one or more offsets need not
be fixed. For instance, a variety of copies of the standard barcode
130 may be applied to the sphere in overlapping layers 155, without
the use of a consistent offset. The various layers 155 may be
distributed throughout a two-dimensional space, which may be
applied to the sphere, and which may be transformed, or morphed,
before application to better fit the shape of the sphere.
[0043] At block 405 of the method 400, the length of each matrix
cell of the standard barcodes 130 in the layers 155 is determined.
As discussed above, each layer 155 may include one or more QR code,
each of which is a copy of the standard barcode 130, and each of
which is a grid or matrix of cells. The dimensions of this matrix
in terms of these cells (i.e., the number of cells in the length
and in the width) may be determined, and the size of each cell may
then be determined based on the length of each standard barcode 130
and further based the dimensions in terms of cells. In some
embodiments of the invention, the cells may be square, and thus,
the length and width of each cell may be the length of the standard
barcode 130 divided by the number of cells in each direction of the
standard barcode 130.
[0044] For instance, suppose a standard barcode 130 being
represented is a QR code that is a 60.times.60 grid of matrix
cells. Thus, because the length of each standard barcode 130 in
each layer 155 is 30 cm in the example above, the size of each cell
is 0.5 cm long by 0.5 cm wide, which enables the 60.times.60 grid
of cells to fit into a 30 cm by 30 cm space.
[0045] At block 406, the quantity of standard barcodes 130 within
each layer 155 may be determined. More specifically, for instance,
the quantity of standard barcodes 130 may be calculated as on the
length of each layer 155, which may be length of the circumference
in the case of a cylinder 310, divided by the length of each
standard barcode 130.
[0046] In the ongoing example, the circumference of the cylinder is
180 cm, and the length of each standard barcode 130 is 30 cm. Thus,
the quantity of standard barcodes 130, positioned side-by-side
within a series within a layer 155, is 6.
[0047] At block 407, an offset between layers 155 of the layered
barcode 150 is determined. As discussed above, in some embodiments
of the invention, the layers 155 overlap one another but have
various offset positions on the surface of the object 140. Thus, an
offset may be determined, and each layer 155 may be offset from a
previous layer 155 according to the offset value. In some
embodiments of the invention, the length of each standard barcode
130 is an integer multiple of the offset. Additionally or
alternatively, in some embodiments of the invention, the
circumference of the cylinder 310 is an integer multiple of the
standard barcode 130, thus enabling for a series of complete
standard barcodes 130 in each layer 155. Thus, for example, and not
by way of limitation, the offset may be calculated as a fraction
(e.g., a third or a fourth) of the length of each standard barcode
130, such that an integer multiple of the fraction of the length
adds up to the complete length. The size of the fraction may be
dependent, at least in part, on the overall magnitude of the object
140 or the number of layers 155 being used. For instance, for a
very large object, a smaller fraction (e.g., a tenth, or a
hundredth) of the length of a standard barcode 130 may be selected
as the offset in conjunction with a high quantity of layers (e.g,
ten), thus enabling a standard barcode 130 to be viewable from a
great range of angles.
[0048] Returning to the above example with the cylinder 310, the
offset may be selected to be the size of twenty matrix cells, which
is a third of all the cells in one direction. Given that each cell
is half a centimeter, the offset size is calculated as 10 cm.
[0049] At block 408, a quantity of the layers 155 may be
determined. In some embodiments of the invention, the quantity of
layers 155 is the length of each standard barcode 130 divided by
the offset. As a result, in some embodiments of the invention, the
number of layers 155 may allow for the existence of one layer 155
at each possible offset without a complete overlap between any two
layers 155.
[0050] In the ongoing example, there may be a total of three layers
155 in the layered barcode 150, which is calculated as the length
of a standard barcode 130 (i.e., 30 cm in this example) divided by
the offset (i.e., 10 cm in this example). In other words, a first
layer 155 has an offset of 0, a second layer 155 has an offset of
10, and a third layer 155 has an offset of 20. At the 30 cm
position, a second standard barcode 130 of the first layer 155 may
be positioned, due to each layer 155 being a series of copies of
the standard barcode 130 according to some embodiments of the
invention.
[0051] At block 409, the layered barcode 150 may be generated for
application to the object 140 according to the determined
parameters. To this end, a vector may be determined for each cell
of the layered barcode 150, where the vector encodes whether each
layer 155 is set at each cell of the layered barcode 150, given the
arrangement of layers 155 as described above. Given a respective
vector for each cell, a corresponding color may be associated with
each cell based on the respective vector. One of skill in the art
will understand, however, that embodiments of the invention need
not utilize a traditional vector. Rather, for instance, a set of
distinct Boolean variables may be used for each layer 155, rather
than a vector of Boolean variables, and the values of these Boolean
variables may be combined to produce a value used instead of a
vector value. The various colors across the cells of the layered
barcode 150 may together make up the layered barcode 150.
[0052] In some embodiments of the invention, to determine a color
associated with each vector value, the barcode-generation system
100 has a set of one or more predefined mappings, which may
include, for instance, a corresponding mapping for each vector size
(i.e., each supported number of layers) or a single mapping for all
vector sizes. Such a mapping may be a one-to-one mapping of each
possible value of the applicable vector size, or vector sizes, to a
corresponding color. Thus, in some embodiments of the invention,
given the number of layers 155 determined, the barcode-generation
system 100 may select an established mapping and may therefore
determine a color for each possible value of each cell of the
layered barcode 150. Having predefined mappings may be useful
because scanners 160 may be aware of such predefined mappings may
thus use these mappings to interpret the colors of layered barcodes
150. However, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that
other implementations are within the scope of embodiments of the
invention.
[0053] For example, and not by way of limitation, generation of the
layered barcode 150 may include generating an image of the colored
cells representing the arrangement of standard barcodes 130 in
layers 155 according to the determined parameters. For another
example, generation of the layered barcode 150 may include printing
the resulting colored cells directly onto the object 140, or the
colored cells may be printed onto one or more sheets of some other
material (e.g., vinyl with adhesive backing) and applied to the
object 140 after printing. Various mechanisms exist for printing on
3D objects 140 or for printing to other material for application to
3D objects 140, and one or more of such mechanisms may be used
according to some embodiments of the invention.
[0054] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method 500 of reading a
layered barcode 150, according to some embodiments of the
invention. This method 500 may be performed by a barcode scanner
160, or in communication with a barcode scanner 160, configured to
read a layered barcode 150. For instance, a barcode scanner 160 may
be updated with program code to perform this method 500 or a
similar method to recognize the layers 155 of layered barcodes 150.
This program code may include, for example, and not by way of
limitation, the predefined mappings of vector values to colors.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 5, at block 501, such a scanner 160
captures an image 320 of at least a portion of a layered barcode
150. According to some embodiments of the invention, it is not
necessary that the scanner 160 capture the entire layered barcode
150.
[0056] At block 502, the scanner 160 may map each cell of the
captured image 320 to a vector value. More specifically, each cell
may be colored, and the color of each cell may be mapped to a
vector value, such as by using a predefined mapping corresponding
to the number of layers 155. In some embodiments of the invention,
if multiple mappings are available, the appropriate mapping may be
selected based on the colors appearing in the captured image 320.
Given the vector value of each cell in the captured image 320, the
scanner 160 may thus determine which cells are set within the
standard barcodes 130, or portions thereof, in each layer 155. In
other words, the scanner 160 may identify the standard barcodes 130
themselves, or portions thereof, within the various layers 155.
[0057] At decision block 503, it may be determined whether a
complete standard barcode 130 appears in the captured image 320.
For instance, based on the detection of position markers within the
layers 155, the scanner 160 can determine whether any layer 155
includes a complete standard barcode 130.
[0058] If no layer 155 in the captured image 320 is deemed
complete, then the scanner 160 may determine that the read failed
at block 504. Then, the scanner 160 may attempt to read the layered
barcode 150 by once again capturing another image 320 at block
501.
[0059] However, if a layer is deemed complete in a particular
color, then at block 505, the scanner 160 may decode, or interpret,
a standard barcode 130 identified as complete, as per traditional
barcode reading. As a result, the subject data encoded in the
standard barcode 130 and the layered barcode 150 may be
determined.
[0060] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computer system 600 for
implementing some or all aspects of the barcode-generation system
100, according to some embodiments of this invention. The
barcode-generation systems 100 and methods described herein may be
implemented in hardware, software (e.g., firmware), or a
combination thereof. In some embodiments, the methods described may
be implemented, at least in part, in hardware and may be part of
the microprocessor of a special or general-purpose computer system
600, such as a personal computer, workstation, minicomputer, or
mainframe computer. For example, and not by way of limitation, the
barcode generator 110, the layering engine 120, and the barcode
scanner 160 may be implemented as one or more computer systems 600
or portions thereof, or may run on one or more computer systems
600.
[0061] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the computer system
600 includes a processor 605, memory 610 coupled to a memory
controller 615, and one or more input devices 645 and/or output
devices 640, such as peripherals, that are communicatively coupled
via a local I/O controller 635. These devices 640 and 645 may
include, for example, a printer, a scanner, a microphone, and the
like. Input devices such as a conventional keyboard 650 and mouse
655 may be coupled to the I/O controller 635. The I/O controller
635 may be, for example, one or more buses or other wired or
wireless connections, as are known in the art. The I/O controller
635 may have additional elements, which are omitted for simplicity,
such as controllers, buffers (caches), drivers, repeaters, and
receivers, to enable communications.
[0062] The I/O devices 640, 645 may further include devices that
communicate both inputs and outputs, for instance disk and tape
storage, a network interface card (NIC) or modulator/demodulator
(for accessing other files, devices, systems, or a network), a
radio frequency (RF) or other transceiver, a telephonic interface,
a bridge, a router, and the like.
[0063] The processor 605 is a hardware device for executing
hardware instructions or software, particularly those stored in
memory 610. The processor 605 may be a custom made or commercially
available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary
processor among several processors associated with the computer
system 600, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a
microchip or chip set), a macroprocessor, or other device for
executing instructions. The processor 605 includes a cache 670,
which may include, but is not limited to, an instruction cache to
speed up executable instruction fetch, a data cache to speed up
data fetch and store, and a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) used
to speed up virtual-to-physical address translation for both
executable instructions and data. The cache 670 may be organized as
a hierarchy of more cache levels (L1, L2, etc.).
[0064] The memory 610 may include one or combinations of volatile
memory elements (e.g., random access memory, RAM, such as DRAM,
SRAM, SDRAM, etc.) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM,
erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electronically
erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), programmable read
only memory (PROM), tape, compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM),
disk, diskette, cartridge, cassette or the like, etc.). Moreover,
the memory 610 may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, or
other types of storage media. Note that the memory 610 may have a
distributed architecture, where various components are situated
remote from one another but may be accessed by the processor
605.
[0065] The instructions in memory 610 may include one or more
separate programs, each of which comprises an ordered listing of
executable instructions for implementing logical functions. In the
example of FIG. 6, the instructions in the memory 610 include a
suitable operating system (OS) 611. The operating system 611
essentially may control the execution of other computer programs
and provides scheduling, input-output control, file and data
management, memory management, and communication control and
related services.
[0066] Additional data, including, for example, instructions for
the processor 605 or other retrievable information, may be stored
in storage 620, which may be a storage device such as a hard disk
drive or solid-state drive. The stored instructions in memory 610
or in storage 620 may include those enabling the processor to
execute one or more aspects of the barcode-generation systems 100
and methods of this disclosure.
[0067] The computer system 600 may further include a display
controller 625 coupled to a display 630. In some embodiments, the
computer system 600 may further include a network interface 660 for
coupling to a network 665. The network 665 may be an IP-based
network for communication between the computer system 600 and an
external server, client and the like via a broadband connection.
The network 665 transmits and receives data between the computer
system 600 and external systems. In some embodiments, the network
665 may be a managed IP network administered by a service provider.
The network 665 may be implemented in a wireless fashion, e.g.,
using wireless protocols and technologies, such as WiFi, WiMax,
etc. The network 665 may also be a packet-switched network such as
a local area network, wide area network, metropolitan area network,
the Internet, or other similar type of network environment. The
network 665 may be a fixed wireless network, a wireless local area
network (LAN), a wireless wide area network (WAN) a personal area
network (PAN), a virtual private network (VPN), intranet or other
suitable network system and may include equipment for receiving and
transmitting signals.
[0068] Barcode-generation systems 100 and methods according to this
disclosure may be embodied, in whole or in part, in computer
program products or in computer systems 600, such as that
illustrated in FIG. 6.
[0069] The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a
computer program product at any possible technical detail level of
integration. The computer program product may include a computer
readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program
instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects
of the present invention.
[0070] The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible
device that can retain and store instructions for use by an
instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium
may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage
device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an
electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or
any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of
more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium
includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk,
a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable
programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static
random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a
floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or
raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon,
and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable
storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being
transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely
propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves
propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g.,
light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical
signals transmitted through a wire.
[0071] Computer readable program instructions described herein can
be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a
computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or
external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a
local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network.
The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical
transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls,
switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter
card or network interface in each computing/processing device
receives computer readable program instructions from the network
and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage
in a computer readable storage medium within the respective
computing/processing device.
[0072] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out
operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions,
instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine
instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware
instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated
circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any
combination of one or more programming languages, including an
object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the
like, and procedural programming languages, such as the "C"
programming language or similar programming languages. The computer
readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's
computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software
package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote
computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the
latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's
computer through any type of network, including a local area
network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may
be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet
using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments,
electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic
circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable
logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program
instruction by utilizing state information of the computer readable
program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in
order to perform aspects of the present invention.
[0073] Aspects of the present invention are described herein with
reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of
methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products
according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood
that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block
diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations
and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable
program instructions.
[0074] These computer readable program instructions may be provided
to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose
computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to
produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via
the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts
specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in
a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a
programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to
function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable
storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an
article of manufacture including instructions which implement
aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.
[0075] The computer readable program instructions may also be
loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing
apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps
to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or
other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that
the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable
apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified
in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0076] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate
the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products
according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this
regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent
a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one
or more executable instructions for implementing the specified
logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the
functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in
the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in
fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may
sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the
functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of
the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations
of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can
be implemented by special-purpose hardware-based systems that
perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations
of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0077] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present
invention have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are
not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments
disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used
herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the
embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement
over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of
ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments described
herein.
* * * * *