Codes for packaging, products, or documents, and methods for extracting coded products, packaging, or documents, and information contained in the codes

Abstract

The present invention relates to a code (1) consisting of a first code (Q1) and a second code (Q2), wherein the maximum reading distance (L1) of the first code (Q1) using a camera (CA) is smaller than the second maximum reading distance (L2) of the second code (Q2), the information density (D1) of the first code (Q1) is greater than the information density (D2) of the second code, the first code (Q1) occupies a square central area, and the second code (Q2) is a frame (M1) made up of squares of at least two different colors (C1, C2) or two different shades, completely surrounding the first code (Q1) on all four sides. The present invention also relates to packaging, products, or documents equipped with this code, as well as to a method for extracting information contained in the code (1).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a code for packaging, products, documents or visual media, and aims to make information accessible, especially for the visually impaired. [Background technology]

[0002] A pattern for identifying the location of a code is already known, consisting of a QR Code®, which consists of three squares arranged at three corners, where the squares are considered to be part of the code itself.

[0003] Furthermore, the concept of improving the location detection capability by providing locators outside the main code has already been proposed. This type of solution consists of a series of collinear circles and rectangles.

[0004] Perfectly locating this type of code requires four points on the image, with any three points being non-collinear. Because the code is composed of points on two lines, there are no four points within the code that meet this requirement. Therefore, some known solutions additionally use one of the QR Code's unique location squares within the code. As the amount of information a QR Code carries increases, higher resolution is required, leading to smaller and smaller squares and reduced detection distance for long-range markers. Therefore, state-of-the-art solutions based on rectangles and circles depend on the code they accompany.

[0005] Another drawback is that, by design, the position detection pattern is on the same scale as the data and therefore very small, which also negatively impacts detection range.

[0006] Furthermore, patent application WO 2007 / 024990, filed in the name of the applicant, discloses a system based on the association of a first code with a second code, wherein the first visible code is associated with a first maximum read distance by a camera and a first information density, and the second visible code is associated with a second maximum read distance by a camera and a second information density, where the first maximum distance is smaller than the second maximum distance and the first information density is greater than the second information density, so that a product has a code that is visible from a long distance and contains information about the location of another code that is not visible from a long distance because it contains much more information than the other code. Once the device has the information to find the first code, it can focus on the first code using the optical focus of the same camera or another camera with a longer range and a narrower field of view.

[0007] The purpose of these codes is to allow visually impaired people to locate the QR Code from a long distance. To do this, the QR Code is placed next to another long-range code. A camera can read the long-range code from a distance and guide the visually impaired or blind user so that the system can read the QR Code from a closer distance. In other words, we have a long-range location detection code and a traditional QR Code containing information.

[0008] This long-range code, as described in US Patent No. 5,649,663, may contain less dense information about the product, for example, the supermarket product category, i.e., dairy, meat, fish, etc., or its GTIN, EAN, SKU identifier, etc., while a QR-type short-range code may contain specific product information, i.e., expiry date, price, batch number, variant, URL, etc. Thus, a user can determine from a distance whether a category interests them, move closer, and extract all the information about that category.

[0009] Consumer products, as used herein, refer to any physical product that can be purchased by a consumer, particularly a product that may be displayed or stored in a store, on a shelf, display case, or counter. Consumer products therefore include, inter alia, food, household products, personal hygiene products, or pharmaceuticals, and generally any product having a visible surface capable of supporting a printed or adhesively applied code. In this sense, consumer products may also include clothing, leisure goods, sporting goods, and the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Spanish Utility Model No. 1295251 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, a first aspect of the present invention proposes a code consisting of a first code and a second code, the first code being associated with a first maximum reading distance by a camera and a first information density, and the second code being associated with a second maximum reading distance by a camera and a second information density, where:

[0012] the first maximum distance is less than the second maximum distance; the first information density is greater than the second information density; The first code occupies a central area of ​​a square, and the second code is a frame made up of squares of at least two different colors or two different shades, completely surrounding all four sides of the first code.

[0013] In other words, according to the present invention, a code-based system is proposed in which data is coded along the perimeter, but using a square-based frame, which overcomes the drawbacks of known perimeter or partial perimeter solutions.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second code includes a position detection mark, which is composed of a first position detection frame outside a frame formed by a square, and a second position detection frame adjacent to the outside of the first position detection frame.

[0015] In other words, the code according to the invention preferably includes a double position detection frame, which provides complete independence for the inner code, so that different types of inner codes with any density are allowed without affecting the detection of the position detection code.

[0016] In some embodiments, the position detection frames have different colors and / or shades. In another embodiment, the first location window is black and the second location window is white.

[0017] In either case, the range of detection will be longer than with a known code, since it is independent of the inner code and long-range detection depends only on the resolution of the location detection code and not on the density of the inner code.

[0018] Another advantageous aspect of the location frame, which has been experimentally proven, is that the use of larger elements for the dense inner code makes localization much easier, even under adverse conditions, such as during movement. Solutions that make incomplete use of the surrounding area and use shapes such as lines and dots are very sensitive to blur, which is the blur that appears in the image when the camera moves. The solution claimed herein is robust to blur due to the use of larger-scale elements. This property is extremely important for people who are unable to frame or focus and who are constantly moving their camera, such as the visually impaired.

[0019] In some embodiments, in the second code, the squares may have a third and / or fourth color or third and fourth shades. Preferably, the colors are four different colors: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

[0020] A solution based on four shades or four colors makes it possible to double the density of the code in the same space. In some embodiments, the first code is a QR code, a DataMatrix code, a barcode, a MaxiCode, a PDF417 code, or an Aztec code.

[0021] In some embodiments, there is a separator between the first and second cords, preferably the separator having one of the colors of the first cord. The invention also relates to a product or packaging comprising a code according to any variant of the invention.

[0022] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a printed document containing a code according to any variant of the invention, which may be a menu, an official document, etc. Finally, the present invention may also be applied to electronic documents displayed on a screen.

[0023] In summary, the code according to the invention provides a system for locating high density codes that is independent of the code to be located and is not limited to QR Codes. For the same reasons, the characteristics of the code to be located do not affect the reading of the locator code. The elements of the code correspond to a larger scale than known proposals, so location detection is much faster (over a wider range) and is more robust to camera movement (shake). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] In order to supplement the description and to make the features of the invention more readily comprehensible, the description is accompanied by a series of figures, which, by way of example and not limitation, show the following: [Figure 1]1 shows a code according to the present invention, with a high density inner QR Code™ in black on a white background. [Figure 2] 1 shows a code according to the present invention, with a high density inner QR Code™ in white on a black background. [Figure 3] 1 shows a system in which the code according to the invention is used; [Figure 4] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; [Figure 5] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; [Figure 6] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; [Figure 7] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; [Figure 8] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; [Figure 9] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; [Figure 10] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; [Figure 11] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; [Figure 12] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; [Figure 13] 4 shows various codes according to different variants of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] In describing possible preferred embodiments of the present invention, numerous details need to be provided to provide a better understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. On the other hand, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention relates to a code 1, which is composed of a first code Q1 and a second code Q2, the first code Q1 being associated with a first maximum reading distance L1 by a camera CA and a first information density D1, and the second code Q2 being associated with a second maximum reading distance L2 by a camera CA and a second information density D2, where: The first maximum distance L1 is smaller than the second maximum distance L2, The first information density D1 is greater than the second information density D2.

[0027] In other words, the code-based system of the present invention allows the camera CA to determine the location of a second code Q2, which is known to contain information for determining the location of a higher density first code Q1.

[0028] According to the invention, the first code Q1 occupies the central area of ​​a square, and the second code Q2 is a frame M1 made up of squares of at least two different colors C1, C2 or two different shades, completely surrounding all four sides of the first code Q1.

[0029] This solution allows the location of codes from a sufficient distance to be applied to products on store shelves, and it is also capable of reading high-density codes that are much smaller than commonly used codes.

[0030] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the second code Q2 includes position detection marks PA, P2, which are composed of a first position detection frame P1 located outside a square frame M1, and a second position detection frame P2 located adjacent to the outside of the first position detection frame P1. As mentioned above, this position sensing element is highly efficient. Furthermore, it has the advantage of being aesthetically pleasing due to its symmetry, similar to the surrounding colored square base.

[0031] 1 to 13, the first position detection frame P1 is black and the second position detection frame P2 is white. Frames having two different colors can also be envisaged, in particular so that they can match the color of the packaging to which they are applied.

[0032] As for the second code Q2, it can be considered to have four different colors, in particular cyan, magenta, yellow and black, as can be seen from Figures 1 and 2. In Figures 9 and 11 they are depicted in black and white, but the four colors of the squares are indicated by initials. Figure 4 proposes a solution using only two colors for the second code Q2.

[0033] In the figure, it can be seen that both QR Codes and DataMatrix codes can be used as high density codes Q1, and although not shown, the invention is also applicable to barcodes, MaxiCodes, PDF417 codes or Aztec codes.

[0034] Figure 3 shows an example of the application of the invention to a product 2. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize many other applications, such as for printed documents or on-screen displays. An embodiment is shown in which the second code consists of 20 or 32 cells, but it is clear that the invention can also be applied to other combinations.

[0035] The invention also relates to a method for extracting information contained in Code 1 defined in any variant of the invention, comprising the following steps: a) positioning a camera CA at a distance greater than the first maximum distance L1 and less than the second maximum distance L2 to detect and read a second visible code Q2; b) extracting information about the relative position of the first visible code Q1 with respect to the second visible code Q2 from the geometry of the second visible code Q2, regardless of the class or composition of the first visible code Q1; c) based on that information, framing an image area in which the first visible code Q1 is to be placed.

[0036] Upon consideration of this specification and the drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that although the present invention has been described based on certain preferred embodiments, multiple modifications can be introduced into these preferred embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

[0037] In this document, the terms "comprise(s)" and their derivatives (such as "comprising") should not be construed in an exclusive sense, i.e., these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that the subject matter described and defined may include further elements, steps, etc.

Claims

1. A code (1) consisting of a first code (Q1) and a second code (Q2), wherein the first code (Q1) is associated with a first maximum reading distance (L1) and a first information density (D1) by a camera (CA), and the second code (Q2) is associated with a second maximum reading distance (L2) and a second information density (D2) by the camera (CA), wherein: The first maximum distance (L1) is less than the second maximum distance (L2), and the first information density (D1) is greater than the second information density (D2); the first code (Q1) occupies a central area of ​​a square, and the second code (Q2) is a frame (M1) consisting of squares of at least two different colors (C1, C2) or two different shades, surrounding all four sides of the first code (Q1), Code (1).

2. The code (1) according to claim 1, wherein the second code (Q2) includes position detection marks (PA, P2) that are composed of a first position detection frame (P1) that is located outside the frame (M1) that is configured as a square, and a second position detection frame (P2) that is located outside the first position detection frame (P1) and adjacent to it.

3. The code (1) according to claim 2, wherein the position detection marks (PA, P2) have different colors and / or shades.

4. 3. The code (1) according to claim 2, wherein the first position detection frame (P1) is black and the second position detection frame (P2) is white.

5. 5. The code according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising squares having a third and / or fourth colour (C3, C4) or a third and fourth shade (C3, C4).

6. 6. The code according to claim 5, wherein said colors are four different colors (C1, C2, C3, C4), preferably cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

7. The code according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first code (Q1) is a QR code, a DataMatrix code, a barcode, a MaxiCode, a PDF417 code or an Aztec code.

8. 8. The code according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein there is a separation (M3) between the first code (Q1) and the second code (Q2), said separation (M3) preferably having one of the colors of the first code (Q1).

9. A product or packaging (2) comprising a code according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A printed document comprising the code of any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. An electronic document comprising the code of any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A method for extracting information contained in a code (1) as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: a) positioning said camera (CA) at a distance greater than said first maximum distance (L1) and less than said second maximum distance (L2) to detect and read said second visible code (Q2); b) extracting information about the relative position of the first visible code (Q1) with respect to the second visible code (Q2) from the geometry of the second visible code (Q2), regardless of the class or composition of the first visible code (Q1); c) framing, based on said information, an image area in which said first visible code (Q1) is to be placed; Including, a method.

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