Optical Machine-Readable Code Using Gray Code Axis Distances
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical machine-readable codes often require tracking markers that disrupt their appearance and do not seamlessly integrate with digital images, particularly when representing data associated with streaming sound and music.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves generating optical machine-readable codes where distances from an axis encode data using Gray code, allowing for the creation of codes that visually blend with digital images and associate with soundwaves without disrupting markers, enabling a more practical alternative to conventional barcodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional optical machine-readable codes use tracking markers for alignment and reading, then the code can be accurately decoded, but the appearance of the code is disrupted and it does not seamlessly integrate with digital images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the traditional tracking markers (start markers, stop markers, alignment markers) from the code structure. Instead, it uses the natural boundaries of the image area and geometric relationships between soundwave elements to provide alignment information, thereby eliminating visual disruption while maintaining decoding reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functional elements of traditional barcodes (alignment markers, data encoding) with the aesthetic representation of soundwaves. The soundwave elements themselves serve dual purposes: they represent audio data visually and simultaneously provide the structural framework for encoding machine-readable information, eliminating the need for separate tracking markers
2Reliability
If traditional barcodes use visible tracking markers for alignment, then the code can be reliably decoded, but the code does not seamlessly integrate with digital images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the soundwave elements multi-functional: they serve as both the visual representation of audio data and as the structural framework for encoding machine-readable information. The geometric relationships between soundwave elements provide alignment, positioning, and data encoding functions that traditionally required separate marker elements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional barcode structures with explicit markers to a two-dimensional geometric pattern where spatial relationships between soundwave elements encode alignment and positional information. The relative positions, angles, and distances between soundwave features provide the dimensional information needed for reliable decoding without visible markers
Data Source
AI summary
Technology for generating, reading, and using machine-readable codes is disclosed. There is a method, performed by an image capture device, for reading and using the codes. The method includes obtaining an image, identifying an area in the image having a machine-readable code. The method also includes, within the image area, finding a predefined start marker defining a start point and a predefined stop marker defining a stop point, an axis being defined there between. A plurality of axis points can be defined along the axis. For each axis point, a first distance within the image area to a mark is determined. The distance can be measured from the axis point in a first direction which is orthogonal to the axis. The first distances can be converted to a binary code using Gray code such that each first distance encodes at least one bit of data in the code.