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US-12620049-B2 - Use of imperfect patterns to encode data on surfaces

US12620049B2US 12620049 B2US12620049 B2US 12620049B2US-12620049-B2

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include ascribing a predetermined data record to a physical surface in the form of an imperfect aesthetic pattern of marks. An image showing a portion of the surface, when processed with a decoder, yields the predetermined, verified data record.

Inventors

  • Joshua Victor Aller
  • Nicholas Riehl

Assignees

  • SPOT VISION LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20251111

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A physical object of a set of physical objects, each physical object of the set of physical objects being associated with a data record and comprising at least one surface displaying a pattern of marks, the set characterized by: a plurality of marks correlated across the set of physical objects; the pattern of marks displayed on a physical object of the set comprising the plurality of marks; at least one mark of the plurality of marks displayed across the set of physical objects in at least three distinct configurations, each distinct configuration being displayed on a different physical object of the set; and wherein the configuration of the plurality of marks that form the pattern of marks on each physical object of the set is indicative of the associated data record, including cases in which the configuration encodes the associated data record.
  2. 2 . The physical object of claim 1 , wherein the associated data record comprises a plurality of data bits.
  3. 3 . The physical object of claim 1 , wherein the associated data record is recoverable from an image of a portion of the pattern of marks.
  4. 4 . The physical object of claim 3 , wherein the associated data record is recoverable from an image comprising less than half of the area of the pattern of marks.
  5. 5 . The physical object of claim 1 , wherein at least three marks of the plurality of marks are displayed across the physical objects of the set of physical objects in at least three distinct configurations.
  6. 6 . The physical object of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of marks on a physical object of the set of physical objects comprises portions of at least two adjacent instances of a repeating pattern unit, and wherein at least one of the plurality of marks extends across a boundary between the adjacent pattern units, such that portions of the mark on either side of the boundary align to form a complete visual element.
  7. 7 . The physical object of claim 1 , wherein a first mark of the plurality of marks partially overlaps a second mark of the plurality of marks on a physical object of the set, and the region of overlap results in covering of a portion of the second mark, the region of overlap being visually consistent with the first mark and visually inconsistent with the second mark.
  8. 8 . The object of claim 1 , wherein the configuration of at least one mark of the plurality of marks varies in rotational orientation relative to the pattern across the set of objects, and the rotational orientation of the at least one mark is indicative of the associated data record.
  9. 9 . The object of claim 1 , wherein the configuration of at least one mark of the plurality of marks reveals different portions of a coherent mark across the set of objects, and the revealing of different portions is indicative of the associated data record.
  10. 10 . The object of claim 1 , wherein the configuration of at least one mark of the plurality of marks varies in shape across the set of objects, and the shape of the mark contributes to the encoding of the data record encoded by the pattern of marks.
  11. 11 . The object of claim 1 , wherein the configuration of at least one mark of the plurality of marks varies in curvature along the at least one mark, and wherein a portion of the at least one mark exhibits curvature that varies linearly along that portion, and wherein the curvature of the at least one mark is indicative of the associated data record.
  12. 12 . The object of claim 1 , wherein the configuration of at least one mark of the plurality of marks varies in a combination of properties, such as position, orientation, size, scale, shape, or color, across the set of objects, and the combination of properties is indicative of the associated data record.
  13. 13 . The object of claim 1 , wherein the data record is encoded on at least one physical object of the set of physical objects using a combination of color, spatial relationships, and shape properties of the marks, rather than density-based modulation.
  14. 14 . A set of physical objects, each physical object of the set being associated with an identifier and comprising at least one surface displaying a pattern of marks, the set of physical objects characterized by: a plurality of marks correlated across the set of physical objects; the pattern of marks of a physical object of the set comprising the plurality of marks; and at least one mark of the plurality of marks displayed across the set in at least three distinct configurations, each distinct configuration being displayed on a different physical object of the set, the associated identifier recoverable from an image of a portion of the at least one surface of a physical object of the set.
  15. 15 . The set of physical objects of claim 14 , wherein the distinct configurations of the at least one mark are distinguishable as differing values along a common property of the mark, the property selected from the group consisting of position, rotational orientation, scale, shape, curvature, and color.
  16. 16 . The set of physical objects of claim 14 , wherein the configurations of the marks vary across the set of physical objects in fixed transformational dimensions, constrained within a structured range.
  17. 17 . The set of physical objects of claim 14 , wherein the marks are configured such that differing values along a common property of the mark are not limited to a finite set of discrete values across the set of objects.
  18. 18 . The set of physical objects of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of marks are layered in a consistent manner across the set of physical objects, such that a relationship between at least some of said marks follows a predefined observable rule across all physical objects in the set.
  19. 19 . The set of physical objects of claim 14 , wherein the pattern of marks displayed on any object of the set does not exhibit a detectable relationship to a predefined 2D indicia.
  20. 20 . A physical object chosen from a set of physical objects, each physical object of the set being associated with a data record and comprising at least one surface displaying a graphic design, the set characterized by: a plurality of graphic layers present across the set, the graphic layers of a physical object of the set being combined, consistently across the set of objects, to form the graphic design displayed on that physical object; wherein the configuration of at least one of the graphic layers of the graphic design on each physical object of the set is indicative of the associated data record.

Description

CONTINUITY AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY This application is continuation application of US national phase application Ser. No. 18/684,013, filed Feb. 15, 2024, which claims priority to PCT Application No. PCT/US2022/038291, filed Jul. 26, 2022, which claims priority to U.S. provisional application 63/234,905 titled, “DATA ENCODING CELLULAR MARK PATTERNS”, filed Aug. 19, 2021, and U.S. provisional application 63/348,561, titled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DATA ENCODING PATTERNS”, filed on Jun. 3, 2022, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. FIELD The invention relates to machine-readable optical codes. More specifically, the invention relates to generating machine-readable optical codes, encoding information into optical codes, inscribing objects with the optical codes, and reliably reading the codes from images of objects decorated with the codes. BACKGROUND Throughout human history we have sought to synthesize a richer meaning to our visual communications than can be ascribed with just the literal and minimal symbols required to encode information. A stick figure cave drawing may accurately tell a story about an event, however the simplistic design may not well express the personal or cultural values of the artist, or may not give honor to or express the importance of the story depicted. Hence, style, texture, color, framing, and emphasis are added to a drawing in order to communicate beyond basic symbols. These additions to the depictions are not added for the purpose of more clearly or realistically conveying the information, but rather to add something to our impression of the work that may strike us at an emotional level, and otherwise could not be encoded symbolically. Ultimately these emotional impressions may affect our human decision making more than the literal information encoded. Similarly in textual communication, we take great care to express text not simply as a series of monotone symbols, but seek to enhance and differentiate the symbols into a richer meaning with stylings such as calligraphy, typography, layout, and kerning. We develop fonts that are appropriate for french restaurant menus, fonts that are appropriate for soup cans, and fonts that are appropriate for danger signs. In each case we wish to communicate beyond the symbols with a cultural framing of the values and importance of the message encoded. Graphic design also communicates an emotional or cultural framing we ascribe to an object, often without using any literal symbologies. The colors, style, shape, layout, and strokes of a design all contribute to our emotional or subconscious impressions of the article the design enhances. Design can create mood, harmony, brand recognition, and can draw attention. So strong is this emotional connection that it would be inconceivable to try to sell a product without attention to the graphic design of the product as well as of the packaging, website, and advertising. For utilitarian purposes it is often useful to augment a physical object (a package, product, or apparel, for example) with data by labeling the object with a digital code that can be read by a computer. When affixed to an object, existing data encoding schemes like barcodes, UPC™ codes, QR™ codes, or Data Matrix™ codes allow for the object to visually convey a data record readable by a computer. These data carrying codes were designed only for computer readability with a mostly fixed aesthetic. Their blocky and high contrast designs have performed adequately in conveying data to a computer, however, these codes are unable to communicate effectively with humans at an emotional or cultural level, and worse may transmit the undesired emotional message related to the code rather than the desired emotional message of the article to which the code is ascribed. As such, existing codes are made as small as possible for most applications, making them especially difficult to scan from devices such as smartphones. They are difficult to capture in focus, easily covered by another label, and difficult to locate. For some applications, the aesthetic feel of the existing codes are so emotionally incompatible with the desired emotional framing of the designer that augmenting the article with a code would be inconceivable. Digital watermarks are a class of computer readable codes that can be embedded in a variety of raster images, thus freeing the style of the base imagery to allow more artistic expression. In watermarking, however, data is encoded via visual artifacts (with a visual appearance similar to JPEG artifacts) which are not aesthetically pleasing. Adding a digital watermark to a brand's logo, for example, is problematic because it introduces defects into the logo that detract from the emotional framing and messaging of the brand, specifically the message of “quality”. These existing codes and watermarks are also challenging to detect when not in perfect lighting, when the object is moving in relation to the