On-demand printing of coding patterns
AssigneeAnoto Aktiebolag (Anoto AB)
InventorStefan Lynggaard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer-implemented method is designed for on-demand printing on digital printers of a coding pattern to code data on a surface. The coding pattern comprises a plurality of parallel number sequences which represent different rotations of a cyclic number sequence. The method could involve retrieving a digital representation of the coding pattern, and identifying the rotations therein to derive shift information which designates a phase difference between each rotation and the cyclic number sequence. In the printing operation, all the different rotations may be represented by the cyclic number sequence embodied as at least one code block image. This code block image is repeated in accordance with the shift information to form a printable image in the printer.
Claims39
A method of printing a coding pattern to code data in a first dimension on a surface, the coding pattern comprising a plurality of first parallel number sequences which represent different rotations of a first cyclic number sequence, said method comprising:
- retrieving a digital representation of the coding pattern;
- identifying said rotations in said digital representation to derive first shift information which designates a phase difference between each rotation and the first cyclic number sequence;
- generating a first data structure in which each of said rotations is represented by said first shift information and first definition data which represents said first cyclic number sequence;
- transferring the first data structure to a printer;
- and
- bringing the printer to convert the first data structure into a printable image.
26-28. (canceled)
An apparatus for printing a coding pattern to code data in a first dimension on a surface, the coding pattern comprising a plurality of first parallel number sequences which represent different rotations of a first cyclic number sequence, said apparatus comprising:
- a processor which retrieves a digital representation of the coding pattern;
- a first module, associated with the processor, which identifies said rotations in said digital representation to derive first shift information which designates a phase difference between each rotation and the first cyclic number sequence;
- a second module, associated with the processor, which generates a first data structure in which each of said rotations is represented by said first shift information and first definition data which represents said first cyclic number sequence;
- and
- a communications interface, functionally coupled to the processor, for transferring the first data structure to a printer, said printer being brought to convert the first data structure into a printable image.
A method, in a printer, for printing a coding pattern to code data on a surface, the coding pattern comprising a plurality of parallel number sequences which represent different rotations of a cyclic number sequence, said method comprising:
- deriving shift information which designates a phase difference between each rotation and the cyclic number sequence;
- retrieving definition data which represents said cyclic number sequence;
- and
- generating a printable image of said coding pattern based on said shift information and said definition data.
An apparatus, in a printer, for printing a coding pattern to code data on a surface, the coding pattern comprising a plurality of parallel number sequences which represent different rotations of a cyclic number sequence, said apparatus comprising a pattern generation module which:
- derives shift information which designates a phase difference between each rotation and the cyclic number sequence,
- retrieves definition data which represents said cyclic number sequence, and
- generates a printable image of said coding pattern based on said shift information and said definition data.
A method, in a printer, for printing a coding pattern to code data in a first dimension and a second dimension on a surface, the first dimension of the coding pattern comprising a plurality of first parallel number sequences, and the second dimension of the coding pattern comprising a plurality of second parallel number sequences, wherein each combination of one number value in the first number sequences and one number value in the second number sequences is represented by a unique code symbol in said coding pattern, said method comprising:
- retrieving, for each number sequence in each dimension, at least one code block image of the code symbols that represent the number sequence;
- merging the thus-retrieved code block images to form a first and a second composite image corresponding to said first dimension and said second dimension, respectively;
- and
- combining said first and second composite images to form a printable image.
An apparatus, in a printer, for printing a coding pattern to code data in a first dimension and a second dimension on a surface, the first dimension of the coding pattern comprising a plurality of first parallel number sequences, and the second dimension of the coding pattern comprising a plurality of second parallel number sequences, wherein each combination of one number value in the first number sequences and one number value in the second number sequences is represented by a unique code symbol in said coding pattern, said apparatus comprising a pattern generation module which:
- retrieves, for each number sequence in each dimension, at least one code block image of the code symbols that represent the number sequence;
- merges the code block images to form a first and a second composite image corresponding to said first dimension and said second dimension, respectively;
- and
- combines said first and second composite images to form a printable image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.