Methods and apparatus utilizing visually distinctive barcodes

A method comprising the step of:

• providing an article with a bar code symbol including a bar code of linear bar code symbology, wherein the bar code comprises one or more units of encoding, wherein at least one unit of encoding comprises a sequence of first and second element types, wherein the first and second element types have at least one of the following properties:
• a) at least a portion of each element type is multi-segmented rectilinear;
• and
• b) at least a portion of each element type has a varying curvature.

A method comprising the steps of:

• a) scanning a bar code symbol to generate a decoded value;
• b) selecting a resolver for the decoded value from a plurality of different resolvers, wherein each resolver identifies a resource for the decoded value;
• and
• c) accessing the resource identified by the selected resolver for the decoded value.

An apparatus comprising:

• an article of manufacture having at least one bar code symbol including a visually distinctive bar code symbol of a linear bar code symbology, wherein the visually distinctive bar code symbol further comprises a bar code having at least two element types, wherein the visually distinctive bar code is distinguished through any one of the following features:
• a) at least a portion of each element type is multi-segmented rectilinear;
• b) at least a portion of each element type has a varying curvature;
• c) a contour of a bounding shape of the smallest area encompassing all the elements of a region of encoding of the bar code has at least two adjacent sides that are non-perpendicular;
• and
• d) a contour of a bounding shape of the smallest area encompassing an encoding region has no side such that one end of all the bar code elements of the region touches that side.