Patent US5241166A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5241166A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Low resolution target acquisition
Assignee: United Parcel Service of America Inc
•
Filing: 1990-07-02
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Granted: 1993-08-31
•
Expires: 2010-07-02
Abstract
Abstract A label and a process are provided for encoding target acquisition information and data information on an optically readable label at different resolutions. A multiplicity of cells is arranged in a regular pattern wherein each cell in the pattern may have one of at least two different optical properties to permit acquisition information encoding of the cells. Target acquisition information is encoded in the cells at a low resolution by assigning one of the plurality of optical properties to the cells in the pattern. The information-encoded cells are divided into a plurality of subcells. Data information is encoded at a high resolution in the subcells of the information-encoded cells.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald G. Chandler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 06:52
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/06009; G06K19/06046; G06K19/06056; G06K19/06037; G06K19/06131; G06K2019/06215; G06K2019/06225; G06K2019/06262
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 45
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
In a system for optically reading an optically readable label, a label for storing encoded information comprising a multiplicity of information-encoded cells, comprising: cells of said multiplicity of cells divided into information-encoded subcells adapted to have at least two differing optical properties wherein a selected information-encoded cell is determined to have a first optical property when a majority of the subcells of said selected information-encoded cell has said first optical property; a selected minority subcell of said information-encoded cell having a second optical property; and, said selected minority subcell being disposed at a position within said selected cell in accordance with information.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
102 words
In a system for optically reading an optically readable label, a label for storing encoded information comprising a multiplicity of information-encoded cells, comprising: cells of said multiplicity of cells divided into information-encoded subcells adapted to have at least two differing optical properties wherein a selected information-encoded cell is determined to have a first optical property when a majority of the subcells of said selected information-encoded cell has said first optical property; a selected minority subcell of said information-encoded cell having a second optical property; and, said selected minority subcell being disposed at a position within said selected cell in accordance with information.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said information-encoded cells have one optical property selected from at least two differing optical properties.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
86 words
A system as recited in claim 2, further comprising: means for assigning a first optical property of said differing optical properties to a first plurality of selected information-encoded cells; means for assigning a second optical property of said differing optical properties to a second plurality of selected information-encoded cells; and, means for arranging said first plurality of selected information-encoded cells and said second plurality of selected information-encoded cells to provide respective contrasting optical properties of an acquisition target for acquiring said label by optical scanning equipment.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
A system as recited in claim 3, further comprising means for arranging said first and second pluralities of selected information-encoded cells as respective concentric rings of selected information-encoded cells, each ring of said concentric rings being formed of cells having one of said first and second optical properties.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
102 words
A system as recited in claim 2, further comprising: means for illuminating said label; low resolution sensing means for optically sensing light reflected from said information-encoded cells and providing electrical signals representative of said reflected light; means for transmitting said electrical signals; first means for determining, in accordance with said transmitted electrical signals, that an optically sensed cell has a determined one of said differing optical properties when a majority of subcells of said optically sensed cell has said determined optical property; and, means for decoding low resolution information in accordance with a plurality of determinations by said first means for determining.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A system as recited in claim 5, wherein said means for decoding low resolution information comprises means for optically acquiring a target in accordance with said decoded low resolution information.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
82 words
A system as recited in claim 5, further comprising: high resolution sensing means for optically sensing light reflected from said information-encoded subcells and providing electrical signals representative of said reflected light; means for transmitting said electrical signals; second means for determining that an optically sensed subcell has one optical property of said differing optical properties in accordance with said transmitted electrical signals; and, means for decoding high resolution information in accordance with a plurality of determinations by said second means for determining.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as recited in claim 7, wherein said low resolution sensing means and said high resolution sensing means comprise electronic signal processing means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
A system as recited in claim 7, wherein said means for decoding high resolution information comprises means for determining the location within said optically sensed cell of at least one optically sensed subcell having an optical property differing from said determined cell optical property.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the information of said information-encoded cells comprises acquisition information for optically acquiring said label by optical scanning equipment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the information of said information-encoded subcells comprises data information.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for affixing said optically readable label to a surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for printing said optically readable label on a surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said multiplicity of information-encoded cells are arranged contiguously.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
91 words
A process for encoding and decoding information in an optical scanning system having an optically readable label comprising a multiplicity of cells and means for optically sensing said label, comprising the steps of: (a) encoding a selected cell of said multiplicity of cells at a first low resolution in accordance with first information; (b) dividing said selected cell into information-encoded subcells wherein each subcell formed thereby is adapted to have at least two differing optical properties; and, (c) encoding said subcells at a second high resolution in accordance with second information.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
91 words
A process for encoding and decoding information in an optical scanning system having an optically readable label comprising a multiplicity of cells and means for optically sensing said label, comprising the steps of: (a) encoding a selected cell of said multiplicity of cells at a first low resolution in accordance with first information; (b) dividing said selected cell into information-encoded subcells wherein each subcell formed thereby is adapted to have at least two differing optical properties; and, (c) encoding said subcells at a second high resolution in accordance with second information.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as noted in claim 15, wherein step (a) comprises the step of assigning a first optical property of said differing optical properties to said selected cell.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as recited in claim 16, comprising the step of assigning said first optical property to said selected cell in accordance with said first information.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process as recited in claim 17, wherein step (c) comprises the step of assigning said first optical property to at least a majority of said subcells of said selected cell.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
52 words
A process as recited in claim 18, wherein there is provided at least one minority subcell, said minority subcell having a second optical property of said differing optical properties, comprising the further step of disposing said minority subcell at a selected position within said selected cell in accordance with said second information.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
119 words
A process as recited in claim 18, comprising the further steps of: (g) repeating steps (a)-(d) for the remaining cells in said multiplicity of cells; (h) illuminating said multiplicity of cells; (i) optically sensing light reflected from said cells by means of low resolution sensing means and providing electrical signals representative of said reflected light; (j) transmitting said electrical signals; (k) determining in accordance with said transmitted electrical signals that an optically sensed cell is assigned a first optical property of said different optical properties when a majority of subcells of said optically sensed cells are assigned said first optical property; and, (l) decoding low resolution information in accordance with a plurality of determinations as set forth in (k).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
80 words
A process as recited in claim 20, comprising the further steps of: (m) optically sensing light reflected from said subcells with high resolution sensing means and providing electrical signals representative of said reflected light; (n) transmitting said electrical signals; (o) determining that an optically sensed subcell is assigned one of said differing optical properties in accordance with said transmitted electrical signals; and, (p) decoding high resolution information in accordance with a plurality of determinations as set forth in step (o).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
A process as recited in claim 21, wherein the optical sensing of step (i) and step (m) is performed by the same electric-optic equipment and said high resolution sensing means and said low resolution sensing means comprise electronic signal processing means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process as recited in claim 15, wherein step (a) comprises the step of encoding acquisition information as said first information in said selected cell for acquiring said label by optical scanning equipment.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as recited in claim 23, wherein step (c) comprises the step of encoding data information as said second information in said subcells.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
78 words
A process as recited in claim 23, comprising the further steps of: (d) assigning said first optical property of said differing optical properties to a first plurality of said selected cells; (e) assigning a second optical property of said differing optical properties to a second plurality of said selected cells; and, (f) arranging said first plurality of selected cells and said second plurality of selected cells as an acquisition target for acquiring said label by optical scanning equipment.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process as recited in claim 25, comprising the further step of arranging said first and second pluralities of selected cells as respective first and second concentric rings of cells, each ring of said first and second concentric rings being formed of information-encoded cells having one of said first and second differing optical properties.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process as recited in claim 15, wherein step (b) comprises dividing said information-encoded cells into two-by-two arrays of four information-encoded subcells.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as recited in claim 15, wherein said cells of said multiplicity of cells are arranged contiguously.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process as recited in claim 15, comprising the further step of affixing said optically readable label to a surface.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process as recited in claim 15, comprising the further step of printing said optically readable label on a surface.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
124 words
A process for decoding electrical signals representing an optically sensed image corresponding to a multiplicity of cells encoded in a predetermined pattern, comprising the steps of: (a) determining the intensities of said optical properties of said cells; (b) searching said intensities of said optical properties of step (a) to identify the optical properties of said cells; (c) dividing said cells into subcells wherein each subcell formed thereby is adapted to have at least two differing optical properties; (d) determining that a cell is assigned a first optical property when a majority of subcells of said determined cell is assigned said first optical property; and, (e) decoding said cells by performing a decoding process which is the inverse of the encoding process for said cells.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
124 words
A process for decoding electrical signals representing an optically sensed image corresponding to a multiplicity of cells encoded in a predetermined pattern, comprising the steps of: (a) determining the intensities of said optical properties of said cells; (b) searching said intensities of said optical properties of step (a) to identify the optical properties of said cells; (c) dividing said cells into subcells wherein each subcell formed thereby is adapted to have at least two differing optical properties; (d) determining that a cell is assigned a first optical property when a majority of subcells of said determined cell is assigned said first optical property; and, (e) decoding said cells by performing a decoding process which is the inverse of the encoding process for said cells.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as recited in claim 31, comprising determining acquisition information in accordance with the decoding of step (e).
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
79 words
A process as recited in claim 31, comprising further the steps of: (f) determining the intensities of said optical properties of said subcells; (g) searching said intensities of said optical properties of step (f) to identify the optical properties of said subcells; (h) determining that a subcell is assigned a first optical property in accordance with step (g); and, (i) decoding said subcells by performing a decoding process which is the inverse of the encoding process for said subcells.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process as recited in claim 33, comprising the further steps of: (j) determining the location of a minority subcell within a cell; and, (k) performing the determination of step (d) in accordance with the determination of step (i).
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
122 words
In a system for optically reading an encoded label, a label for storing a multi-resolution pattern comprising a multiplicity of cells, each of said cells having one of at least two differing optical properties detectable at low resolution, each of said cells being divided into a plurality of subcells, each of said subcells formed thereby having one of at least two differing optical properties detectable at high resolution wherein each of said cells is determined to have a first optical property shared by the majority of its respective subcells when scanned at low resolution and a subcell of the minority of its respective subcells having a second optical property is disposed at a position within said cells determined in accordance with information.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
122 words
In a system for optically reading an encoded label, a label for storing a multi-resolution pattern comprising a multiplicity of cells, each of said cells having one of at least two differing optical properties detectable at low resolution, each of said cells being divided into a plurality of subcells, each of said subcells formed thereby having one of at least two differing optical properties detectable at high resolution wherein each of said cells is determined to have a first optical property shared by the majority of its respective subcells when scanned at low resolution and a subcell of the minority of its respective subcells having a second optical property is disposed at a position within said cells determined in accordance with information.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
128 words
In a system for optically reading an encoded label, a label for storing a multi-resolution pattern comprised of a multiplicity of low resolution cells, each of said low resolution cells being adapted to be determined at a first optical sampling rate and having one of at least two differing optical properties, each of said low resolution cells having at least four high resolution subcells adapted to be determined at a second optical sampling rate differing from said first optical sampling rate and having one of at least two differing optical properties, wherein each of said low resolution cells is determined to have the optical property shared by the majority of its respective high resolution subcells when said low resolution cells are determined at said first optical sampling rate.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
128 words
In a system for optically reading an encoded label, a label for storing a multi-resolution pattern comprised of a multiplicity of low resolution cells, each of said low resolution cells being adapted to be determined at a first optical sampling rate and having one of at least two differing optical properties, each of said low resolution cells having at least four high resolution subcells adapted to be determined at a second optical sampling rate differing from said first optical sampling rate and having one of at least two differing optical properties, wherein each of said low resolution cells is determined to have the optical property shared by the majority of its respective high resolution subcells when said low resolution cells are determined at said first optical sampling rate.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
127 words
A process for encoding an optically readable label comprised of a multi-resolution pattern of cells, each of said cells having one of at least two differing optical properties detectable at low resolution, comprising the steps of: (a) encoding said cells at low resolution; (b) dividing each of said cells into a plurality of subcells, each of said subcells formed thereby having one of at least two differing optical properties detectable at high resolution; and, (c) encoding said subcells at high resolution by disposing a subcell of a first minority optical property at a position within said cells determined in accordance with information, wherein each of said cells is determined to have the optical property shared by the majority of its respective subcells when scanned at low resolution.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
127 words
A process for encoding an optically readable label comprised of a multi-resolution pattern of cells, each of said cells having one of at least two differing optical properties detectable at low resolution, comprising the steps of: (a) encoding said cells at low resolution; (b) dividing each of said cells into a plurality of subcells, each of said subcells formed thereby having one of at least two differing optical properties detectable at high resolution; and, (c) encoding said subcells at high resolution by disposing a subcell of a first minority optical property at a position within said cells determined in accordance with information, wherein each of said cells is determined to have the optical property shared by the majority of its respective subcells when scanned at low resolution.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
156 words
A process for decoding electrical signals representing an optically sensed image corresponding to a multiplicity of low resolution cells encoded in a multi-resolution pattern, each cell of said multi-resolution pattern having one of at least two differing optical properties comprising the steps of: (a) dividing said low resolution cells into a plurality of high resolution subcells wherein each of said high resolution subcells formed thereby has at least two differing optical properties detectable at high resolution; (b) determining that a low resolution cell is assigned a first optical property when a majority of high resolution subcells of said determined high resolution cell are assigned said first optical property; (c) decoding said low resolution cells of said multi-resolution pattern by performing a decoding process which is the inverse of the encoding process for said low resolution cells; and, (d) decoding said high resolution information in accordance with the position of minority subcells having a second optical property.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
156 words
A process for decoding electrical signals representing an optically sensed image corresponding to a multiplicity of low resolution cells encoded in a multi-resolution pattern, each cell of said multi-resolution pattern having one of at least two differing optical properties comprising the steps of: (a) dividing said low resolution cells into a plurality of high resolution subcells wherein each of said high resolution subcells formed thereby has at least two differing optical properties detectable at high resolution; (b) determining that a low resolution cell is assigned a first optical property when a majority of high resolution subcells of said determined high resolution cell are assigned said first optical property; (c) decoding said low resolution cells of said multi-resolution pattern by performing a decoding process which is the inverse of the encoding process for said low resolution cells; and, (d) decoding said high resolution information in accordance with the position of minority subcells having a second optical property.
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