US6732927B2 — Method and device for data decoding

Claim 1

Independent Claim 89 words

A method for decoding data stored in a partial area of a coding pattern on a surface, based on a recorded image of the partial area, said coding pattern containing elements which each have at least two possible decoding values, said method comprising: identifying in the image a plurality of said elements; calculating, for each identified element, an associated value probability for each possible decoding value that the element has this decoding value; and performing the decoding of data based on the decoding values and the corresponding value probabilities.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 89 words

A method for decoding data stored in a partial area of a coding pattern on a surface, based on a recorded image of the partial area, said coding pattern containing elements which each have at least two possible decoding values, said method comprising: identifying in the image a plurality of said elements; calculating, for each identified element, an associated value probability for each possible decoding value that the element has this decoding value; and performing the decoding of data based on the decoding values and the corresponding value probabilities.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the decoding of data comprises determining a coordinate for a point on the surface.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 23 words

A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the decoding of data comprises determining two coordinates for a point on the surface.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the decoding of data comprises decoding at least a first set of decoding values for a predetermined number of the identified elements.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 62 words

A method as claimed in claim 4 , comprising calculating, by means of the value probabilities for the first set of decoding values, a sequence probability for each of a plurality of permissible combinations of decoding values, each sequence probability indicating the probability of a sequence of elements in the recorded partial area of the image having said combination of decoding values.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the permissible combinations are determined by a cyclic main number sequence, which contains only mutually unique partial sequences of a predetermined length, each partial sequence corresponding to one of the permissible combinations.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 37 words

A method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the partial sequences and the cyclic main number sequence are such that no partial sequence is present in the cyclic main number sequence in inverted and reversed form.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 37 words

A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the decoding of data is performed based on rotation probabilities, which correspond to different rotations of the recorded image and which are defined based on the sequence probabilities.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the decoding of data is performed based on the rotation of the recorded image which corresponds to the highest rotation probability.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 47 words

A method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising selecting, for each of the elements corresponding to the first set of decoding values, the decoding value which has the highest associated value probability, and carrying out the decoding of data based on the selected decoding values.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 49 words

A method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising selecting, for each of the elements corresponding to the first set of decoding values, one of the possible decoding values based on a condition, given by the coding pattern, for the relation between the decoding values of the elements.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said condition indicates permissible combinations of the decoding values for the elements corresponding to the first set.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 49 words

A method as claimed in claim 12 , comprising carrying out the decoding of data based on sequence probabilities, a sequence probability for a sequence of elements being defined based on the value probabilities for the decoding values for the sequence that correspond to one of the permissible combinations.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method as claimed in claim 13 , comprising carrying out the decoding of data based on the decoding values for the sequence that give the highest sequence probability.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 45 words

A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each element has at least two possible decoding values for each of two separately decodable dimensions of data, the decoding values of the first set including the possible decoding values for the first dimension of data.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 64 words

A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each element has at least four possible element values, which correspond to different combinations of a possible decoding value of the first dimension and a possible decoding value of the second dimension, further comprising calculating, for each identified element, an associated value probability for each possible element value that the element has this element value.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 58 words

A method as claimed 16 , further comprising dividing each of the possible element values for the elements corresponding to the first set into a first possible decoding value for the first dimension and a second possible decoding value for the second dimension and associating with each of these decoding values the value probability of the element value.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 45 words

A method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the division of the possible element values takes place by the element value being expressed as two numbers in a number base which is smaller than the number base in which the element value is expressed.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 49 words

A method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein each of the identified elements comprises at least one mark and the value probabilities of the element values are calculated based on the size of the marks in relation to a number of ideal sizes R i of the marks.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 47 words

A method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the value probabilities of the element values, for each of the ideal sizes R i , is a function of exp(−(R i −r) 2 /v) where r is the size of the mark and v is a constant.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 51 words

A method as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising assigning, if the division of two of the possible element values for an element results in two identical possible decoding values for one dimension of data, the possible decoding value the highest of the value probabilities assigned to these element values.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 65 words

A method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein each of the identified elements comprises at least one mark, which is associatable with one reference point of a number of reference points in a reference system, and wherein the value probabilities of the element values are calculated based on the location of the marks in relation to the reference points with which they are associated.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 38 words

A method as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the value probabilities are defined by the distance of the marks to each of a number of ideal locations belonging to the reference points with which they are associated.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 37 words

A method as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the value probabilities for each mark, for each of the distances d i , are a function of exp(−(d i ) 2 /v) where v is a constant.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 31 words

A method as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the reference system is a raster and the reference points are raster points, which each correspond to an intersection in the raster.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 52 words

A method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the elements corresponding to the first set are selected based on a maximizing of an information measure for the first set, said information measure being defined based on the value probabilities for the element values of the elements corresponding to the first set.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the decoding of data further comprises decoding a second set of decoding values for a predetermined number of the identified elements.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 55 words

A method as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the decoding values in the second set include the possible decoding values for the second dimension of data, further comprising the step of assigning each decoding value in the second set a value probability which indicates the probability of the corresponding element having this decoding value.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 65 words

A method as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the decoding values and their associated value probabilities for the second set of decoding values are determined in the same manner as the decoding values for the first set, and the decoding of the second set of decoding values is carried out in the same way as the decoding of the first set of decoding values.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 46 words

A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the decoding of data is performed based on rotation probabilities, which correspond to different rotations of the recorded image and which are defined based on the value probabilities associated to the decoding values of the identified elements.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 50 words

A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each element has at least two possible element values, which are identical with the possible decoding values of the element, and wherein each element value has an associated value probability which is identical with the value probability of the decoding value.

Claim 33

Independent Claim 99 words

A device for decoding data which is stored in a partial area of a coding pattern on a surface, based on a recorded image of the partial area, which coding pattern contains elements, which each have at least two possible decoding values, said device comprising: a processing unit which decodes data by identifying in the image a plurality of said elements, calculating for each identified element an associated value probability for each possible decoding value that the element defines this decoding value, and carrying out the decoding of data based on the decoding values and the corresponding value probabilities.

Claim 34

Independent Claim 99 words

A device for decoding data which is stored in a partial area of a coding pattern on a surface, based on a recorded image of the partial area, which coding pattern contains elements, which each have at least two possible decoding values, said device comprising: a processing unit which decodes data by identifying in the image a plurality of said elements, calculating for each identified element an associated value probability for each possible decoding value that the element defines this decoding value, and carrying out the decoding of data based on the decoding values and the corresponding value probabilities.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 33 words

A device for data decoding as claimed in claim 32 , said device being adapted to decode at least a first set of decoding values for a predetermined number of the identified elements.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 69 words

A device for data decoding as claimed in claim 33 , said device being adapted to calculate, by means of the value probabilities for the first set of decoding values, a sequence probability for each of a plurality of permissible combinations of decoding values, each sequence probability indicating the probability that a sequence of elements in the partial area of the recorded image has said combination of decoding values.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 55 words

A device for data decoding as claimed in claim 33 , said device being adapted to select, for each of the elements corresponding to the first set of decoding values, one of the possible decoding values based on a condition, given by the coding pattern, for the relation of the decoding values of the elements.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 50 words

A device for data decoding as claimed in claim 32 , adapted to carry out the decoding of data based on rotation probabilities, which correspond to different rotations of the recorded image and which are defined based on the value probabilities associated to the decoding values of the identified elements.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 109 words

A memory medium on which is stored a computer program with instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method of decoding data which is stored in a partial area of a coding pattern on a surface, based on a recorded image of the partial area, which coding pattern contains elements, which each have at least two possible decoding values, said method comprising:identifying in the image a plurality of said elements; calculating, for each identified element, an associated value probability for each possible decoding value that the element has this decoding value; and performing the decoding of data based on the decoding values and the corresponding value probabilities.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 109 words

A memory medium on which is stored a computer program with instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method of decoding data which is stored in a partial area of a coding pattern on a surface, based on a recorded image of the partial area, which coding pattern contains elements, which each have at least two possible decoding values, said method comprising:identifying in the image a plurality of said elements; calculating, for each identified element, an associated value probability for each possible decoding value that the element has this decoding value; and performing the decoding of data based on the decoding values and the corresponding value probabilities.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2007-05-11	2007-11-10	2008-05-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2011-05-11	2011-11-10	2012-05-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2015-05-11	2015-11-10	2016-05-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and device for data decoding

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