US008094870B2

(12) Ulllted States Patent

(10) Patent N0.:

Crookham et a].
(54)

US 8,094,870 B2

(45) Date of Patent:

Jan. 10, 2012

ENCODING AND DECODING DATA IN AN

5,675,671 A * 10/1997 Hayduchok et a1. ........ .. 382/296

IMAGE

5,761,686 A
5,841,978 A

(75) Inventors: David

Crookham, Valencia, CA

(Us); Nlcole S- Skogg, Aurora, CO (Us)

$002151:erg et 31'

6,314,457 B1

ll/200l Schena et 31.

6,324,573 B1

ll/200l Rhoads

(73) Ass1gnee: Spyder Lynk, LLC, Denver, CO (US)

( * ) Notice:

6/1998 Bloomberg
11/1998 Rhoads

(Continued)

Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

patent 1s extended or adjusted under 35

U'S'C' 154(1)) by 29 days

EP

1054335 A2

ll/2000

(Continued)
(21) App1.No.: 11/627,967
OTHER PUBLICATIONS

(22)

Flled:

Jan 27 2007

(65)

Prior Publication Data

US 2007/0189579 A1
Aug. 16, 2007

Pumps & Boots Trend Book, 2006.

(Continued)
Primary Examiner * Bhavesh Mehta

Related US. Application Data

(60)

Provisional application No. 60/763,026, ?led on Jan.

Assistant Examiner * Sean Motsinger

(74) Attorney Agent or Firm * Neugeboren ODOWd PC

27, 2006, provisional application No. 60/762,914,

?led On Jan. 27, 2006.
(51)

IIlt- Cl-

serve as a link from physical material or visual displays to

G06K 9/00
52
(58)

(57)
ABSTRACT
A graphically based encoded image, symbol or icon that can

(2006.01)

electronic data to retrieve speci?c or general information. In

USCl
. .
.

..................................................... .. 382/100
Field of Classi?cation Search ................ .. 382/ 100;

one exampl e, a

23 5/4544473
See application ?le for complete search history.

value may be encoded to form an encoded image by providing

a primary image, Such as a lOgO, and by positioning One Or
more secondary images or shapes in reference to the primary

(56)

References Cited
US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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DeZse et a1. ................ .. 400/103

Miyazaki et a1. ........... .. 396/207

graph"
' enco dd
'h a val uethat 1s
'
1c 1ma g e 1s
e W1t
linked to a reference lookup table For example, a numeric

image, Wherein the position of the secondary image relative to

the primary image corresponds or relates to the numeric
value. Generally, the encoded image may be in the form of
any shape, ?gure or logo, and may be associated With, for
example, an advertisement, Web site, marketing program,

corporate promotion, product promotion, sweepstakes, busi

ness cards, personal information, and other mediums for the

exchange of information.
20 Claims, 20 Drawing Sheets

34)
32

US 8,094,870 B2
Page 2
US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
9/2002 Buckley et al.
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6,938,017
6,947,571
6,965,682
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6,993,573
7,226,087
7,520,001
7,680,324
7,751,629
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4/2003
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Simpson et al. ................ .. 707/1

Rhoads et al.
Rhoads

....................... .. 382/100

Rodriguez et al.
Sasich et al. ................ .. 382/100
Shaked et al. ......... .. 235/46201

Bhattacharjya
Chang
Hashimoto
Hunter
Jam et al. ............... .. 235/46201
Yen et al. ...................... .. 705/62

Rhoads et al.
Davis et al.

Hein, III
Alasia et al.
Hunter
Alasia et al.

A1*
A1
A1*
A1*
A1
A1*
A1
A1*
A1*
A1*
A1*
A1
A1
A1*
A1*
A1*
A1*

4/2004
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11/2006
11/2006
4/2007
5/2007
1/2008
10/2009

Hilton et al. .................. .. 705/45

Brewington
Sasich et al. ................ .. 713/200
Cordery ..................... .. 358/3.28

Donovan et al.
Brundage et al. ........... .. 382/ 100

Yano
LuboW ................... .. 235/46201

Silverbrooks et al. .

358/3.28

Cheong et al. .... ..

235/494
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Bian
Hussey et al.
Hilton et al. ................ .. 713/176
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............ ..

235/462.25

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Shen

382/100

........................ .. 235/462.1

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Gotoh et al.

.................. .. 726/30

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. 382/165
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Schena et al.
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Roustaei

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OTHER PUBLICATIONS

................ .. 235/462.01

Tack-don et al.
CoX

2001273441
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PCT Written Opinion for PCT/US2007/02451 Which corresponds to

US. Appl. No. 11/627,967, ?led Jan. 27, 2007.

Rhoads et al.

Morris, J ., CueCat Resources, Web page at http://WWW.beau.lib.la.

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us/~jmorris/linuX/cuecat/ downloaded Sep. 7, 2005, p. 4 Published

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07 762 657.0 - 2210, Jun. 6, 2011, p. 4 Published in: EP.

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* cited by examiner

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 1 0f 20

US 8,094,870 B2

34x
32

FIG. 1

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 2 0f 20

US 8,094,870 B2

34
36

37

L 34

32

FIG. 2

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 3 0f 20

50

FIG. 3

US 8,094,870 B2

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 4 0f 20

US 8,094,870 B2

62

58
64

56

~\'

56

(\

56

4 v

/'

54

FIG. 4

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 5 0f 20

58'

FIG. 5

US 8,094,870 B2

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 6 0f 20

US 8,094,870 B2

70/\ Provide data or a number

(e. g. a unique number) to
be encoded

72 /\

Determine number of
digits/characters in the
data to be encoded

74

Form a reference

graph/image

Encode data using the

Reference graph/image
to form an encoded

image

FIG. 6

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 7 0f 20

84

Origin

80

FIG. 7

US 8,094,870 B2

US. Patent

US 8,094,870 B2

84

FIG. 8

US. Patent

92

Jan. 10, 2012

92

Sheet 9 0f 20

92

90

FIG. 9

US 8,094,870 B2

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 10 0f 20

/
FIG. 10

US 8,094,870 B2

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 11 0f 20

US 8,094,870 B2

92
92
92

52
Encoded

52

Data

52

50
90

FIG. 11

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 12 0f 20

,5

/ Q9
l 12/'

FIG. 12C

US 8,094,870 B2

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 13 0f 20

US 8,094,870 B2

122

120

126

124
FIG. 13A

FIG. 13B

FIG. 13C

FIG. 13D

154
154

i
150

154
152

FIG. 13E

FIG. 13F

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

/_\
160

Sheet 14 0f 20

US 8,094,870 B2

Receive encoded
image
.

Compare encoded image against

162 /\
reference image

Extract numbers/di gits/ characters

/\
164

from encoded image to form

decoded value

FIG. 14

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 15 0f 20

176
176
176

170

FIG. 15

US 8,094,870 B2

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 17 0f 20

US 8,094,870 B2

US. Patent

Jan. 10, 2012

Sheet 18 0f 20

US 8,094,870 B2

M:.U-h

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