JP4746127B2 - Method and electronic device for decoding information stored in code - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and an electronic device for decoding information stored in a code. In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and electronic device for continuously decoding information stored in a plurality of matrix codes.

  Two-dimensional (2D) matrix codes such as QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes. These codes can store data in a compact manner and can be decoded quickly. 2D codes are often used as a quick way to enter data into electronic devices such as mobile phones or personal digital assistants. 2D codes are found, for example, on posters, advertisements or business cards, and may include information such as URLs or contact details such as phone numbers or email addresses. The user can browse the information by decoding the information from the code and further store this information in the electronic device. In many cases, a user will want to view information from multiple 2D codes, for example, the user is interested in a poster or advertisement that contains multiple 2D codes and needs You may not know which code contains the information you want. It would be advantageous to provide an improved method for decoding and displaying information from a series of 2D codes such as QR codes.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for decoding information stored in code is provided, the method comprising: displaying a series of images imaged by an imaging device on a display; Detecting and decoding the displayed code to obtain information if the displayed image contains code in response to an interrupt, and the obtained information is imaged by the imaging device. Displaying on the display at the same time as the series of images, and maintaining the simultaneous display of the resulting information while the series of displayed images captured by the imaging device changes.

  As a result, there is an advantage that the user can easily browse information from a series of codes. Since the information from the code is displayed simultaneously with the series of images imaged by the imaging device, the user can view the information stored in the code without having to exit the image capture mode. Thus, for example, if the user has obtained information from the first code but does not want to use this information, the user does not need to exit the image capture mode and simply obtains an image containing another code. You can locate the device and decode and view information from the new code.

  The code may be a variety of computer-visible codes, such as a 2D or matrix code, which is a graphical representation of information that allows information to be stored in an image both vertically and horizontally. Examples of such codes include a quick response (QR) code, a data matrix, and an aztec code.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising an imaging device for imaging an image, a display for displaying an image imaged by the imaging device, and an electronic device. In response to the interrupt, the control means decodes the displayed code to obtain information when the image is displayed on the display, and obtains information. To control the display to display simultaneously with a series of imaged images, and to maintain simultaneous display of the resulting information and a series of imaged images while the series of captured images changes Is arranged.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is further provided a computer program including program instructions for controlling an electronic device, the electronic device including an imaging device and a display, and therefore imaged by the electronic device. The displayed image is displayed on the display, and when the computer program is loaded into the processor, it detects an interrupt and, in response to the interrupt, if the displayed image contains code Means for decoding the displayed code to obtain information, and displaying the obtained information on the display simultaneously with a series of images imaged by the imaging device, and further, a series of images imaged by the imaging device Control the display to maintain simultaneous display of the obtained information while the It provides a stage, a.

  For a further understanding of the invention, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which:

  The drawings show how to decode the information stored in the code, which includes displaying a series of images imaged by the imaging device 15 on the display 13, detecting an interrupt, In response to the interrupt, if the displayed image includes a code, the displayed code is decoded to obtain information, and the obtained information is converted into a series of images imaged by the imaging device 15. Simultaneously displaying on the display 13 and maintaining a simultaneous display of the obtained information while the series of displayed images changed by the imaging device 15 changes.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows an electronic device 1. Although only the functions mentioned in the following description are illustrated, it is understood that the device 1 may include other functions not shown. The electronic device 1 may be any electronic device operable to decode and display information stored in the code, such as a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile cellular phone, or a digital camera. .

  The illustrated electronic device 1 includes a user interface 9, a memory 5, a processor 3, and an imaging device 15. The user interface 9 includes a display 13 and user input means 11. The user input means 11 may be any means that allows the user to input information to the device 1, and examples thereof include a key pad, a joystick, a voice recognition means, or a touch sensitive area of the display 13.

  The processor 3 is connected to receive an input command from the user input means 11 and give an output command to the display 13. The processor 3 is further connected so as to write to and read from the memory 5.

  The memory 5 stores computer program instructions 7, and when the computer program instructions are loaded into the processor 3, the processor 3 can control the operation of the device 1 as described below. Computer program instructions 7 provide logic and routines that allow electronic device 1 to perform the method shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

  The computer program instructions 7 may reach the electronic device 1 via an electromagnetic carrier signal, or from a physical entity such as a computer program product, a memory device, or a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD. It may be copied.

  The imaging device 15 can be any device operable to image a series of images. The imaging device 15 is controlled by the processor 3, and a series of images can be imaged by processing the light detected by the imaging device 15 to produce a visible image. A series of images imaged by the imaging device can be displayed on the display 13 and further stored in the memory 5. The processor 3 is operable to analyze the image imaged by the imaging device 15.

  A method for controlling the device 1 according to the present invention is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

  FIG. 2A illustrates a method for acquiring and displaying an image in accordance with the present invention. In step 21, the user activates the imaging device 15. The processor 3 controls the imaging device 15 to capture a series of images and display them on the display 13.

  In step 23, the imaging device 15 captures an image. In step 25, the processor 3 determines whether any additional information to be displayed with the captured image is stored in the memory 5. As additional information, for example, information obtained from a code can be considered. If there is no additional information, the processor 3 controls the display 13 and displays the captured image in step 27.

  If there is additional information, the processor 3 controls the display 13, and in step 29, the captured image is displayed simultaneously with the additional information. The additional information may be displayed on the display 13 so as to overlap the captured image, whereby the captured image is placed in the foreground and the additional information is placed in the background. In another embodiment, the captured image may be displayed in the first area of the display 13 and the additional information may be displayed in the second area.

  As soon as the captured image is displayed, the process returns to step 23 and repeats the cycle consisting of steps 23-29.

  FIG. 2B illustrates a method for obtaining additional information that may be stored in memory 5 and displayed with images captured from imaging device 15. In step 31, the image captured by the imaging device 15 is displayed on the display 13. This image is one of a series of images captured by the imaging device 15 and may be displayed with or without additional information as described above.

  In step 33, the processor 3 detects an interrupt. As this interruption, for example, a user input via the user input unit 11 such as an operation of a key or a voice command can be considered. Alternatively, the processor 3 may generate an interrupt if the processor 3 detects that the electronic device 1 is held in a position associated with a reference point in the image for a predetermined period of time. In other embodiments, the processor 3 may be operable to detect a code in the displayed image and generate an interrupt in response to detecting the code.

  In response to the interrupt, in step 35, the processor 3 analyzes the displayed image and determines whether or not a code is included in the image. If the image includes a code, in step 37, the processor 3 decodes the code to obtain information stored in the code. In some embodiments, it may be possible for the processor 3 to decode the code even if only a portion of the code is displayed on the display, or even if the portion of the code is ambiguous or unreadable. Is possible.

  At step 39, the information obtained from the code is stored in the memory 5 as additional information that can be displayed simultaneously with a series of images captured by the imaging device 15. Thereby, information currently stored as additional information can be replaced.

  3A to 3G show examples of use of embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 3A illustrates a user interface 9 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The user interface 9 includes a display 13 and user input means 11. The display is operable to display information stored in the memory 5 or entered by the user, in addition to images captured by the imaging device 15.

  In this particular embodiment, the user input means 11 includes “soft” or three programmable keys, 41A, 41B and 41C. The function of these keys 41 depends on the device mode. In some embodiments, the function associated with each of the keys 41 may be indicated on the display 13 by a legend in the area above each of the keys 41. For example, when the imaging device 15 is capturing a series of images, the right soft key 41C may be operable to disable the imaging device 15 and exit the image capture mode. The left soft key 41A may be operable to enter a list of menu options that allow properties such as the resolution or quality of the displayed image to be changed by the user of the device 1. The right soft key 41B interrupts a series of captured images, and the processor 3 analyzes the displayed image and decodes the code if the displayed image includes a code. It may be operable so that information stored in it can be obtained.

  In FIG. 3B, because the user has activated the imaging device 15, the imaging device 15 is capturing a series of images that are then displayed on the display 13 according to the method described above. Since there is no additional information stored in the memory 5, the image is displayed alone.

  The obtained image includes a code 43, which can be a QR code, for example. This code includes a position detection pattern 45 at three corners. In FIG. 3B, only two of these corners are visible. With these position detection patterns, the processor 3 can decode the code 43 regardless of the orientation of the image.

  Code 43 is considered to be on a poster or advertisement that may contain multiple codes. A user of device 1 may wish to view information from multiple codes.

  Since only a part of the code 43 is displayed on the display, the processor 3 may not be able to decode the code. In some embodiments where user input is required to analyze the image and decode any code in the image, if there is no code in the image or only a portion of the code is displayed The key 41B that enables the processor 3 to decode the code may not have a related function.

  In FIG. 3C, since the user has moved the device 1 in relation to the code 43, the entire code 43 is now displayed on the display 13. The processor is now operable to decode the code in response to the interrupt and obtain information stored therein. The interrupt may be an operation of user input means such as the key 41B. Alternatively, device 1 may have an automatic mode, in which case processor 3 interrupts when processor 3 detects that device 1 has been held in the same position associated with code 43 for a predetermined amount of time. Can be generated so that the code can be decoded by the processor 3 without any user input.

  In FIG. 3D, the processor 3 is decoding the code 43. While the processor 3 is decoding the code 43, the imaging device 15 continues to capture images that are subsequently displayed on the display 13. In the illustrated embodiment, a message is displayed on the display 13 to inform the user that the code has been decoded. In this particular embodiment, the message is displayed in the foreground, whereas the image captured by the imaging device 15 is displayed in the background below the message.

  In this embodiment, while the processor 3 is decoding the code, the key 41C is operable to cause the processor 3 to stop decoding the code, whereas the keys 41A and 41B have an associated function. Absent. In another embodiment, it is believed that operating any of the keys 41A, 41B or 41C can cause the processor 3 to stop decoding the code.

  In FIG. 3E, the processor has completed decoding of the code 43. Here, the information obtained from the code 43 is stored as additional information to be displayed simultaneously with a series of images captured from the imaging device 15. In the present embodiment, an image from the imaging device 15 is displayed in the background, and information is displayed on the foreground in an overlapping manner with the image from the imaging device 15. In another embodiment, information may be displayed on the display 13 in a different part from the image from the imaging device 15.

  When information obtained from the code is displayed on the display, the list of menu options associated with key 41A may include options associated with the displayed information. For example, the list of options may include storing information in memory 5 for later use, for example, the information obtained may be saved by the user in the contact list. It may include contact details that may be, or calendar information that the user may wish to save to the calendar. If the information includes a URL, a menu option may allow the user of device 1 to access a location associated with the URL. If the obtained information includes a phone number or email address, the menu option may include making a call or sending a message to the number or address.

  In FIG. 3F, since the user of the device has moved the device 1 in relation to the code 43, a portion of the new code 49 shown with a dash symbol is seen in the background of the display 13. The first code 43 is no longer displayed, but information related to the code 43 is still displayed in the foreground.

  In FIG. 3G, the device has detected an interrupt, and it is believed that the interrupt was the operation of the key 41B or the holding of the device in a position associated with the code 49, as already described. Therefore, the processor 3 starts decoding the code 47. In this embodiment, when an interrupt is detected, the image including the code 49 moves from the background to the foreground to notify the user that a new code has been decoded. In another embodiment, the device may generate an audio notification to indicate that a new code has been decoded.

  While embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to various examples in the foregoing sections, it will be appreciated that modifications to the examples presented may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. Can be applied.

  While the above specification has sought to draw attention to features of the present invention that are considered to be particularly important, it is to be understood that applicants will not be obliged to make any patents mentioned herein and / or displayed in the drawings. We claim protection for sexual features and combinations of features, whether or not they are specifically coordinated.

It is a figure which shows an electronic device roughly. It is a flowchart which shows the step group of the method of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the step group of the method of one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 illustrates use of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates use of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates use of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates use of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates use of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates use of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates use of an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (24)

A method of decoding information stored in a code by an electronic device ,
Displaying a series of images imaged by an imaging device on a display;
Detecting interrupts,
In response to the interrupt, if the displayed image includes a code, decoding the displayed code to obtain information;
Displaying the obtained information on the display simultaneously with the series of images imaged by the imaging device;
Maintaining a simultaneous display of the obtained information while the series of displayed images imaged by the imaging device changes;
Including a method.   In response to the detection of further interrupts, if the displayed image includes a code, the displayed code is decoded to obtain information, and the newly obtained information is imaged by the imaging device. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed information is replaced with the newly obtained information so that the displayed information is displayed simultaneously with the series of images.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the code is a two-dimensional code.   The method of claim 3, wherein the code is a matrix code.   The method of claim 4, wherein the code is a quick response code.   6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the information obtained from the code is displayed overlaid on the series of images imaged by the imaging device.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the interrupt is a user input. 7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the interrupt is to keep the imaging device in a position associated with the code for a predetermined time.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the interrupt is the detection that the displayed image contains a code.   10. A method according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein in response to an interrupt, the displayed information is used to enable a further function of the electronic device. An electronic device,
An imaging device for capturing images;
A display for displaying an image imaged by the imaging device;
Control means for controlling the electronic device;
In response to the interrupt, the control means decodes the displayed code to obtain information when the image displayed by the display includes a code, and obtains the information Controlling the display to display simultaneously with the imaged images, and maintaining the simultaneous display of the obtained information and the sequence of imaged images while the sequence of imaged images changes The electronic device is arranged to be.   In response to the detection of a further interrupt, the control means decodes the displayed code to obtain information if the displayed image includes a code, and the newly obtained information is obtained from the imaging 12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is arranged to replace the displayed information with the newly obtained information so that it is displayed simultaneously with the series of images imaged by the device.   The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the code is a two-dimensional code.   The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the code is a matrix code.   The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the code is a quick response code.   16. An electronic device according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the information obtained from the code is displayed overlaid on the series of images imaged by the imaging device.   The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the interrupt is a user input.   17. An electronic device according to any of claims 11 to 16, wherein the interrupt is to keep the device in a position associated with the code for a predetermined time.   The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the interrupt is the detection that the displayed image includes a code.   20. An electronic device according to any of claims 11 to 19, wherein in response to an interrupt, the displayed information is used to enable a further function of the electronic device. A computer program including program instructions for controlling an electronic device, the electronic device including an imaging device and a display, so that an image imaged by the electronic device is displayed on the display And when the computer program is loaded into a processor,
Means for detecting an interrupt and, in response to the interrupt, if the displayed image includes a code, decodes the displayed code to obtain information;
The obtained information is displayed on the display simultaneously with the series of images imaged by the imaging device, and the obtained information is changed while the series of images imaged by the imaging device changes. Means for controlling the display to maintain simultaneous display of:
Providing the computer program.   22. A physical entity that embodies the computer program of claim 21.   An electromagnetic carrier signal carrying the computer program of claim 22.   A computer program comprising program instructions for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 1.

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