Information code, information code producing method, information code reader, and system which uses information code

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10540525-B2
Application number	US-201314654198-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

There is provided a system that uses a two-dimensional information code. The system administers an information code which is provided with a data recording region and an image region. The system is provided with a specific information acquisition section that acquires specific information of a subject or an object, as information recorded in the data recording region, or as information to be correlated to the information recorded in the data recording region. Further, the is provided with a unique image acquisition section that acquires a unique image of a subject or an object, or a unique image for specifying the subject or the object, as information indicated in the image region. Further, the system is provided with a registration section that registers specific information acquired by the specific information acquisition section, being correlated to a unique image acquired by the unique image acquisition section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an information code reader which reads an information code, and
an information code producing apparatus communicably connected to the information code reader, the information code producing apparatus having at least one processor and a memory storing instructions causing the at least one processor to function as:
a producing section that produces the information code having a code area on a medium, the code area being provided therein with (i) a specific pattern region where a specific pattern of a predetermined shape, including a pattern indicating a position of the code area, is arranged, (ii) a data recording region where data that is decoded is recorded in a plurality of types of cells, and (iii) an image region configured at a position other than the specific pattern region and the data recording region as a region for indicating therein an image different from an image composed of the cells recorded in the data recording region and having a size larger than a size of each of the cells, wherein a location of the image region as defined based on position information showing a position of the image region in the code area is recorded in the data recording region;
a specific information acquisition section that acquires specific information of a subject or an object, as information recorded in the data recording region, or as information to be correlated to the information recorded in the data recording region;
a unique image acquisition section that acquires a unique image of the subject or the object, or a unique image for specifying the subject or the object, as information which is indicated in the image region; and
a registration section that: (a) registers the specific information acquired by the specific information acquisition section and the unique image acquired by the unique image acquisition section such that the specific information and the unique image are correlated to each other in the registration section and are selectively readable by a predetermined reading process, and (b) checks the mutually-correlated and registered information with a result provided by the information code reader when the information code reader reads the information code; and

a first server communicably connected to the information code reader, the first server having at least one processor and a memory storing instructions causing the at least one processor to function as:
a determination section that determines whether or not a predetermined analogousness requirement is satisfied by a new unique image that is the unique image newly acquired by the unique image acquisition section and by an already registered unique image that is the unique image registered in the registration prior to the acquisition of the new unique image by the unique image acquisition section,
wherein the registration section excludes, from registration thereof, the new unique image that is determined by the determination section to satisfy the predetermined analogousness requirement together with the already registered unique image.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the information code producing apparatus is configured to produce the information code with a configuration in which at least either the specific information acquired by the specific information acquisition section, or correspondence information registered in the registration section, being correlated to the specific information, is recorded in the data recording region, and the unique image acquired by the unique image acquisition section is indicated in the image region.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the information code producing apparatus is configured to produce the information code with a configuration in which encrypted data are recorded in the data recording region, the encrypted data being obtained by encrypting at least a part of the specific information acquired by the specific information acquisition section.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the registration section registers the specific information acquired by the specific information acquisition section, being correlated to the information code that is produced by the information code producing section, with the data recording region being recorded with the specific information or the correspondence information correlated to the specific information.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the information code reader is provided with: (i) an imaging section that is able to pick up an image of the information code, (ii) a data recording region reading section that reads data recorded in the data recording region when an image of the information code is picked up by the imaging section, and (iii) an image processor that performs an extraction process for an image in the image region or a predetermined analysis process for an image in the image region, in a code image of the information code picked up by the imaging section; and
the system comprises a second server communicable with the information code reader, the second server having at least one processor programmed to:
determine whether or not the information code read by the information code reader is a predetermined valid code, on the basis of data in the data recording region read by the data recording region reading section, image data in the image region or analysis data of an image in the image region processed by the image processor, and registration data registered in the registration section.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the unique image acquisition section acquires an image of a face of a person as the unique image of the subject.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the unique image acquisition section acquires an image of the subject or an image of an emblem that specifies the subject, as the unique image for specifying the subject or the object.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the information code is used by being attached to a payment medium used for payment.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the code area comprises an error correction code recording region in which error correction codes are recorded, the error correction codes being used by the information code reader to correct an error of the data recorded in the data recording region, error correction based on the error correction codes being not applied to the image indicated in the image region whose position in the code region is decided by the position information.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the information code producing apparatus is configured to produce the information code with a configuration in which at least either the specific information acquired by the specific information acquisition section, or correspondence information registered in the registration section, being correlated to the specific information, is recorded in the data recording region, and the unique image acquired by the unique image acquisition section is indicated in the image region.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the information code producing apparatus is configured to produce the information code with a configuration in which encrypted data are recorded in the data recording region, the encrypted data being obtained by encrypting at least a part of the specific information acquired by the specific information acquisition section.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the registration section registers the specific information acquired by the specific information acquisition section, being correlated to the information code that is produced by the information code producing section, with the data recording re

Assignees

• Denso Wave Inc

Inventors

• Nosaka Kazuto
• Nakayama Shin
• Tanaka Masami
• Yoda Takuya

Classifications

• G06K19/06103

  the marking being embedded in a human recognizable image, e.g. a company logo with an embedded two-dimensional code · CPC title

• G06F16/9554

  by using bar codes · CPC title

• G06Q30/018

  Certifying business or products · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title

• G06K7/1417

  2D bar codes · CPC title