Creating mechanical stamps to produce machine-readable optical labels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016180118-A1
Application number	US-201414573411-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tool for creating mechanical stamps that produce machine-readable optical labels. The tool selects an initial element of a list of two-dimensional labels. The tool selects a pixel difference to apply to a two-dimensional label for the initial element. The tool selects a cardinality for bits in one or more bytes to encode. The tool determines whether a cardinality of a bit difference for each element compared to the initial element equals the selected bit difference cardinality. The tool determines whether a pixel difference between a two-dimensional label for each element and the two-dimensional label for the initial element equals the selected pixel difference. The tool selects one or more elements from the list of two-dimensional labels to create one or more mechanical stamps.

First claim

1 .- 10 . (canceled)

11 . An apparatus for creating a mechanical stamp that produces a machine-readable optical label, the apparatus comprising:
a machined component having at least one specific feature, the at least one specific feature representing a physical difference in a pixel on a two-dimensional label; and at least one pin to fit within one bit coordinate in a bit zone on the two-dimensional label, the at least one pin mated at one end to the at least one specific feature on the one or more wheels.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the machined component includes one or more wheels, the one or more wheels having at least one feature for locating the one or more wheels in a desired assembled order.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one specific feature is a cam lobe, the at least one specific feature contacting the at least one pin.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one pin transmits the physical difference in a pixel to a physical two dimensional label, the physical two dimensional label including a pre-machined common shape representing unchanging pixels and a bit zone for insertion of the physical difference in the pixel.

15 . A computer program product for creating mechanical stamps that produce machine-readable optical labels, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to select, by one or more computer processors, an initial element of a list of two-dimensional labels; program instructions to select, by one or more computer processors, a pixel difference to apply to a two-dimensional label for the initial element; program instructions to select, by one or more computer processors, a cardinality for bits in one or more bytes to encode; program instructions to determine, by one or more computer processors, whether a cardinality of a bit difference for each element compared to the initial element equals the selected bit difference cardinality; program instructions to determine, by one or more computer processors, whether a pixel difference between a two-dimensional label for each element and the two-dimensional label for the initial element equals the selected pixel difference; and program instructions to select, by one or more computer processors, one or more elements from the list of two-dimensional labels to create one or more mechanical stamps.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein program instructions to select a cardinality for bits in one or more bytes to encode, further comprises:
program instructions to select, by one or more computer processors, a bit difference between the initial element and a second element in the list of two-dimensional labels, wherein selecting the bit difference includes defining a number of different bits to apply to the two-dimensional label for the initial element in a plurality of two-dimensional labels for variant elements.

17 . The computer program product of claim 15 , the computer program product further comprising:
responsive to a determination that cardinality of the number of bits for each element equals the selected number of bits to encode, program instructions to compute, by one or more computer processors, a two dimensional label for each element that equals the selected number of bits to encode.

18 . The computer program product of claim 15 , the computer program product further comprising:
responsive to a determination that the pixel difference between the two-dimensional label for each element and the two-dimensional label for the initial element equals the selected pixel difference, program instructions to add, by one or more computer processors, the two-dimensional label for each element that equals the selected pixel difference to the list of two-dimensional labels.

19 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein program instructions to select a pixel difference to apply to a two-dimensional label for the initial element, further comprises:
program instructions to compute, by one or more computer processors, a two-dimensional label for the initial element with a corresponding error correction code.

20 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein program instructions to select one or more elements from the list of two-dimensional labels to create one or more mechanical stamps, further comprises:
program instructions to select, by one or more computer processors, one or more elements from the list to generate a fixed part model, such that each bit difference across the selected number of elements corresponds to a specific feature on a wheel actuating a pin that can be used for creating the one or more mechanical stamps.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Fiammante Marc

Classifications

• G06K1/121 Primary

  by printing code marks (applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26) · CPC title

• G06K19/06037

  multi-dimensional coding · CPC title

• B21D22/00

  Shaping without cutting, by stamping, spinning, or deep-drawing (otherwise than using rigid devices or tools or yieldable or resilient pads B21D26/00) · CPC title

• B21D22/02

  Stamping using rigid devices or tools · CPC title

• G06K19/06075

  the marking containing means for error correction · CPC title