Custom functional patterns for optical barcodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020117872-A1
Application number	US-201916713946-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 13, 2019
Priority date	Jan 19, 2015
Publication date	Apr 16, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for custom functional patterns for optical barcodes are provided. In example embodiments, image data of an image is received from a user device. A candidate shape feature of the image is extracted from the image data. A determination is made that the shape feature satisfies a shape feature rule. In response to the candidate shape feature satisfying the shape feature rule, a custom graphic in the image is identified by comparing the candidate shape feature with a reference shape feature of the custom graphic. In response to identifying the custom graphic, data encoded in a portion of the image is decoded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
storing, by a user device, an image of a scannable code comprising data marks positioned around an internal empty shape in a center of the scannable code, the data marks indicating a border of the internal empty shape, the internal empty shape does not contain the data marks; identifying, by the user device, a boundary shape that includes the data marks; generating, by the user device, an item identifier by decoding the data marks that are inside the boundary shape and outside the internal empty shape of the scannable code; and storing the item identifier on the user device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the internal empty shape in the center of the scannable code matches a reference shape stored on the user device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining that the internal empty shape matches the reference shape stored on the user device comprises:
determining a match value that describes an amount that an attribute of the internal empty shape matches the reference shape; and determining that the match value satisfies a threshold for the attribute.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the attribute is image area and the threshold is an image area threshold.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal empty shape does not contain the data marks and does not contain functional image features.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the internal empty shape does not include alignment marker data for the scannable code.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the internal empty shape displays a solid color.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the internal empty shape comprises at least one or more of: a graphic or a logo.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a user interface of the user device displays the boundary shape that includes the data marks and the internal empty shape, the data marks positioned between the boundary shape and the internal empty shape.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the item identifier is an account identifier of a social network site.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising: transmitting over a network, by the user device, a request for content from one or more servers of the social network site, the request comprising the account identifier from the scannable code.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving the content from the one or more servers of the network; and displaying the content on a user interface on the user device.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the user interface comprises a button to interact with a site account of the social network site, the site account corresponding to the account identifier decoded from the scannable code.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving, by the user device, selection of the button in the user interface.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
in response to selection of the button, generating a request to link a user account of a user of the user device to the site account that corresponds to the account identifier from the scannable code; and transmitting the request to the one or more servers of the social network site.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising: receiving, from the one or more servers of the social network site, a notification that the user account is linked to the site account on the social network site.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the user account is a first user account on the social network site and the site account is a second user account on the social network site.

18 . A system comprising:
one or more processors of a machine; a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the machine to perform operations comprising: storing an image of a scannable code comprising data marks positioned around an internal empty shape in a center of the scannable code, the data marks indicating a border of the internal empty shape, the internal empty shape does not contain the data marks; identifying a boundary shape that includes the data marks; generating an item identifier by decoding the data marks that are inside the boundary shape and outside the internal empty shape of the scannable code; and storing the item identifier on the user device.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the item identifier is an account identifier of a social network site; and wherein the operations further comprise:
transmitting over a network a request for content from one or more servers of the social network site, the request comprising the account identifier from the scannable code.

20 . A machine-readable storage device embodying instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
storing an image of a scannable code comprising data marks positioned around an internal empty shape in a center of the scannable code, the data marks indicating a border of the internal empty shape, the internal empty shape does not contain the data marks; identifying a boundary shape that includes the data marks; generating an item identifier by decoding the data marks that are inside the boundary shape and outside the internal empty shape of the scannable code; and storing the item identifier on the user device.

Assignees

• Snap Inc

Inventors

• Anderton Landon
• Gee Garrett
• Hornberger Ryan
• Ouimet Kirk
• Sheffiled Kamero
• Turley Benjamin

Classifications

• G06K19/06037 Primary

  multi-dimensional coding · CPC title

• G06K7/1456

  determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore · CPC title

• G06K7/1443 Primary

  locating of the code in an image · CPC title

• G06K19/06103

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

• G06K7/1417

  2D bar codes · CPC title