Information acquisition apparatus, information acquisition method, and non-transitory recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9305200-B2
Application number	US-201514598284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

The imager and controller of an information apparatus images the back face of another information apparatus to acquire the manufacturing number of the other information apparatus corresponding to the two-dimensional bar code provided on the back face of the other information apparatus and acquire visible light information corresponding to blinking of light emitted by the light emitter arranged on the back face of the other information apparatus. Furthermore, the controller controls the imager so as to be able to image the two-dimensional bar code and the light emitted by the light emitter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information acquisition apparatus comprising:
an imager;
a first decoder decoding a geometric pattern obtained by imaging by the imager to generate first information;
a second decoder decoding a change in luminance over time obtained by continuous imaging by the imager to generate second information which comprises a bit data string; and
an imaging controller controlling the imager to image the geometric pattern and the change in luminance over time.

2. The information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an outputter outputting the first information and the second information.

3. The information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the imaging controller controls the imager based on the first information and the second information.

4. The information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 wherein
the imaging controller controls the imager to repeat imaging when at least one of the first decoder and the second decoder fails in decoding.

5. The information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a generator generating third information integrating the first information and the second information.

6. The information acquisition apparatus according to claim 5 wherein
the third information includes information of a storage location of an information resource on a network to which the information acquisition apparatus is connected.

7. The information acquisition apparatus according to claim 1 wherein
the first information is fixed information, and
the second information is arbitrarily changeable information.

8. An information acquisition method including:
an imaging step;
a first decoding step of decoding a geometric pattern obtained by imaging in the imaging step to generate first information;
a second decoding step of decoding a change in luminance over time obtained by continuous imaging in the imaging step to generate second information; and
an imaging controlling step of controlling the imaging to image the geometric pattern and the change in luminance over time in the imaging step.

9. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing the computer to function as:
an imager;
a first decoder decoding a geometric pattern obtained by imaging by the imager to generate first information;
a second decoder decoding a change in luminance over time obtained by continuous imaging by the imager to generate second information; and
an imaging controller controlling the imager to image the geometric pattern and the change in luminance over time.

10. An information acquisition apparatus comprising:
an imager;
a first decoder decoding a geometric pattern obtained by imaging by the imager to generate first information;
a second decoder decoding a pattern, which optically changes and cannot be decoded as independent information, obtained by imaging by the imager to generate second information; and
an imaging controller controlling the imager to image the geometric pattern and the pattern.

11. An information acquisition method including:
an imaging step;
a first decoding step of decoding a geometric pattern obtained by imaging in the imaging step to generate first information;
a second decoding step of decoding a pattern, which optically changes and cannot be decoded as independent information, obtained by imaging in the imaging step to generate second information; and
an imaging controlling step of controlling the imaging to image the geometric pattern and the pattern in the imaging step.

12. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing the computer to function as:
an imager;
a first decoder decoding a geometric pattern obtained by imaging by the imager to generate first information;
a second decoder decoding a pattern, which optically changes and cannot be decoded as independent information, obtained by imaging by the imager to generate second information; and
an imaging controller controlling the imager to image the geometric pattern and the pattern.

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd
• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kikuchi Masaaki

Classifications

• G06K7/10712

  Fixed beam scanning · CPC title

• G06K7/1408

  the method being specifically adapted for the type of code · CPC title

• G06K7/1095 Primary

  the scanner comprising adaptations for scanning a record carrier that is displayed on a display-screen or the like · CPC title

• G06K7/1426

  Multi-level bar codes · CPC title