Patent ID: 6446866
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
An information reproducing system which optically reads a dot code from an information recording medium and reproduces the information, the information recording medium on which an optically readable dot code has been recorded, the dot code composed of blocks arranged in an array, each block including at least a data code made up of data dots arranged according to the contents of data related to the information to be reproduced, a pattern code placed so as to have a specific positional relationship with the data dots and made up of pattern dots to determine reading points for the data dots, and markers to sense the pattern dots placed so as to have a specific positional relationship with the pattern dots and recorded in a way different from the data dots and the pattern dots, the information reproducing system comprising:image input means for shooting the dot code on the information recording medium; representative marker sensing means for sensing only one of the markers as a representative marker on an imaging frame shot by said image input means; pattern dot sensing means for sensing the pattern dots on the basis of the position of said one of the markers which is sensed as the representative marker by said representative marker sensing means; data dot reading point determining means for determining a reading point for each data dot on the basis of the positions of the pattern dots sensed by said pattern dot sensing means; data reading means for reading each data dot at the reading point determined by said data dot reading point determining means; and data reproducing means for concatenating the data items in each block read by said data reading means and reproducing the information; wherein said pattern dot sensing means includes: pattern dot sensing reference point setting means for, on the basis of the position of said one of the markers which is sensed as the representative marker by said representative marker sensing means, setting a pattern dot sensing reference point serving as a reference position to sense the pattern dots, pattern dot format storage means for storing the positional relationship between each pattern dot in the pattern code and the pattern dot sensing reference point in the form of a pattern dot format, and pattern dot reading vector storage means for storing a pattern dot reading vector to determine sensing points for the pattern dots on the basis of the pattern dot sensing reference point, and wherein said pattern dot sensing means is designed to move the sensing point for the each pattern dot according to the pattern dot reading vector, starting from the pattern dot sensing reference point on the basis of the stored pattern dot format.