Information input output method using dot pattern

Abstract

A quadrangular or rectangular area on a medium surface of a printed material is defined as a block. A virtual straight line in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction each along an edge of the block are defined as reference grid lines. Virtual grid points are virtually provided at a predetermined interval on the reference grid lines. A reference grid point dot is placed on a virtual grid point lined in a horizontal direction among the virtual grid points. Virtual straight lines connecting the reference grid point dots and the virtual grid points lined in a vertical direction are defined as grid lines. A virtual intersection point of the grid lines is defined as a virtual grid point. A dot pattern is generated by arranging one or more information dots having a distance and direction on the base of the virtual grid point.

1 . A printed material printed with a dot pattern, the dot pattern comprising:
 a reference grid point dot placed on a virtual grid point lined in a horizontal direction among virtual grid points that are virtually provided at a predetermined interval on reference grid lines that are virtual straight lines in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction each along an edge of a block that is a quadrangular or rectangular area; and   one or more information dots having a distance and a direction on the base of a virtual grid point that is a virtual intersection point of grid lines that are virtual straight lines connecting the reference grid point dots and the virtual grid points lined in a vertical direction.   
     
     
         2 . The printed material printed with the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , the dot pattern further comprising:
 a sub-reference grid point dot, instead of the information dot, on the virtual grid point on a grid line which is parallel to the reference grid line horizontal to a reference block and is placed at a predetermined interval from the reference grid line in the block.   
     
     
         3 . The printed material printed with the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , the dot pattern further comprising a key dot that is placed, instead of the reference grid point dot or the sub-reference grid point dot, at a position displaced from the virtual grid point where the reference grid point dot or the sub-reference grid point dot constituting the block is arranged, the key dot defining a direction of the block and the configuration thereof by the displacement direction. 
     
     
         4 . The printed material printed with the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , wherein the information dot is placed so that numerical information is defined by calculating a numerical difference between horizontally adjacent information dots. 
     
     
         5 . The printed material printed with the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , wherein the blocks are consecutively arranged vertically and horizontally in any area, and the reference grid point dot is shared vertically by the blocks. 
     
     
         6 . The printed material printed with the dot pattern according to  claim 4 , wherein, in the dot pattern where: the blocks are consecutively arranged in any area; a reference grid point dot and an information dot at left and right ends of the block are shared; and a numerical difference between horizontally adjacent information dots is calculated to define numerical information between the information dots, an initial value of an information dot at a horizontal end in the area is determined by any random number. 
     
     
         7 . The printed material printed with the dot pattern according to  claim 3 , wherein the key dot is placed on at least one of the four corners of the block. 
     
     
         8 . The printed material printed with the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , wherein information in an information dot of the block is defined by using a position of the information dot in the block to arbitrarily limit the distance and the direction from the virtual grid point for each information dot. 
     
     
         9 . A dot pattern comprising:
 a reference grid point dot placed on a virtual grid point lined in a horizontal direction among virtual grid points that are virtually provided at a predetermined interval on reference grid lines that are virtual straight lines in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction each along an edge of a block that is a quadrangular or rectangular area; and   one or more information dots having a distance and a direction on the base of a virtual grid point that is a virtual intersection point of grid lines that are virtual straight lines connecting the reference grid point dots and the virtual grid points lined in a vertical direction.   
     
     
         10 . An optical reading device comprising:
 a reading unit that obtains the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , as image data; and   a processor that analyzes the image data and decodes a numeric value defined by the dot pattern.   
     
     
         11 . A reading method comprising:
 obtaining the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , as image data; and   by a processor, analyzing the image data and decoding a numeric value defined by the dot pattern.   
     
     
         12 . An electronic device storing a sequence of instructions for causing a processor to execute:
 from a reading unit, obtaining the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , onto the processor as image data; and   analyzing the image data and decoding a numeric value defined by the dot pattern.   
     
     
         13 . A dot pattern reading device comprising:
 a reading unit that obtains the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , as image data; and   a processor that analyzes the image data, decodes a numeric value defined by the dot pattern, and controls an information output device based on the decoded numeric value.   
     
     
         14 . A reading method comprising:
 obtaining the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , as image data;   by a processor, analyzing the image data and decoding a numeric value defined by the dot pattern; and   controlling an information output device based on the decoded numeric value.   
     
     
         15 . An information processing device for using a dot pattern reading method:
 a reading unit that obtains the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , as image data; and   a processor that analyzes the image data, decodes a numeric value defined by the dot pattern, and executes a processing corresponding to the decoded numeric value.   
     
     
         16 . A dot pattern generation program for generating the dot pattern according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . A dot pattern generation device comprising:
 a processor programmed in accordance with a dot pattern generation algorithm for generating the dot pattern according to  claim 1 ; and   a transmission unit that transmits the dot pattern to a dot pattern output unit.   
     
     
         18 . A dot pattern generation method of a dot pattern comprising:
 generating the dot pattern according to  claim 1  in accordance with a dot pattern generation algorithm for generating the dot pattern; and   transmitting the dot pattern to a dot pattern output unit.   
     
     
         19 . An information input and output device comprising:
 a reading unit that obtains the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , as image data;   a processor that analyzes the image data and decodes a numeric value defined by the dot pattern; and   an output unit that outputs at least one of a voice, an image, a moving image, a character, and an executed result of a program that are related with the numeric value decoded by the processor.   
     
     
         20 . An information input and output method using a dot pattern comprising:
 from a reading unit, obtaining the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , as image data;   by a processor, decoding the dot pattern; and   outputting at least one of a voice, an image, a moving image, a character, and an executed result of a program that are related with a numeric value decoded by the processor.   
     
     
         21 . An electronic device, storing a sequence of instructions for causing a processor to execute:
 from a reading unit, obtaining the dot pattern according to  claim 1 , onto the processor as image data;   by a processor, decoding the dot pattern; and   outputting at least one of a voice, an image, a moving image, a character, and an executed result of a program that are related with a numeric value decoded by the processor.   
     
     
         22 . The information processing device for reading the dot pattern according to  claim 15 , wherein the corresponding processing is outputting of at least one of a voice, an image, a moving image, a character, and an executed result of a program.