A controlling device has a configurable key. An insert is provided to the configurable key and includes an indicium representative of a media content provider. An image of the indicium or an image of a QR code associated with the indicium is used to assign one or more commands to the configurable key. The one or more commands are used to cause a controllable device to tune to a channel on which the media content provider is being broadcast, to invoke an app associated with the media content provider, to access a website associated with the media content provider, and the like.

A first computing device of a multi-part code system includes one or more optical scanners and a network application associated with a network computing device of the multi-part code system. The network application is operable to obtain a second portion of a code associated with a second computing device. The network computing device generated the code for an interaction between the first and second computing device. The network application is further operable to display the second portion of the code on a display area of an interactive display, receive a first portion of the code, and instruct a user to drag the first portion of the code to the display area to align with the second portion of the code. When the first and second portions of the code are aligned, the network application produces the code and sends a finalized interaction notification to the network computing device.

A method for chip collection and a method for chip positioning are provided. The method for chip collection includes that: an image to be detected is obtained; chip position information of a comparison image with a highest matching degree with the image to be detected is obtained from a database; a position of each of detection regions in the image to be detected is obtained based on the chip position information; an image of the detection region is obtained based on the position of each detection region; it is determined whether the image of the detection region includes the chip code image; and when the image of the detection region includes the chip code image, a chip code corresponding to the chip code image identified and the chip code is stored in the database.

A memory device is provided including instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform the steps including receiving a plurality of images acquired by a camera, the plurality of images including a plurality of optical patterns, wherein an optical pattern of the plurality of optical patterns encodes an object identifier. The steps include presenting the plurality of images comprising the plurality of optical patterns on a display, and presenting a plurality of visual indications overlying the plurality of optical patterns in the plurality of images. The steps also include identifying a selected optical pattern of the plurality of optical patterns based on a user action and a position of the selected optical pattern in one or more of the plurality of images. The steps also include decoding the selected optical pattern to generate the object identifier and storing the object identifier in a second memory device.

The invention provides methods and related apparatuses for reducing an edge effect in an image displayed on an electrophoretic display having an array of pixels by displaying an image made up of a plurality of pixels on a first subset of the array of pixels and shifting the value of each image pixel by one position in a first horizontal direction and a first vertical direction such that the image is identical but shifted in position to a second subset of the pixel array. The method also includes shifting the value of each image pixel by one position in a second horizontal direction and a second vertical direction where the second horizontal direction is opposite the first horizontal direction, and the second vertical direction is opposite the first vertical direction, whereby the image displayed is identical but shifted in position back to the first subset of the array of pixels.

Images of optical codes are mapped to an overview image to localize optical codes within a space. By localizing optical codes, information about locations of various products can be ascertained. One or more techniques can be used to map the images of optical codes to the overview image. The overview image can be a composite image formed by stitching together several images.

A method of identifying an item includes: capturing by a camera an image of the item, searching in the image a predefined dot start and end codes, determining in the image directions of the predefined dot start and end codes, interpolating in the image a reading line to extend from the predefined dot start code to the predefined dot end code, where a direction of the reading line at the predefined dot start code corresponds to the direction of the predefined dot start code, where the direction of the reading line at the predefined dot end code corresponds to the direction of the predefined dot end code, reading along the reading line the dots from the image, and deriving the identification code from the dots as read along the reading line between the predefined dot start code and the predefined dot end code.

An image processing apparatus communicates an image capture device having panning, tilting, and zooming function. A code area is detected by performing a matching process on a whole object image area acquired by photographing an area including a whole predetermined object on which codes are attached, by an image capture device. Grouped areas are generated by grouping detected code areas, based on an angle of view to be set when performing photographing with zooming. The image capture device performs panning, tilting, and zooming operations, such that the generated grouped areas are sequentially photographed at a zoom magnification setting value. An image processing area set with respect to a group image obtained by performing the panning, tilting, and zooming operations and photographing each of the generated grouped area. Information on each code area included in the set image processing area is read.

A system for tracking items within a value chain, the system comprising an electronic processor. The electronic processor is configured to create a first object in response to an input, the first object including first identifying metadata, receive an action, and apply the action to the first object to modify the first object into a second object and modify the first identifying metadata into second identifying metadata. The electronic processor is further configured to link the second object to the first object, receive a request to retrieve a history of the second object, and generate the history, wherein the history includes the first object, the first identifying metadata, the action, the second object, and the second identifying metadata.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to document processing, and more particularly to systems and methods that can utilize relative positions between the content of the document and a decodable indicia affixed to the document. In one embodiment, indicia reading terminals are provided that include an imaging module for capturing a frame of image data of a document. The document can include one or more decodable indicia such as a form barcode and various content fields, which delineate particular content of the document. The form barcode can include information respecting the form design and form design data. This information can be used to process the content of the document such as by providing coordinates or similar location and positioning metrics for use in processing the content of the document. In one example, the frame of image data is analyzed to identify the form barcode, from which the relative location of the content fields can be discerned without extensive processing of the frame of image data.