Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining a first image of a random distribution of items overlaying an encoded region of an object identification tag affixed to an object, wherein the first image comprises a first pattern obtained according to a first image capture configuration. A second image of the random distribution of items is also obtained, wherein the second image comprises a second pattern obtained according to a second image capture configuration. First and second stored reference patterns are identified according to decoded information obtained from the encoded region of the object identification tag and the first and second patterns are compared to the first and second stored reference patterns to obtain a comparison result. An authenticity of the object is determined according to the comparison result. Other embodiments are disclosed.

An approach is provided for performing sorting of physical mail items using Augmented Reality (A/R) glasses. A/R glasses acquire an image of a physical mail item to be sorted and generate image data that represents the image. A unique value is generated for the image, for example, by processing the image data for the image using one or more hash functions to generate a hash value. The hash value is used to obtain sorting information for the mail item from a mail item manager. The A/R glasses use the sorting information to assist the user in sorting the mail item by displaying the name of a sort location for the mail item, visually distinguishing the sort location from other sort locations, displaying information about the mail item, providing “out of view” assistance, etc. The A/R glasses may allow the user to override the sort location specified for the mail item and override information is sent to the mail item manager.

A camera-based barcode reader captures an image, determines a region of interest of a barcode within the image, and generates a barcode image from the region of interest. The camera-based barcode reader aligns each of multiple horizontal regions within the barcode image to a reference horizontal region within the barcode image. The alignment of a horizontal region includes (i) determining a set of alignment parameters to apply to the horizontal region based on a comparison of the reference horizontal region to the horizontal region when adjusted to different combinations of alignment parameters and (ii) adjusting the horizontal region according to the set of alignment parameters for that horizontal region. After aligning the barcode image, the camera-based barcode reader decodes the barcode from the barcode image.

A system and method for providing package delivery notification and confirmation using barcodes corresponding to delivery addresses according to the present invention is disclosed. The system includes a web server with a network connection to one or more remote devices over a network. The network is configured to communicatively interconnect the web server and one or more client devices. The remote device has a memory having instructions of the mobile application, and a processor configured to execute the instructions of the mobile application causing the remote device to obtain delivery information from a package to be delivered, generate a delivery notification message, transmit the delivery notification message to the web server, and receive a server response to the delivery notification message.

The parameters of an optical code are optimized to achieve improved signal robustness, reliability, capacity and/or visual quality. An optimization program can determine spatial density, dot distance, dot size and signal component priority to optimize robustness. An optical code generator employs these parameters to produce an optical code at the desired spatial density and robustness. The optical code is merged into a host image, such as imagery, text and graphics of a package or label, or it may be printed by itself, e.g., on an otherwise blank label or carton. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

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.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining a first image of a random distribution of particles overlaying an encoded region of an object identification tag, wherein the first image is obtained according to a first image capture configuration comprising a first image capture angle. The first image is associated with a decoded message determined according to the encoded region resulting in an association between the object identification tag and the first reflection pattern. A second image of the random distribution of particles is obtained according to a second image capture configuration including a second image capture angle, and an authenticity of the object identification tag is determined according to the association, the first image, and the second image. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A digital camera in a mobile device, such as in a smart phone, can be used for super-fast scanning of optical codes. The camera uses a wide-angle lens, high frames per second, very short exposure time, and/or a torch. For example, an ultra-wide angle camera can be used to provide a wide field of view and a large depth of field while decoding multiple optical codes.

A method includes providing a machine-readable identifier attached to an article of clothing, each of the plurality of identifying ciphers is disposed in a predetermined discrete area; receiving a scanned image of the machine-readable identifier to detect the identifying ciphers of each of the predetermined discrete areas; retrieving a predetermined stored cipher for each of the predetermined discrete areas; comparing the identifying ciphers of each of the predetermined discrete areas with the predetermined stored ciphers for each of the predetermined discrete areas to determine if each identifying cipher in each predetermined discrete area matches a corresponding stored cipher for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas; and determining that the article of clothing is authentic in response to determining that each identifying cipher in each of the predetermined discrete areas matches the corresponding stored cipher for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas.

One variation of a method for maintaining perpetual inventory within a store includes: accessing a radar scan of an inventory structure within a store; accessing an optical image of the inventory structure; identifying a product type associated with the slot in a region of the optical image; retrieving a volumetric definition of the product type; locating a slot volume defining the slot in the radar scan; extracting a volumetric representation of a set of product units intersecting the slot volume in the radar scan; segmenting the volumetric representation by the volumetric definition to calculate a quantity of the set of product units occupying the slot; and updating a stock record of the store to reflect the quantity of the set of product units occupying the slot.