Information retrieval using decoded machine-readable optical codes
View Patent ↗A method is disclosed for reading a machine-readable optical code encoding information formed in an image that is presented to a user. The method includes using a processor to receive the image with the machine-readable optical code; using a graphic user interface to visually present the received image on a display; using the graphic user interface to receive a user selection of the machine-readable optical code; using a processor to decode the selected machine-readable optical code; and using the graphic user interface to present information referenced by the decoded information on the display.
1. A method comprising:
parsing, using a processing system, an electronic document to find an image element;
analyzing, using the processing system, the found image element to determine if the found image element contains machine-readable optical code;
presenting, on a graphical interface, an option to select the machine-readable optical code if the found image element contains the machine-readable optical code;
decoding, using the processor, the selected machine-readable optical code; and
presenting information referenced by the decoded information on the graphical interface.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the decoded information is a uniform resource locator (URL) and wherein the graphical interface presents the information identified by the URL.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the graphical interface includes a web browser interface and wherein the information presented on the display is a web-page corresponding to the URL.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the decoded information is a computer network address.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical interface visually renders the image or the decoded information in a web browser interface.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable optical code is a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, a matrix code, a barcode, or a QR code.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image includes a second machine-readable optical codes and further including using the graphical user interface to receive a user selection of the second machine-readable optical code, using the first or second processor to decode the selected second machine-readable optical code, and using the graphic user interface to present the decoded information on the display.
8. The method of claim 1 , further including providing a linking element corresponding to the machine-readable optical code in the image provided to the user and receiving a selection of the linking element in the graphical user interface.
9. A system comprising:
a processor configured to parse an electronic document to find an image element, analyze the found image element to determine if the found image element contains machine-readable optical code and, if the found image element contains the machine-readable optical code, present on a graphical interface an option to select the machine-readable optical code;
a decoder configured to decode the selected machine-readable optical code; and
a display configured to present information referenced by the decoded information on the display.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the decoded information is a uniform resource locator (URL), the processor retrieves information referenced by the URL, and the graphic user interface presents the referenced information identified by the URL.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the decoded information is a computer network address.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the graphic interface includes a web browser interface and wherein the information presented on the display is a web-page corresponding to the URL.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the machine-readable optical code is a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, a matrix code, a barcode, or a QR code.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide a linking element corresponding to the machine-readable optical code in the image and to receive a selection of the linking element in the graphical interface.
15. A tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions for parsing an electronic document to find an image element;
instructions for analyzing the found image element to determine if the found image element contains machine-readable optical code;
instructions for presenting, on a graphical interface, an option to select the machine-readable optical code if the found image element contains the machine-readable optical code;
instructions for decoding the selected machine-readable optical code; and
instructions for presenting information referenced by the decoded information on the graphical interface.
16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the decoded information is a uniform resource locator (URL) and wherein the graphical interface presents the information identified by the URL.
17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the decoded information is a computer network address.
18. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the graphical interface includes a web browser interface and wherein the information presented on the display is a web-page corresponding to the URL.
19. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the graphical interface visually renders the image or the decoded information in a web browser interface.
20. The computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the machine-readable optical code is a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, a matrix code, a barcode, or a QR code.