Decoding machine-readable optical codes with aesthetic component

1. A computer-implemented method for detecting a fiducial containing a machine-readable optical code, comprising:

at an image capture device, capturing an input image;

at a processor, generating a binary image from the input image;

at the processor, identifying connected components within the binary image;

at the processor, identifying quadrilaterals within the connected components;

at the processor, filtering the identified quadrilaterals to generate a set of at least one quadrilateral; and

at an output device, outputting the set of at least one quadrilateral as a set of at least one detected fiducial containing a machine-readable optical code;

wherein generating a binary image from the input image comprises:

determining a local scale for each of a plurality of locations within the image, to generate a locally averaged image; and

at each location, comparing the locally averaged image to a threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable optical code comprises an aesthetic component.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to identifying quadrilaterals, filtering the connected components to determine which regions are above a threshold metric to represent meaningful data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the threshold metric comprises at least one of size and solidity.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to outputting the set of at least one quadrilateral, refining the at least one quadrilateral using image-based alignment.

6. A computer-implemented method for determining a match for a machine-readable optical code, comprising:

at an image capture device, capturing an input image;

at a processor, identifying connected components within the input image;

at the processor, identifying quadrilaterals within the connected components;

at the processor, filtering the identified quadrilaterals to generate a set of at least one detected fiducial containing a machine-readable optical code;

at the processor, obtaining a canonical fiducial containing canonical probe locations;

at the processor, determining a perspective transformation of the at least one detected fiducial as compared with the canonical fiducial;

at the processor, applying the perspective transformation to the canonical probe locations to obtain transformed probe locations;

at the processor, determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location;

at the processor, determining binary probe values from the determined probe values;

at the processor, comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code; and

at an output device, outputting the matched code.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location comprises, for each transformed probe location:

determining a plurality of probe values; and

averaging the probe values.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code comprises determining an orientation based on at least one orientation marker.

9. A system for detecting a fiducial containing a machine-readable optical code, comprising:

an image capture device, configured to capture an input image;

a hardware processor, communicatively coupled to the image capture device, configured to perform the steps of:

generating a binary image from the input image;

identifying connected components within the binary image;

identifying quadrilaterals within the connected components; and

filtering the identified quadrilaterals to generate a set of at least one quadrilateral; and

an output device, communicatively coupled to the hardware processor, configured to output the set of at least one quadrilateral as a set of at least one detected fiducial containing a machine-readable optical code;

wherein the hardware processor generating a binary image from the input image comprises:

the hardware processor determining a local scale for each of a plurality of locations within the image, to generate a locally averaged image; and

at each location, the hardware processor comparing the locally averaged image to a threshold.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the machine-readable optical code comprises an aesthetic component.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to, prior to identifying quadrilaterals, filter the connected components to determine which regions are above a threshold metric to represent meaningful data.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the threshold metric comprises at least one of size and solidity.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to, prior to the output device outputting the set of at least one quadrilateral, refine the at least one quadrilateral using image-based alignment.

14. A system for determining a match for a machine-readable optical code, comprising:

an image capture device, configured to capture an input image;

a hardware processor, communicatively coupled to the image capture device, configured to perform the steps of:

identifying connected components within the input image;

identifying quadrilaterals within the connected components; and

filtering the identified quadrilaterals to generate a set of at least one detected fiducial containing a machine-readable optical code;

obtaining a canonical fiducial containing canonical probe locations;

determining a perspective transformation of the detected fiducial as compared with the canonical fiducial;

applying the perspective transformation to the canonical probe locations to obtain transformed probe locations;

determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location;

determining binary probe values from the determined probe values; and

comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code; and

an output device, communicatively coupled to the hardware processor, configured to output the matched code.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the hardware processor determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location comprises, for each transformed probe location:

determining a plurality of probe values; and

averaging the probe values.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the hardware processor comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code comprises determining an orientation based on at least one orientation marker.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for detecting a fiducial containing a machine-readable optical code, comprising instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor, perform the steps of:

causing an image capture device to capture an input image;

generating a binary image from the input image;

identifying connected components within the binary image;

identifying quadrilaterals within the connected components;

filtering the identified quadrilaterals to generate a set of at least one quadrilateral; and

causing an output device to output the set of at least one quadrilateral as a set of at least one fiducial containing a machine-readable optical code;

wherein generating a binary image from the input image comprises:

determining a local scale for each of a plurality of locations within the image, to generate a locally averaged image; and

at each location, comparing the locally averaged image to a threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the machine-readable optical code comprises an aesthetic component.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that when executed on the processor, perform the step of, prior to identifying quadrilaterals, filtering the connected components to determine which regions are above a threshold metric to represent meaningful data.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the threshold metric comprises at least one of size and solidity.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor, perform the step of, prior to outputting the set of at least one quadrilateral, refining the at least one quadrilateral using image-based alignment.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for determining a match for a machine-readable optical code, comprising instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor, perform the steps of:

causing an image capture device to capture an input image;

identifying connected components within the input image;

identifying quadrilaterals within the connected components;

filtering the identified quadrilaterals to generate a set of at least one detected fiducial containing a machine-readable optical code;

obtaining a canonical fiducial containing canonical probe locations;

determining a perspective transformation of the detected fiducial as compared with the canonical fiducial;

applying the perspective transformation to the canonical probe locations to obtain transformed probe locations;

determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location;

determining binary probe values from the determined probe values;

comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code; and

causing an output device to output the matched code.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location comprises, for each transformed probe location:

determining a plurality of probe values; and

averaging the probe values.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code comprises determining an orientation based on at least one orientation marker.

25. A computer-implemented method for decoding a machine-readable optical code contained in a detected fiducial, comprising:

at an image capture device, capturing an input image;

at a processor, detecting a fiducial within the input image, the fiducial comprising a machine-readable optical code;

at the processor, obtaining a canonical fiducial containing canonical probe locations;

at the processor, based on a comparison of the detected fiducial with the canonical fiducial, obtaining transformed probe locations;

at the processor, determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location;

at the processor, determining binary probe values from the determined probe values;

at the processor, comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code; and

an output device, outputting the matched code.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 , wherein determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location comprises, for each transformed probe location:

determining a plurality of probe values; and

averaging the probe values.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 25 , wherein comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code comprises determining an orientation based on at least one orientation marker.

28. A system for decoding a machine-readable optical code contained in a detected fiducial, comprising:

an image capture device, configured to capture an input image;

a hardware processor, communicatively coupled to the image capture device, configured to perform the steps of:

detecting a fiducial within the input image, the fiducial comprising a machine-readable optical code;

obtaining a canonical fiducial containing canonical probe locations;

based on a comparison of the detected fiducial with the canonical fiducial, obtaining transformed probe locations;

determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location;

determining binary probe values from the determined probe values; and

comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code; and

an output device, communicatively coupled to the hardware processor, configured to output the matched code.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the hardware processor determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location comprises, for each transformed probe location:

determining a plurality of probe values; and

averaging the probe values.

30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the hardware processor comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code comprises determining an orientation based on at least one orientation marker.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for decoding a machine-readable optical code contained in a detected fiducial, comprising instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor, perform the steps of:

causing an image capture device to capture an input image;

detecting a fiducial within the input image, the fiducial comprising a machine-readable optical code;

obtaining a canonical fiducial containing canonical probe locations;

based on a comparison of the detected fiducial with the canonical fiducial, obtaining transformed probe locations;

determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location;

determining binary probe values from the determined probe values;

comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code; and

causing an output device to output the matched code.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31 , wherein determining at least one probe value for each transformed probe location comprises, for each transformed probe location:

determining a plurality of probe values; and

averaging the probe values.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31 , wherein comparing the determined binary probe values with a code library to identify a matched code comprises determining an orientation based on at least one orientation marker.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor, perform the step of, prior to obtaining the transformed probe locations:

determining a perspective transformation of the detected fiducial as compared with the canonical fiducial;

and wherein obtaining transformed probe locations comprises applying the perspective transformation to the canonical probe locations to obtain the transformed probe locations.