JP2000293647A - Pattern code, printer and reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To represent plural kinds of information with one code by obtaining a 1st code when an element color is read with 1st color light and obtaining a 2nd code when the element color is read with 2nd color light. SOLUTION: A data processing part combines plural kinds of inputted data and generates a color pattern corresponding to the combination. In color decision processing of an element, a code 1 corresponding to 1st data is a code capable of being read with red light, and a code 2 corresponding to 2nd data is a code capable of being read with green light. When both the codes 1 and 2 are '1', the color of a print element is defined as white (W). When the code 1 is '1' and the code 2 is '0', a print element is defined as magenta (M). When the code 1 is '0' and the code 2 is '1', a print element is defined as cyan (C). When both the codes 1 and 2 are '0', a print element is defined as black (BL).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a pattern code,
More particularly, the present invention relates to a pattern code, a printing device, and a reading device that can represent a plurality of codes with one pattern code.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, codes represented by a predetermined pattern such as bar codes and two-dimensional codes (hereinafter referred to as pattern codes) have been widely used. By printing this pattern code on a book or the like, for example, the publisher and ID of the book can be specified by reading the pattern code.

[0003]

Usually, these pattern codes are printed in monochrome. As a result, there is a problem that only one type of information can be assigned to the pattern code.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, cyan (C), white (W), black (BL), or magenta (M)
A color code expressing a code with a pattern of a plurality of color elements has been proposed. However, this color code also has a black (B) as shown in FIG.
L), magenta (M), cyan (C), or white (W)
, A code such as “00”, “01”, “10”, or “11” is assigned. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, “C”, “W”, “BL” , “C”, “M”, and “M” have only one type of code, “101100100101”.

Therefore, the conventional pattern code has a problem that a secret code cannot be embedded in an original code, for example.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and is to enable a single code to represent a plurality of types of information.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pattern code comprising a plurality of elements of a predetermined color, wherein when the color of the element is read by light of a first color, When the first code is obtained and read with light of the second color, the second code has a color that can be obtained.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus for printing a pattern code composed of a plurality of elements of a predetermined color on a medium, wherein the capturing means captures a plurality of data and the capturing means captures a plurality of data. It is characterized by comprising a determining means for determining a predetermined color by combining a plurality of data, and a printing means for printing a pattern code of the element of the color determined by the determining means on a medium.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reading apparatus for reading a pattern code from a medium in which a pattern code composed of a plurality of elements of a predetermined color is printed and generating light of a plurality of colors. Means for controlling the generating means to generate light of a predetermined color from among the plurality of colors; and when the generating means generates light of the first color, a first code is generated from the pattern code of the medium. And when the generating means generates light of the second color,
Reading means for reading the second code from the pattern code of the medium.

In the pattern code according to the first aspect, when the color of the element is read by light of the first color, the first
Is obtained, and when read with light of the second color, the color is such that the second code is obtained.

In the printing apparatus according to the second aspect, a predetermined color is determined by combining a plurality of data taken in, and the pattern code of the element of the determined color is printed on a medium.

In the reading device according to the third aspect, when the light of the first color is generated, the first code is read from the pattern code of the medium and the light of the second color is generated. At this time, the second code is read from the pattern code of the medium.

[0013]

FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of a printing apparatus (printer) to which the present invention is applied. Data processing unit 1
Contains two types of data to be printed on the card 3 (for example,
Data corresponding to the code to be read with red light and data corresponding to the code to be read with green light)
Is entered. The data processing unit 1 combines a plurality of types of input data and generates a color pattern corresponding to the combination. Then, the generated color pattern data is supplied to the printing unit 2. The printing unit 2
A pattern code including a color element corresponding to the input data is printed on the card 3. In this example, cyan (C), white (W), black (BL), or magenta (M)
The pattern code of the color element is printed. The color of the paper (card 3) itself is used for white.

FIG. 4 shows the principle of the element color determination processing performed by the data processing section 1. As shown in the figure, a code 1 corresponding to the first data is a code readable by red light, and a code 2 corresponding to the second data is a code readable by green light. It is.
When both code 1 and code 2 are “1”, the color of the print element is white (W). When the code 1 is “1” and the code 2 is “0”, the printing element is set to magenta (M). When code 1 is “0” and code 2 is “1”, the printing element is cyan (C). When both code 1 and code 2 are “0”, the color of the print element is black (BL).

FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of a reading apparatus for reading the card 3 on which the color pattern code is printed as described above. The light source 11 generates red (R) or green (G) light based on a light source switching signal output from the image data reading unit control circuit 13, and the surface of the card 3 on which the color pattern code is printed. Irradiation.

For example, the reading element 12 composed of a CCD image pickup element picks up an image of the color pattern code of the card 3 and outputs an image signal obtained as a result to the data processing section 14. The data processing unit 14 is also supplied with a synchronization signal synchronized with the reading operation from the image data reading unit control circuit 13. The data processing unit 14 binarizes the image signal input from the reading element 12 and performs a pattern determination process.

Next, the operation will be described. When the start of reading is instructed by the user, the image data reading unit control circuit 13 controls the light source 11 to first generate red light. The reading element 12 captures an image of the pattern code of the card 3 irradiated with red light, and outputs the image signal to the data processing unit 14.

When reading with red light is completed,
Next, the image data reading unit control circuit 13
To generate green light. Read element 12
Captures the pattern code of the card 3 irradiated with the green light, and outputs the image signal to the data processing unit 14.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the color pattern code is read by irradiating red light, the black pattern is read as black as it is, but the cyan pattern which is a complementary color of red is also read as a black pattern. Can be Similarly, when the color pattern code is read by irradiating green light, the black pattern is read as black as it is, but the magenta pattern which is a complementary color of green is also read as a black pattern.

Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, a color pattern code composed of cyan, black, black, magenta, cyan, magenta, black, white, magenta, white, and cyan elements is printed on the card 3. When reading with red light, the data processing unit 14 converts this pattern into black, black, black, white, black, white, black, white, white, white,
It is recognized as a black pattern, and when reading with green light, this pattern is white, black, black, black, white,
It is recognized as a black, black, white, black, white, and white pattern. When black corresponds to “0” and white corresponds to “1”, these read patterns are “00010101110” and “1”, respectively.
0001001011 ". That is, the former is data as code 1 and the latter is data as code 2.

In this way, two types of codes can be made to correspond to one pattern code. One of the two codes is the original code, and the other is
By using a secret code, for example, imitation of a pattern code can be prevented.

By using blue as a light source in addition to red and green, one color pattern code can be printed by combining three types of data. FIG.
Represents an example in this case.

In the example of FIG. 8, code 1 is a code readable by red light, code 2 is a code readable by green light, and code 3
Is a code that can be read with blue light. Code 1, code 2 and code 3 are all "1"
In this case, the color of the print element is white (W). When code 1 and code 2 are “1” and code 3 is “0”, the printing element is yellow (Y). When code 1 is “1”, code 2 is “0”, and code 3 is “1”, the printing element is set to magenta (M). When the code 1 is “1” and the codes 2 and 3 are “0”, the printing element is red (R).

Code 1 is "0", code 2 and code 3
Is "1", the printing element is cyan (C). When code 1 is “0”, code 2 is “1”, and code 3 is “0”, the printing element is green (G). Code 1
When code 2 is "0" and code 3 is "1", the printing element is blue (B). When all of Code 1, Code 2, and Code 3 are "0", the color of the print element is black (BL).

Since yellow is a complementary color of blue, when a color pattern code is read by irradiating blue light, the black pattern is read as it is, but the yellow pattern, which is a complementary color of blue, is also a black pattern. Is read as Therefore, in this case, three types of information assigned to one color pattern code can be read.

The present invention provides a bar code, a dot code,
The present invention can be applied to various pattern codes such as two-dimensional codes.

[0027]

As described above, according to the pattern code of the first aspect, when the color of the element is read with the first color, the first code is obtained, and the color of the element is read with the second color. At this time, since the second code is obtained, a pattern code in which a plurality of codes are assigned to one pattern code can be realized.

According to the printing apparatus of the second aspect,
Since the pattern code of the element of the color determined by combining a plurality of data taken in is printed, a pattern code in which a plurality of codes are assigned to one pattern code can be provided.

According to the reading device of the third aspect,
Since the first code is read with the light of the first color and the second code is read with the light of the second color, a plurality of codes assigned to the pattern code can be read from one pattern code. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional color barcode.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between colors and codes.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printing apparatus to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between colors and codes.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a reading device to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a result of reading a color pattern with light of a predetermined color.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a color pattern is read with light of a predetermined color.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between colors and codes.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Data processing part 2 Printing part 3 Card 11 Light source 12 Reading element 13 Image data reading part control circuit 14 Data processing part

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 1/46 H04N 1/46 Z F term (Reference) 2C087 AA15 BB11 CB07 CB13 5B035 BB03 5B047 AA01 AB04 BC11 BC23 CB22 DC09 5B072 BB00 CC32 DD02 LL11 MM11 5C079 HB01 HB03 JA12 KA01 LA02 LA05 NA15 PA03

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pattern code comprising a plurality of elements of a predetermined color, wherein the color of the element is a first color when read with light of a first color.
A pattern code obtained by obtaining a second code and reading the second code with light of a second color. 2. A printing apparatus for printing a pattern code composed of a plurality of elements of a predetermined color on a medium, comprising: a capturing unit that captures a plurality of data; and a plurality of data captured by the capturing unit. A printing apparatus comprising: a determination unit that determines a predetermined color; and a printing unit that prints, on the medium, a pattern code of the element having the color determined by the determination unit. 3. A reading device for reading a pattern code from a medium on which a pattern code composed of a plurality of elements of a predetermined color is printed, wherein: a generating means for generating light of a plurality of colors; Controlling means for generating light of a predetermined color from among a plurality of colors, and when the generating means generates light of a first color, the first code is read from the pattern code of the medium, A reading unit that reads a second code from a pattern code of the medium when the generating unit generates light of a second color.