JP4099277B2 - Matrix type 2D code - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a two-dimensional code used for telephone cards, cards such as coupon tickets, certificates, packaging of various products, securities and the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The two-dimensional code displays code data in the vertical and horizontal directions, and is read as a surface recognized by a two-dimensional code scanner. Compared to a one-dimensional barcode, this two-dimensional code can write more information per unit area and, like a one-dimensional code, functions as a data file beyond a simple identification code. And various uses are expected. This two-dimensional code includes a stack type in which a horizontal one-dimensional bar code is repeated in the vertical direction and a matrix type in which information is displayed in a mosaic pattern with black and white cells.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, the conventional matrix type two-dimensional code is a display of information in a mosaic pattern with black and white cells, and binary values are arranged vertically and horizontally. It has been desired to provide a matrix type two-dimensional code having a large amount.
An object of the present invention is to provide a matrix type two-dimensional code having a configuration capable of meeting such a demand.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention prints a grid pattern formed by arranging a specific single color in a required grid on a grid pattern composed of vertical and horizontal grids, using a plurality of colors different from each other and overlapping each other. Each color has a reflectance characteristic that can be distinguished by mutual superposition ,
In addition, a reference mark is formed at a fixed position for each color code, and each color code is printed with a predetermined interval, and superimposed on each other, thereby causing a shift in each reference mark. This is a matrix type two-dimensional code.
[0005]
Such a yellow color code formed by appropriately arranging yellow in the cell pattern, a magenta color code formed by appropriately arranging magenta in the cell pattern, and cyan appropriately arranged in the cell pattern A printed version in which the formed cyan color code is overlaid on each other can be proposed.
[0006]
Here, since the color group is composed of yellow, magenta, and cyan, yellow is displayed when yellow and magenta overlap, blue is displayed when magenta and cyan overlap, and green is displayed when cyan and yellow overlap. In addition, since the three colors overlap with each other, the color is black. Therefore, it is possible to determine which color is overlapped by each color. Therefore, even if the three codes overlap, each color code can be restored. Therefore, by reading this two-dimensional code with a two-dimensional code scanner (optical reader), it is recognized as a surface and each color code is read. Therefore, compared with the conventional matrix type two-dimensional code consisting of black and white. The amount of information is three times the cube.
[0007]
On the other hand, a reference mark (cutout symbol, L-shaped guide cell, etc.) is usually formed on the two-dimensional code in order to recognize the pattern by image processing. Using this reference mark as a reference, it is possible to read all directions at 360 degrees at high speed. For this reason, if the reference mark becomes dirty or damaged, the code cannot be read.
[0008]
Therefore, a reference mark is formed at a fixed position for each color code, and each color code is printed with a predetermined interval and superimposed on each other, thereby causing a shift in each reference mark. . As a result, even if the reference mark of any color code becomes dirty at the time of printing or the like, the reference mark can be data-corrected by other remaining marks. The color code can be read.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1 and 2 show a matrix type two-dimensional code 1 according to the present invention.
The two-dimensional code 1 is formed by overlapping three color codes including a yellow color code 2a, a magenta color code 2b, and a cyan color code 2c. FIG. 2 conceptually shows the color codes 2a to 2c. Actually, each color code is an integrated figure printed by overprinting.
[0010]
Here, each of the color codes 2a, 2b, and 2c is configured by adding a predetermined single color to a required cell 4 among the cell pattern 3 including a large number of cells 4 vertically and horizontally. That is, the yellow color code 2a is formed by arranging yellow on a required cell 4, and two-dimensional data composed of binary data represented by each cell 4 is constituted by the yellow arrangement change. Similarly, the magenta color code 2b is formed by arranging magenta on the required cell 4, and the cyan color code 2c is formed by arranging cyan on the required cell 4, thereby being expressed by each cell 4. Two-dimensional data composed of binary data is constructed.
[0011]
Each of the color codes 2a, 2b, 2c is formed by being overlaid by repeating sequential printing, and the two-dimensional code 1 is configured. By the way, when colors are overlapped in this way, there is a case where the cells 4 to which the respective colors are attached match. However, the original colors can be determined for the following reasons by superimposing the above-described colors.
[0012]
Here, the relationship with the reflectance with respect to the wavelengths of yellow, magenta, and cyan will be considered according to FIGS.
FIG. 3 shows the reflectance characteristics of yellow, and it can be seen that the reflectance is 100% from the vicinity of 500 nm to the high wavelength side and is visually perceived as yellow.
[0013]
FIG. 4 shows the reflectivity characteristics of magenta. It can be seen that the reflectivity is low in the wavelength region near 500 nm to 600 nm, and the reflectivity is 100% at the other wavelength regions.
[0014]
FIG. 5 shows the reflectance characteristics of cyan, and it can be seen that the reflectance is low at wavelengths near 600 nm and the reflectance is 100% at wavelengths below 600 nm.
[0015]
On the other hand, FIG. 6 shows the reflectance characteristics when yellow and magenta are superimposed, and the reflectance increases in the wavelength region near 600 nm, which matches the reflectance characteristics of red.
[0016]
FIG. 7 shows the reflectance characteristics when magenta and cyan are superimposed. The reflectance increases in the wavelength region below 500 nm, which matches the reflectance characteristics of blue.
[0017]
Further, FIG. 8 shows the reflectance characteristics when cyan and yellow are overlapped, and the reflectance increases in the wavelength region near 500 nm to 600 nm, which matches the reflectance characteristics of green.
[0018]
Furthermore, when yellow, magenta, and cyan are mixed, the reflectance is low in all regions, and matches the reflectance characteristics of black.
[0019]
Therefore, even when colors overlap, each reflectance characteristic is clearly different from the reflectance characteristics of other colors, so that the original color can be determined.
[0020]
In the configuration according to this, when the number of squares is m, each color code 2a, 2b, each 2c, since having a data capacity of 2 ^m bytes, each color code 2a, 2b, by a combination of 2c , it is possible to realize a data capacity of ^{2 3m} bytes. Therefore, it can function as a data file having a large capacity per unit area.
[0021]
Thus, the color codes 2a, 2b, and 2c are recognized as planes by a two-dimensional code scanner (optical reader) and read as data by an image determination processing means. Note that the color determination based on each reflectance can be easily performed by setting a threshold value of a predetermined reflectance and determining the level of the reflectance with reference to the threshold value at a wavelength in a predetermined region.
[0022]
By the way, in the present embodiment, the color codes 2a, 2b, and 2c are overlapped by being shifted in the width direction by half a square.
[0023]
Such significance will be described.
In the two-dimensional code, in order to recognize the pattern by image processing, the reference marks x ₁ , x ₂ , x ₃ consisting of L-shaped guide cells shown in FIGS. Reference marks such as y ₁ , y ₂ and y ₃ are formed by overlay printing of the color codes 2a, 2b and 2c. Then, using this reference mark as a reference, each color code 2a, 2b, 2c can be simultaneously read at a high speed in all directions of 360 degrees.
[0024]
Therefore, even in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference marks x ₁ , x ₂ , x ₃ are given to the color codes 2a, 2b, 2c.
[0025]
In the present invention, the color codes 2a, 2b, and 2c are sequentially superimposed and printed while shifting the cell pattern 3 by half cells, whereby the reference marks x ₁ , x ₂ , and x ₃ are printed. The reference marks x ₁ , x ₂ , and x ₃ are individually read by the two-dimensional code scanner. For this reason, even if any of the fiducial marks x ₁ , x ₂ , x ₃ is soiled or damaged, the positional relationship between the color codes 2a, 2b, 2c is known in advance, so that other fiducial marks can be used. Data correction can be easily performed, the reference point can be determined, and the code can be read.
[0026]
For this reason, by using the color codes 2a, 2b, and 2c composed of the above-described three cell patterns and shifting them, it is possible to read data reliably while greatly increasing the storage capacity.
In the above-described embodiment, the color codes 2a, 2b, and 2c are shifted in half widths in the width direction in the drawing so that the reference marks x ₁ , x ₂ , and x ₃ can be read. However, in addition to such an embodiment, the same effect that can be read by the scanner can be obtained even when shifted vertically, diagonally, or randomly.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the matrix type two-dimensional code 1 according to the present invention includes a plurality of color codes formed by appropriately arranging a specific color in a required cell pattern among the cell patterns composed of vertical and horizontal cells. Since the area is almost the same, the area is almost the same, but it is the same as a combination of two or more two-dimensional codes composed of each color, and has a large amount of data per unit area. Thus, the usefulness of the two-dimensional code can be further improved.
[0028]
In addition, each color code is shifted in one direction or at random at a predetermined interval and superimposed on each other, thereby causing a shift in the reference mark formed for each color code. Even if the reference mark for each color code is faintly printed, smudged, damaged, etc., and cannot be read alone, data correction can be easily performed with other reference marks, and each color code can be read reliably. There are excellent effects that can be done.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a two-dimensional code 1 according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a two-dimensional code 1, wherein A is a separated perspective view of the color codes 2a, 2b, and 2c, and B is a perspective view in a superimposed state.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing reflectance characteristics of yellow.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing reflectance characteristics of magenta.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing the reflectance characteristics of cyan.
FIG. 6 is a graph showing reflectance characteristics when yellow and magenta are superimposed.
FIG. 7 is a graph showing reflectance characteristics when magenta and cyan are superimposed.
FIG. 8 is a graph showing reflectance characteristics when cyan and yellow are superimposed.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of a two-dimensional code 1 according to the present invention with reference marks y ₁ , y ₂ , y ₃ having other configurations.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 2D code 2a, 2b, 2c Color code 3 Grid pattern 4 Grid x ₁ , x ₂ , x ₃ reference mark y ₁ , y ₂ , y ₃ reference mark

Claims (2)

Constructed by printing a color code formed by arranging a specific single color on the required grid in a grid pattern consisting of vertical and horizontal grids, using multiple colors that are different from each other and overlapping each other Each color has a reflectance characteristic that can be discriminated by superimposing each other .
In addition, a reference mark is formed at a fixed position for each color code, and each color code is printed with a predetermined interval, overlapping each other, thereby causing a shift in each reference mark. A matrix type two-dimensional code characterized by that.   Yellow color code formed by appropriately arranging yellow in the cell pattern, magenta color code formed by appropriately arranging magenta in the cell pattern, and cyan formed by appropriately arranging cyan in the cell pattern The matrix type two-dimensional code according to claim 1, wherein the color code and the color code are printed on each other.

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