Method for expressing selected information, prefabricated printing medium, printing device, label and identification device

Abstract

The present application discloses a method for expressing selected information, a prefabricated printing medium, a printing device, a label, and an identification device. The method for expressing selected information includes performing monochrome printing on the prefabricated printing medium so that the printed color covers other color areas outside the selected color area; the prefabricated printing medium is provided with at least two color areas for expressing identification information; the color of each color area is different from the surrounding background color, and the colors of the color areas are different from each other; the prefabricated printing medium is a printing medium for implementing the method for expressing selected information, the printing device is used to implement the method for expressing selected information, the label is a product obtained by the method for expressing selected information, and the identification device is used to identify the selected information on the label. The above technical solution can express the selected identification information at a low cost for the human eye to quickly capture, recognize, and remember, while also facilitating machine recognition and reducing the error rate of machine recognition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of information expression and identification, and in particular to a method for expressing selected information, a prefabricated printing medium, a printing device, a label, and an identification device. Background Art

[0002] In existing technology, information can be categorized as identification information and complex information based on human visual cognition and response capabilities. Identification information requires rapid capture, recognition, and response, as well as ease of memorization. Complex information, on the other hand, contains large amounts of information and requires less rapid capture, recognition, and response. Identification information is generally used to distinguish the urgency of an issue (e.g., hospital emergency patient classification), the different responses required (e.g., driving behavior in traffic), the classification of items (e.g., book categories), different sources (e.g., taxi companies in certain cities), or different areas (e.g., different parking areas in certain parking lots). Humans are a product of evolution, and vision is the primary means by which they acquire information. Humans' capture, cognition, and response to visual expressions are governed by the laws of biology and cognitive neuroscience. Among these, expressing identification information through color is the most efficient and scientific method. This method is widely used. For example, hospital emergency department classifications, traffic lights, book classifications, taxi bodies, and parking lot pillars often use color to represent identification information, facilitating rapid capture and recognition as well as memorization. Complex information, on the other hand, is primarily expressed through patterns or text.

[0003] With the development of machine vision technology, machines can perceive images and restore information. For color, machines can discretize and quantify it, for example, using RGB grayscale values, which range from 0 to 255. This means each primary color can be divided into 256 shades, and each pixel is assigned one of 256*256*256 values. However, in machine recognition, recognizing all colors requires more computation and is slower. Therefore, in some areas where miniaturization is crucial, especially for handheld devices, restoring all colors to black and white grayscale values ​​not only improves computational speed but also reduces costs by using black and white cameras. When using black and white grayscale values, the same principle applies: fewer grayscale levels facilitate faster computation. Compared to 256 grayscale levels, 16 grayscale levels are more efficient. Similarly, having only two grayscale levels (e.g., only black and white) is more efficient. For example, most barcodes and QR codes have black text on a white background.

[0004] However, color information, which is easy for humans to quickly capture, recognize, and remember, is less effective for machine recognition at lower grayscales. This is because some colors that can be distinguished by the human eye may have similar or even identical grayscale values ​​at lower grayscales, which can result in a high rate of machine misrecognition. Therefore, in today's era, it is imperative to develop new ways to express recognition information that simultaneously meet the human eye's needs for rapid capture, recognition, and memory while reducing machine misrecognition rates.

[0005] A method for expressing information exists in the prior art, primarily for expressing complex information and, to a lesser extent, for expressing identification information. This method involves pre-printing a dot group on a background color of a prefabricated printing medium, with each dot composed of three primary colors or a combination of multiple other colors. When a pattern and / or text is needed to express both complex information and identification information, the method uses monochrome printing, using a color that is the same or similar to the background color, to cover unnecessary dots in the dot group while also covering unnecessary colors in dots that need to be retained, thereby forming a pattern and / or text composed of a single color. This technology has the advantage of being able to display selected colors through monochrome printing, thereby reducing the difficulty and cost of expressing selected identification information on-site. However, due to the aforementioned reasons, this type of identification information expressed in color is not only slow to calculate and expensive when used by a machine, making it unsuitable for handheld use, but also has a high error rate.

[0006] In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the relevant technologies of this patent, it is also necessary to introduce background technologies related to printing and machine vision.

[0007] In the printing field, existing technologies have been able to locate the printing starting point of the desired content by identifying specific locations on the outer contour of the printing medium or using print positioning marks for printing. Existing technologies also allow for cutting printing media of variable length (such as paper rolls) into the desired length.

[0008] In the field of machine vision, existing technologies can already use edge algorithms to identify the outer contours of printed media or the edges of specific patterns and text. Existing technologies can also locate and recognize patterns (such as the corner marks of QR codes) using specific identification and positioning marks in images.

[0009] Since these technologies are well known to those skilled in the art, their principles will not be described in detail. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The purpose of this application is to overcome the above-mentioned defects or problems existing in the background technology, and to provide a method for expressing selected information, a prefabricated printing medium, a printing device, a label and an identification device, which can express the selected identification information at a lower cost for the human eye to quickly capture, recognize and remember, and can also be beneficial to machine recognition and reduce the error rate of machine recognition.

[0011] In order to achieve the above purpose, the following technical solution is adopted.

[0012] The first technical solution relates to a method for expressing selected information, which is to perform monochrome printing on a prefabricated printing medium so that the printed color covers other color areas outside the selected color area; the prefabricated printing medium is provided with at least two color areas for expressing identification information; the color of each color area is different from the accompanying color surrounding it and the colors of each color area are different from each other; the selected color area is a color area for expressing selected information, and the selected information is the identification information selected in the identification information; the printed color is different from the color of each color area and different from the accompanying color of each color area; the black and white grayscale value of the printed color is different from the black and white grayscale value of the color of each color area and different from the black and white grayscale value of the accompanying color of each color area.

[0013] The second technical solution is based on the first technical solution, wherein the black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed colors are obviously different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors of each color area and obviously different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors of each color area.

[0014] The third technical solution is based on the first technical solution, wherein the prefabricated printing medium is further provided with a printing positioning mark for printing positioning, the printing positioning mark does not overlap with each of the color areas and its color is the printing color.

[0015] The fourth technical solution is based on the first technical solution, wherein, when the prefabricated printing medium is printed in monochrome, an identification positioning mark is also printed in color, and the identification positioning mark does not overlap with each of the color areas.

[0016] The fifth technical solution is based on the first technical solution, wherein each color area has a different shape, and when the prefabricated printing medium is printed in monochrome, the covering sub-area formed by each other color area outside the selected color area covered by the printed color is adapted to the shape of the color area.

[0017] The sixth technical solution relates to a prefabricated printing medium, which is applied to the method for expressing selected information as described in any one of the first to fifth technical solutions, and is provided with at least two color areas for expressing identification information, the color of each color area being different from the accompanying color surrounding it and the colors of each color area being different from each other; each color area extends along the length direction of the prefabricated printing medium.

[0018] The seventh technical solution is based on the sixth technical solution, wherein the prefabricated printing medium includes a release paper substrate suitable for being wound and a release paper attached to the release paper substrate, and the length direction of the prefabricated printing medium is the same as the direction in which it can be wound; the number of release papers attached to the release paper substrate is one or more, and the color area is located on the release paper.

[0019] The eighth technical solution is based on the sixth or seventh technical solution, wherein the pre-printed medium is provided with identification information expression areas on both sides along the width direction, each color area is provided with color sub-areas in the two identification information expression areas, and each of the color sub-areas extends along the length direction of the pre-printed medium.

[0020] The ninth technical solution is based on the eighth technical solution, wherein the color sub-regions are adjacent to each other, and at least some of the color sub-regions use the colors of other color sub-regions as their background colors.

[0021] The tenth technical solution relates to a printing device, which is used to perform monochrome printing on a prefabricated printing medium, wherein the prefabricated printing medium is provided with at least two color areas for expressing identification information, the color of each color area is different from the contrasting color surrounding it, and the colors of each color area are different from each other; the printing device includes: an input module, which is used to obtain selected information, wherein the selected information is the identification information selected in the identification information; and a printing module, which is used to perform monochrome printing on the prefabricated printing medium so that the printed color covers other color areas outside the selected color area, wherein the selected color area is a color area for expressing the selected information, the printed color is different from the color of each color area and different from the contrasting color of each color area, and the black and white grayscale value of the printed color is different from the black and white grayscale value of the color of each color area and different from the black and white grayscale value of the contrasting color of each color area.

[0022] The eleventh technical solution is based on the tenth technical solution, wherein the printing module includes: a storage unit, which stores printing positioning data, the printing positioning data including the relative position of each color area relative to a printing reference portion serving as a printing positioning reference and the coverage range of each color area; a positioning unit, which is used to position the printing reference portion; and a printing unit, which, after the positioning unit is positioned at the printing reference portion, performs monochrome printing according to the printing positioning data obtained from the storage unit, so that the printed color covers other color areas outside the selected color area.

[0023] The twelfth technical solution is based on the eleventh technical solution, wherein the storage unit also stores identification positioning mark printing data, the identification positioning mark printing data including the relative position of the identification positioning mark to be printed relative to the printing reference portion and the printing range of the identification positioning mark, and the identification positioning mark printing data should also ensure that the identification positioning mark does not overlap with each of the color areas after being printed on the prefabricated printing medium; the printing unit also performs monochrome printing according to the identification positioning mark printing data obtained from the storage unit after the positioning unit is positioned at the printing reference portion, and forms the identification positioning mark.

[0024] The thirteenth technical solution is based on any one of the tenth to twelfth technical solutions, wherein the input module is also used to obtain complex information; the printing module is also used to print patterns and / or texts used to express the complex information on a prefabricated printing medium, and the patterns and / or texts do not overlap with each of the color areas.

[0025] The fourteenth technical solution relates to a label, which is made by the method for expressing selected information as described in any one of the first to fourth technical solutions.

[0026] The fifteenth technical solution relates to a label, which is made by the method for expressing selected information as described in the third or fourth technical solution, wherein the printed positioning mark or the identification positioning mark encloses each of the color areas.

[0027] The sixteenth technical solution relates to a label, which is made by the method for expressing selected information as described in the fifth technical solution.

[0028] The seventeenth technical solution relates to an identification device, which is used to identify the selected information expressed by the label described in the fourteenth technical solution, and includes: an image acquisition module, which is used to acquire an image of the label; an image resolution module, which is used to distinguish the identification reference portion and the coverage area in the image, the identification reference portion is the outer contour of the label or a specific part of the outer contour, and the coverage area is the area formed by the printed color covering all other color areas outside the selected color area during the process of making the label; and an information identification module, which is used to determine whether the image meets the identification conditions, and when the identification conditions are met, identify the selected information based on the relative position of the coverage area and the identification reference portion, the identification conditions being that the image has an identification reference portion and the coverage area is complete.

[0029] The eighteenth technical solution relates to an identification device, which is used to identify the selected information expressed by the label described in the fifteenth technical solution, and includes: an image acquisition module, which is used to acquire an image of the label; an image resolution module, which is used to distinguish the identification reference portion and the coverage area in the image, the identification reference portion is the printing positioning mark or the identification positioning mark of the label, and the coverage area is the area formed by the printed color covering all other color areas outside the selected color area during the process of making the label; and an information recognition module, which is used to determine whether the image meets the recognition conditions, and when the recognition conditions are met, identify the selected information based on the relative position of the coverage area and the recognition reference portion, and the recognition condition is that the shape of the recognition reference portion in the image is complete.

[0030] The nineteenth technical solution relates to an identification device, which is used to identify the selected information expressed by the label described in the sixteenth technical solution, and includes: an image acquisition module, which is used to acquire the image of the label; an image resolution module, which is used to resolve the covered sub-areas in the image; and an information identification module, which is used to determine whether the image meets the identification conditions, and when the identification conditions are met, identify the selected information according to the shape of each covered sub-area, and the identification condition is that all covered sub-areas are on the image.

[0031] The twentieth technical solution is based on any one of the seventeenth to nineteenth technical solutions, and further includes a prompt module, which is used to output prompts in a manner that can be visually perceived and / or auditorily perceived; the information recognition module also controls the prompt module to output prompts and controls the image acquisition module to acquire the image of the label again when the recognition conditions are not met.

[0032] Compared with the existing technology, the above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0033] In the first technical solution, the “distinct” in “the color of the color area is distinguishable from the surrounding background color and the colors of the color areas are distinguishable from each other” means that they can be distinguished by human eyes.

[0034] In the first technical solution, the “distinguished” in “the printed color is distinguished from the color of each of the color areas and distinguished from the background color of each of the color areas” means that it can be distinguished by the human eye.

[0035] In the first technical solution, the “differentiated” in “the black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed colors are different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors of each of the color areas and different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors of each of the color areas” means that they can be distinguished by machine vision.

[0036] In the first technical solution, color regions are used to express identification information, allowing the human eye to quickly capture, recognize, and remember it. By overwriting color regions outside the selected color region with printed colors, the selected color region is preserved. The selected color region is the color region used to express the selected information, thus expressing the selected identification information for the human eye to quickly capture, recognize, and remember.

[0037] In the first technical solution, monochrome printing is used on-site to display selected information in selected color areas. Therefore, the cost of displaying the selected information is lower than that of deploying multi-color printing on-site. It should be noted that not only can the use of monochrome printers effectively reduce equipment and operating costs, but even when using multi-color printers, using only monochrome printing can still significantly reduce operating costs.

[0038] In the first technical solution, because the printed color covers other color areas outside the selected color area, and the black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed color are different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors in each color area and also different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors in each color area, machine vision can easily identify the covered area composed of a single printed color (the area formed by the printed color covering all other color areas outside the selected color area) and can determine the selected information intended to be expressed by the uncovered selected color area through inversion. Therefore, the method of expressing selected information in the first technical solution is conducive to machine recognition, improves the calculation speed of machine recognition, reduces the error rate of machine recognition, and can reduce equipment costs by using relatively inexpensive black and white cameras.

[0039] In the first technical solution, although the coverage area formed by the printed color will cause certain visual interference to the selected color area, since the color area is used, the area expressing the color is correspondingly much larger than the area of ​​the dot or pixel, and the human eye can still easily recognize the selected information.

[0040] In the second technical solution, the phrase "clearly different" in "the black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed colors are clearly different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors in each of the color regions and clearly different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors in each of the color regions" means that the black and white grayscale values ​​differ by at least 2 when the black and white grayscale uses 16 grayscales, and correspondingly, the black and white grayscale values ​​differ by at least 32 when the black and white grayscale uses 256 grayscales. This technical solution can further reduce the error rate of machine recognition.

[0041] In the third technical solution, the prefabricated printing medium is provided with a print positioning mark for printing positioning, facilitating precise positioning of the printed color coverage area. Since the print positioning mark is the printed color, it can also serve as a reference for determining the relative position of the coverage area when machine vision is used to identify selected information, facilitating machine vision recognition of the selected information.

[0042] In the fourth technical solution, the identification positioning mark can be used as an identification reference portion to determine the relative position of the coverage area when identifying the selected information, which is beneficial for machine vision to identify the selected information.

[0043] In the fifth technical solution, each color area has a different shape, and the corresponding covering sub-area of ​​the printed color is adapted, which is conducive to directly determining the covered color area by distinguishing the shape of the covering sub-area, and then inverting the selected color area and identifying the selected information.

[0044] The prefabricated printed medium in the sixth technical solution expresses identification information through color regions, making it easier for the human eye to quickly capture, recognize, and remember it. Compared to the prior art, which pre-prints a dot group on the background color of the prefabricated printed medium, where each dot in the dot group is composed of three primary colors or a combination of multiple other colors, there are two main differences. First, the color regions can form color blocks, which have a stronger visual impact on the human eye. Second, the prior art solution can only use printing colors that are the same or similar to the background color to cover unnecessary dots in the dot group, while also covering unnecessary colors in dots that need to be retained, thereby forming a pattern and / or text composed of a single color. However, the present technical solution allows the use of printing colors that are different from the background color of the color region to cover other color regions outside the selected color region without affecting the effect of expressing the selected information.

[0045] In the sixth technical solution, each color region extends along the length of the pre-printed medium. This facilitates continuous printing of the color regions when producing pre-printed media, especially longer ones. This avoids the problem of intermittent printing of color regions, which can lead to inaccurate label cutting during monochrome printing, resulting in poor subsequent coverage. Furthermore, after monochrome printing, this pre-printed medium can adapt to varying label lengths. This means that the label length can be varied as needed while still effectively covering the desired color region.

[0046] In the seventh technical solution, the prefabricated print medium includes a release paper substrate suitable for being wound and a release paper adhered to the release paper substrate. The length direction of the prefabricated print medium is aligned with the winding direction. One or more release paper sheets with color regions can be placed on a single release paper substrate, facilitating storage of the prefabricated print medium in the paper hopper of a printing device. This not only eliminates the need to feed the prefabricated print medium into the printing device each time printing is performed, simplifying operation and facilitating miniaturization and even handheld functionality of the printing device. Furthermore, when a single release paper sheet is placed on a single release paper substrate, since each color region extends along the length of the prefabricated print medium, it supports the printing of labels of variable lengths. Specifically, labels can be selected in length as needed to effectively cover the desired color region.

[0047] In the eighth technical solution, identification information expression areas are provided on both sides of the prefabricated printing medium along the width direction, which not only facilitates the machine to identify the label more conveniently (consistent in the forward and reverse directions), but also allows complex information to be expressed in the form of patterns and / or text between the two identification information expression areas, allowing the label to carry more functions.

[0048] In the ninth technical solution, the color sub-regions are close to each other, which reduces the occupied area of ​​the identification information expression area while ensuring the area of ​​each color region.

[0049] In the tenth technical solution, the input module obtains the selected information, and the printing module covers other color areas outside the selected color area based on the selected information, so that the printing device can implement the method of expressing the selected information in the first technical solution, and therefore has the technical effect of the first technical solution.

[0050] In the eleventh technical solution, the storage unit stores print positioning data, eliminating the need for an operator to simultaneously input the location and range of the coverage area when inputting or selecting information using the input module, thereby simplifying and facilitating user-machine interaction with the printing device. The print reference portion, serving as a print positioning reference, may be a specific portion of the outer contour of a prefabricated print medium, a print positioning mark on the prefabricated print medium, or a specific portion of the outer contour of individual elements (e.g., release paper) on the prefabricated print medium.

[0051] The twelfth technical solution is used to realize the printing of the identification positioning mark, wherein, since the storage unit stores the printing positioning data and the identification positioning mark printing data at the same time, the relative position between the identification positioning mark and the coverage area can be made more accurate.

[0052] In the thirteenth technical solution, the printing device also obtains complex information and prints the complex information through patterns and / or text, so that the printed label can carry more information.

[0053] The label in the fourteenth technical solution is made by any one of the first to fourth technical solutions, and therefore also has the corresponding technical effect.

[0054] The label of the fifteenth technical solution is manufactured using any one of the third to fourth technical solutions and therefore also has the corresponding technical effects. Furthermore, because the printed positioning mark or the identification positioning mark envelops each color region, the completeness of the coverage area can be inferred by confirming the shape of the printed positioning mark or the identification positioning mark is complete. "Enveloping" refers to any enveloping method that ensures that the coverage area is complete as long as the printed positioning mark or the identification positioning mark is complete in shape, including full envelopment and partial envelopment.

[0055] The label in the sixteenth technical solution is made by the fifth technical solution, and therefore also has the corresponding technical effect.

[0056] The "complete coverage area" in the seventeenth technical solution means that when the coverage area includes sub-coverage areas spaced apart from each other for corresponding coverage areas, all sub-coverage areas are located on the image or when the coverage area covers all color areas that should be covered with one area, the shape of the area is complete.

[0057] In the seventeenth technical solution, the recognition device can identify the position of the covering area relative to the recognition reference part, thereby determining the color area covered by the covering area, and then inverting the selected color area to identify the selected information, effectively utilizing the characteristic that the covering area is covered by a single printing color, making it easier for the machine to distinguish and identify.

[0058] The eighteenth technical solution has the same technical effect as the fifteenth technical solution.

[0059] The nineteenth technical solution identifies the covered color area by identifying the shape of the covering sub-area, and then inverts the selected color area to identify the pending information, which reduces the complexity of machine vision recognition compared to the solution of using the identification reference part as the position reference of the covering area.

[0060] The twentieth technical solution enables the operator to change the position or posture of the tag relative to the identification device by outputting a visually and / or auditorily perceptible prompt when it is found that the identification conditions cannot be met, thereby ultimately being able to effectively identify the selected information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiment, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use:

[0062] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the prefabricated printing medium in the first embodiment in an unfolded state;

[0063] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the printing device in Example 1;

[0064] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the label in Example 1;

[0065] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the identification device in Example 1;

[0066] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the identification method in Example 1;

[0067] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the prefabricated printing medium in the second embodiment in an unfolded state;

[0068] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a label in Example 2;

[0069] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the prefabricated printing medium in Example 3;

[0070] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the label in Example 3;

[0071] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the prefabricated printing medium in Example 4;

[0072] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a label in Example 4;

[0073] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the prefabricated printing medium in Example 5;

[0074] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the label in Example 5.

[0075] Description of main reference numerals:

[0076] 1. Prefabricated printing medium; 2. Release paper substrate; 3. Release paper; 4. Identification information expression area; 5. Complex information expression area; 6. Color sub-area; 7. Color area; 8. Printing device; 9. Input module; 10. Printing module; 11. Storage unit; 12. Positioning unit; 13. Printing unit; 14. Label; 15. Selected color area; 16. Covering sub-area; 17. Covering area; 18. Pattern and / or text; 19. Identification device; 20. Image acquisition module; 21. Image resolution module; 22. Information recognition module; 23. Prompt module; 24. Selected information recognition method; 25. Image acquisition step; 26. Image resolution step; 27. Judgment step; 28. Information recognition step; 29. ​​Prompt step; 30. Printing positioning mark; 31. Identification positioning mark; A. Length direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0077] In the claims and the description, unless otherwise defined, the terms "first", "second" or "third", etc. are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order.

[0078] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the term "fixed connection" or "fixed connection" should be understood in a broad sense, that is, any connection method in which there is no displacement relationship or relative rotation relationship between the two parties, that is, including non-detachable fixed connection, detachable fixed connection, integral connection, and fixed connection through other devices or elements.

[0079] In the claims and the description, unless otherwise defined, the terms "include", "have" and their variations mean "including but not limited to".

[0080] In the claims and the description, unless otherwise defined, the term "provided with" means that the technical feature thereafter is part of the technical feature therefor.

[0081] In the claims and description, unless otherwise defined, the term "machine vision" or "machine recognition" refers to the process of acquiring an image and determining the information contained in the image after performing digital discrete processing on the image.

[0082] In the claims and specification, unless otherwise specified, the term "identification information" refers to information that requires rapid human capture, recognition, and response, as well as ease of memory. Identification information is generally used to distinguish the urgency of an issue (e.g., a hospital's classification of emergency patients), the different responses required (e.g., driving behavior in traffic), the classification of an item (e.g., the category of a book), different sources (e.g., taxi companies in certain cities), or different areas (e.g., different sections of a parking lot). Identification information can be expressed using color or simple graphics, such as traffic signs.

[0083] In the claims and description, unless otherwise defined, the term "complex information" refers to information with a large amount of information that does not require high speed for human capture, cognition and reaction. The general way to express complex information is patterns and / or text.

[0084] In the claims and the specification, unless otherwise defined, the term "selected information" refers to identification information selected from a plurality of identification information.

[0085] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the term "prefabricated printing medium" refers to a printing medium containing a color area, which can be a single medium or a composite medium including a release paper substrate and a release paper, or a heat-sensitive transparent film can be provided on the release paper for thermal printing.

[0086] In the claims and specification, unless otherwise specified, the term "monochrome printing" refers not only to printing with a monochrome printer but also to printing with a multi-color printer. Monochrome printing is considered printing as long as only one color is used during the printing process. A printing device capable of monochrome printing may include a thermal printer, thermal transfer printer, inkjet printer, or laser printer.

[0087] In the claims and specification, unless otherwise specified, the term "color region" refers to a region with color used to express identification information that is distinguishable from the surrounding background color. Generally, to provide direct and strong color stimulation to the human eye, it can be presented as a color block or color bar. The color here can be not only monochrome but also multicolored (such as a gradient color) or even the original color of the pre-printed medium, as long as it is distinguishable from the background color and can be independently discerned. Since a color region is a region with color used to express identification information, it can be a single region or composed of two or more color sub-regions, but the color sub-regions of each color region must have the same color.

[0088] In the claims and the specification, unless otherwise defined, the term "color sub-region" refers to sub-regions of a color region that are spatially separated from each other and have the same color.

[0089] In the claims and the specification, unless otherwise defined, the term "selected color area" refers to a color area used to express selected information.

[0090] In the claims and description, unless otherwise defined, the term "accompanying color" refers to the color surrounding the color area. The accompanying color can be single color, multi-color, or the color of other color areas.

[0091] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, "black and white grayscale value" refers to the grayscale value of various colors in the black and white grayscale after the image is captured by a black and white camera, which is generally associated with the brightness of the color.

[0092] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the term "cover" as a verb means to mask part of the color area with printed color, and this masking can be either complete or partial. In the case of complete masking, the masking range can be equal to or larger than the range of the color area to be masked. Unless otherwise specified, there is no need to limit the shape of the masking range to fit the shape of the color area to be masked. In the case of incomplete masking, as long as the masked color area can be recognized by the human eye as being masked and distinguished from the selected color area that is not masked, incomplete masking can be caused by printing misalignment, or it can be a situation in which complete masking is inevitably formed due to the limitation of the bleed boundary during the printing process, or it can be a deliberate retention of part of the boundary. Furthermore, it should be noted that "covering" is not necessarily achieved solely through printing, but also includes the act of cutting paper after printing. This is sufficient as long as the obscured color area can be recognized by the human eye as obscured and distinguished from the selected unobscured color area after printing. Specifically, if the color area that needs to be covered is not covered during the printing process, but after cutting the paper, the color area that needs to be covered but is not covered is cut away and not output, so that the color area that needs to be covered in the output label meets the requirement of being covered, this should also be considered as completing the "covering" behavior. Furthermore, "covering" can be achieved by the color development method in thermal printing or thermal transfer printing, that is, by making the printed color develop, so as to achieve the effect of the printed color obscuring part of the color area.

[0093] In the claims and the specification, unless otherwise defined, the term "covered sub-region" refers to spatially independent sub-regions having printed colors corresponding to the covered color region or color sub-region.

[0094] In the claims and description, unless otherwise defined, the term "coverage area" refers to the area formed by the printed color covering all other color areas outside the selected color area. The coverage area may include several coverage sub-areas or may be a continuous area.

[0095] In the claims and the specification, unless otherwise defined, the term “distinct” in “the color of each color area is distinguishable from the surrounding background color and the colors of the color areas are distinguishable from each other” means distinguishable by the human eye.

[0096] In the claims and the specification, unless otherwise defined, the term “distinguished” in “printed colors are distinguished from the colors of the respective color regions and from the background colors of the respective color regions” means distinguishable by the human eye.

[0097] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the term "distinguishable" in "the black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed colors are distinguishable from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors of each color area and from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors of each color area" means capable of being distinguished by machine vision, specifically, it means that the black and white grayscale values ​​differ by at least 4 when the black and white grayscale uses 256 grayscales.

[0098] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the obvious difference in "the black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed colors are obviously different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors of each color area and obviously different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors of each color area" means that when the black and white grayscale uses 16 grayscales, the black and white grayscale values ​​differ by at least 2, and correspondingly, when the black and white grayscale uses 256 grayscales, the black and white grayscale values ​​differ by at least 32.

[0099] In the claims and the specification, unless otherwise defined, the term "printing positioning mark" refers to a pattern or symbol used for printing positioning.

[0100] In the claims and the specification, unless otherwise defined, the term "identification and positioning mark" refers to a pattern or symbol that can be used as an identification reference portion to determine the relative position of a coverage area when identifying selected information.

[0101] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the term "printing device" refers to a device capable of monochrome printing, which may be any device capable of monochrome printing, such as a thermal printer, a thermal transfer printer, an inkjet printer, or a laser printer.

[0102] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the term "printing reference portion" serves as a positioning reference for printing, which can be a specific portion of the outer contour of a prefabricated printing medium, a printing positioning mark on the prefabricated printing medium, or a specific portion of the outer contour of each unit (such as release paper) on the prefabricated printing medium.

[0103] In the claims and description, unless otherwise specified, the term "envelope" refers to any enveloping method that can achieve the printing of positioning marks or the identification of positioning marks as long as the shape is complete and the coverage area is necessarily complete, including full envelopment and half envelopment, etc.

[0104] In the claims and description, unless otherwise defined, the term "identification reference portion" refers to a reference that can be used as an identification reference portion to determine the relative position of the coverage area when identifying selected information, which can be the outer contour of the label, a specific part of the outer contour, a printed positioning mark, or an identification positioning mark.

[0105] The technical solutions in the embodiments will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0106] Example 1

[0107] The application scenario of Example 1 is emergency room triage. As we all know, when a patient enters the emergency room, the doctor needs to ask about the patient's condition and conduct a preliminary observation. After the initial questioning and observation, the doctor can classify the patient into three types based on professional judgment: those requiring urgent treatment, those requiring continuous attention, and those in stable condition. However, this judgment is not suitable for being directly communicated to the patient. Therefore, there may be a need for a method to represent this identification information so that only the doctors and nurses in the emergency room can know this professional judgment, while the patient or family members cannot directly obtain this identification information. To achieve this goal, the solution of this embodiment was developed.

[0108] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows the unfolded state of the prefabricated printing medium 1 in the first embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the prefabricated printing medium 1 includes a release paper substrate 2 suitable for being wound into a roll, and multiple identical release papers 3 attached to the release paper substrate (only two are shown in the figure, but in reality, many may be present). After being wound into a roll, the prefabricated printing medium 1 can be loaded into the paper receiving cavity of a handheld printer. The multiple release papers 3 are arranged along the extension direction of the release paper substrate 2. The longitudinal direction A of the release paper substrate 2 is also the longitudinal direction A of the prefabricated printing medium 1, which is also the winding direction of the paper roll. The longitudinal direction A of each release paper 3 is the same as the longitudinal direction A of the release paper substrate 2. Each release paper 3 is composed of a release paper body and a heat-sensitive transparent film. The heat-sensitive transparent film covers the surface of the release paper body facing away from the adhesive surface. The surface of the release paper body facing away from the adhesive surface is provided with two identification information expression areas 4 and a complex information expression area 5. The identification information expression areas 4 are arranged on both sides of the release paper 3 along the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction A, and are used to express identification information. Each identification information expression area 4 extends along the longitudinal direction A of the release paper 3. The complex information expression area 5 is arranged between the two identification information expression areas 4, and also extends along the length direction of the prefabricated printing medium. Both identification information expression areas 4 are provided with three color sub-areas 6 that are adjacent to each other, and the composition of the color sub-areas 6 in the two identification information expression areas 4 is mirror-symmetrical relative to the midline of the prefabricated printing medium 1 along the width direction. Among them, the color of the innermost color sub-area 6 of the three color sub-areas 6 is green, the color of the outermost color sub-area 6 is red, and the color of the color sub-area 6 in the middle is yellow. The two color sub-areas 6 with the same color together constitute a color area 7, and the color area 7 is used to express identification information. Specifically, the color area 7 with a green color is used to express identification information that means "the patient's condition is stable", the color area 7 with a yellow color is used to express identification information that means "continuous attention is required", and the color area 7 with a red color is used to express identification information that means "urgent treatment is required". From Figure 1 It can be seen that the three color areas 7 extend along the length direction A of the release paper 3. The color of the complex information expression area 5 is the original color of the release paper 3. In this embodiment, the original color of the release paper 3 is white. For each color area 7, the color surrounding it is defined as the background color. Figure 1 As shown, the contrasting colors of the green color region 7 are white and yellow, the contrasting colors of the yellow color region 7 are red and green, and the contrasting color of the red color region 7 is yellow. Therefore, it can be seen by those skilled in the art that the color of each color region 7 should be different from the contrasting colors surrounding it, and the colors of each color region 7 should be different from each other.

[0109] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 The printing device 8 in the embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the printing device 8 is a desktop thermal monochrome printer, which is placed on the desktop of the emergency triage station. The printing color of the printing device 8 in this embodiment is black. The printing device 8 is used to perform monochrome printing on the prefabricated printing medium 1 in this embodiment. Figure 2As shown, the printing device 8 includes an input module 9 and a printing module 10. The input module 9 is used to obtain selected information and complex information, and the selected information is the identification information selected in the identification information. There are many ways for the input module 9 to obtain the selected information, such as by clicking with a finger on the graphical user interface on the touch screen of the printing device 8 or performing simple text input. In this case, the input module 9 is the touch screen of the printing device 8. The printing module 10 is used to perform monochrome printing on the prefabricated printing medium 1 so that the printed color covers other color areas outside the selected color area 15, wherein the selected color area 15 is the color area 7 used to express the selected information. The printed color is black, and the printed color is different from the colors of each color area and the contrasting colors of each color area. The black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed color are also obviously different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors of each color area and the contrasting colors of each color area. The printing module 10 is also used to print patterns and / or text that express complex information on the prefabricated printing medium 1, and the patterns and / or text do not overlap with the various color areas 7. In this embodiment, the patterns and / or text that express complex information are printed in the complex information expression area. In this embodiment, the printing module 10 includes a storage unit 11, a positioning unit 12, a printing unit 13, and a paper cutting unit. The storage unit 11 is used to store printing positioning data, which includes the relative position of each color area 7 relative to a printing reference portion that serves as a printing positioning reference and the coverage range of each color area. The printing reference portion serves as a positioning reference for printing. In this embodiment, it is a specific portion of the outer contour of the prefabricated printing medium 1, specifically the front end of the prefabricated printing medium 1 along the printing feed direction, generally located on the release paper substrate 2. The positioning unit 12 is used to position the printing reference portion. After the positioning unit 12 locates the printing reference portion, the printing unit 13 performs monochrome printing based on the printing positioning data obtained from the storage unit 11, so that the printed color covers the other color areas 7 outside the selected color area 15. The paper cutting unit is used to cut the release paper substrate 2 between the release paper 3 and the next release paper 3 after printing a release paper 3, so that the release paper 3 and the release paper substrate 2 attached thereto are cut off and output from the printing device 8.

[0110] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3The label 14 in this embodiment is shown. The label 14 is made by the printing device 8 after printing is completed. Specifically, a printed release paper 3 and the release paper substrate 2 to which it is attached are cut by the paper cutting unit and output from the printing device 8. The release paper 3 is peeled off from the release paper substrate 2 to which it is attached to obtain the label 14. The back of the label 14 is sticky and can be pasted on the patient's clothes or body at an appropriate position for easy identification by doctors in the emergency room. Now let's take a specific example. If the emergency room classification determines that the patient's type is "requires continuous attention" and the symptom is upper abdominal pain, at this time, the relevant selected information is selected in the input module of the printing device 8, and the symptoms as complex information are input. The printing device 8 will perform monochrome printing on the prefabricated printing medium 1. After printing is completed, in the identification information expression area 4 of the label 14 (original release paper 3), the printed color covers other color areas outside the selected color area 15. In this embodiment, as Figure 3 As shown, two color sub-areas 6 of the green color area 7 and two color sub-areas 6 of the red color area 7 are covered with printed color, forming four covered sub-areas 16. These four covered sub-areas 16 collectively form a covered area 17. Covered sub-areas 16 refer to spatially independent areas of printed color corresponding to the covered color area 7 or color sub-area 6. Covered area 17 refers to the area formed by the printed color covering all other color areas 7 outside the selected color area 15. Covered area 17 may include several covered sub-areas 16 or be a continuous area. Furthermore, within the complex information expression area 5 of the label 14 (original release paper 3), a pattern and / or text 18 is displayed on the natural color of the release paper 3 using printed color. The specific content is "Symptoms: Upper abdominal pain." After the label 14 is affixed to the appropriate location on the patient's clothing or body, the doctor in the emergency room can quickly visually detect the uncovered yellow color area 7 and quickly identify the information conveyed as "requires continued attention," allowing the doctor to take appropriate medical measures. At the same time, during the specific diagnosis and treatment process, the doctor can also understand the patient's symptoms through the patterns and / or text 18 in the complex information expression area 5, and thus make corresponding diagnosis and treatment without the need for additional inquiries.

[0111] Based on the above description, it can be seen that monochrome printing on the prefabricated printing medium 1 so that the printed color covers other color areas 7 outside the selected color area 15 can express the selected information, allowing people who need to understand the selected information to quickly capture, recognize and remember it.

[0112] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 The identification device 19 in this embodiment is shown. The identification device 19 is used to identify the selected information expressed by the label 14 in this embodiment. Figure 4 As shown, the recognition device 19 includes an image acquisition module 20, an image resolution module 21, an information recognition module 22, and a prompt module 23. The image acquisition module 20 is used to acquire an image of the label 14 and can be a black and white camera. The image resolution module 21 is used to distinguish between the recognition reference portion and the cover area 17 in the image. In this embodiment, the recognition reference portion is the outer contour of the label 14 or a specific portion of the outer contour. The cover area 17 has been described previously. The image resolution module 21 generally uses an edge algorithm to resolve the outer contour of the label 14 and the cover area 17. Generally, it first determines pixels in the image with black and white grayscale values ​​corresponding to the printed color, and then uses the edge algorithm to determine the portion belonging to the outer contour and the portion belonging to the cover area 17. The prompt module 23 is used to output a prompt in a manner that can be perceived visually (e.g., a flashing light signal) and / or auditorily (e.g., a beeping sound). Information recognition module 22 is configured to determine whether the image meets recognition conditions. If the recognition conditions are met, information recognition module 22 identifies the color region 7 covered by covered region 17 based on the relative position of covered region 17 and the recognition reference portion. Information recognition module 22 can then invert the uncovered selected color region 15 and, based on this, identify the selected information. The recognition conditions are that the image has the recognition reference portion and that covered region 17 is complete. In this embodiment, complete covered region 17 means that covered region 17 covers at least four color sub-regions 6 of two color regions 7. Information recognition module 22 also controls prompt module 23 to output a prompt and controls image acquisition module 20 to acquire an image of label 14 again if the recognition conditions are not met.

[0113] Figure 5 A method 24 for identifying selected information is shown, utilizing the recognition device of this embodiment. The method includes an image acquisition step 25, an image resolution step 26, a determination step 27, an information recognition step 28, and a prompting step 29. The image acquisition step 25 is used to acquire an image of the label 14; the image resolution step 26 is used to distinguish between the identification reference portion and the cover area 17 in the image; the determination step 27 is used to determine whether the image meets the recognition conditions; the information recognition step 28 is used to identify the selected information based on the relative position of the cover area 17 and the identification reference portion if the recognition conditions are met; the prompting step 29 is used to output a prompt if the recognition conditions are not met; and if the recognition conditions are not met, the process returns to the image acquisition step 25.

[0114] In this embodiment, the selected information expressed by the identification label 14 can be identified by the identification device 19. When the doctor in the emergency room counts the conditions of all patients in the emergency room, the doctor can hold the identification device and scan the labels 14 of all patients in turn. The doctor can easily obtain the selected information of each patient and then automatically count the number of various patients and display it on the large display screen.

[0115] As can be seen from the introduction to this embodiment, color region 7 is used to express identification information, allowing the human eye to quickly capture, recognize, and memorize it. By covering the color regions outside of the selected color region 15 with printed color, the selected color region 15 is preserved. Selected color region 15 is the color region 7 used to express the selected information, and thus can express the selected identification information for the human eye to quickly capture, recognize, and memorize. In this embodiment, the selected color region 15 expresses the selected information on-site through monochrome printing. Therefore, the cost of displaying the selected information is lower than that of deploying multicolor printing on-site. It should be noted that not only can the use of a monochrome printer effectively reduce equipment and operating costs, but even when using a multicolor printer, the cost of operating costs can still be significantly reduced by using only monochrome printing. In this embodiment, because the printed color covers the other color regions 7 outside the selected color region 15, and the black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed color differ from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors in each color region 7 and also from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors in each color region 7, machine vision can easily identify the covered region 17 composed of a single printed color and, through inversion, determine the selected information intended to be expressed by the uncovered selected color region 15. This facilitates machine recognition, improves computational speed, reduces machine recognition error rates, and reduces equipment costs by using relatively inexpensive black and white cameras. In this embodiment, because the black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed color are significantly different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors in each color region 7 and also from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors in each color region 7, the machine recognition error rate can be further reduced. In this embodiment, although the covered region 17 formed by the printed color will cause some visual interference to the selected color region 15, because the color region 7 is used, the area representing the color is correspondingly much larger than the area of ​​a dot or pixel, allowing the human eye to easily recognize the selected information. In this embodiment, the prefabricated printed medium 1 expresses identification information through color regions 7, making it easier for the human eye to quickly capture, recognize, and remember it. Compared to the prior art, which pre-prints a dot group on the background color of the prefabricated printed medium 1, with each dot in the dot group composed of three primary colors or a combination of multiple other colors, there are two main differences. First, the color regions 7 can form color blocks, which have a stronger visual impact on the human eye. Second, the prior art can only use printing colors that are the same or similar to the background color to cover unnecessary dots in the dot group and also cover unnecessary colors in dots that need to be retained, thereby forming a pattern and / or text composed of a single color. In contrast, the present technical solution allows the use of printing colors that are different from the background color of the color region 7 to cover other color regions 7 outside the selected color region 15 without affecting the effectiveness of expressing the selected information.In this embodiment, the prefabricated print medium 1 comprises a release paper substrate 2 suitable for being wound and a release paper 3 attached to the release paper substrate 2. The length of the prefabricated print medium 1 is aligned with the winding direction. Multiple release papers 3 with color regions 7 can be arranged on a single release paper substrate 3, facilitating storage of the prefabricated print medium 1 in the paper hopper of a printing device 8. This not only eliminates the need to feed the prefabricated print medium 1 into the printing device each time a print is required, simplifying operation and facilitating miniaturization or even handheld functionality of the printing device 8. In this embodiment, identification information expression regions 4 are provided on both sides of the prefabricated print medium 1 along its width. This not only facilitates machine recognition of the label (consistent in both the forward and reverse directions), but also allows for the expression of complex information in the form of patterns and / or text 18 between the two identification information expression regions 4, allowing the label 14 to carry more functions. In this embodiment, the color sub-regions 6 are positioned adjacent to each other, reducing the area occupied by the identification information expression regions 4 while maintaining the area of ​​each color region 7. In this embodiment, the input module 9 obtains the selected information, and the printing module 10 covers other color areas 7 outside the selected color area 15 based on the selected information, so that the printing device 8 can be used to realize the function of expressing the selected information. In this embodiment, the storage unit 11 stores printing positioning data, which enables the operator to input or select the selected information using the input module 9 without having to input the position and range of the coverage area 17 at the same time, thereby making the human-computer interaction of the printing device 8 simpler and faster. In this embodiment, the printing device 8 also obtains complex information and prints the complex information through patterns and / or text 18, so that the printed label 14 can carry more information. In this embodiment, the recognition device 19 can identify the position of the coverage area 17 relative to the recognition reference part, thereby determining the color area 7 covered by the coverage area 17, and then inverting the selected color area 15, thereby identifying the selected information, effectively utilizing the characteristic that the coverage area 17 is covered by a single printing color, making it easier for the machine to distinguish and identify. This embodiment outputs a visually and / or audibly perceptible prompt when it is found that the recognition conditions cannot be met, so that the operator can change the position or posture of the tag 14 relative to the recognition device 19, thereby ultimately being able to effectively recognize the selected information.

[0116] Example 2

[0117] The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that:

[0118] like Figure 6 As shown, the prefabricated printing medium 1 in this embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the prefabricated printing medium 1 has a release paper 3 that is continuous along its length on a release paper substrate 2. In this embodiment, the color sub-region 6 and color region 7, which were yellow in the first embodiment, are the natural color of the release paper 3, i.e., white.

[0119] The printing device 8 in this embodiment differs from that in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the printing device 8 can continuously print according to the length of complex information and cut the paper after printing, rather than having to cut the paper between the two release papers 3. In this embodiment, the printing device 8 retracts the prefabricated print medium 1 a certain distance each time it prints, so that the printed color covers the leading edge of the color area 7. Even if the leading edge of the color area 7 cannot be completely covered, this is permitted, or the uncovered portion can be removed by cutting the paper.

[0120] like Figure 7 As shown, the label 14 in this embodiment is different. In this embodiment, the label 14 can be of variable length. When the selected information is "requires continued attention", the selected color area 15 on the label 14 is the natural color of the release paper 3, that is, white.

[0121] Compared to Example 1, this embodiment offers the advantage that, because the release paper 3 is of variable length and each color region 7 extends along the length of the prefabricated print medium 1, continuous printing of the color regions 7 is facilitated during the production of the prefabricated print medium 1. This avoids the problem of intermittent printing of the color regions 7, which can lead to poor subsequent coverage due to inaccurate label cutting during monochrome printing. Furthermore, after monochrome printing, this prefabricated print medium 1 can adapt to varying label lengths. That is, the label length can be varied as needed while still effectively covering the desired color region 7. In this embodiment, the use of the natural color of the release paper 3 instead of yellow reduces the printing cost of the prefabricated print medium 1.

[0122] Example 3

[0123] The application scenario of Example 3 is the label used when dispensing medications in a hospital pharmacy. As is well known, the daily dosage of oral medications can be divided into three categories: once a day, twice a day, and three times a day. After retrieving their medications, patients often forget the daily dosage, and then have to search for the written instructions on the medicine bottle, which is inconvenient. Therefore, a striking expression can be used to allow patients to recognize the daily dosage at a glance. If the prescription QR code is printed on the corresponding label, the QR code can be scanned when dispensing the medication and automatically compared with the daily dosage, avoiding incorrect dispensing.

[0124] The differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment are described below, and the parts not described are the same as the first embodiment.

[0125] See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 The prefabricated printing medium 1 in the third embodiment is shown. Figure 8As shown, the prefabricated print medium 1 consists of a fixed-length release paper substrate 2 and a fixed-length release paper 3 attached to the release paper substrate 2. On the release paper 3, an identification information expression area 4 and a complex information expression area 5 are arranged along its length direction A. The identification information expression area 4 is the natural color of the release paper, and the complex information expression area 5 is light blue. Within the identification information expression area 4, three color areas 7 are arranged along the width of the prefabricated print medium 1. These areas are green, yellow, and red, respectively. Green corresponds to the identification information "once a day," yellow corresponds to the identification information "twice a day," and red corresponds to the identification information "three times a day." Each color area 7 is set against a white background. Print positioning marks 30 are provided in front of the three color areas 7 for printing positioning. These marks 30 do not overlap with the color areas 7 and are the printing color (black).

[0126] The printing device 8 in this embodiment differs from the printing device 8 in the first embodiment in that the printing reference portion in this embodiment is a printing positioning mark 30, and the printing module 10 of the printing device 8 in this embodiment does not include a paper cutting unit. The printing device 8 in this embodiment uses a monochrome laser printer, and its printing color is also black.

[0127] The printing device 8 in this embodiment is installed at the medicine packaging location.

[0128] Figure 9 The label 14 of this embodiment is shown. As shown, the cover area 17 in this embodiment includes two cover sub-areas 16 corresponding to the color areas 7, each of which covers a color area 7 outside the selected color area 15. The complex information in this embodiment is not only expressed through text, but also includes a QR code (not shown) corresponding to the prescription information, specifically located to the right of the text.

[0129] When taking medication, the patient can easily obtain identification information of the number of times the medication is taken per day by identifying the selected color area 15 on the identification label 14 without having to read the medication instructions.

[0130] The difference between the identification device 19 in this embodiment and that in the first embodiment is that the identification reference portion in this embodiment is a printed positioning mark 30 .

[0131] The recognition device 19 in this embodiment also has the function of scanning the QR code and obtaining the prescription information. At the same time, the recognition device 19 in this embodiment can alarm when the selected information does not match the prescription information.

[0132] The identification device in this embodiment can be installed at the medication dispensing location and can be used to verify whether the medication is dispensed correctly and ensure that the identification information is consistent with the prescription information.

[0133] The technical effects of this embodiment are basically the same as those of the first embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0134] Example 4

[0135] This embodiment is used in the automated inspection of mobile phone screen glass cover plates. After production, these cover plates undergo automated optical inspection. Defective products are categorized by their causes, including "scratches or cracks," "bumps or depressions," and "edge chips." After automated inspection, defective products are identified and reviewed manually. After review, any defective products that remain require statistical analysis based on their causes.

[0136] The following describes the differences between this embodiment and the third embodiment. Parts not described are the same as the third embodiment.

[0137] See also Figure 10 , Figure 10 The prefabricated printing medium 1 in the fourth embodiment is shown. Figure 10 As shown, in this embodiment, the prefabricated printing medium 1 has no printed positioning marks, and the prefabricated printing medium 1 in this embodiment also has no complex information expression area. The release paper in this embodiment is also printed with a gradient of cyan as the background color. The three color areas 7 in this embodiment are close together. Among them, green is used to express "scratches or cracks", yellow is used to express "bumps or depressions", and red is used to express "edge gaps". The accompanying colors of the green color area 7 are yellow and gradient cyan, the accompanying colors of the yellow color area 7 are green, red and gradient cyan, and the accompanying colors of the red color area 7 are yellow and gradient cyan.

[0138] The printing device 8 in this embodiment differs from the printing device 8 in Example 3 in that the printing reference portion in this embodiment is the leading corner of the release paper 3 along the printing feed direction of the prefabricated printing medium 1. The input module 9 in this embodiment no longer acquires complex information; instead, the automatic detection equipment of the mobile phone screen glass cover automatically inputs identification information based on the detection results. The printing module 10 in this embodiment also no longer prints patterns and / or text 18 used to express complex information. The printing device 8 in this embodiment also includes a tear-off and attachment module for removing the release paper substrate 2 and attaching the release paper to the mobile phone screen glass cover. The storage unit 11 in this embodiment also stores identification positioning mark printing data, which includes the relative position of the identification positioning mark 31 to be printed relative to the printing reference portion and the printing range of the identification positioning mark 31. The identification positioning mark printing data should also ensure that the identification positioning mark 31 does not overlap with any color area 7 after being printed on the prefabricated printing medium 1. The printing unit 13 in this embodiment also performs monochrome printing according to the identification positioning mark printing data obtained from the storage unit 11 after the positioning unit 12 is positioned at the printing reference portion, and forms the identification positioning mark 31.

[0139] See also Figure 11 , Figure 11 The label 14 in this embodiment is shown. Figure 11 As shown, in the label 14 , the identification positioning mark 31 encloses all color areas 7 , that is, it not only encloses the selected color area 15 , but also includes the entire coverage area 17 . In this embodiment, the coverage area can be a continuous area or can be composed of two coverage sub-areas 16 . Figure 11 The identification mark 31 includes four corners, and all color areas 7 are located within the range enclosed by the four corners. Each corner is formed by the intersection of two line segments.

[0140] The recognition device 19 in this embodiment is installed after manual re-inspection and is used by workers to scan all re-inspected defective products and compile statistics on the causes of the defects. In this embodiment, the recognition reference portion in the recognition device 19 is the recognition positioning mark 31. The recognition condition in this embodiment is that the recognition reference portion has a complete shape, that is, all four corners are in the image.

[0141] In this embodiment, since the identification mark 31 encloses each color region 7, the completeness of the covered region 17 can be inferred by determining that the shape of the identification mark 31 is complete. This facilitates image recognition and recognition condition determination. The function of the identification mark 31 can also be replaced by the printed mark 30.

[0142] Example 5

[0143] The application scenario of Example 5 is digital agricultural planting, especially fruit tree planting. Fruit trees need to be inspected at certain growth stages to determine whether they are growing well. Based on the growth situation, fruit trees can be divided into three categories: "growing well", "suffering from pests and diseases", and "requiring additional fertilization". After the fruit trees are classified, they need to be scanned one by one using an identification device to collect statistics and compare the situation with previous years to respond accordingly.

[0144] The differences between this embodiment and the fourth embodiment are described below. Parts not described are the same as those in the fourth embodiment.

[0145] See also Figure 12 , Figure 12 FIG. 1 shows a pre-printed medium 1 in this embodiment. Figure 12 As shown, the background color of the release paper 3 of the prefabricated print medium 1 in this embodiment is the original color of the release paper 3. The release paper 3 has three color areas 7, each of which has a different shape. The red color area 7 is used to convey the identification information of "suffering from pests and diseases" and is shaped like a five-pointed star. The yellow color area 7 is used to convey the identification information of "requiring additional fertilization" and is shaped like a circle. The green color area 7 is used to convey the identification information of "growing well" and is shaped like a square. In this embodiment, the background color of each color area 7 is the original color of the release paper 3, i.e., white. The prefabricated print medium 1 in this embodiment is provided with a print positioning mark 30 at the front end in the longitudinal direction A along the print feed direction.

[0146] In this embodiment, the printing device 8 uses the print base as a positioning mark 30. Storage unit 11 does not store print data for the identification positioning mark, but rather stores print positioning data. Print unit 13 in this embodiment does not print the identification positioning mark 31. When printing in monochrome, the printing device 8 in this embodiment covers each color region 7 outside the selected color region 15, forming a sub-region 16 that conforms to the shape of that color region 7. The printing device 8 in this embodiment does not include a tear-off attachment module.

[0147] The printing device 8 in this embodiment is handheld, and selected information is input by a person according to the inspection results when inspecting trees.

[0148] See also Figure 13 , Figure 13 The label 14 in this embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the label 14 has printed positioning marks 30, and the covering area 17 has two independent covering sub-areas 16. The shape of the covering sub-areas 16 is adapted to the covered color area 7. The selected color area 15 still retains its original shape.

[0149] The recognition device 19 in this embodiment is used to scan the inspected forest to obtain statistical information on various growth conditions. The image recognition module 21 of the recognition device 19 in this embodiment is used to identify covered sub-regions 16 in the image, without identifying printed registration marks 30. The recognition condition in this embodiment is that all (two) covered sub-regions 16 are present in the image. The information recognition module in this embodiment determines the color region 7 corresponding to each covered sub-region 16 based on its shape, then inverts the selected color region 15, ultimately identifying the selected information.

[0150] The technical solution of this embodiment reduces the complexity of machine vision recognition compared to the solution of using the recognition reference portion as the position reference of the coverage area 17 .

[0151] It should be noted that the various embodiments and scenarios in the specification are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this patent. Among them, the method of expressing selected information, the prefabricated printed medium 1, the printing device 8 and the label 14 are all independent solutions and do not rely on the identification device or the method of identifying selected information. Even if the scenario does not seem to require machine recognition, as long as it complies with the technical solutions defined by the method of expressing selected information, the prefabricated printed medium 1, the printing device 8 and the label 14 in this patent, it should still be considered to be easy for machine recognition, and machine recognition may be introduced in special circumstances. For example, if a student uses the prefabricated printed medium 1 or label 14 in Example 5 to identify notebooks and classify them into "preparation notebooks", "wrong question notebooks" and "class notes", under normal circumstances, this classification of notebooks does not require machine recognition. However, when the teacher needs to collect statistics on students' notebooks, the identification device and the method of identifying selected information can still be used for machine recognition to complete the statistics.

[0152] The above description of the specification and embodiments is used to explain the scope of protection of the present application, but does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method of expressing selected information, characterized by: Performing monochrome printing on the prefabricated printing medium (1) so that the printed color covers other color areas outside the selected color area (15); The prefabricated printing medium (1) is provided with at least two color areas (7) for expressing identification information; The color of each color area (7) is different from the surrounding color and the colors of each color area (7) are different from each other; The selected color area (15) is a color area (7) used to express selected information, and the selected information is identification information selected from the identification information; The printed color is different from the color of each color area (7) and is different from the background color of each color area (7); The black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed colors are different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors of each of the color areas (7) and are different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors of each of the color areas (7).

2. The method for expressing selected information according to claim 1, wherein: The black and white grayscale values ​​of the printed colors are significantly different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the colors of each of the color areas (7) and are significantly different from the black and white grayscale values ​​of the background colors of each of the color areas (7).

3. The method for expressing selected information according to claim 1, wherein: The prefabricated printing medium (1) is further provided with a printing positioning mark (30) for printing positioning, wherein the printing positioning mark (30) does not overlap with each of the color areas (7) and its color is the printing color.

4. The method for expressing selected information according to claim 1, wherein: When the prefabricated printing medium (1) is printed in monochrome, an identification positioning mark (31) is also printed in color, and the identification positioning mark (31) does not overlap with each of the color areas (7).

5. The method for expressing selected information according to claim 1, wherein: Each color area (7) has a different shape. When the prefabricated printing medium (1) is printed in monochrome, the covering sub-area (16) formed by each other color area (7) outside the selected color area (15) covered by the printed color is adapted to the shape of the color area (7).

6. A prefabricated printed medium (1) for use in a method for expressing selected information as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It is provided with at least two color areas (7) for expressing identification information, the color of each color area (7) being different from the background color surrounding it, and the colors of each color area (7) being different from each other; each color area (7) extending along the length direction (A) of the prefabricated printing medium (1).

7. The pre-printed medium (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that: The prefabricated printing medium (1) comprises a release paper substrate (2) suitable for being wound and a release paper (3) attached to the release paper substrate (2); the length direction (A) of the prefabricated printing medium (1) is the same as the direction in which it can be wound; the number of release papers (3) attached to the release paper substrate (2) is one or more, and the color area (7) is located on the release paper.

8. The pre-printed medium (1) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The prefabricated printing medium (1) is provided with identification information expression areas (4) on both sides along the width direction, and each color area (7) is provided with color sub-areas (6) in the two identification information expression areas (4), and each color sub-area (6) extends along the length direction (A) of the prefabricated printing medium (1).

9. The pre-printed medium (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that: The color sub-regions (6) are adjacent to each other, and at least some of the color sub-regions (6) use the colors of other color sub-regions (6) as their background colors.

10. A printing device (8), characterized in that It is used for performing monochrome printing on a prefabricated printing medium (1), wherein the prefabricated printing medium (1) is provided with at least two color areas (7) for expressing identification information, the color of each color area (7) being different from the surrounding background color, and the colors of each color area (7) being different from each other; The printing device (8) comprises: An input module (9) is used to obtain selected information, wherein the selected information is identification information selected from the identification information; and A printing module (10) is used to perform monochrome printing on a prefabricated printing medium (1) so that the printed color covers other color areas (7) outside a selected color area (15), wherein the selected color area (15) is a color area (7) for expressing selected information, the printed color is different from the color of each of the color areas (7) and different from the background color of each of the color areas (7), and the black and white grayscale value of the printed color is different from the black and white grayscale value of the color of each of the color areas (7) and different from the black and white grayscale value of the background color of each of the color areas (7).

11. The printing device (8) according to claim 10, characterized in that The printing module (10) comprises: A storage unit (11) storing printing positioning data, wherein the printing positioning data includes a relative position of each color area (7) relative to a printing reference portion serving as a printing positioning reference and a coverage range of each color area (7); a positioning unit (12) for positioning the printing reference portion; and A printing unit (13) performs monochrome printing according to the printing positioning data obtained from the storage unit (11) after the positioning unit (12) is positioned at the printing reference portion, so that the printed color covers other color areas (7) outside the selected color area (15).

12. The printing device (8) according to claim 11, characterized in that: The storage unit (11) further stores identification positioning mark printing data, the identification positioning mark printing data including the relative position of the identification positioning mark (31) to be printed relative to the printing reference portion and the printing range of the identification positioning mark (31), and the identification positioning mark printing data should also ensure that the identification positioning mark (31) does not overlap with each of the color areas (7) after being printed on the prefabricated printing medium (1); The printing unit (13) also performs monochrome printing according to the identification positioning mark printing data obtained from the storage unit (11) after the positioning unit (12) is positioned at the printing reference portion, and forms the identification positioning mark (31).

13. The printing device (8) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: The input module (9) is also used to obtain complex information; The printing module (10) is further configured to print patterns and / or text (18) for expressing the complex information on the prefabricated printing medium (1), wherein the patterns and / or text (18) do not overlap with the color areas (7).

14. Label (14), characterized in that, The invention is prepared by the method for expressing selected information according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

15. Label (14), characterized in that, It is made by the method for expressing selected information according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the printed positioning mark (30) or the identification positioning mark (31) encloses each of the color areas (7).

16. Label (14), characterized in that, It is obtained by the method for expressing selected information as claimed in claim 5.

17. Identification means (19) for identifying selected information expressed by a label (14) according to claim 14, characterized in that include: an image acquisition module (20) for acquiring an image of the label (14); An image recognition module (21) for distinguishing an identification reference portion and a coverage area (17) in the image, wherein the identification reference portion is the outer contour or a specific portion of the outer contour of the label (14), and the coverage area (17) is an area formed by printing colors covering all other color areas (7) other than the selected color area (15) during the process of making the label; and An information recognition module (22) is used to determine whether the image meets a recognition condition and, when the recognition condition is met, to identify selected information based on the relative position of the coverage area (17) and the recognition reference portion, wherein the recognition condition is that the image has the recognition reference portion and the coverage area (17) is complete.

18. Identification means (19) for identifying selected information expressed by a label (14) according to claim 15, characterized in that include: an image acquisition module (20) for acquiring an image of the label (14); An image distinguishing module (21) for distinguishing an identification reference portion and a covering area (17) in the image, wherein the identification reference portion is a printing positioning mark (30) or an identification positioning mark (31) of the label (14), and the covering area (17) is an area formed by printing colors covering all other color areas (7) other than the selected color area (15) during the process of making the label (14); and An information recognition module (22) is used to determine whether the image meets a recognition condition, and when the recognition condition is met, to identify selected information based on the relative position of the coverage area (17) and the recognition reference portion, wherein the recognition condition is that the shape of the recognition reference portion in the image is complete.

19. Identification means (19) for identifying selected information expressed by a label (14) according to claim 16, characterized in that include: an image acquisition module (20) for acquiring an image of the label (14); an image discrimination module (21) for discriminating covered sub-regions (16) in the image; and An information recognition module (22) is used to determine whether the image meets a recognition condition and, when the recognition condition is met, to recognize selected information based on the shape of each of the covered sub-areas (16), wherein the recognition condition is that all the covered sub-areas (16) are on the image.

20. The identification device (19) according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that The system further includes a prompt module (23), the prompt module (23) being configured to output a prompt in a manner that can be visually perceived and / or auditorily perceived; and the information recognition module (22) further controls the prompt module (23) to output a prompt and controls the image acquisition module (20) to acquire an image of the label (14) again when a recognition condition is not satisfied.

Images