Augmented Barcode With Micro-Shape Secondary Pattern
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current barcodes lack sufficient protection against counterfeiting, relying on written warnings or complex image capturing techniques, which are ineffective in preventing copying.
Innovation Solution
A secure barcode system is created by superimposing a secondary pattern of micro-shapes onto a primary barcode pattern, maintaining uniform density and allowing decoding by standard scanners while inhibiting wholesale copying, using a processor to generate and print the augmented barcode on a substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard barcode is used for product identification, then the barcode can be easily scanned and read by various devices, but the barcode lacks sufficient protection against counterfeiting and copying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds a secondary pattern within the cells of the primary barcode pattern. Each cell of the primary barcode may contain a micro-shape from the secondary pattern, creating a nested structure where one code is hidden within another. This allows the barcode to maintain its standard appearance for scanning while incorporating additional security features that prevent copying.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a second layer of encoding (secondary pattern) within the existing two-dimensional barcode structure. By placing micro-shapes inside the cells of the primary pattern, the invention effectively adds another dimension of information storage and security without changing the overall barcode dimensions or requiring additional space.
2Reliability
If additional security patterns or holographic images are added to the barcode, then anti-counterfeiting protection is improved, but complex image capturing and processing techniques are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the secondary pattern with micro-shapes that can be captured and decoded by standard barcode scanning devices already in use. The micro-shapes are positioned and sized within the barcode cells such that they can be detected by existing imaging sensors and processing algorithms, making the security feature universal and compatible with current technology infrastructure.
3Reliability
If the barcode structure is modified to include security features, then copying protection is improved, but the barcode may become difficult to decode by standard scanners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the secondary pattern selectively within specific regions or cells of the primary barcode. Not all cells need to contain micro-shapes, and the density of the secondary pattern can be varied locally. This allows standard scanners to read the primary pattern while the secondary pattern provides security verification, balancing compatibility with protection.
Data Source
AI summary
A system generates a secure barcode by: identifying a primary pattern for a two-dimensional barcode to be printed on a substrate, wherein the primary pattern comprises of a set of dark cells and a set of light cells; identifying a two-dimensional micro-shape, wherein the micro-shape has a size that is no larger than a size of each cell of the two-dimensional barcode; generating a secondary pattern comprising a plurality of the micro-shapes; and superimposing the secondary pattern with the primary pattern for the two-dimensional barcode to yield a secure barcode. The resulting two-dimensional barcode includes a primary pattern comprising a set of dark cells and a set of light cells, where the sets represent encoded data, along with a secondary pattern of micro-shapes that are superimposed with the primary pattern.