Color Barcode Encoding Structure for High Capacity Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Two-dimensional barcodes have limited capacity, restricting their use in applications that require storing multiple types of information, such as personal data or security mechanisms, and often necessitate additional auxiliary media for explanation or authentication, limiting their independence and versatility.
Innovation Solution
A barcode structure and encoding method utilizing symbolic elements of different colors arranged in a frame, where each symbolic element row consists of polygons with unique colors, allowing for increased storage capacity and robustness against geometric distortions by using color combinations to encode information and store bits along side edges of adjacent elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional two-dimensional barcode is used, then structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but storage capacity is limited and cannot store multiple types of information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by using different colors (e.g., black and white) for different types of symbolic elements within the barcode. This allows the barcode to encode multiple types of information (text, numbers, URLs, etc.) within a single structure, significantly increasing storage capacity without requiring multiple separate barcodes or auxiliary media.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the barcode into multiple symbolic element rows, where each row can represent different types of information. Each symbolic element within a row is further segmented into distinct visual patterns that encode specific data types. This segmentation allows the barcode to organize and store multiple types of information in a structured manner.
2Quantity of substance
If additional auxiliary media is added to explain barcode content, then information capacity increases, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple types of information encoding into a single barcode structure. By combining different symbolic elements (text, numbers, URLs, etc.) into one integrated barcode design, the system eliminates the need for separate auxiliary media or multiple barcodes, thereby increasing information capacity without proportionally increasing storage space requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If color information is added to barcode, then storage capacity increases significantly, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color changes with only two distinct colors (black and white), which simplifies the manufacturing process compared to using multiple colors. This binary color scheme maintains ease of manufacture while still enabling significant increases in storage capacity through the strategic arrangement and encoding of these two colors in different symbolic elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A barcode structure includes at least one symbolic element row and a frame arranged at a periphery of the at least one symbolic element row. Each symbolic element row has multiple symbolic elements. Each symbolic element has different color from its adjacent symbolic elements, and the color of the frame is different from that of any symbolic element. A barcode encoding method includes: establishing multiple color combinations where a color of a frame is excluded, and each color combination comprising a main color and a sub color; performing a symbolic element row establishment procedure, which includes using a reference color as a color of a first symbolic element of a symbolic element row; deleting color combinations where the reference color is used as a main color; and selecting a color combination from remaining color combinations for coloring two symbolic elements that are sequentially connected with the first symbolic element.