Code pattern, printed matter, image generating apparatus, image processing apparatus, image generating method, and information identifying method

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a reader that reads an image in which a background image and image data are combined, the background image having a plurality of blocks adjacent to each other that have a plurality of dots selectively arranged therein, the plurality of blocks including a synchronous block that has a dot arrangement of a synchronous code that is a reference for identifying the synchronous block, page blocks that have dot arrangements representing page numbers, and coordinate blocks that have dot arrangements representing coordinate values on a page, each block being an information unit that expresses a piece of information by a dot arrangement formed based on a number of dots and positions of those dots therein;

a detector that overlays a block frame composed of the plurality of blocks on the read image, moves the block frame in relation to the image so that the number of dots detected in each block of the block frame becomes a given number, and detects block break points; and

a decoder that decodes the dot arrangement in each block to regenerate information included therein.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a synchronous code detector that detects a synchronous code pattern having a dot arrangement that does not corresponds to that of another code pattern when rotated; and

a rotator that rotates the code pattern by a given angle according to an orientation of the synchronous code detected.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, the synchronous block, each of the page blocks and each of the coordinate blocks on the page are the same size.

4. An information identifying method, comprising:

reading an image in which a background image and image data are combined, the background image having a plurality of blocks adjacent to each other that have a plurality of dots selectively arranged therein, the plurality of blocks including a synchronous block that has a dot arrangement of a synchronous code that is a reference for identifying the synchronous block, page blocks that have dot arrangements representing page numbers, and coordinate blocks that have dot arrangements representing coordinate values on a page, each block being an information unit that expresses a piece of information by a dot arrangement formed based on a number of dots and positions of those dots therein;

overlaying a block frame composed of the plurality of blocks on the read image, moving the block frame in relation to the image so that the number of dots detected in each block of the block frame becomes a given number, and detecting block break points; and

decoding the dot arrangement in each block to regenerate information included therein.