Color barcode producing, reading and/or reproducing method and apparatus
A color barcode can record much more amount of information than black white barcode. However, the problem of the color barcode is that it is easy to lose integrity or authenticity in printing and copy generation. This invention provides an apparatus and a method to keep the integrity or authenticity of the color barcode. Such is accomplished by the color information portion of the color barcode representing the color information about what colors are used for color tiles of data portion of the color barcode and an apparatus and a method for producing and reproducing such color barcode.
1. A computer-implemented method for reproducing a first color barcode, comprising:
scanning a first color information portion, which is a part of the first color barcode, wherein the first color information portion includes an encoding of at least one color value, wherein each of the at least one color values corresponds to at least one color used in at least one of a plurality of first color tiles present in a first data portion of the first color barcode,
retrieving the at least one color value by decoding the scanned first color information portion,
scanning the first data portion, which is a part of the first color barcode and includes the plurality of first color tiles, wherein the plurality of first color tiles encode data associated with the first color barcode,
correlating the at least one retrieved color value with at least one color associated with the plurality of first color tiles in the first data portion, and
printing a second color barcode including
a second color information portion, wherein the second color information portion includes an encoding of the at least one retrieved color value, and
a second data portion including at least one second color tile, wherein the color of the at least one second color tile corresponds to the color associated with the retrieved color value.
2. The method for reproducing color barcode of claim 1 , wherein the color information includes a definition of the color in at least one of a color sample system and a color space.
3. A color barcode reproducing apparatus, comprising:
a scanning device, which scans:
a first color information portion, which is a part of a first color barcode, wherein the first color information portion includes an encoding of at least one color value, wherein each of the at least one color values corresponds to at least one color used in at least one of a plurality of first color tiles present in a first data portion of the first color barcode, and
the first data portion, which is a part of the first color barcode, wherein the first data portion includes a plurality of first color tiles encode data associated with the first color barcode;
a retrieving device, which retrieves the at least one color value by decoding the scanned first color information portion,
a correlating device, which correlates the at least one retrieved color value with at least one color associated with at least one of the plurality of first color tiles of the first data portion, and
a printing device, which prints a second color barcode including
a second color information portion, wherein the second color information portion includes an encoding of the at least one retrieved color value, and
a second data portion including at least one second color tile, wherein the color of the at least one second color tile corresponds to the color associated with retrieved color value.
4. The color barcode producing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the color information includes a definition of the color in at least one of a color sample system and a color space.