Detecting conflicts between multiple different signals within imagery
This disclosure relates to advanced signal processing technology including signal encoding. One combination includes an apparatus comprising: memory for storing image data, the image data comprising a plurality of color separations or channels, in which the image data comprises at least a first type of machine-readable symbology comprising a 1D barcode represented therein and a second type of machine-readable symbology comprising a first signal represented therein, in which the second type of machine-readable symbology comprises a different type of machine-readable symbology relative to the first type of machine-readable symbology, the 1D barcode comprising a first plural-bit code and the first signal comprising a second plural-bit code; a barcode reader configured to analyze the image data to decode the 1D barcode to obtain the first plural-bit code; a signal decoder configured to analyze one or more color separations or channels of the plurality of color separations or channels to decode the first signal to obtain the second plural-bit code; one or more processors configured to determine whether the second plural-bit code and the first plural-bit code conflict; and to identify a conflict based on a conflict determination. Of course, other features and combinations are described as well.
1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
memory storing data representing a design file, the design file comprising image data, in which the image data comprises at least a 1D or 2D barcode represented therein and a first encoded signal encoded therein, the 1D or 2D barcode comprising a first plural-bit code and the first encoded signal comprising a second plural-bit code;
means for decoding the 1D or 2D barcode from the image data to obtain the first plural-bit code;
means for decoding the first encoded signal from the image data to decode the first encoded signal to obtain the second plural-bit code;
means for determining whether the second plural-bit code conflicts with the first plural-bit code; and
an output to communicate a conflict based on said means for determining.
2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 in which the image data comprises a plurality of color separations or channels, and in which the plurality of color separations or channels comprise a Red separation (Red) and a Green separation (Green).
3. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 in which the image data comprises a plurality of color separations or channels, and said means for decoding the first encoded signal decodes from one or more combinations of color separations or channels of the plurality of color separations or channels, in which the plurality of color separations or channels comprise a Red separation (Red) and a Green separation (Green), and the one or more combinations of color separations or channels comprise k*Red−1*Green, where k and 1 comprise weights.
4. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 in which the image data comprises a plurality of color separations or channels, and said means for decoding the first encoded signal decodes from one or more combinations of the color separations or channels of the plurality of color separations or channels, in which the plurality of color separations or channels comprise a Red separation (Red), a Green separation (Green) and a Blue separation (Blue), and the one or more combinations of color separations or channels comprise Red+Green+Blue.
5. The image processing apparatus of claim 4 in which the image data comprises redundant instances of the first encoded signal encoded therein.
6. The image processing apparatus of claim 5 further comprising means for analyzing each of the plurality of color separations or channels to decode the redundant instances of the first encoded signal to obtain plural instances of the second plural-bit code; in which said means for determining determines whether the plural instances of the second plural-bit code conflict with the first plural-bit code, in which the conflict map comprises multi-colors to represent the code conflicts.
7. The image processing apparatus of claim 6 further comprising means for generating a conflict map including two or more spatial images areas comprising a conflict between the first plural-bit code and the second plural-bit code, the conflict map comprising an identification of code conflicts, and a spatial location of the code conflicts relative to the image data.
8. The image processing apparatus of claim 7 in which the likelihood represents estimated signal detection for one or more swipe paths across the image data.
9. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 in which the image data comprises a plurality of color separations or channels, and said means for decoding the first encoded signal decodes from one or more combinations of the color separations or channels of the plurality of color separations or channels, in which the plurality of color separations or channels comprise a Red separation (Red), a Green separation (Green) and a Blue separation (Blue), and the one or more combinations of color separations or channels comprise k*Red+1*Green+m*Blue, where k, 1 and m comprise weights.
10. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for generating a conflict map including one or more spatial images areas comprising a conflict between the first plural-bit code and the second plural-bit code, the conflict map comprising an identification of a code conflict, and a spatial location of the code conflict relative to the image data.
11. The image processing apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a display screen, and means for controlling display of the conflict map on said display screen.
12. An image processing apparatus comprising:
memory storing image data, in which the image data comprises a first encoded signal encoded therein and a 1D or 2D barcode, in which the first encoded signal comprises a synchronization component and a message component,
means for generating detectability indicators from the image data, in which a first detectability indicator corresponds to synchronization component strength, and a second detectability indicator corresponds to message component strength;
means for generating, based on the first detectability indicator and on the second detectability indicator, a likelihood that the image data, once printed on a physical substrate, will be detectable from optical scan data representing such printed image data on the physical substrate; and
means for outputting the likelihood.
13. The image processing apparatus of claim 12 , in which the likelihood comprises a multi-color robustness map representing the likelihood that the image data will be detectable from the optical scan data.
14. The image processing apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:
means for detecting the 1D or 2D barcode; and
means for generating a conflict map including one or more spatial images areas comprising a conflict between the 1D or 2D barcode and the message component, the conflict map comprising an identification of a code conflict and a spatial location of the code conflict relative to the image data.
15. The image processing apparatus of claim 14 in which the image data comprises redundant instances of the first encoded signal encoded therein.