Colored barcode decoding
In an exemplary embodiment, a method is employed to read an overprinted barcode. An RGB pixel map is obtained from an overprinted color barcode that contains a plurality of disparate colors. A pixel map is allocated for each of the colors detected and each pixel is classified in the one or more pixel maps according to color. One or more barcodes are extracted from the overprinted barcode that correlates to each color detected. Each of the extracted barcodes are then filtered, decoded and read.
1. A method to read an overprinted color barcode, comprising:
Obtaining a red, green and blue (“RGB”) pixel map from an overprinted color barcode that contains a plurality of disparate colors in a one dimensional barcode space;
allocating a pixel map for each of the colors detected;
classifying each pixel in the one or more pixel maps according to color;
extracting one or more barcodes from the overprinted color barcode that correlates to each color detected;
filtering each of the extracted barcode utilizing a median process which reduces each column in the extracted barcodes to a column average and replaces each column with the average column width;
decoding the filtered barcode; and
reading the extracted barcode.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein pixel locations are set to pixel separation value for colors present in the pixel.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein pixel locations are set to white for colors absent in the pixel.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the red, green, and blue (“RGB”) pixel map is obtained via one of a document scanner and a CCD camera.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the extracted barcodes are first converted into separate gray scale barcodes before they are decoded.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more color barcodes extracted from the overprinted color barcode are separated into a plurality of black and white barcodes for decoding.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining red, green, blue (“RGB”) pixel map values from the overprinted color barcode utilizes calibration of a scanner by printing all of the colors in their possible overprint combinations, scanning them in, and obtaining the average RGB levels for each color and overprint combination.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein classifying is utilized to obtain the red, green, blue (“RGB”) value for a pixel, performs a search to find the calibrated colors RGB value that is the closest.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the color pixels in a column are replaced with an average of their RGB value and exceeding a threshold of fifty percent of a color of pixels in a column results in the replacement of the entire column of pixels with the same color to produce a clean barcode.
10. A system that decodes an overprinted color barcode, comprising:
a barcode intake interface that receives a character string;
a pixel map classifier that classifies pixels associated with the barcode created from the character string;
a pixel location identifier that identifies the pixels classified by the pixel map classifier;
a barcode extractor that extracts two or more disparate color barcodes from the overprinted color barcode;
a barcode filter that filters each of the extracted barcodes from the overprinted color barcode to provide a black and white rendering of each extracted barcode utilizing a median process which reduces each column in the extracted barcodes to a column average and replaces each column with the average column width; and
a decoding element that decodes the each of the barcodes extracted from the overprinted color barcode.
11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the overprinted color barcode consists of the colors cyan, yellow, and magenta.
12. The system according to claim 10 , further including:
a barcode reader that identifies the character strain contained within each of the extracted barcodes.
13. The system according to claim 10 , further including:
a device that organizes each of the extracted barcodes into a predetermined order in order to properly extract information contained there within each of the extracted barcodes.
14. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the barcode received by the barcode intake interface is a one dimensional barcode.
15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the pixel map classifier is one of a CCD camera and a document scanner.