Method for printing two dimensional barcodes to reduce reading errors

• US 20080054080A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Cordery, Robert A., Zeller, Claude, Ryan, Frederick W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding

Abstract

A method of printing modules for a two dimensional barcode that includes printing a pixel at a plurality of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the darkened module, and printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the outer boundary of the darkened module. Various embodiments are contemplated, such as, without limitation, methods that print darkened modules having four light corners, three light corners, two light corners, one light corner, and/or one light edge. Also, a method of printing a two dimensional barcode having a finder pattern wherein the inner edge of the finder pattern is light, meaning that is does not include any printed pixels at the pixel locations along the inner edge.

Claims

1. In a two dimensional barcode including a plurality of darkened modules and a plurality of non-darkened modules, each of said darkened modules including a substantially rectangular array of pixel locations including (i) an outer boundary of said array including a top row of the pixel locations, a bottom row of the pixel locations, a left most column of the pixel locations, and a right most column of the pixel locations, and (ii) an inner portion of said array including the ones of said pixel locations not included within the outer boundary, a method of printing one or more of said darkened modules, comprising:

printing a pixel at a plurality of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the array of each of the one or more of said darkened modules;

printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary of the array of each of the said one or more darkened modules; and

printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary of the array of each of the one or more of said darkened modules.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel location of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a first pixel location in the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a top pixel location in the left most column.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a bottom pixel location in the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a last pixel location in the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a top pixel location in the left most column.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a bottom pixel location in the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a first pixel location and a last pixel location in the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a top pixel location and a bottom pixel location in the left most column.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a first pixel location and a last pixel location in the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a top pixel location and a bottom pixel location in the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a first pixel location and a last pixel location in the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a top pixel location and a bottom pixel location in the left most column.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a last pixel location in the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a top pixel location in the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a last pixel location in the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a top pixel location in the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a first pixel location in the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a bottom pixel location in the left most column.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a last pixel location in the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a top pixel location and a bottom pixel location in the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a first pixel location and a last pixel location in the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a bottom pixel location in the left most column.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a bottom pixel location in the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a last pixel location in the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a first pixel location and a last pixel location of the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a top pixel location and a bottom pixel location in the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a last pixel location in the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a top pixel location in the left most column.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a first pixel location in the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a first pixel location in the bottom row andnot printing a pixel in any of the pixel locations of the left most column.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a bottom pixel location in the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a bottom pixel location in the left most column and not printing a pixel in any of the pixel locations of the bottom row.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a last pixel location in the top row and not printing a pixel in any of the pixel locations of the right most column, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a last pixel location in the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the top row of the pixel locations and the right most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a top pixel location in the right most column and not printing a pixel in any of the pixel locations of the top row, and wherein printing a pixel at at least one of the pixel locations of the bottom row of the pixel locations or the left most column of the pixel locations of the outer boundary further comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a top pixel location in the left most column.

3. (canceled)

12. In a two dimensional barcode including a plurality of darkened modules and a plurality of non-darkened modules, each of said darkened modules including a substantially rectangular array of pixel locations including (i) an outer boundary of said array including a top row of the pixel locations, a bottom row of the pixel locations, a left most column of the pixel locations, and a right most column of the pixel location, and (ii) an inner portion of said array including the ones of said pixel locations not included within the outer boundary, a method of printing one or more of said darkened modules, comprising:

printing a pixel at a plurality of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the array of each of the one or more of said darkened modules;

printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the top row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the right most column, and

printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a first pixel location in the bottom row and printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a bottom pixel location in the left most column.

17. A method of printing a two dimensional barcode having a finder pattern having a substantially vertically oriented set of first darkened modules and a substantially horizontally oriented set of second darkened modules, each of said first and second darkened modules including a substantially rectangular array of pixel locations including (i) an outer boundary of said array including a top row of the pixel locations, a bottom row of the pixel locations, a left most column of the pixel locations, and a right most column of the pixel locations, and (ii) an inner portion of said array including the ones of said pixel locations not included within the outer boundary, the method comprising:

printing each of the first darkened modules by, for each said first darkened module;

(a) printing a pixel at a plurality of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the array, (b) printing a pixel at (i) all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a last pixel location in the top row, (ii) all of the pixel locations of the bottom row other than a last pixel location in the bottom row, and (iii) all of the pixel locations of the left most column, and (c) not printing a pixel in any of the pixel locations of the right most column; and

printing each of the second darkened modules by, for each said second darkened module;

(a) printing a pixel at a plurality of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the array of the second darkened module, (b) printing a pixel at (i) all of the pixel locations of the bottom row, (ii) all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a top pixel location in the right most column, and (iii) all of the pixel locations of the left most column other than a top pixel location in the left most column, and (c) not printing a pixel in any of the pixel locations of the top row.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the finder pattern includes an additional darkened module located at an intersection of said first set of darkened modules and said second set of darkened modules, said additional darkened module including a substantially rectangular array of pixel locations including (i) an outer boundary of said array including a top row of the pixel locations, a bottom row of the pixel locations, a left most column of the pixel locations, and a right most column of the pixel locations, and (ii) an inner portion of said array including the ones of said pixel locations not included within the outer boundary, the method further comprising:

printing said additional darkened module by printing a pixel of the additional darkened module at (i) all of the pixel locations of the top row other than a last pixel location in the top row, (ii) all of the pixel locations of the right most column other than a top pixel location in the right most column, (iii) all of the pixel locations of the bottom row, and (iv) all of the pixel locations of the left most column.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein printing a pixel at a plurality of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the array of the first darkened module comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the array of the first darkened module, and wherein printing a pixel at a plurality of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the array of the second darkened module comprises printing a pixel at all of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the array of the second darkened module.