Method of recording/reproducing data of mesh pattern, and apparatus therefor

• US 5,327,510 A
• Filed: 08/30/1993
• Issued: 07/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Chikakiyo, Hiroshi, Matsuoka, Takeshi, Morikawa, Shigenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAMMARATA, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/113,957
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 382/9, 382/13, 382/22, 382/23, 382/30, 382/58, 382/48, 382/61, 382/56, 235/494, 235/454, 235/383, 235/385, 235/435, 235/436, 235/437, 235/447, 235/460, 235/466, 84/1.18, 84/1.03
• US Class Current: 235/435
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/445 Bar codes or similar machine readable optical code patterns, e.g. two dimensional mesh pattern, for musical input or control purposes bar codes G06K7/10

Abstract

A data reading apparatus reads data of dots from a recording sheet on which data is recorded in the form of a mesh pattern, and decodes the read data into binary data. The data reading apparatus has an image sensor to read black/white levels of dots of the mesh pattern using the image sensor and to binarize the read levels by a hardware component or CPU processing according to software. An image can have a high recording density by minimizing a dot size.

Claims

1. A binary data recording and reproducing method for recording, on a recording medium, an image including a mesh pattern formed of a plurality of boxes arranged in a checkerboard pattern, said boxes having a plurality of dark and light dots therein, and wherein an encoded image of one bit of a binary data signal includes a pattern of said dots having a predetermined number of dark and light dots, said mesh pattern including uniform identifiable boundaries between each said encoded image of one bit of a binary data signal and the dark and light dots thereof, said binary data reading and recording method comprising:

encoding a bit of binary data into a predetermined number of encoded bits;

two-dimensionally printing an encoded image of the thus encoded bits of one bit of binary data as dark and light dots on said data recording medium in accordance with a plurality of predetermined values thereof, the encoded image of said one bit of binary data comprising a one-bit encoded image;

reading the one-bit encoded image printed on said data recording medium;

identifying a plurality of dark and light levels of the printed dots that represent said one-bit encoded image in said mesh pattern, on the basis of data in said image read from the recording medium;

repairing incorrectly identified dark and light levels by reversing the incorrectly read level thereof, based on a known distribution pattern of dark and light levels on opposite sides of said uniform identifiable boundaries; and

then comparing the identified dark and light values of the dots representing said one-bit encoded image in the printed mesh pattern with a predetermined reference pattern to decode said one bit encoded image in the printed mesh patterns into one bit of binary data.

2. A binary data recording and reproducing apparatus comprising:

encoding means for converting one bit of a binary data signal into a predetermined number of encoded bits so as to record, on a data recording medium, an image including a mesh pattern formed of a plurality of boxes arranged in a checkerboard pattern, the boxes having a plurality of dark and light dots therein, and wherein said one bit of the binary data signal is encoded in said mesh pattern as an image that includes a predetermined number of dark and light dots that are formed into a pattern, said mesh pattern including uniform identifiable boundaries between each said one bit of the binary data signal and the dark and light dots thereof, said binary data recording and reproducing apparatus further reproducing said one bit of the binary data signal from the image recorded on the data recording medium;

printing means for two-dimensionally printing the encoded bits representing the one bit of the binary data signal, as at least one of dark and light dots printed on said data recording medium in accordance with a plurality of predetermined values thereof;

image sensor means of reading the image on said data recording medium and for reproducing the one bit of the binary data signal from the thus read dark and light dots printed on said data recording medium;

dot state identification means for identifying a plurality of dark and light levels of said dark and light dots representing said one bit of the binary data signal encoded as dark and light dots in said mesh pattern on the basis of data in the image read by said image sensor means;

data repairing means for repairing incorrectly identified dark and light levels by reversing the incorrectly read level thereof, based on a known distribution pattern of dark and light levels on opposite sides of said uniform identifiable boundaries; and

data decoding means for comparing the dark and light levels of the dots representing said one bit in the printed mesh pattern identified by said dot state identification means with a predetermined reference pattern to decode said one bit represented by the printed dots into a bit of binary data.

3. A binary data recording and reproducing method for recording, on a recording medium, an image including a mesh pattern formed of a plurality of boxes arranged in a checkerboard pattern, each of aid boxes having a plurality of dark and light dots therein, and wherein each of the boxes corresponds to a respective one bit of a binary data signal to be recorded and an arrangement of said dark and light dots in a box depends on a value of the respective one bit, said mesh pattern including uniform identifiable boundaries between each of said boxes and the dark and light dots thereof, said binary data reading and recording method comprising:

encoding each one bit of binary data into n (where n is an integer greater than

     1) encoded bits;

two-dimensionally printing, on said data recording medium, the boxes each of which includes n dots including dark and light dots, the dark and light dots having an arrangement corresponding to the values of the n encoded bits of respective one bit of binary data on said data recording medium;

reading each of the boxes constituting said mesh pattern printed on said data recording medium;

identifying dark and light levels of each dot included in each of the boxes constituting said mesh pattern, on the basis of an image read from the recording medium;

preparing incorrectly identified dark and light levels by reversing the incorrectly read level thereof, based on a known distribution pattern of dark and light levels on opposite sides of said uniform identifiable boundaries; and

comparing the identified dark and light levels of the dots included in each of said boxes in the printed mesh pattern with a predetermined reference pattern to decode each of said boxes into corresponding one bit of binary data.

4. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

a plurality of items of the encoded binary data are prepared for each of binary values; and

said encoding means selects one of the items of the encoded binary data in accordance with a value of each one bit of the binary data so as to distribute the boundaries substantially uniformly.

5. A binary data recording and reproducing apparatus comprising:

encoding means of reconverting each one bit of a binary data signal into n (where n is an integer greater than

     1) encoded bits so as to record, on a data recording medium, an image including a mesh pattern formed of a plurality of boxes arranged in a checkerboard pattern;

printing means for two-dimensionally printing, on a data recording medium, the boxes to form the mesh pattern, each of the boxes having n dots including dark and light dots therein, an arrangement of the dark and light dots in each of the boxes depending on values, of the n encoded bits of the respective one bit of the binary data signal, said mesh pattern including uniform identifiable boundaries between each of the boxes and the dark and light dots thereof;

image sensor means for reading each of said boxes constituting the mesh pattern on said data recording medium;

dot state identification means for identifying a plurality of dark and light levels of said dark and light dots of each of the boxes;

repairing means for repairing dark and light levels which are incorrectly identified by said dot state identification means so as to correctly read each of the boxes, based on the identification of said uniform identifiable boundaries; and

data decoding means for comparing the dark and light levels of the dots of each of the boxes with a predetermined reference pattern to decode each of said boxes into a corresponding bit of binary data.

6. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

a plurality of items of the encoded binary data are prepared for each of binary values; and

said encoding means selects one of the items of the encoded binary data in accordance with a value of each one bit of the binary data so as to distribute the boundaries substantially uniformly.

7. A binary data recording and reproducing method for recording, on a recording medium, an image including a mesh pattern formed of a plurality of one-bit images arranged in a checkerboard pattern, each of said one-bit images having a plurality of dark and light patterns therein, and wherein each of the one-bit images corresponds to a respective one bit of a binary data signal to be recorded and an arrangement of said dark and light patterns in a one-bit image depends on a value of the respective one bit, said mesh pattern including uniform identifiable boundaries between each o said one-bit images and the dark and light patterns therein, said binary data reading and recording method comprising:

encoding each one bit of binary data into n (where n is an integer greater than

     1) encoded bits;

two-dimensionally printing, on said data recording medium, the one-bit images each o which includes n patterns including dark and light patterns, the dark and light patterns having an arrangement corresponding to the values of the n encoded bits of respective one bit of binary data on said data recording medium;

reading each of the one-bit images constituting said mesh pattern printed on said data recording medium;

identifying dark and light levels of each pattern constituting each of the one-bit images included in said mesh pattern, on the basis of an image read from the data recording medium;

preparing dark and light levels which are incorrectly identified so as to correctly read each of the one-bit images, based on the identification of said uniform identifiable boundaries; and

comparing the identified dark and light levels of the patterns included in each of said one-bit images in the printed mesh pattern with a predetermined reference pattern to decode each of said one-bit images into corresponding one bit of binary data.

8. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

a plurality of items of the encoded binary data are prepared for each of binary values; and

said encoding means selects one of the items of the encoded binary data in accordance with a value of each one bit of the binary data so as to distribution boundaries substantially uniformly.

9. A binary data recording and reproducing apparatus comprising:

encoding means for converting each one bit of a binary data signal into n (where n is an integer greater than

     1) encoded bits so as to record, on a data recording medium, an image including a mesh pattern formed of a plurality of one-bit images arranged in a checkerboard pattern;

printing means for two-dimensionally printing, on a data recording medium, the one-bit images to form the mesh pattern, each of the one-bit images having an patterns including dark and light patterns therein, an arrangement of the dark and light patterns in each of the one-bit images depending on values of the n encoded bits of the respective one bit of the binary data signal, said mesh pattern including uniform identifiable boundaries between each of the one-bit images and the dark and light patterns therein;

image sensor means for reading each of said one-bit images included in the mesh pattern on said data recording medium;

pattern state identification means for identifying a plurality of dark and light levels of said dark and light patterns of each of the one-bit images;

preparing means for preparing dark and light levels which are incorrectly identified by said pattern state identification means so as to correctly read each of the one-bit images, based on the identification of said uniform identifiable boundaries; and

data decoding means for comparing the dark and light levels of the patterns of each of the one-bit images with a predetermined reference pattern to decode each of said one-bit images into a corresponding bit of binary data.

10. A recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

a plurality of the items of the encoded binary data are prepared for each of binary values; and

said encoding means selects one of the items of the encoded binary data in accordance with value of each one bit of the binary data so as to distribution the boundaries substantially uniformly.