Formation method of two-dimensional code

• US 6,681,055 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2000
• Issued: 01/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arai KK
• Original Assignee: Kazuo Sato
• Inventors: Sato, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Wenpeng
• Application Number:
  US09/489,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 382/237, 382/266, 382/267, 382/268, 382/269, 382/275, 235/462.09, 235/494, 347/254, 358/1.2
• US Class Current: 382/275
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/24 Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording marking by high energetic means, e.g. by laser otherwise than burning or ablative removal B41M5/26; materials or methods for recording or reproduction by optical means G11B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/126 by photographic or thermographic registration recording apparatus for measuring instruments G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding

Abstract

A formation method of a two-dimensional code is characterized by including the steps of: storing each cell having a bright pattern or a dark pattern as 0 or 1 in a two-dimensional array after reading a bit map file; calculating a number of round dots contained in a cell from the size of one cell to be laser-marked and a processed diameter of a round dot formed by a laser beam according to material processed; obtaining a processed area from the two-dimensional array stored and the size of one cell; setting a plurality of cell frames in a checked pattern with this center point as a base; arranging the round dots in equal intervals in the cell frames; storing in memory the coordinates of beam spots corresponding to the respective round dots arranged; and outputting process data stored in this memory to a laser marker and performing laser-marking.

Claims

1. A formation method of a two-dimensional code for forming the two-dimensional code, where dark or bright unit cells are arranged in a matrix, on a marking surface by laser burning, comprising the steps of:

storing a bright or dark cell as an element of a two-dimensional array having a value of 0 or 1 after reading a bit map file;

calculating a number of round dots contained in a cell from the size of one cell to be laser-marked and a processed diameter of a round dot formed by a laser beam according to material processed;

obtaining a processed area from the two-dimensional array, which is stored and is configured by zeroes and ones, and the size of one cell;

setting a plurality of cell frames at intervals of one cell width in the X and Y directions in a checked pattern with a center point of this processed area as a base, arranging the round dots inside corners of the cell frames so that the round dots may be inscribed in the corners and arranging the round dots at equal intervals between the round dots inscribed in the corners, in the vertical and horizontal directions;

storing coordinates of beam spots, which correspond to centers of respective round dots arranged in a processed area, in memory; and

outputting this process data stored in the memory to a laser marker and performing laser-marking on the marking surface.

2. The formation method of a two-dimensional code according to claim 1, wherein in the step of storing a bright or dark cell as an element of a two-dimensional array having a value of 0 or 1 after reading a bit map file, if a dark pattern or bright pattern in the bit map file is configured by rectangular cells each of which is configured by a plurality of bunching square cell elements, each cell is stored as an element of a two-dimensional array having a value of 0 or 1 after reading only one cell element in each cell.

3. The formation method of a two-dimensional code according to claim 1, wherein in the step of storing coordinates of beam spots, which correspond to centers of respective round dots arranged in a processed area, in memory, only beam spot coordinates of dark cells are stored in memory.