Signal detection and recognition employees coordinated illumination and capture of images under to facilitate extraction of a signal of interest. Pulsed illumination of different colors facilitates extraction of signals from color channels, as well as improved signal to noise ratio by combining signals of different color channels. The successive pulsing of different color illumination appears white to the user, yet facilitates signal detection, even for lower cost monochrome sensors, as in barcode scanning and other automatic identification equipment.

The present invention discloses a system and a method for decoding QR codes in complex scenes, a system and a method for generating multi-layer color QR codes and applications enabled by the systems and methods. The method for decoding a QR code may include detecting rough locations of the QR code by a learning-based QR code detector which is pre-trained off-line; localizing finder patterns and alignment patterns within each detected location; correcting geometric distortion of each QR code, based on the localized finder patterns and alignment patterns; restoring a color of each data module within each corrected QR code by a learning-based classifier; and decoding the QR code from each restored QR code. The application also discloses a system and a method to determine the optimal setting parameters for creating a multi-layer QR code to fulfill the user's requirements. Some applications enabled by these systems and methods are also disclosed.

The present invention discloses a system and a method for decoding QR codes in complex scenes, a system and a method for generating multi-layer color QR codes and applications enabled by the systems and methods. The method for decoding a QR code may include detecting rough locations of the QR code by a learning-based QR code detector which is pre-trained off-line; localizing finder patterns and alignment patterns within each detected location; correcting geometric distortion of each QR code, based on the localized finder patterns and alignment patterns; restoring a color of each data module within each corrected QR code by a learning-based classifier; and decoding the QR code from each restored QR code. The application also discloses a system and a method to determine the optimal setting parameters for creating a multi-layer QR code to fulfill the user's requirements. Some applications enabled by these systems and methods are also disclosed.

A reading apparatus includes an illuminator illuminating an optical symbol with blue light, an imager taking an image of the optical symbol illuminated with the blue light, and controller including a receiving circuit receiving the image taken by imager, a determination circuit determining whether or not the received image has a resolution equal to or higher than a predetermined reading resolution, an image acquisition circuit acquiring the received image as image data if the determination circuit determines that the received image has a resolution equal to or higher than the reading resolution, and a light adjusting circuit changing an illumination condition of the blue light if the determination circuit determines that the received image has a resolution less than the reading resolution.

A reading apparatus includes an illuminator illuminating an optical symbol with blue light, an imager taking an image of the optical symbol illuminated with the blue light, and controller including a receiving circuit receiving the image taken by imager, a determination circuit determining whether or not the received image has a resolution equal to or higher than a predetermined reading resolution, an image acquisition circuit acquiring the received image as image data if the determination circuit determines that the received image has a resolution equal to or higher than the reading resolution, and a light adjusting circuit changing an illumination condition of the blue light if the determination circuit determines that the received image has a resolution less than the reading resolution.

A log scanning system and method for scanning a log load. Each individual log in the log load may have an ID element with a unique log ID data on at least one log end face. The system has a handheld scanner unit for free-form scanning by an operator over a load end face of the log load. The scanner unit has a depth sensor configured to capture a series of depth images of the load end face and a texture sensor configured to capture a series of texture images of the load end face during the load end face scan. The system also has a data processor(s) that receives and processes the depth and texture images captured from the scan. The processor(s) are configured to fuse the depth images or depth and texture images into a data model of the load end face, determine log end boundaries of the individual logs visible in the load end face by processing the data model, process the texture images to identify and decode any ID elements visible in the scan to extract individual log ID data, and generate output data representing the log load based on the determined log end boundaries and extracted log ID data.

A log scanning system and method for scanning a log load. Each individual log in the log load may have an ID element with a unique log ID data on at least one log end face. The system has a handheld scanner unit for free-form scanning by an operator over a load end face of the log load. The scanner unit has a depth sensor configured to capture a series of depth images of the load end face and a texture sensor configured to capture a series of texture images of the load end face during the load end face scan. The system also has a data processor(s) that receives and processes the depth and texture images captured from the scan. The processor(s) are configured to fuse the depth images or depth and texture images into a data model of the load end face, determine log end boundaries of the individual logs visible in the load end face by processing the data model, process the texture images to identify and decode any ID elements visible in the scan to extract individual log ID data, and generate output data representing the log load based on the determined log end boundaries and extracted log ID data.

A matrix barcode on a surface may comprise a plurality of colors, an infrared layer, and an ultraviolet layer. The matrix barcode may be a fiducial marker for conveying spatial information. The spatial information may stem at least in part from the infrared layer and the ultraviolet layer.

A matrix barcode on a surface may comprise a plurality of colors, an infrared layer, and an ultraviolet layer. The matrix barcode may be a fiducial marker for conveying spatial information. The spatial information may stem at least in part from the infrared layer and the ultraviolet layer.

Solid-state barcodes, paints containing the solid-state barcodes, and methods of manufacturing the paint are disclosed. The solid-state barcode may include a core portion and a shell portion substantially surrounding the core portion. One or both of the core portion and the shell portion may include a pattern of two or more regions, the pattern configured to encode information. Such solid-state barcodes can be attached at arbitrary positions on objects by applying the paint containing the barcode onto the objects.