A secure indicator includes a substrate, a barcode symbol that has a plurality of barcode modules provided on the substrate, and a security material positioned proximate the barcode symbol on the substrate. The security material is configured to be activated by irradiation at one or more predetermined activation wavelengths. Additionally, the barcode symbol is configured to be read (i) before the security material is activated and (ii) while the security material is activated.

Software tools disclosed herein may allow a user to enter design choices that alter an aesthetic appearance of a machine-readable label such that modules included in the label deviate from a standardized definition for the modules. Such alterations may include changes in size, color and orientation of modules. The alterations may allow a user to create machine-readable labels having unique aesthetic appearances. A software engine may ensure that, despite the aesthetic design choices entered by a user, the generated machine-readable label is reliably scannable.

Sheet-like product and method for authenticating a security tag including a section of the sheet-like product. The sheet-like product includes at least one security feature having optical properties that change with the viewing angle and, and at least one marker, wherein each marker is uniquely attributable to a position on the sheet-like product. The position of the at least one security feature on the sheet-like product is predetermined relative to the position of the at least one marker on the sheet-like product.

In an illustrative system, a point-of-sale scanner is equipped to respond to multiple different symbologies printed on a single product. The scanner captures many frames per second, as products are swiped through a viewing volume. Each frame is decoded, yielding one or more payloads. A reconciliation module compares each newly-decoded payload against a list of payloads previously output by the module, to determine if the current payload is semantically-equivalent to a previously-output payload. If so, the previously-output payload is output again, in lieu of the just-decoded payload. If no equivalent is found, the current payload is output and added to the list for comparison against future payloads. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Provided are a display method and a display device with which the display performance of a two-dimensional code can be improved in a display panel that can be used without damaging the texture of a space. When a display fault occurs in a display panel in which a thin layer, comprising a naturally-derived wood, a natural fiber, a natural leather, or a natural stone, or comprising a synthetic fiber, a synthetic leather, or a synthetic stone that is a raw material produced by imitating a natural appearance and feel, is provided on the peripheral surface of a housing so as to be in contact with the panel front surface, a two-dimensional code is corrected by being moved or rotated and is displayed.

According to examples, an apparatus may include a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored instructions that may cause the processor to create a 2D reference mesh for an image of a curved visual mark, establish correspondences between finder pattern points in the curved visual mark and points of the 2D reference mesh, and determine a curved 3D mesh having a radius that results in a minimal reprojection error of a projective transform estimated for correspondences between the 2D reference mesh and the curved 3D mesh while the radius remains below a predefined upper limit. The instructions may also cause the processor to sample components of the curved visual mark in elements of the determined curved 3D mesh to form a 2D planar image of the curved visual mark and analyze the 2D planar image of the curved visual mark to read the curved visual mark.

Example implementations described herein are directed to a tag using a color/pattern coding scheme for better use in industrial settings which may involve curved objects such as pipes. The tag can include one or more anchors indicative of an orientation of the tag; a calibration pattern mapping each of a plurality of colors/patterns to one or more values; and encoded information provided on the tag in one or more of the plurality of colors/patterns. The tag may be printed directly on the object to ensure longevity and readability, or attached as a sticker or printed label depending on the desired implementation.

Disclosed is an apparatus for generating a composite two-dimensional code, comprising: a two-dimensional code encoding module 1, a two-dimensional code pattern generating module 2, a hidden information encoding module 3, a hidden information pattern generating module 4, a recoding region setting module 5, an pattern compositing module 6, and an output module 7. The two-dimensional code encoding module 1 converts the inputted two-dimensional code information into a binary codeword sequence to generate two-dimensional code coding information; the two-dimensional code pattern generating module 2 generates a two-dimensional code pattern based on the two-dimensional code coding information; the hidden information encoding module 3 converts the hidden information into a binary codeword sequence to generate recoding information; the recoding region setting module 5 sets, in the two-dimensional code pattern, a recoding region for encoding the hidden information; the hidden information pattern generating module 4 generates a hidden information coding pattern formed by dark-colored blocks and light-colored blocks based on the recoding information; and the pattern composing module 6 adjusts a block distribution in the recoding region of the two-dimensional code pattern based on the hidden information coding pattern so as to encode the hidden information.

A sensor-augmented two-dimensional barcode includes a layer provided on a substrate comprising a two-dimensional error-correcting barcode symbol. The bar code symbol further includes a barcode region, an empty region, and a dynamic region. The barcode region includes a plurality of modules in a static color state and the empty region has an area. Additionally, the dynamic region is provided on the substrate and positioned within the area of the empty region. The dynamic region includes a dynamic indicator having a chemistry that is configured, responsive to the occurrence of an environmental condition, to undergo a chemical or physical state change between an initial state and an end state, causing a change in the color state of the dynamic indicator. Additionally, the color state indicates exposure to the environmental condition.

Example implementations described herein are directed to a tag using a color/pattern coding scheme for better use in industrial settings which may involve curved objects such as pipes. The tag can include one or more anchors indicative of an orientation of the tag; a calibration pattern mapping each of a plurality of colors/patterns to one or more values; and encoded information provided on the tag in one or more of the plurality of colors/patterns. The tag may be printed directly on the object to ensure longevity and readability, or attached as a sticker or printed label depending on the desired implementation.