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.

A method for rendering visible security information of a digitally stored image which has a plurality of pixels and at least one piece of digitally coded information comprises at least the following steps: allocating at least some of the pixels to at least one image region; determining an average color value of the pixels allocated to the image region; determining two mutually complementary color values whose average color value is at least approximately identical to the determined average color value of the pixels allocated to the image region; depicting the image region and at least part of the digitally coded security information in a visually perceptible manner. The depicted image region thereby has a first of the mutually complementary color values. The part of the digitally coded security information is depicted within the image region and has a second of the mutually complementary color values.

A method and system of identifying articles in commerce including tagging a raw material during said raw material's manufacturing process with a unique molecular marker in a home country in which the raw material was produced. The marker identifies home country information. The tagged raw material is transported from the home country to a foreign country. The tagged raw material is processed in the foreign country to generate a processed product. The processed product is transported to the home country. The processed product is analyzing to determine the presence of the marker in the processed product. A determination is made whether the raw material originated in the home country in response to the detection of the marker.

Systems and methods for physical cable route tracing are provided. In one embodiment, a cable comprises: one or more of either electrical conductors or optical fibers; a cable sheath around the one or more of either electrical conductors or optical fibers; and a pattern of cable tracing facilitation markings located on an exterior of the cable sheath; wherein the cable tracing facilitation markings comprise either: a visually varying pattern that gradually changes along a length of the cable sheath; or a series of coded markings of an ordered sequence pattern.

Methods for transmitting data between parties or locations using temporary markings that are affixed to a human or animal body are disclosed, along with related devices. These markings, or tattoos, are intended to be temporary, where the lifespan of the marking is dictated by the marking material used and the material's interaction with the dermis of the wearer. The markings can be visible, invisible or a combination thereof, placed in predetermined or random locations. The markings can also be affixed in visible or hidden locations, depending on privacy concerns.

A quality management system for products including a multiplicity of barcoded quality indicators, a barcode indicator reader and a product type responsive indication interpreter, each of the barcoded quality indicators including a first barcode including at least one first colorable area, the first barcode being machine-readable before exceedance of the at least one time and temperature threshold, at least a second barcode including at least one second colorable area, the second barcode not being machine-readable before exceedance of the at least one time and temperature threshold, a coloring agent located at a first location on the indicator and a coloring agent pathway operative to allow the coloring agent to move, from the first location to the first and second colorable areas simultaneously thereby causing the first barcode to become unreadable and at the same time causing the second barcode to become machine-readable.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for combining preprinted information together with coded sensor information within a two-dimensional barcode. The sensor information may be of an environmental, physical or biological nature, and records a cumulative change in status of the environmental or biological condition to which the labeled product has been exposed. A sensor dye chemistry is employed that undergoes a continuous chemical or physical state change in response to the occurrence of the environmental condition. The continuous change is between an initial state and an end state causing a change in the color state of the sensor dye embedded within the sensor-augmented two-dimensional barcode, encoding sensor digital information. Sensor information is recovered utilizing the error-correction feature during barcode decoding.

The present disclosure discloses a specific bar code and a forming method of the bar code, comprising: forming without a particular order on the printing stock: at least a one-dimensional bar code and color information and/or grayscale information in an area corresponding to the one-dimensional bar code, which are superimposed on the printing stock, respectively, wherein data information is generated by identifying the color information and the grayscale information; and if acquired by a portable electronic device having an image capture function, identifying the one-dimensional bar code and the color information and/or grayscale information, respectively, wherein a false positive ratio of identifying the one-dimensional bar code is less than 40%. By superimposing colorful background on the one-dimensional bar code, the present disclosure expands the coding capacity and implements one-code-for-one-article identification so as to bring additional values to vendors for applications such as traceability of one code for one article, while maintaining the features of one-dimensional bar code.

A barcode tag includes a base layer having a front side and a back side, an attachment surface disposed on at least a portion of the front side or the back side, and a barcode symbol comprising plural perforations formed entirely through the base layer. Methods and systems for tracking equipment items in an equipment rack using barcode tags are also disclosed.

A barcode decoding method includes steps of analyzing a relative relationship between at least two characteristic points of a gray level distribution of a target scanning line of a target barcode to obtain at least one reference characteristic parameter; when determining a current distance between a barcode reader and the target barcode being a relatively long distance, dividing the gray level distribution into at least one bar area and at least one space area; setting a gray level region and locating at least one peak point and/or at least one valley point located within the gray level region from the gray level distribution; when the peak point is located within the bar area, interpolating a space corresponding to the peak point into the bar area; and when the valley point is located within the space area, interpolating a bar corresponding to the valley point into the space area.