Disclosed is a Data Matrix (DM) code. An image of the DM code consists of several color blocks arranged in a rectangular array, a circle of color blocks on the edge of the image constitutes a positioning region, and the color blocks inside the image constitute a coding region; the positioning region includes an “L”-shaped edge and a positioning edge opposite to the “L”-shaped edge, wherein the colors of the color blocks include at least three of eight colors, the eight colors being three standard RGB colors, four standard CMYK colors, and white. The positioning edge is formed by alternately arranging color blocks of two colors that are black after filtering by a channel in any color of RGB and white after filtering by a channel in the same color.

In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

A controller extracts an image resolution in a first direction of image data stored in a memory; determines, based on the image data, whether a code image is included in an image to be printed on a recording medium, the code image being formed with a plurality of print regions and a plurality of non-print regions; in response to determining that the code image is included, determines whether a print resolution in the first direction is lower than the extracted image resolution in the first direction; in response to determining that the print resolution is lower than the extracted image resolution, updates the print resolution in the first direction with a value equal to or higher than the extracted image resolution in the first direction; and controls a print engine to perform printing on the recording medium with the updated print resolution in the first direction.

Techniques are described for updating a digital twin of an environment, particularly, a digital representation of an object in the environment. A system can include a change-detection device having a camera, and one or more processors responsive to executable computer instructions to perform a method. The method includes capturing an image of a portion of the object using the change-detection device. The method further includes determining a corresponding digital data representing the portion in the digital representation of the environment. The method further includes detecting a change in the portion by comparing the image with the corresponding digital data. The method further includes in response to the change being above a predetermined threshold, initiating a resource-intensive scan of the portion using a scanning device, and updating the digital representation of the object by replacing the corresponding digital data representing the portion with the resource-intensive scan.

The present invention discloses a method for producing graphical indicators and interactive systems for utilizing the graphical indicators. On the surface of an object, visually negligible graphical indicators are provided. The graphical indicators and main information, i.e. text or pictures, co-exist on the surface of object. The graphical indicators do not interfere with the main information when the perception of human eyes are concerned. With the graphical indicators, further information other than the main information on the surface of object are carried. In addition to the main information on the surface of object, one is able to obtain additional information through an auxiliary electronic device or trigger an interactive operation.

Systems and methods for custom functional patterns for optical barcodes are provided. In example embodiments, image data of an image is received from a user device. A candidate shape feature of the image is extracted from the image data. A determination is made that the shape feature satisfies a shape feature rule. In response to the candidate shape feature satisfying the shape feature rule, a custom graphic in the image is identified by comparing the candidate shape feature with a reference shape feature of the custom graphic. In response to identifying the custom graphic, data encoded in a portion of the image is decoded.

Disclosed are a method and device for recognizing a two-dimensional bar code for improving the efficiency of recognizing the two-dimensional bar code. The method comprises: a relative position of a household appliance and a terminal device is determined during network configuration of the household appliance; a display parameter for displaying the two-dimensional bar code is determined according to the relative position, wherein the display parameter comprises a size of the two-dimensional bar code to be displayed and the two-dimensional bar code carries device information of the household appliance; the display parameter is sent to the household appliance to enable the household appliance to display a two-dimensional bar code picture according to the display parameter; and the two-dimensional bar code picture is recognized to obtain the device information of the household appliance.

An apparatus detects a plurality of areas from an overall image, determines on each of the plurality of areas whether the area is a candidate for an area including an object as a processing target based on a determination reference value (first determination processing), acquires a zoom-in image of the area determined to be the candidate for the area including the object in the first determination processing, and determines whether the acquired zoom-in image is an image of the object (second determination processing). The apparatus identifies an area, in the overall image, corresponding to the zoom-in image determined not to be the image of the object in the second determination processing, and performs control to update the determination reference value used in the first determination processing based on image information of the identified area in the overall image.

Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to imaging devices and indicia reading devices. An imaging apparatus comprises an image sensor, an optical window positioned in front of the image sensor and a light source enclosing a perimeter of the optical window such that an illumination cone of the light source overlaps a portion of a near field of view cone of the imaging apparatus. The portion of the near field of view cone extends from a surface of the optical window to a threshold distance from the optical window. The light source is configured to produce a first illumination along a first direction extending towards a scene to be imaged.

A recognition apparatus includes one or more processors, a memory to store a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processors, cause the processors to extract an optically-readable symbol from an optically captured image including an image of the optically-readable symbol, the optically-readable symbol including a first cell line having a plurality of first cells, and one or more second cell lines each having one or more second cells, each of the one or more second cell lines connected to respective ones of the plurality of first cells of the first cell line, recognize first information expressed by the first cell line included in the extracted optically-readable symbol, recognize second information expressed by the one or more second cell lines included in the extracted optically-readable symbol, and acquire identification information included in the optically-readable symbol based at least in part on the first information and the second information.