The Research On Design And Encoding Methods Of Visual 2-d Barcode

2-D Barcode is a utility automatic identification technology and its encoding and decoding technology have reached maturity. But 2-D barcode is only data carrier and doesn't have visualization signification. Hence, this paper proposes the Visual 2-D Barcode based on images. This kind of barcode can carry data and make the code-image have visualization signification. At present, the research on this kind of barcode is a little less in our country and the visual effect of image barcodes proposed by foreign pundits is not very good. This paper proposes the design and encoding methods of Visual 2-D Barcode based on research on conventional 2-D barcode's symbol structure and encoding&decoding techniques. In design of code-image, the author uses halftone algorithm to make it have matrix 2-D barcode's characteristics and add function patterns to do finding and aligning. The research on encoding methods is the core of this paper. After data is transformed to binary bit stream through data encoding and error correction, code-image is made to carry data based on binary bit stream and meanwhile keep its visual effect. This paper proposes two kinds of encoding methods: embedding code-blocks method and patter encoding method. The first one uses image scrambling algorithm and template matching to embed the code-blocks in the scrambled code-image and finally anti-scrambling the code-image to make the encoding-blocks disperse in it. This method makes focus on visual effect and has better hiddenness, but visual effect is restricted by encoding capacity. The second one combines similarity of halftone texture with the distribution of encoded information in code-image, the author defines code-patterns to denote 0 and 1 and carry on pattern replacement to encode with the principle of consistency of local gray level. Compared with the first one, this method improves encoding capacity and visual effect of code-image. Visual 2-D Barcode can be applied in merchandise, logistics and other fields as a novel 2-D barcode.