Display method for stereoscopic code

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a code display method used for product management, baggage sorting, display of code information such as a prepaid card, and display of various security codes in a POS (point of sales) system.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, so-called barcodes are often used for the product management and the like. This barcode represents 13 types of numbers with 4 types of lines and blank spaces, and the country of manufacture name, manufacturer name, product classification, etc. are displayed by this number code. However, this barcode has problems that the amount of information that can be displayed is small, high printing accuracy is required for printing the barcode, and printing in a small space is impossible. Therefore, a so-called carla code has been proposed in which a square figure is divided into four equal parts by a crosshair and the four divided squares are filled in 16 ways to display 0 to 15 in one square. Is becoming popular in. This carla code can increase the amount of information that can be displayed by arranging two or more of the squares, but this increase in the amount of information also increases the display area, and has the same problem as the barcode. ..

【0003】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

The present invention was devised to solve the above problems, and is a method for displaying a three-dimensional code that can be read by an optical or magnetic reading device and can display a large amount of information in a small area. The purpose is to provide.

【0004】

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention uses a first quadrangle displayed with a predetermined area as an inscribed figure, and a second quadrangle having a shape similar to this inscribed body and half the area is inscribed. As a body, the inscribed body is inscribed in the inscribed body so that each intersection of each of the two sides forming the inscribed body abuts on each side of the inscribed body, and the inscribed body and the inscribed body are inscribed. A basic shape that displays code information that can be read optically or magnetically based on the reflection of emitted light or the magnetic force of the applied magnetic material in the four corner areas formed by surrounding the body. This basic shape is used as the information display area of the first stage, and the inscribed body in the information display area of the first stage is used as the inscribed body of the information display area of the second stage. The inscribed body is inscribed, and the inscribed body in the information display area of the second stage is used as the inscribed body in the information display area of the third stage, and the inscribed body is inscribed in this inscribed body. , The inscribed body in the information display area in the previous stage is used as the inscribed body in the information display area in the next stage, and the inscribed body is inscribed in this inscribed body, and n steps (n = 2,3,4 ~) ), Which is a three-dimensional code display method for displaying predetermined code information in the information display area of the first stage or the nth stage, characterized in that the predetermined code information is displayed in the information display area of the first stage or the nth stage. Is.

【0005】

In addition, the optically or magnetically readable code information is applied to each side of the nth stage information display area as the final stage and each area surrounded by two diagonal lines. The code information to be displayed and optically readable in each of the areas is obtained by painting each area into two values of black and white, and each area painted by two values of black and white. It is characterized in that the code information is displayed by superimposing the pattern representing the predetermined optically readable code information.

【0006】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional code according to the present invention. This three-dimensional code K displays a predetermined code by combining several quadrangles in multiple stages and painting them into two values of black and white that can be read optically. This will be described below. First, FIG. 2 is a basic shape for displaying the three-dimensional code K. This basic shape 1 is inscribed, that is, fitted with the quadrangle as the inscribed body 3 into the outer quadrangle as the inscribed body 2. The inscribed inscribed inscribed body 3 is a quadrangle that is similar in shape to the inscribed body 2 and has half the area, and the intersections of the two sides of the four sides that make up this quadrangle are on each side of the inscribed body 2. Inscribed so as to abut. In the illustrated example, it abuts at approximately the midpoint of each side (2a, 2b ~) of the fitting body 2, but it is not limited to this, and the point is that the receiving body 2 is received so that the regions a1 to a4 are formed. The fitting body 3 may be inscribed in the fitting body 2.

【0007】

In this way, the regions a1, a2, a3, and a4 formed by being surrounded by the sides of the fitting body 2 and the fitting body 3 are painted into optically readable black and white binary values, and the code information is displayed. indicate. In this embodiment, one or a plurality of areas are painted black to display code information of decimal numbers 0 to 9, for example. This point will be described in detail later, but in the illustrated example, the area a1 is painted black and, for example, the decimal number "1" is displayed. On the contrary, a1 may be outlined, that is, it may be painted white to have information. Further, by making the upper side 2a of the quadrangle constituting the fitting body 2 a double line, the upper and lower sides of the basic shape 1 are displayed. The left and right sides may be displayed as double lines on either the left or right side. In any case, by making one of the four sides a double line, the state of either the top, bottom, left, or right of the three-dimensional code is displayed.

【0008】

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a three-dimensional code K having a multi-stage information display area. In this example, the basic shape is the information display area of the first stage, the inscribed body 3 of the information display area of the first stage is the inscribed body 4, and the inscribed body 5 is in the inscribed body 4. Is inscribed to form the second stage information display area. The code information is displayed by coloring the areas b1, b2, b3, and b4 into black and white binary values. Next, the inscribed body 5 in the information display area of the second stage is used as the inscribed body 6 in the information display area of the third stage, and the inscribed body 7 is inscribed in the inscribed body 6 in the third stage. Form an information display area. The code information is displayed by coloring the areas c1, c2, c3, and c4 into black and white binary values. Further, the inscribed body 7 in the information display area of the third stage is used as the inscribed body in the fourth stage, and the inscribed body 9 is inscribed in the inscribed body 8 to form the information display area in the fourth stage. Form. The code information is displayed by coloring the areas d1, d2, d3, and d4 into black and white binary values.

【0009】

As described above, in this embodiment, the code information is displayed by the information display area of the fourth stage, and each side and 2 forming the quadrangle are displayed on the inlaid body 9 of the information display area of the fourth stage. The areas e1, e2, e3, and e4 surrounded by the diagonal lines of the book are colored in black and white to display the code information (this point will be described later), and this is used as the information display area in the final stage. By partitioning with such diagonal lines, it is easy to optically read that the information display area is the final stage.

【0010】

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a three-dimensional code that displays a division line that divides each area with a double line. That is, the dividing line that divides each area such as each area a1 to a2 and b1 to b4 shown in FIG. 3 is a double line. By dividing each area with a double line and displaying it in this way, for example, when each individual sets a security code, a three-dimensional code figure that is not filled in black and white as shown in FIG. 4 can be displayed. It is possible to prepare and write black and white on this figure so as not to protrude from the dividing line and set the code desired by oneself.

【0011】

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of code allocation in each information display area. In this example, to explain with the code of the basic shape 1 shown in FIG. 2, the area a1 in the upper left corner is painted black to represent the decimal number 1, and the area a2 in the lower left corner is painted black. Represents the decimal number "2". Similarly, the blackening of the areas a1 and a3 displays the decimal number "5", and the blackening of the areas a2 and a4 displays the decimal number "7". The three-dimensional code K shown in FIG. 1 has a code display of "1,2,5,0" in each information display area from the first stage to the fourth stage, or "0,5," if coded from the opposite direction. 2,1 ". Further, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of code allocation in the information display area in the final stage, in which one or two areas partitioned by two diagonal lines are painted black so that information is displayed. It has become. The three-dimensional code K shown in FIG. 1 eventually displays the code "1,2,5,0,9", or "9,0,5,2,1" according to the coding from the opposite direction. ing.

【0012】

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, assuming that 10 codes from 0 to 9 are assigned to each information display area, 10 in the two-stage information display area.², 10 in 3rd dan³, Below, 10 when the information display area is n stepsⁿIt becomes the information display amount of. Since the three-dimensional code shown in FIG. 1 has five stages, one three-dimensional code can display 100,000 kinds of codes. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, it is possible to display a larger number of codes by displaying the binary code. For example, 16 in the three-dimensional code displayed in five columns.⁵Can display over 1 million codes. Therefore, for example, when it is unknown in advance how much information will be required in the end, codes 0 to 9 are allocated to each area for the time being, and when the code is insufficient, the display of the three-dimensional code is changed. By displaying each area in binary from 0 to 15, the amount of information displayed can be dramatically increased. Of course, the code may be displayed in quaternary, octal, or hexadecimal.

【0013】

FIGS. 9 (a) to 9 (d) show an example in which the code is displayed by superimposing it on the same information display area. When displaying the code by superimposing it, put patterns such as horizontal lines [(a) figure], vertical lines [(b) figure], polka dots [(c) figure] in the code display area, and paint in black and white. Distinguish from division. As shown in Fig. (D), this pattern can be displayed in duplicate in the area where the code information is set by being filled in black, and the pattern in this case is displayed in white. FIG. 10 shows an example of code display by a pattern. In this example, a horizontal line pattern is inserted in each information display area to display A to D. FIG. 11 shows an example of black-and-white coloring and code display by the pattern shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 11 shows, for example, A1, and FIG. 11 shows, for example, B2. Although the infitted body in the final stage of the information display area shown in Fig. 6 is not shown in particular, patterns such as vertical lines, horizontal lines, polka dots, characters, animals and plants are indicated, and the code is displayed by superimposing them on black and white. It can be performed. The black-and-white painting is not limited to black-and-white, and the colors to be painted are not particularly limited as long as the binary values can be optically read, and red and blue, yellow and green, and the like may be used.

【0014】

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the three-dimensional code is optically readable, but the three-dimensional code is printed with magnetic ink, and the magnetic ink is applied to each region instead of the black and white coloring. Code information may be recorded depending on the presence or absence of the code information, and the code information may be read magnetically. Alternatively, the three-dimensional code to which the code is attached is recorded as image data on a storage medium such as a magnetic tape or a floppy disk, and this is read by a reading device having a magnetic head, or the black and white or the like is painted separately. Although the code is not attached, the three-dimensional code before the code is assigned is recorded as image data on the magnetic tape or the like, read by a reading device, and the code is attached to the read three-dimensional code, for example, a security code. Various information processing may be performed, such as setting.

【0015】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, in the present invention, a quadrangular fitting body is inscribed with an inscribed body having a shape similar to the fitting body and having a half area, and these fitting bodies and the fitting body are inscribed. In the four corner areas surrounded by the body, the first-stage information display area that displays optically or magnetically readable code information and the inscribed body of this first-stage information display area are second. As the fitting body of the information display area of the stage, the fitting body is inscribed in this fitting body to form the information display area of the second stage, and hereinafter, the fitting body of the previous stage is used as the fitting body of the next stage. By inscribed the inscribed body in the inscribed body to form a three-dimensional code having an information display area of the nth stage, a large amount of information can be displayed in a small area, thereby giving the aesthetic appearance of the product or the like. It can be used as a suitable three-dimensional code display method for displaying code information such as product management, baggage sorting, and prepaid cards in a POS system, and displaying various security codes without any damage.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a figure which shows an example of the 3D code which concerns on this invention.

[Figure 2]

It is a figure which shows the basic shape of a three-dimensional code.

[Fig. 3]

It is a figure which shows the 3D code which made the information display area multi-stage.

[Fig. 4]

It is a figure which shows the example of the three-dimensional code which displays the division line which divides each area by a double line.

[Fig. 5]

It is a figure which shows an example of the code allocation in each information display area.

[Fig. 6]

It is a figure which shows an example of the code allocation in the information display area of the final stage.

[Fig. 7]

It is a figure which shows another example of the code allocation in each information display area.

[Fig. 8]

It is a figure which shows another example of the code allocation in the information display area of the last stage.

[Fig. 9]

Figures (a) to (d) are diagrams showing an example in which the code is displayed by superimposing it on the same information display area.

[Fig. 10]

It is a figure which shows an example which displays the code by a pattern.

[Fig. 11]

It is a figure which shows the example which performs the code display by the black-and-white painting and the pattern.

[Explanation of symbols]

K ... 3D code 1 ... Basic shape 2 ... Fitted body 2a Top side of rectangle 3 ... Fitted body 4 ... Fitted body 5 ... Fitted body 6 ... Fitted body 7 ... Fitted body 8 ... Fitted body 9 ... Fitted body a1, a2, a3, a4 Area b1, b2, b3, b4 Area e1, e2, e3, e4 Area