Generating signal bearing art using stipple, voronoi and delaunay methods and reading same

The method of claim 14 comprising:

• a step for generating a dense optical code signal;
• a step for generating a sparse optical code signal from the dense optical code signal;
• a step for creating artwork carrying the sparse optical code signal;
• and
• a step for inserting the artwork in a printed object design file.

A method of generating a machine-readable optical code, the method comprising:

• generating an optical code signal from a variable digital payload, the optical code signal comprising pixels carrying the variable digital payload and a reference signal for geometric registration;
• generating a centroidal Voronoi diagram of the optical code signal based on pixel values of the optical code signal values and seed point locations;
• forming an optical code carrying image by placing stipples, lines representing a Voronoi pattern or lines representing a Delaunay pattern at locations determined within Voronoi regions of the centroidal Voronoi diagram;
• and
• inserting the optical code carrying image in an output image, the variable payload being machine readable from an optical scan of the output image applied to a physical object.

A system comprising:

• means for generating an image comprising an optical code, the optical code comprising an encoded variable digital payload and a geometric registration pattern;
• means for generating an optical code from the image, the optical code having elements at a predetermined spacing and size;
• wherein the means for generating the optical code comprises a programmed computer configured to compute a centroidal Voronoi diagram of the image and place stipples at coordinates of the optical code based on Voroinoi regions in the Voronoi diagram;
• and
• means for inserting the optical code in a printed object design file.