Decoding color barcodes

A system of decoding a color barcode, the system comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• simultaneously illuminate the color barcode with at least two spatially separate light zones in a manner that illuminates each bar of the color barcode with each light zone of the at least two spatially separate light zones, wherein the at least two spatially separate light zones are each illuminated by a different color;
• capture a monochrome image of light reflected from the color barcode;
• and
• for a bar in the color barcode,
• compute a difference between a first relative intensity of a first color reflected from the bar and a second relative intensity of a second color reflected from the bar;
• and
• determine a color of the bar based on a comparison of the difference with a predetermined threshold.

A system of decoding a color barcode, the system comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• simultaneously illuminate the color barcode with three spatially separated light zones in a manner that illuminates each bar of the color barcode with each light zone of the three spatially separated light zones, wherein the three spatially separated light zones are illuminated by red light, green light, and blue light, respectively;
• capture a monochrome image of light reflected from the color barcode;
• and
• for a bar in the color barcode,
• compute a difference between a first relative intensity of a first color reflected from the bar and a second relative intensity of a second color reflected from the bar;
• and
• determine a color of the bar based on a comparison of the difference with a predetermined threshold.

A system of decoding a color barcode, the system comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• simultaneously illuminate the color barcode with a plurality of spatially separated light zones in a manner that illuminates each bar of the color barcode with each light zone of the plurality of spatially separated light zones, wherein the plurality of spatially separated light zones are each illuminated by a different color;
• capture a monochrome image of light reflected from the color barcode;
• and
• for a bar in the color barcode,
• compute a difference between a first relative intensity of a first color reflected from the bar and a second relative intensity of a second color reflected from the bar;
• and
• determine a color of the bar based on a comparison of the difference with a predetermined threshold.