Noise removal from color barcode images
AssigneeInternational Business Machine Corporation
InventorsVarun Bhagwan, Timothy Liu, Justin Ormont, Heather Underwood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for noise removal from color barcode images includes acquiring a barcode image using a color imaging array and separating the barcode image into color channels. Weighting factors are associated with the color channels and at least one weighting factor is reduced. The weighting factors are applied to the color channels to produce a first transformed image. A portion of the first transformed image is analyzed to produce a first set of decoded data from the barcode.
Claims20
A method for noise removal from color barcode images comprises:
- acquiring a barcode image using a color imaging array;
- separating the barcode image into color channels;
- associating weighting factors with the color channels;
- reducing at least one weighting factor;
- applying the weighting factors to the color channels to produce a first transformed image;
- analyzing a portion of the first transformed image to produce a first set of decoded data from the barcode;
- using the decoded data to access a remote database;
- retrieving data related a product to which the barcode is affixed from the remote database;
- and
- displaying the retrieved data.
A system for noise removal in barcode images comprising:
- a color imaging camera comprising a color imaging array, in which the color imaging array is contained within a general purpose camera in a mobile device configured to access a cellular network, the general purpose camera acquiring the barcode image without external optical filters and without narrow band optical illumination;
- and
- imaging processing software, the image processing software acquiring a barcode image from the color imaging array and reducing the contribution of at least one color channel in the barcode image to form a transformed barcode image;
- the at least one color channel having lower contrast between a background and a barcode than other color channels in the barcode image.
A computer program product for noise removal from color barcode images, the computer program product comprising:
- a non-transient computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
- computer readable program code configured to acquire a barcode image using a color imaging array;
- computer readable program code configured to separate the barcode image into color channels;
- computer readable program code configured to calculate a dynamic range of at least portion of pixels within the barcode image for each color channel;
- computer readable program code configured to associate weighting factors with the color channels;
- computer readable program code configured to reduce at least one weighting factor;
- computer readable program code configured to apply the weighting factors to the color channels to produce a first transformed image;
- and
- computer readable program code configured to analyze a portion of the transformed image to produce a first set of decoded data from the barcode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.