Color barcodes for mobile applications: a per channel framework

A system for decoding a two-dimensional color barcode comprising:

• a computer readable storage memory;
• a processor for executing computer program instructions stored in the computer readable storage memory, wherein the instructions are for performing the steps of:
• capturing in three channels an image of the two-dimensional color barcode having a plurality of layers of encoded data, wherein a first channel is sensitive to the red region of the spectrum, a second channel is sensitive to the blue region of the spectrum, and a third channel is sensitive to the green region of the spectrum, and wherein each layer of said two-dimensional color barcode comprises a barcode having encoded within a plurality of data encoded into a single colorant;
• performing color interference cancellation to estimate three cyan, magenta, and yellow colorant layers from the channels that are sensitive to the red, green and blue regions of the spectrum;
• and
• extracting the first, second, and third layers of encoded data from the channels that are sensitive to the red, green and blue regions of the spectrum using said estimates of the three cyan, magenta, and yellow colorant layers.

A method of decoding a two-dimensional color barcode comprising:

• capturing an image of the two-dimensional color barcode with a image capture device having at least three channels, the two-dimensional color barcode comprising at least a first layer and a second layer, each of said first layer and said second layer comprising data encoded into a barcode, said first layer comprising a first colorant comprising one of three CMY colorants, said second layer comprising a second colorant comprising one of three CMY colorants, said second colorant different from said first colorant, said image capture device comprising a first channel sensitive to a red region of a spectrum, a second channel sensitive to a blue region of said spectrum, and a third channel sensitive to a green region of said spectrum;
• performing color interference cancellation to estimate at least two colorant layers of a cyan colorant layer, a magenta colorant layer, and a yellow colorant layer from said channels that are sensitive to the red, green and blue regions of the spectrum;
• and
• extracting at least two layers of encoded data from said estimate of said at least two colorant layers.