Development of a Novel Finder Pattern for Effective Color 2D-Barcode Detection

With a camera mobile phone, which has become a "must-have" device, 2D-barcode works as an interface to bridge the physical and digital world. As the notion of ubiquitous computing has permeated, developing a new 2D-barcode and its applications has been a growing trend worldwide. A 2D-barcode symbol consists of two broad areas: data area and guide area. The components of the latter is collectively called "finder pattern" and used in locating the 2D-barcode symbol. The failure of finding the target symbol prevents a barcode reader from successfully decoding the barcode. Hence, designing a functional finder pattern is one of the key for improving the robustness of barcode reading, and thus, the entire 2D-barcode system. We have designed a novel finder pattern integrated with a color 2D-barcode for camera mobile phone applications. Through the development and evaluation of the finder pattern for effective color 2D-barcode detection, this paper discusses keys to improve the functionality and reliability of finder patterns, which should be kept in mind when designing a finder pattern for any 2D-barcode symbol.