Integration of Anti-counterfeiting Features into Conventional 2D Barcodes for Mobile Tagging

The presented technque shows an innovative approach in the field of mobile tagging. A new high density microcode (DataGrid), combined with colour for contrast preservation, is used as a raster pattern for the macro cells of standard Data Matrix codes. As the symbols of the DataGrid microcode are optimized for the usage in security applications, when printed on a substrate, a stochastic error signal (EpiCode) occurs. The EpiCode is a result of the random structure of the substrate surface and the microscopic imperfections of the marking process. In contrast to most security printing solutions, an explicit individualisation of the product packaging is not needed, which makes the technique applicable even if using offset printing. The observations on experimental data, indicate that the implementation of colour DataGrid into Data Matrix code: i) does not disturb the decoding algorithms of standard mobile tagging applications and ii) the authentication signal (EpiCode) has enough discriminatory information to correctly identify an original out of over 10,000,000,000 samples. The presented concept could be used as an anti-counterfeiting tool, as the mobile tags are soon to become an inseparable part of most consumer goods packages.