Data storage device incorporating a two-dimensional code

Abstract

A data storage device includes a data carrier having at least one planar surface. An array of detectable items is positioned on the planar surface and is detectable with a sensing device. The array is configured to represent a two-dimensional code that defines at least executable instructions and redundancy encoding to impart fault tolerant characteristics to the code. The executable instructions include image processing algorithms.

1 . A data storage device which comprises 
 a data carrier having at least one planar surface; and    an array of detectable items positioned on the planar surface and detectable with a sensing device, the array being configured to represent a two-dimensional code that defines at least executable instructions and redundancy encoding to impart fault tolerant characteristics to the code, the executable instructions including image processing algorithms.    
     
     
         2 . A data storage device as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the data carrier is a card such that the array of detectable items are positioned on a first surface of the card and a visual depiction representing the code is positioned on a second opposite surface of the card.  
     
     
         3 . A data storage device as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the card is of a plastics material that is coated with a hydrophilic dye-fixing layer.  
     
     
         4 . A data storage device as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the detectable items are in the form of dots printed on the first surface of the card.  
     
     
         5 . A data storage device as claimed in  claim 4 , in which the redundancy encoding includes reed-solomon fault correction encoding.  
     
     
         6 . A data storage device as claimed in  claim 4  in which the array of dots are printed with a 1600 dpi resolution.  
     
     
         7 . A data storage device as claimed in  claim 4 , in which the dots define at least one target which is detectable by the sensor, the target being associated with at least one data area defined by the dots.  
     
     
         8 . A data storage device as claimed in  claim 7 , in which the targets are oriented to permit reading of the card in at least two directions.