Patent ID: 8640955

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for reading a color barcode comprising a color information portion and a data portion, the method comprising: scanning the color information portion, wherein the color information portion includes an encoding of at least one Pantone™ color value, wherein the encoded Pantone™ color value is selected based on an analysis of a color tone or shade of a document affixing the color barcode, and wherein each Pantone™ color value alone identifies a Pantone™ color used in at least one of a plurality of color tiles present in the data portion, of the color barcode; retrieving the at least one Pantone™ color value by decoding the scanned color information portion; scanning the data portion, which includes the plurality of color tiles, wherein the plurality of color tiles encode data associated with the color barcode; correlating the at least one retrieved Pantone™ color value with at least one of the plurality of color tiles of the data portion; and retrieving data in the at least one color tile in the plurality of color tiles of the data portion by decoding the data in the color tile based on a Pantone™ color of the color tile, wherein a Pantone™ color of the color tile is obtained using the correlation established between the color tile and the retrieved Pantone™ color value.