To facilitate the recovery data from an embedded data pattern through the use of a appropriately sized capture window that is randomly positioned within the data pattern, the embedded data pattern is composed of a plurality of identical, one dimensionally or two dimensionally regularly tiled embedded data blocks which contain sufficient spatial addressing information to permit the logical reconstruction of a complete data block from any set of fragments that collectively provide a full cover for the surface area of any one tile. To this end, the capture window is sized to include a shape which is completely registered with the data pattern in which is capable of tiling the recording medium in accordance with the tiling vectors.

A code pattern image printed/recorded on a recording medium and adapted to be picked up and read is electronically taken up and read and then processed by a decoder to restore the original data, which is then transformed into an image data of the code pattern image by an encoder and printed/recorded on another predetermined recording medium to reproduce the code pattern image by a printer. The code pattern image printed/recorded on the recording medium is made to contain an operation control data for permitting or prohibiting the operation of the encoder and the operation control data is extracted from the code pattern image by an operation control data extracting unit so that encoding operation control section permits or prohibits the operation of the encoder according to the extracted data.

A dot code recorded on an information recording medium consists of a data code corresponding to the contents of multimedia information to be reproduced, and a pattern code for determining a read reference point for the data code. The pattern code consists of pattern dots arranged at predetermined positions with respect to the data code, and markers arranged at predetermined positions with respect to the pattern dots and used to detect the pattern dots. In an information reproduction system for optically reading and reproducing a dot code from an information recording medium on which such a dot code is recorded, the dot code is imaged by an image input section. A data read reference point determining section then recognizes the pattern code from the picked-up image, and determines a data read reference point for reading the data code. A data reading section reads the data code on the basis of the data read reference point determined by the data read reference point determining section. A reproducing section reproduces/outputs the data read by the data reading section.

A graphics processing apparatus includes a drawn field register which stores coordinate values of boundaries of a drawn field, and an end point coordinate register which stores coordinate values of end points of a graphical element of interest. A first comparator compares the coordinate values of the boundaries of the drawn field with the coordinate values of the end points of the graphical element of interest. A comparison result register stores comparison results output by the first comparator. A decoder determines, based on the comparison results, whether the graphical element of interest should be drawn in the drawn field.

The present invention selects an appropriate composition pattern even if there is provided a plurality of composition patterns for dot image data based on the number of pixels associated with printing. Namely, in order to print a readable dot, an image data generation method is used for setting a composition pattern of this dot. This method determines the number of pixels associated with printout of the composition pattern in consideration of enlargement of the dot when printed. This method also uses a composition pattern which minimizes dispersion of pixels constituting the corresponding dot. By doing so, the method uniquely determines an optimal dot composition pattern for printing.