Abstract: A machine readable code, a code encoding method and device and a code decoding method and device are provided. This machine readable code includes a data area made up of at least one data cell, in which different colors or shades are encoded and expressed depending on the content of the information, and a parity area made up of at least one parity cell, the parity area provided to determine whether colors or shades expressed in the data cells have been properly expressed depending on the content of the information. Since this code image includes a parity area for parity inspection, mal-recognition of colors due to differences between input devices such as cameras or between the environments such as light can be easily detected and corrected.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for recognizing a code from a code image that is expressed physically or electronically and extracting data represented in the code image is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a raw image in which a code image is contained, detecting a background image included in the raw image, extracting a code image region in which a background image is excluded, recognizing the shape and type of the code image and the color or shade represented in each of cells, converting the color or shade recognized from each of the cells into a corresponding character, number, or symbol and generating code data. The code image in which predetermined data are represented as colors or shades are received, and original colors or shades can be precisely discriminated regardless of an environment in which the code image is recognized.