Verification of barcodes
AssigneeBarcode Graphics Inc.
InventorJohn Herzig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Verification patterns are associated with barcodes to provide rapids visual confirmation that a barcode is printed within acceptable tolerances. A master of a barcode to be produced includes at least one verification pattern including a wedge formed by an unprinted area or areas bounded by a printed area or areas. During reproduction, an anticipated degree of ink-spread will cause a predetermined degree of shortening of the wedge, while abnormal degrees of shortening are an indication of press and/or pre-press errors and/or an inappropriately specified master. With a suitably dimensioned wedge, compliance with bar and space width tolerances can be assessed. Two types of verification patterns may be used in conjunction with a single bar code to enable detection of different types of errors.
Claims20
A master for the production of scannable barcodes comprising a scannable area of parallel bars and spaces and requiring the maintenance of bar and space widths within a predetermined tolerance after reproduction by a process in which one of the bars and spaces is subject to spreading resulting in encroachment upon the other of the bars and the spaces, said master including, adjacent the scannable area, at least one verification pattern including a first component, corresponding to whichever of bars and spaces is subject to encroachment, bounded by a second component, corresponding to whichever of bars and spaces is subject to spreading, the first component being at least one wedge having portions with widths graded through a range of widths such that, during reproduction, spreading of the second component to a degree within a predetermined range will shorten the wedge to an extent indicative of the degree of spreading, whereby an abnormal extent of shortening of the wedge provides a visual indication of abnormal reproduction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.