Patent · US Expired

Two-dimensional bar code symbology using implicit version information encoding

US5811787A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
13References
57Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 9, 1996
Grant dateSep 22, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 9, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K19/06037
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A electro-optical memory includes a substrate on which is printed (or otherwise inscribed) a complex symbol or "label" or "bar code" of a high density two-dimensional symbology. The bar code contains component symbols or "codewords" which are placed in row and column formation, with a variable number of codewords per row, and a variable number of rows. The symbology utilizes implicit bar code encoding scheme for implicit encoding the number of rows and the number of columns of codewords, as well as a predetermined amount of error correction. The symbology is capable of supporting a fixed number of bar code variants, with each variant having a predetermined number of rows and columns of codewords, and a predetermined error correction capability. For some codewords the implicit encoding scheme is combined with a gray coding scheme to reduce the inter-row codeword crosstalk. Systems are used for printing and decoding the bar codes of the invented symbology in applications where improved storage density and tight real estate requirements are of utmost importance. A memory may be used in conjunction with a scanner and a suitable control system in a number of applications, e.g., robotics…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.