Barcode with enhanced additional stored data

• US 20050269416A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Auslander, Judith D., Quine, Douglas B., Obrea, Andrei, Sussmeier, John W., MacKay, Donald G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,229,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06056 the marking comprising a further embedded marking, e.g. a 1D bar code with the black bars containing a smaller sized coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06075 the marking containing means for error correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks

Abstract

A printed barcode including first basic barcode information stored in a first basic mode of printed data storage, and second additional enhanced barcode information stored in a second enhanced mode of printed data storage. The second information is printed, at least partially, as a component of the first information. The first information is adapted to be read by a basic barcode reader. The second information is adapted to be read by an enhanced barcode reader and cannot be read by the basic barcode reader.

Claims

1. A symbol comprising:

(a) a first information set which is represented stored in a first mode of printed data storage; and

(b) second additional information set stored in a second sub-level mode of printed data storage, wherein the second information set has a structure which is represented at least partially using a substructure element of the first information set.

2. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the symbol comprises a postage meter indicium.

3. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the symbol comprises a bar code.

4. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the first information set comprises a first basic barcode information, and wherein the second additional information set comprises a second additional enhanced barcode information.

5. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the first information set is stored in a PostNet barcode format.

6. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the first information set is stored in a DataMatrix two-dimensional barcode format.

7. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the second sub-level mode comprises multi-color indicium.

8. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the second sub-level mode comprises halftone indicium.

9. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the second sub-level mode comprises gray scale indicium.

10. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the first information set and second information set are comprised of different inks.

11. A symbol as in claim 10 wherein at least one of the different inks comprises a luminescent ink.

12. A symbol as in claim 10 wherein at least two of the different inks comprise luminescent inks which comprise different excitation wavelengths.

13. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the first information set comprises a first barcode type, and the second information set comprises a second barcode type.

14. A symbol as in claim 13 wherein the first information set is stored in a PostNet barcode, and wherein the second additional information set is stored in a 2 of 5 barcode format in an element of the PostNet barcode.

15. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the second additional information set comprises a high resolution substructure within an existing barcode element of the first information set.

16. A symbol as in claim 15 wherein the high-resolution substructure comprises different color components.

17. A symbol as in claim 1 wherein the second additional information set comprises error correction information.

18. A postage meter indicium comprising:

first basic postage indicium information stored in a first basic mode of printed data storage; and

second additional enhanced information stored in a second sub-level enhanced mode of printed data storage, wherein the second information has a structure which is, at least partially, a sub-structure element of the first information.

19. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the first basic information comprises a first basic barcode information, and wherein the second additional enhanced information comprises a second additional enhanced barcode information.

20. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the first basic information is stored in a PostNet barcode format.

21. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the first basic information is stored in a DataMatrix two-dimensional barcode format.

22. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the second enhanced mode comprises multi-color indicium.

23. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the second enhanced mode comprises halftone indicium.

24. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the second enhanced mode comprises gray scale indicium.

25. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the first information and second information are comprised of different inks.

26. A postage meter indicium as in claim 25 wherein at least one of the different inks comprises a luminescent ink.

27. A postage meter indicium as in claim 25 wherein at least two of the different inks comprise luminescent inks which comprise different excitation wavelengths.

28. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the first information comprises a first barcode type and the second enhanced information comprises a second barcode type.

29. A postage meter indicium as in claim 28 wherein the first basic information is stored in a PostNet barcode, and wherein the second additional enhanced information is stored in a 2 of 5 barcode format in an element of the PostNet barcode.

30. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the second additional enhanced information comprises a high resolution substructure within an existing barcode element of the first basic information.

31. A postage meter indicium as in claim 30 wherein the high-resolution substructure comprises different color components.

32. A postage meter indicium as in claim 18 wherein the second additional enhanced information comprises error correction information.

33. A printed barcode comprising:

(a) first barcode information stored in a first basic mode of printed data storage; and

(b) second error correction information stored in a second enhanced mode of printed data storage, wherein the second error correction information is adapted to be read, when an error in reading the first basic barcode information is detected, to correct the error.

34. A printed barcode as in claim 33 wherein the first barcode information is stored in a general PostNet barcode format.

35. A printed barcode as in claim 33 wherein the first barcode information is stored in a DataMatrix two-dimensional barcode format.

36. A printed barcode as in claim 33 wherein the second information is printed as multi-color indicium.

37. A printed barcode as in claim 33 wherein the second information is printed as halftone indicium.

38. A printed barcode as in claim 33 wherein the second information is printed as gray scale indicium.

39. A printed barcode as in claim 33 wherein the printed barcode comprises indicium comprised of different inks for at least one of the first and second barcode information.

40. A printed barcode as in claim 39 wherein at least one of the different inks comprises a luminescent ink.

41. A printed barcode as in claim 39 wherein at least two of the different inks comprise luminescent inks which comprise different excitation wavelengths.

42. A printed barcode as in claim 33 wherein the first barcode information comprises a first barcode type, and the second enhanced barcode information comprises a second barcode type.

43. A printed barcode as in claim 42 wherein the first barcode information is stored in a PostNet barcode, and wherein the second error correction information is stored in a 2 of 5 barcode format in an element of the PostNet barcode.

44. A printed barcode as in claim 33 wherein the second error correction information comprises a high resolution substructure within an existing barcode element of the first barcode information.

45. A printed barcode as in claim 44 wherein the high resolution substructure comprises different color components.

46. A method of storing data in a barcode comprising:

(a) printing enhanced additional information in a first machine-readable form; and

(b) forming a basic barcode structure from at least some components of the printed enhanced additional information,

wherein the basic barcode structure is adapted to be read by a basic barcode reader, and wherein the enhanced additional information cannot be read by the basic barcode reader, but is adapted to be read by an enhanced second mode of barcode reader.

47. A method as in claim 46 wherein the printing of the enhanced additional information in the first machine-readable form comprises printing with different color inks.

48. A method as in claim 46 wherein the printing of the enhanced additional information in the first machine-readable form comprises printing with gray scale or halftone.

49. A method as in claim 46 wherein the printing of the enhanced additional information in the first machine-readable form comprises printing with inks having different luminescent wavelengths.

50. A method as in claim 46 wherein the printing of the enhanced additional information in the first machine-readable form comprises printing a second barcode structure within a barcode element of the basic barcode structure.

51. A method as in claim 46 wherein the printing of the enhanced additional information in the first machine-readable form comprises printing at least two different barcode elements of the basic barcode structure with different high-resolution substructures.

52. A method as in claim 51 wherein the printing of the enhanced additional information in the first machine-readable form comprises printing with different colors or different shades of a same color.

53. A method of reading a barcode comprising:

(a) storing data in a barcode as in claim 46;

(b) reading the basic barcode structure; and

(c) if an error is detected during the reading of the basic barcode structure, reading the enhanced additional information in the first machine-readable form.