SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR QUALITY MANAGEMENT UTILIZING BARCODE INDICATORS

• US 20100219235A1
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varcode, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Varcode, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nemet, Yaron, Brand, Ephraim
• Granted Patent: US 8,528,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/12 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A quality management system for products including a multiplicity of barcode indicators, each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality determining parameter, the at least one threshold being at least one of a time duration threshold and a combined temperature and time threshold, a barcode indicator reader operative to read the barcode indicators and to provide output indications and an indication interpreter operative to receive the output indications and to provide human sensible, product unit specific, product quality status outputs.

Claims

1-75. -75. (canceled)

76. A quality management system for products comprising:

a multiplicity of barcode indicators, each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality determining parameter, said multiplicity of barcode indicators being operative to provide said machine-readable indication only upon activation thereof which occurs automatically a predetermined time following actuation or manufacture thereof;

a barcode indicator reader operative to read said barcode indicators and to provide output indications; and

an indication interpreter operative to receive said output indications and to provide human sensible, product unit specific, product quality status outputs.

77. A quality management system according to claim 76 and wherein each of said multiplicity of barcode indicators comprises one or more delay layers suitable to prevent said barcode indicator from providing said machine readable indication prior to dissolution or disintegration of said one or more delay layers, and wherein said dissolution or disintegration of at least one of said one or more delay layers results in activation of said barcode indicator.

78. A quality management system according to claim 77 and wherein said one or more delay layers are suitable to prevent the passage of coloring agents therethrough prior to dissolution or disintegration thereof.

79. A quality management system according to claim 77 and wherein each of said multiplicity of barcode indicators further comprises:

at least one barcode comprising transparent areas;

at least one colorable element; and

at least one coloring agent adapted to pass through said one or more delay layers, after said one or more delay layers are dissolved or disintegrated and to diffuse through said at least one colorable element.

80. A quality management system according to claim 79 and wherein said at least one barcode has a fixed barcode portion and at least one selectably appearing barcode portion, both said fixed barcode portion and said at least one selectably appearing barcode portion being readable by a barcode reader.

81. A quality management system according to claim 77 and wherein at least one of said one or more delay layers is dissolvable by a solvent.

82. A quality management system according to claim 81 and wherein said solvent is temperature responsive.

83. A quality management system according to claim 77 and wherein the time which elapses until dissolution or disintegration of said one or more delay layers is determined at least partially by the thickness thereof.

84. A quality management system according to claim 77 and wherein prior to dissolution or disintegration of at least one of said one or more delay layer each of said multiplicity of barcode indicators is in a first visible state and following said dissolution or disintegration of at least one of said one or more delay layers each of said multiplicity of barcode indicators is in a second visible state, different from said first visible state, and wherein said indicator is barcode reader-readable at least in said second visible state.

85. A quality management system according to claim 84 and wherein each of said multiplicity of barcode indicators is not barcode reader-readable when said barcode indicator is in said first visible state.

86. A quality management system according to claim 76 and wherein each of said multiplicity of barcode indicators is operative to provide multiple machine-readable indications for exceedance of multiple ones of said thresholds.

87. A quality management system according to claim 76 and wherein said indication interpreter comprises a server communicating with said barcode indicator reader and providing at least one of a price indication, a shelf-life indication and a salability output indication.

88. A quality management system according to claim 76 and wherein said at least one threshold is at least one of a time duration threshold and a combined temperature and time threshold.

89. A barcode indicator operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality determining parameter, said barcode indicator being operative to provide said machine-readable indication only upon activation thereof which occurs automatically a predetermined time following actuation or manufacture thereof.

90. A method for quality management for products comprising:

employing a multiplicity of barcode indicators each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality determining parameter, said multiplicity of barcode indicators being operative to provide said machine-readable indication only upon activation thereof which occurs automatically a predetermined time following actuation or manufacture thereof;

reading said barcode indicators and providing output indications therefrom;

receiving said output indications; and

interpreting said output indications to provide human sensible, product unit specific, product quality status outputs.

91. A quality management system for products comprising:

a multiplicity of barcode indicators each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality determining parameter;

a telephone including image capture functionality operative to image said barcode indicators and to provide output indications; and

an indication interpreter operative to receive said output indications and to provide human sensible, product unit specific, product quality status outputs.

92. A quality management system according to claim 91 and wherein said server includes caller ID functionality and is responsive to the identity of the caller to select a suitable at least one output indication to be provided.

93. A quality management system according to claim 91 and wherein said telephone is a mobile communicator.

94. A method for quality management for products comprising:

employing a multiplicity of barcode indicators each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality determining parameter;

imaging said barcode indicators by using a telephone including image capture functionality and providing output indications; and

interpreting said output indications to provide human sensible, product unit specific, product quality status outputs.