Robust coding system
First Claim
1. An encoded label for an item, comprising:
- a substrate, including a surface having pro-printed thereon at least two parallel redundant means for identifying said item;
a first plurality of n indicia contained in n contiguous indicia locations within a first one of said identifying means, said first plurality of indicia defining a first indicia sequence expressive of a first indicator for identifying said item, where n is a positive integer greater than one;
a second plurality of m indicia contained in m contiguous indicia locations within a second one of said identifying means, said second plurality of indicia defining a second indicia sequence expressive of a second indicator for identifying said item, where m is a positive integer greater than one and greater than n, wherein said second indicator includes said first indicator;
wherein said second plurality of m indicia includes r error code indicia to enable reconstruction of a plurality of errors in said second indicia sequence when at least one of said indicia in said second indicia sequence on said label is illegible, where r is a positive integer greater than zero.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The robust coding system makes use of a robust bar code on a label to enable a label reading system to automatically reconstruct label indicia information, even though the label has been damaged and is partially obliterated. An error correcting code is incorporated into the bar code sequence imprinted on the label to detect and correct a plurality of errors in the bar code. The error correcting bar code digits can be interleaved with the data imprinted in bar code form on the label or appended thereto. In addition, when the robust coding system is used on labels for data media cartridges, additional information is included in the bar code field to identify the type of media contained in the media cartridge.
42 Citations
43 Claims
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1. An encoded label for an item, comprising:
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a substrate, including a surface having pro-printed thereon at least two parallel redundant means for identifying said item; a first plurality of n indicia contained in n contiguous indicia locations within a first one of said identifying means, said first plurality of indicia defining a first indicia sequence expressive of a first indicator for identifying said item, where n is a positive integer greater than one; a second plurality of m indicia contained in m contiguous indicia locations within a second one of said identifying means, said second plurality of indicia defining a second indicia sequence expressive of a second indicator for identifying said item, where m is a positive integer greater than one and greater than n, wherein said second indicator includes said first indicator; wherein said second plurality of m indicia includes r error code indicia to enable reconstruction of a plurality of errors in said second indicia sequence when at least one of said indicia in said second indicia sequence on said label is illegible, where r is a positive integer greater than zero. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 43)
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11. An encoded label for uniquely identifying an item on which said encoded label is affixed, comprising:
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a substrate, having a surface for containing printed indicia, which printed indicia are contained in first and second predefined fields on said surface; a first set of indicia in human-readable form printed in said first predefined field for defining an item identification; and a second set of indicia in machine-readable form printed in said second predefined field for defining both said item identification and a set of error correction code indicia for correcting a plurality of errors in said item identification if a portion of said item identification in said second predefined field fails to be machine-readable. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An encoded label for uniquely identifying a media cartridge on which said encoded label is affixed, comprising:
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a substrate, having a surface for containing printed indicia, which printed indicia am contained In first, second and third predefined fields on said surface; a first set of indicia in human-readable form printed in said firm predefined field for defining a media cartridge identification; a second set of indicia in machine-readable form primed in said second predefined field for defining said media cartridge identification; and a third set of indicia printed in said third predefined field for defining a media type contained within said media cartridge; wherein at least one of said second set of indicia and said third set of indicia includes at least one error correction code indicia for correcting a plurality of errors if a portion of said encoded label fails to be machine-readable. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An encoded label for uniquely identifying a media cartridge on which said encoded label is affixed, comprising:
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a substrate, having a surface for containing printed indicia, which printed indicia are contained in first, second and third predefined fields on said surface; a first set of indicia in human-readable form printed in said first predefined field for defining an item identification; a second set of indicia in machine-readable form printed in said second predefined field for defining said item identification, including; at least one error correction code Indicia for correcting a plurality of errors in said media cartridge identification if a portion of said media cartridge identification falls to be machine-readable; a third set of indicia printed in said third predefined field for defining a media type contained within said media cartridge, including; at least one indicia in human-readable form to identify a type of media contained in said media cartridge, at least one indicia in machine-readable form to identify a type of media contained in said media cartridge, at least one error correction code indicia for correcting plurality of errors in said media type identification if a portion of said media type identification fails to be machine-readable. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification