Record with removable two-dimensional code

• US 5,710,419 A
• Filed: 05/30/1995
• Issued: 01/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Ynjiun P., Swartz, Jerome, McGlynn, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRECH, KARL D
• Application Number:
  US08/453,098
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/487, 235/437
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/041 Optical element in the object space affecting the object beam, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/126 by photographic or thermographic registration recording apparatus for measuring instruments G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/18 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• 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: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1456 determining the orientation of the optical code with respect to the reader and correcting therefore
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1486 Setting the threshold-width for bar codes to be decoded
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1491 the method including a reconstruction step, e.g. stitching two pieces of bar code together to derive the full bar code
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

A printing and reading system prints records having two-dimensional erasable bar codes. The bar code is printed on the record in erasable ink and can be implemented in PDF417 format. The system reads the two-dimensional erasable bar code located on the record, erases it using erasing fluid, dries it, and prints a new two-dimensional erasable bar code in place of the previous two-dimensional erasable bar code.

Claims

1. A record printing system comprising:

a detector for detecting the presence of removable information on a record, the record including a printed portion containing text, and an information portion including the removable information encoded in an error-correctable, machine-readable format, said removable information being printed in said information portion of said record in erasable ink to permit said removable information to be removed by erasing the erasable ink;

an erasing unit for erasing the removable information from the information portion of the record when the detector detects the presence of the removable information, the erasing unit continues erasing until the detector detects that the removable information has been completely erased; and

a printing unit for printing new removable information in the information portion of the record.

2. The record printing system of claim 1 wherein the removable information in the information portion is encoded in a two-dimensional bar code.

3. The record printing system of claim 2 wherein the removable information in the information portion is encoded in PDF417 format.

4. The record printing system of claim 1 wherein the record is a medical record.

5. The record printing system of claim 1 wherein the information in the information portion includes information about the printed portion.

6. The record printing system of claim 1 wherein the record is a charge card, and the removable information relates to remaining available credit.

7. The record printing system of claim 1 wherein the record is an admission ticket to multiple events and the removable information relates to identification of unused multiple events.

8. The record printing system of claim 1 wherein the record is a medical record for a designated individual and the removable information relates to health matters of the designated individual.

9. A record printing system comprising:

a detector for detecting the presence of a removable symbol on a record, the removable symbol being printed on the record in erasable ink to permit the removable symbol to be removed by erasing the erasable ink;

an erasing unit for erasing the removable symbol from the record when the detector detects the presence of the removable symbol, the erasing unit continues erasing until the detector detects that the removable symbol has been erased; and

a printing unit for printing a new removable symbol on the record.

10. The record printing system of claim 9 wherein the removable symbol on the record is encoded in a two-dimensional bar code.

11. The record printing system of claim 9 wherein the removable symbol on the record is encoded in PDF417 format.

12. The record printing system of claim 9 wherein the record is a medical record.

13. The record printing system of claim 12 wherein the removable symbol on the record includes information relating to vital statistics of an individual'"'"'s health.

14. The record printing system of claim 9 wherein the record is a charge card, and the removable symbol relates to remaining available credit.

15. The record printing system of claim 9 wherein the record is an admission ticket to multiple events, and the removable symbol relates to identification of unused multiple events.

16. The record printing system of claim 9 wherein the record is a medical record for a designated individual and the removable symbol relates to health matters of the designated individual.

17. A method for printing removable information on a record including a printed portion containing text, and an information portion including the removable information encoded in an error-correctable, machine-readable format, the removable information being printed in the information portion of the record in erasable ink to permit the removable information to be removed by erasing the erasable ink, the method comprising the steps, executed by a record printing system, of:

receiving a record to be printed;

detecting the presence of removable information in the information portion of the record;

erasing the removable information from the information portion of the record when the detecting step detects the presence of the removable information, the erasing step continues erasing until the detecting step detects that the removable information has been completely erased; and

printing new removable information in the information portion of the record.