Aiming indicia for a bar code and method of use

• US 6,843,417 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2000
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jack A. Turpin, RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: LV Partners LP (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan, Roberts, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, UYEN CHAU N
• Application Number:
  US09/580,793
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/462.03, 235/462.04, 235/462.16, 235/462.2, 235/462.45, 235/462.49
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06131 the marking comprising a target pattern, e.g. for indicating the center of the bar code or for helping a bar code reader to properly orient the scanner or to retrieve the bar code inside of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06262 with target- or other orientation-indicating feature
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

An aiming indicia is provided for a bar code comprising a sequence of parallel code bars and intervening code spaces disposed along a longitudinal code axis in accordance with a predefined standard. The aiming indicia comprises a non-encoded graphic element disposed on the longitudinal code axis adjacent the bar code and spaced apart from the nearest code bars by a distance of at least 10 times a minimum unit width for the code bars.

Claims

1. An aiming indicia for a bar code comprising a sequence of parallel code bars and intervening code spaces disposed along a longitudinal code axis in accordance with a predefined standard and the code bars arranged such that a sequence of values are encoded therein and which bar code is operable to be interfaced with a hand scanner that is operable to require that, prior to scanning the first code bar therein, the scanner must have a predetermined acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the bar code, the aiming indicia comprising:

a non-encoded graphic element dispoed on the longitudinal code axis adjacent the bar code at the beginning thereof relative to the encoded sequence and spaced apart from the nearest code bars by a distance of at least 10 times a minimum unit width for the code bars and indicating that it is the beginning for a scan operation by the scanner.

2. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 1, wherein the graphic element has a height, measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal code axis, within a range from about 50% to about 105% of the height of the code bars.

3. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 2, wherein the graphic element has a height within a range from about 85% to about 100% of the height of the code bars.

4. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 3, wherein the graphic element has a height of about 95% of the height of the code bars.

5. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 3, wherein the graphic element is separated from the nearest portion of the bar code by a distance, measured in a direction parallel to the longitudinal code axis, within a range from about 15% to about 30% of the height of the element.

6. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 5, wherein the graphic element is separated from the nearest portion of the bur code by a distance within a range from about 18% to about 24% of the height of the element.

7. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 6, wherein the graphic element is separated from the nearest portion of the bar code by a distance of about 20% of the height of the element.

8. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 1, wherein the graphic element is at least ally rendered in a red color.

9. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 1, wherein the graphic element is at least partially rendered in a color contrasting with the color of the code bars.

10. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 9, wherein the graphic element is at least partially red in color and the code bars are black in color.

11. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 1, wherein the graphic element further comprises a plurality of discrete non-coded sub-elements.

12. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 11, wherein a first sub-element is a colon and a second sub-element is a letter C.

13. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 12, wherein the first and second sub-elements have a portion of their interior rendered in a red color.

14. An aiming indicia in accordance with claim 13, wherein the first and second sub-elements have an outline portion rendered in a black color.

15. A method for facilitating a reading of a bar code using a manual optical reader, the bar code comprising a sequence of parallel code bars and intervening code spaces disposed along a longitudinal code axis, the optical reader having an optical axis defining a target region sensible by the optical reader and the code bars arranged such that a sequence of values are encoded therein and which bar code is operable to be interfaced with manual optical reader that is operable to require that, prior to scanning the first code bar therein, the manual optical reader must have a predetermined acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the bar code, the method comprising the following steps:

providing a non-encoded aiming indicia disposed on the longitudinal code axis adjacent the bar code at the beginning thereof relative to the encoded sequence and spaced apart from the nearest code bars by a distance of at least 10 times a minimum unit width for the code bars; and

inducing users of optical readers to first direct the optical axis of the optical reader such that the target region is centered on the aiming indicia at the beginning of the encoded sequence and then to direct the optical axis of the optical reader such that the target region sweeps along the longitudinal code axis from the aiming indicia across the bar code.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the step of inducing comprises providing instructions for the use of the aiming indicia along with operating instructions for the manual optical reader.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the step of inducing comprises printing instructions for the use of the aiming indicia on an article of commerce bearing the aiming indicia.

18. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the step of inducing comprises providing instructions for the use of the aiming indicia on a television program.

19. An enhanced bar code for encoding information in machine-readable form, comprising:

an encoded character string including a plurality of encoded characters disposed side-by-side along a longitudinal code axis, each character being formed by a sequence of code bars and intervening code spaces, the code bars being parallel to one another and to a line defining a bar axis which intersects the longitudinal code axis, each character having a definition in accordance with a predefined standard and the code bars arranged such that a sequence of values are encoded therein and which bar code is operable to be interfaced with a hand scanner that is operable to require that, prior to scanning the first code bar therein, the scanner must have a predetermined acceleration along the longitudinal axis of the bar code; and

a non-encoded aiming indicia disposed on the longitudinal code axis adjacent the encoded character string at the beginning thereof relative to the encoded sequence and spaced apart from the nearest code bars by a distance of at least 10 times a minimum unit width for the code bars.

20. A bar code in accordance with claim 19, wherein the definition for each character includes:

a bar/space pattern associated with the character setting forth the respective widths of the code bars and code spaces making up the character in terms of integer multiples of the minimum unit width,

at least one encoded alphanumeric value associated with the character, and

an integer checksum value associated with the character.

21. A barcode in accordance with claim 19, wherein the character string further comprises, in sequential order:

one start character;

at least one message character;

one check character; and

a stop character.

22. A bar code in accordance with claim 19, wherein the bar axis forms a slant angle with a line perpendicular to the longitudinal code axis, the slant angle having a value grater than about 1 degree.

23. A bar code in accordance with claim 22, wherein the slant angle has a value within the range from about 5 degrees to about 45 degrees.

24. A bar code in accordance with claim 19, further comprising:

at least one non-encoded wedge symbol disposed adjacent the character string along the longitudinal code axis;

each wedge symbol being a right triangle having a first side substantially parallel to the longitudinal code axis, a second side substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal code axis and a hypotenuse side substantially parallel with the bar axis of the code bars;

each wedge symbol being disposed such that the hypotenuse side faces the character string and is separated from the character string by a space having a width of at least 10 times the minimum unit width; and

any wedge symbol which is disposed on the same side of the character string as the aiming indicia being positioned between the aiming indicia and the character string.

25. A bar code in accordance with claim 24, comprising a pair of wedge symbols, one wedge symbol being disposed on each side of the character string.

26. A bar code in accordance with claim 19, further comprising a human-readable element disposed proximate to the character string.

27. A bar code in accordance with claim 26, wherein the human readable element comprises alphanumeric characters disposed parallel to the longitudinal code axis.

28. A bar code in accordance with claim 26, wherein the human readable element comprises the following sub-elements:

an initial letter disposed at the leftmost position of the human readable element;

at least two two-digit strings arrayed sequentially immediately to the right of the initial letter, the first such two-digit sing corresponding to the encoded alphanumeric value of the start character and the and the subsequent two-digit strings corresponding to the encoded alphanumeric value of the message characters taken in sequence from the message character adjacent to the start character to the message character adjacent to the checksum character.

29. A bar code in accordance with claim 28, wherein the initial letter is a C.

30. A bar code in accordance with claim 19, wherein the aiming indicia includes a non-encoded graphic element having a height, measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal code axis, within the range from about 50% to about 105% of the height of the code bars.

31. A bar code in accordance with claim 30, wherein the graphic element is separated from the nearest portion of the bar code by a distance, measured in a direction parallel to the longitudinal code axis, within the range from about 15% to about 30% of the height of the element.

32. A bar code in accordance with claim 19, wherein the aiming indicia includes a non-encoded graphic element which is at least partially rendered in a red color.

33. A bar code in accordance with claim 19, wherein the aiming indicia includes a non-encoded graphic element which is at least partially rendered in a color contrasting with the color of the code bars.

34. A bar code in accordance with claim 19, wherein the aiming indicia includes a non-encoded graphic element further comprising a plurality of discrete non-encoded sub-elements.

35. A bar code in accordance with claim 34, wherein a first sub-element is a colon and a second sub-element is a letter C.

36. An bar code in accordance with claim 35, wherein the sub-elements have a portion of their interior rendered in a red color.

37. A bar code in accordance with claim 36, wherein the sub-elements have an outline portion rendered in a black color.