Barcode with enhanced additional stored data

• US 7,229,025 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): FUREMAN, JARED
• Application Number:
  US10/862,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20050269416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.02, 235/462.04, 235/468, 235/469, 235/491, 235/101, 705/401, 705/405, 705/408
• 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 stored in a first mode of printed data storage with some or all error correction information removed from the first information set to increase information in the first information set; 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 and the second additional information set also comprises error correction information that was removed from 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. The symbol claimed in claim 1, wherein the error correction information in the second sub-level made is placed away from the information it corrects.