Barcoded indicators for quality management

• US 10,572,785 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2018
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varcode, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Varcode, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nemet, Yaron, Brand, Ephraim
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US16/124,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20190073574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 235383, 235385, 235494
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/00 Indicating measured values
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/005 Indication of measured value by colour change
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/14 of inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/10 in respect of time, e.g. reacting only to a quick change of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0615 the marking being of the rewritable type, e.g. thermo-chromic barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A barcoded indicator operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by at least one product quality affecting parameter, the barcoded indicator including at least a first barcode and at least a second barcode, the at least a second barcode being in a second barcode unreadable state prior to exceedance of the at least one threshold and upon exceedance of the at least one threshold the at least a first barcode becoming unreadable and generally simultaneously the at least a second barcode becoming readable.

Claims

1. A quality management system for products comprising:

a multiplicity of barcoded indicators each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one threshold by one or more product quality affecting parameters, each of said barcoded indicators comprising;

at least a first barcode including at least a first set of initially uncolored, colorable areas including at least one initially uncolored colorable area, positioned at locations between bars of said first barcode when said first barcode is in a first barcode readable state prior to exceedance of said at least one threshold;

at least a second barcode including at least a second set of initially uncolored, colorable areas including at least one initially uncolored colorable area, positioned at locations of bars of said second barcode which appear only when said second barcode is in a second barcode readable state following exceedance of said at least one threshold,

a coloring agent located at a first location on said indicator; and

a coloring agent pathway operative to allow said coloring agent to move from said first location to said first and second sets of colorable areas for coloring thereof,

said at least a second barcode being in a second barcode unreadable state prior to exceedance of said at least one threshold wherein as the result of said at least a second set being uncolored, more than a single narrow barcode bar is missing from said at least a second barcode, and

upon exceedance of said at least one threshold said at least a first barcode becoming unreadable as the result of coloring of at least a portion of at least one colorable area forming part of said at least a first set of colorable areas and generally simultaneously said at least a second barcode becoming readable as the result of coloring of said at least a second set of colorable areas;

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

a product type responsive indication interpreter operative to receive said output indications and to provide human sensible, product quality status outputs.

2. A quality management system for products according to claim 1 and wherein said coloring agent pathway is operative to allow said coloring agent to move by diffusing from said first location to said first and said second sets of colorable areas.

3. A quality management system for products according to claim 1 and wherein each of said first set of colorable areas and said second set of colorable areas includes at least two colorable areas.

4. A quality management system for products according to claim 1 and wherein said first set of colorable areas continues to be colored following exceedance of said at least one threshold.

5. A quality management system for products according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one threshold includes at least one time threshold.

6. A quality management system for products according to claim 1 and wherein said at least one threshold includes at least one time and temperature threshold.

7. A quality management system for products according to claim 1 and wherein said quality indicator is operative to provide indications of exceedance of several different thresholds.

8. A quality management system for products according to claim 1 and wherein at least one colorable area forming part of one of said first set of colorable areas and said second set of colorable areas has a width of a single narrow barcode bar.

9. A quality management system for products according to claim 1 and wherein colorable areas forming part of at least one of said first set of colorable areas and said second set of colorable areas become colored sequentially.

10. A quality management system for products according to claim 1 and wherein at least one of said first set of colorable areas and said second set of colorable areas includes at least two colorable areas.

11. A quality management system for products according to claim 1, and wherein each of said barcoded indicators is operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one additional threshold by at least one product quality affecting parameter, each of said barcoded indicators further comprising:

at least a third barcode including at least a third set of initially uncolored, colorable areas including at least one initially uncolored colorable area, positioned at locations of bars of said third barcode which appear only when said third barcode is in a third barcode readable state following exceedance of said at least one additional threshold,

said at least a third barcode being in a third barcode unreadable state prior to exceedance of said at least one additional threshold wherein as the result of said third set of colorable areas being uncolored, more than a single narrow barcode bar is missing from said at least a third barcode,

said at least a second barcode including at least a fourth set of initially uncolored, colorable areas including at least one initially uncolored colorable area, positioned at locations between bars of said at least a second barcode when said at least a second barcode is in said second barcode readable state prior to exceedance of said at least one additional threshold, and

upon exceedance of said at least one additional threshold said at least a second barcode becoming unreadable as the result of coloring of at least a portion of at least one colorable area forming part of said at least a fourth set of colorable areas and generally simultaneously said at least a third barcode becoming readable as the result of coloring of said at least a third set of colorable areas.