Registers – Records
Patent
1987-07-15
1989-05-02
Pitts, Harold I.
Registers
Records
235494, 283 77, G06K 1900
Patent
active
048271144
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a process and a device designed to scramble, through a transparent wrapping, various data, particularly when the data are symbolized by a bar code.
The use of bar codes which are automatically read by a magnetic reading head is becoming more and more popular. It is, thus, possible to automatically read the number of a check, the address on a piece of mail or the price of an object. In department stores in particular, it is customary to affix on the items offered for sale a bar coded tag having various indications, including the price. As the customer gives the item to the cashier, the latter slides the reading head in front of the tag whose data is automatically stored in a computer designed to handle accounting as well as inventory control operations in general.
A problem arises, however, in the case where several unitary items are grouped in a single lot that the customer purchases as a whole. Indeed, if several unitary products, each bearing its individual tag, are grouped under a single wrap, often a soft, transparent plastic bag, the price of the lot is marked on a collective tag affixed to the wrapping bag. Therefore, as the customer brings his purchase to the cashier, there is a chance that the price will be misread. Indeed, if the cashier inadvertently sweeps the reading head over one of the individual tags of the unit products instead of the coded tag bearing the price of the lot, the customer will only be requested to pay the unit price, causing a loss to the store.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The process which is the subject of the invention is designed to prevent reading of bar coded data through a soft, translucent or transparent wrapping film. This process is characterized by the fact that the film includes at least one obstacle able to destroy the discriminating ability of a traditional reading head whose reading beam is pointed through the film to try to read the above mentioned coded data through that film.
According to the another feature of the invention, the obstacle is composed of characters that are printed on the film in such a fashion as to constitute an impervious obstacle which interrupts, at least partially, the passage of the reading beam.
According to another feature of the invention, the obstacle is composed of characters that are printed on the film and designed to cause confusion with the coded data whose contrast is thus reduced below the discriminating threshold of the reading head.
According to another feature of the invention, the obstacle is composed of a compound which is incorporated in the film and stops light beams whose wave length is less than 0.65 micron, such as metal oxides including zinc oxide, iron oxide, titanium oxide or other master compounds, for example.
According to another feature of the invention, the master compound is deposited in a continuous layer on at least one face of the film and on all or part of its surface.
According to another feature of the invention, the master compound is incorporated in the film matter at the production stage.
According to another feature of the invention, a network of irregular lines is traced on at least part of the soft film surface.
According to another feature of the invention, the lines are traced through a printing process.
According to another feature of the invention, the scrambling lines are traced following a dense network, the distance between two consecutive lines being about the same as the average distance between two consecutive bars of the bar code used.
According to another feature of the invention, the lines are identical to one another and printed next to each other following a zig-zag pattern.
According to another feature of the invention, the color of the printed pattern is such that it is difficult for the reading head to differentiate the color of the coded bars whose reading is to be scrambled.
The attached drawings will give a better understanding of the features of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TH
Pitts Harold I.
VanOphem Remy J.
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