DE1774959A1 - DATA MEDIA FOR MARKING GOODS - Google Patents

Description

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The Monarch Marking System Company 216 5. Torrence St., Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A.

Data carriers for labeling goods

The invention relates to data carriers for labeling goods, e.g. B. in the form of labels, price tags, price tags and outer packaging that is particularly suitable for this, for example in a department store or a self-service grocery store at a cash register automatically reading data such as the price of a product and depending on the data thereof to a processing device such as a key operated cash register.

The conventional one, in department stores and grocery stores The sales method used consists in the fact that the buyer brings the selected goods to a seller, who looks for a price tag on the goods that shows the price of the goods, and then the sale in the cash register keyed in. In many cases, the saleswoman fills out additional papers, for example for the saleswoman to record a loan for sale, or for inventory control purposes. Attempts have also been made to take advantage of the take advantage of automatic data processing by providing special markings or perforations on the label

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the so that the label could be scanned by specialized equipment to do what was needed for data processing To gain information. So far there were such facilities however, expensive and space consuming. Data processing of this type can be used to advantage in department stores However, it is not suitable for self-service shops, although there the problem of inventory control with regard to the packaged food is of considerable importance.

ψ In stores where a large number of sales have been made the bottleneck in smooth customer handling is generally at the cash register. The saleswoman has to find the price for the goods, key that price into the cash register, and then change the money. At times the seller incorrectly reads the price on the label or, in the case of packaged food, the price stamped on the packaging. This can either be a financial one Loss to the shop owner and / or cause trouble with customers, depending on who loses from the mistake. Error when keying in the price of the goods occurs relatively frequently.

Automatically readable data carriers are also known (DT-AS 1 239 125) which have data marks in the form of one or more concentric circular rings. Everyone provides of the rings represent a single data mark in such a way that the existence of a ring for a binary 1 and the non-existence of a

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presence of a ring stands for a binary O. The disks are guided past a reading device; the presence or absence of the individual rings appeals to. Because of the ring-shaped design of the data marks there is no need to pay attention to an exact alignment of the data carrier and reading device. Also at an angle Data carriers are scanned properly. With five circular rings With the known data carrier, a total of 31 different combinations and thus 31 different characters can be created represent. However, numbers of characters in this order of magnitude are far from sufficient when it comes to, for example, on the labels in encrypted form the price of a commodity and, if necessary, additional information such as stock numbers. Department numbers or the like. There the value of the goods in penny increments between one penny and can be several hundred or even a thousand marks, should when using the known data carrier solely for display purposes the price can be worked with such a large number of concentric rings that the volume is beyond the question and got expensive.

The invention is based on the object of a data carrier for marking goods, in particular in the form of a label or the like, to create on the one hand in a small space can hold a large amount of information and the other hand can be read easily, quickly and without errors.

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This object is achieved according to the invention in that the data carrier is provided with an alignment aid located in the center of the circular ring or rings, by means of which a reading or scanning device can be centered with reference to data marks distributed in the circumferential direction within the circular rings. The alignment aid allows a reading device to be centered reliably and precisely with reference to the data marks in the shortest possible time. Only through the use of the alignment aid located in the center of the circular rings is the handling of the reading device as easy as this is a prerequisite for successful use of the data carrier for sale in department stores, self-service shops and the like. Because the alignment aid allows the reading device to be centered exactly in relation to the data rings, data marks can be distributed within the circular rings in the circumferential direction . This makes it possible to accommodate a large number of information bits within a single circular ring.

The alignment aid can expediently be a hole or a recess of the data carrier. A probe tip of the reading device can be inserted into such a hole or such a depression easy to use.

The data marks can be printed on the data carrier or stamped into the data carrier.

In order to allow reading in the shortest possible time, it is expedient

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wisely one of the rings is provided with a pattern that indicates the reading process for the information contained in the other ring or rings turns off by means of the reading device. Preferably, one or more rings are also provided with a pattern, that specifies a clock control for reading the information, contained in the other ring or rings on the data carrier.

To obtain even greater security against reading errors, the circular rings forming the data marks are preferably surrounded by an uninterrupted ring which indicates when the reading device is placed eccentrically on the data carrier.

The invention is shown below on the basis of a preferred exemplary embodiment explained in more detail in connection with the drawings. It shows:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an inventive design Label, and

FIG. 2 schematically shows the label according to FIG. 1 in connection with an automatic label scanner.

The label 18 shown in Figure 1 has an alignment aid , which is preferably in the form of a central hole 18A, in which the front end of the probe tip 20 (Figure 2) of an eti

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chain scanner 14 can be inserted »to align the label scanner with the label 18 exactly. The Etikettabtaster is then pressed down onto the label, wherein the probe tip is pushed into a hollow shaft of the scanner 20, brought to the scanner close enough to the label _s is light from external light sources to prevent in the sampler at the inlet. The scanner then begins to work automatically.

The label 18 can be regarded as divided into four information-carrying rings medium as a timing ring 18B äuBerer Information ₁ Information ring 18C 18D ring and inner ring are designated information 18E. The clock ring contains clock information; it is always provided with four machine-readable characters, for example in the form of black markings, with 18B ₁ , 18B ₂ | 18B_ and 18B. are designated. These markings are always arranged in the predetermined illustrated positions; they are separated from each other by four white spaces.

A fifth machine-readable character, e.g. B. in the form of a black marking 18C ₁ . occupies a predetermined position in the outer information ring 18C. It is also used for timing purposes. The centers of the five clock marks are offset from one another by essentially the same amount. The five markers are used for clocking purposes as well as for

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Switching purposes used within the evaluation device. The five marks define five sectors within which machine-readable information is housed, preferably in the form of the presence or absence of black marks. In the outer ring of the _{sector determined by the black marking 18C 1} there is always a white marking (corresponding to the lack of a black marking). In the sector zones of the rings that differ from the other black markings 18B ₁ , 18B_i 18B. data are stored in the form of machine-readable characters; which are preferably also represented by the presence or absence of black markings.

To scan the concentric rings of the label, the label scanner 14 is equipped with four transducers, preferably in the form of photocells. A photocell is assigned to each ring. The dashed lines in Figure 1 zones 19A 19B _4, 19C and 19D show the sampled from the photo-cell areas; they also show the mutual arrangement of the photocells. The markings illustrated on the label 18 can, in addition to the clock markings, represent, for example, the price of dollars I ₁ SI, which is additionally written on the label. They can also contain other desirable information regarding the goods, for example the department concerned.

The data carrier according to the invention is particularly suitable

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177Α959

for use in conjunction with a device such as in the patent ... (application P 15 49 813.2-53) is described in more detail.

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Claims (5)

Expectations 1. Data carriers for labeling goods _: in particular labels. Price tag _; Price tag or outer packaging, with one or more concentric circular rings serving to form data rings, characterized by an alignment aid (18ΑΪ) located in the center of the circular ring or rings (18B to 18E); by means of which a reading device can be centered with reference to data marks distributed in the circumferential direction within the circular rings is. 2. Data carrier according to claim * \ ■ characterized in that - that the alignment aid is designed as a hole (18A) or recess of the data carrier (18). 3. Data carrier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that that the data marks are printed or stamped. 4. Data carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized characterized in that one of the rings (18B to 18E) is provided with a pattern. that the reading process for the in the information contained in the other ring or rings by means of the reading device (14) switches off. 5. Data carrier according to one of the preceding claims, there- 209881/0076 characterized in that one or more rings (18B _r 18C) are provided with a pattern which specifies a clock control for reading the information _{: contained} in the other ring or rings (18C to 18E) of the data carrier (18). _R reveals 6, data carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data marks bxldenden circular rings are surrounded by a continuous ring when the reading device (14) is mounted eccentrically to the disk (18), 209881/0076