ES2254026B1 - PACKAGED PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND SYSTEM APPLICATION PROCEDURE. - Google Patents

Abstract

Identification system for packaged products and system application procedure, this system being developed for installation in supermarkets and stores selling products in general, preferably with registration and collection posts for the amount corresponding to the products purchased. The system comprises a barcode reader of each product purchased, a Braille code label printer and a computer connected to said reader and said Braille code printer. The computer has a decoder / encoder program loaded that processes and transfers the data read by the barcode reader to the Braille code label printer to deliver to the buyer attached to the purchased product. The procedure includes the steps of: a) request the labeling of the package (s) of products purchased with Braille code labels; b) pass each product purchased in front of the corresponding barcode reader; c) print a self-adhesive label in Braille code; and d) adhere each label printed in Braille code on the corresponding product package and deliver it to the buyer.

Description

Packaged product identification system and system application procedure.

Object of the invention

The present invention, according to expressed in the statement of this specification, refers to an identification system for packaged products and system application procedure, specifically intended for visually impaired people More specifically, it is a system designed especially for the blind and people with conditions that significantly decrease your visual ability, whose purpose is to allow such people to identify both the commercial name and other important data such as due dates and telephone numbers for inquiries about the characteristics of products purchased in supermarkets and other stores for sale to the general public, among other information that they are appropriate or convenient in practice.

The present invention has been conceived and made in order to provide an efficient solution to people visually impaired especially when they buy food perishables and medicines, as well as countless others products that are marketed to the general public, which in If confused, they may pose a high risk for people who consume them, as will be clearly exposed to then describing the invention in detail.

Background of the invention

Until now there is no knowledge about the existence of devices or systems intended to allow the identification of products and data referred to them by part of people with visual impairment, partial or total, of the way that is achieved by means of the present invention.

As is known, the Braille system is the only one half with the blind count to read and also write by means of special devices for printing text in code Braille. Created in the 19th century, the Braille system remains the reading-writing method used in the news that offers blind people the possibility of have greater autonomy to perform activities that before them They were inaccessible. In this way, it was possible that blind people can access the reading of texts in libraries that have books printed in Braille code. With the advance of the computer technology, currently blind people can use and work on any personal computer you have installed software specially developed for writing and listen to texts of the most diverse contents, without needing go to someone who reads them for them, have their personal agenda and Until surfing the Internet. Moreover, scanners have been developed and Braille code printers, which greatly expands possibilities of access to all types of printed information by of blind people, for example, literary works, textbooks and magazines in general, as well as materials written by both the blind themselves as by people without disabilities in their vision, by means of computers from which then they can be printed using normal character machines like as well as Braille code.

However, the way to go for contributing to the social incorporation of the blind is still extensive, so it deserves to contemplate all the situations that These people must face every day. In this sense it fits mention that people who suffer certain types of disabilities such as blindness, at the time of acquiring some product or service face countless difficulties. Such is so when buying a product in a supermarket, a blind person is very difficult for their own means to find the products you want to consume, and much even more have access to important information about them. This situation constitutes a latent risk, since the blind they can confuse the products and suffer poisoning from consume expired products, among other inconveniences. In this sense is enough to think, for example, of the difficulty of differentiate a container of aerosol oil from a container of insecticide, a bag or a box of powdered milk from a soap powder, a container of hair fixative of a paste dental, a can of a peach chard, or just a Bottle of white wine from one of red wine.

Consequently, it results in particular importance to solve the lack of means that allow blind people, or with low vision, recognize the name, composition and other data of the products acquired in supermarkets and shops in general, especially medicines, when they must handle the container that contains them for later ingest them without risks of errors that may affect your health. Should take into account the growing trend towards the standardization of the shapes and volumes of bottles, cans and containers in general, whereby the only thing that will make them identifiable for those who use Braille as a reading method will be a label printed on Braille system.

Brief Description of the Invention

The present invention, as has been mentioned, it aims to solve the inconveniences of  non-sighted people, or with low vision, when need to identify products purchased in commerce in general, such as supermarkets, pharmacies, etc., which represents a remarkable advance in its social insertion and active participation in situations where so far no They have been duly taken into account.

One of the main applications of this invention for which it was specially developed, is related to the acquisition of medicinal products. In this meaning, it should be noted that blind people who must buy and consume either one or several medications, so far not it was possible to recognize by their own means the medicine that they must ingest, as well as their expiration date, composition, method of administration, contraindications, or other information that would eventually be necessary in this regard. Precisely the The present invention resolves these problems quickly and efficient, providing the necessary means for blind people or people with low vision in general can cope with greater autonomy in these cases.

Among the advantages of this system of product identification should be noted, for example, its easy operation, the possibility of installing and adapting it in any Available space; does not require linking to the computer network from the commercial premises or supermarket; only one is necessary basic training of people in charge of positions registration and collection of purchases made in stores, since it is not necessary to instruct them in the knowledge of the Braille code and, therefore, the system can be operated by any used to deliver containers labeled in Braille system Only to people who require it.

It should be noted that this system does not It is only intended to resolve people's limitations blind, but also provides a solution for people of advanced age or, in general, for anyone with a decline partial vision, who usually have serious difficulties in reading words printed in small characters, as it is very frequently in containers of the most diverse products and in their prospects.

It is therefore an object of the present invention provide a product identification system packaging and related data, intended for people  visually impaired, this system being developed for installation in stores selling products in general, preferably of the type that have registration positions and collection of the amount corresponding to the products purchased, the system comprising a product barcode reader corresponding, a Braille code label printer and a computer connected to said reader and said printer, being a decoder / encoder program loaded onto said computer which processes and transfers the data read by said reader of barcode to said Braille code label printer to deliver them to the buyer along with the purchased product.

It is also an object of the present invention provide a procedure for the application of a system of identification of packaged products and data related to themselves, intended for people with visual impairment, includes steps of: a) request the labeling of the product package (s) purchased with Braille code tags; b) pass in front of corresponding barcode reader each product purchased; c) print a self-adhesive label in Braille code; and d) Attach each label printed in Braille code on the packaging of the corresponding product.

Brief description of the drawings

The only figure attached shows schematically a registration and collection of the amount corresponding to the products purchased, where the object system of the present invention and in which it adheres on the product packaging a self-adhesive label printed on Braille code at the request of the buyer.

Description of the preferred embodiment

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In the accompanying figure, a registration and collection point for the amount corresponding to the products purchased is shown in dashed lines, where the system of the present invention is installed, indicated with the general reference number 1. System 1 comprises a barcode reader 2, a Braille code label printer 3 and a computer 4 connected to said reader 2 and said printer 3. A decoder / encoder program is installed on computer 4 that processes and transfers the data read by the barcode reader 2 to said printer 3 to deliver to the buyer the product purchased with a label 5 with the corresponding data in Braille code affixed to the package 6 of the product. Reader 2 reads the product data entered by the barcode already included in the package 6 in the usual way, either by means of an attached label or directly printed on

 \ hbox {the container.} 

5 labels printed with the information about the product in Braille code are self-adhesive and, of this In this way, the person in charge of the registration and collection post withdraws the label 5 of printer 3 and then proceed to adhere it to the container 6.

5 labels printed in Braille code may include various data as appropriate or convenient depending on each type of product. In the case of products food, and more especially even when it comes to medications, self-adhesive label 5, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, includes the name of the product purchased, its expiration date, number telephone automatic information and information services to the consumer, and access code to such services query.

The printing of telephone numbers for inquiries to consumer information services result extremely useful since, as usual, the prospects of medicinal products include a significant amount of Information that cannot be printed on labels.

Also, in practice, labels 5 printed in Braille code may also include other data of interest, such as the generic name of the composition or drug acquired pharmaceutical, warnings about the characteristics of the product ("Toxic product", "Suitable for coeliacs", "Without salt "," Light ", among others), as well as the name of trade where the product was purchased and the price of the product, even when these last two data may be expendable. In In this sense it is worth mentioning that the number of characters in code Braille to be printed on the labels will depend on the size of these, whose dimensions should preferably be adequate to the size of the container where they will be attached.

From the above, the procedure carried out during the use of this system object of the present application, which includes the next steps to follow:

a) Once the client has with them the products that you want to buy, you must request the labeling of the product or containers of products purchased with Braille code labels in the post of registration and collection of the corresponding amount;

b) The person in charge of said position must pass  in front of the corresponding barcode reader each product delivered by the customer, just as it is done conventionally with readers for the sighted audience;

c) Once you have read the code of a product, the computer immediately processes the encoded data and sends the decoded information to the Braille printer, which prints automatically in Braille code a self-adhesive label;

d) The person in charge of the registration and collection post you must now take the label printed in Braille code and adhere it in the corresponding product container and then deliver the customer product

After the previous process the blind buyer can withdraw from commerce with the peace of mind identify at any time and without a doubt each of the products you have purchased, as well as recognize in the same label attached to each package telephone numbers by means of which you can communicate to make the query that consider consumer information services necessary that correspond in each case.

It should be noted that the system object of the The present invention offers the possibility of changing and improving consumption habits of the blind people community, allowing them greater autonomy and security, especially when They must consume medication. In addition, it allows businesses in general be pioneers in technological innovation, in addition to allow them to strengthen their institutional image and show their Company commitment with corporate social responsibility, by make accessible to all people equally the information of the products they sell, providing a better service particularly blind people, which will be reflected in the achievement of a larger fraction of the market.

It is recorded that, although it has been described  illustrated the preferred embodiment of the identification system of products object of the present invention, this may be implemented with the modifications that eventually are technically necessary or convenient, without it depart from the essential characteristics claimed.

Claims (11)

1. Identification system of packaged products (1) developed for installation in commercial premises, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, and preferably of the type that have registration and collection posts for the amount corresponding to the products (6) purchased, being characterized because it includes:

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a barcode reader (2), these barcodes being located outside the product (6) or products purchased (6),

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a Braille code label printer (3) (5),

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a computer (4) connected to said reader (2) and to said printer (3), Y

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a decoded program / encoder installed in said computer that processes, associates and transfers the data read by said reader of barcode (2) to said printer (3) of code labels Braille (5),

to later deliver those Braille code printed labels to a buyer along with the product or products purchased (6). 2. System, according to claim 1, characterized in that said labels (5) are self-adhesive to be preferably adhered to the package of the purchased product (6). 3. System according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the labels printed in Braille code (5) include the trade name of the product purchased (6). 4. System according to claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the labels printed in Braille code (5) include the generic name of the composition or pharmaceutical drug purchased (6). 5. System, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the labels printed in Braille code (5) include the expiration date of the purchased product (6). System, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the labels printed in Braille code (5) include warnings on the characteristics of the product (6) such as "Toxic product", "Suitable for coeliacs", "Without salt "and" Light ", among others. 7. System, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the labels printed in Braille code (5) include telephone numbers of consumer information services on the product purchased (6). System, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the labels printed in Braille code (5) include an access code to automatic consultation services on the purchased product (6). 9. System, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the labels printed in Braille code (5) include data on the trade where the product (6) was acquired. 10. System, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the labels printed in Braille code (5) include the price of the product (6). 11. System application method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) Request the labeling of the packaging (s) of products (6) purchased with Braille code labels (5) at employee in charge of the registration and collection of products acquired; b) Pass in front of the barcode reader (2) corresponding each product (6) purchased; c) Transfer and process the barcode of said product or products purchased (6) through the program encoder / decoder installed on the computer and associate it with at least one data in Braille code, d) Automatically print a label self-adhesive in Braille code (5); Y e) Adhere each code printed label Braille (5) in the corresponding product package (6) and Deliver it to the buyer.