WO2006136205A1

WO2006136205A1 - Method and apparatus for printing barcodes

Info

Publication number: WO2006136205A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/052893
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Jan Marie Veltman
Original assignee: E + E Holding Bv
Priority date: 2005-06-21
Filing date: 2005-06-21
Publication date: 2006-12-28

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for printing a barcode (B) on a printable element (5) by a printing head (4) with a plurality of printing dots (P). The method involves transporting said printable element and said printing head with respect to each other in a transportation direction (T) and printing lines (L) of said barcode on said printable element by activating said printing dots such that said lines have a printing direction (D) deviating from said transportation direction. Consequently, failure of a printing dot does not corrupt the line of the barcode over its full length. The invention further relates to a printing apparatus, a printed element and a product comprising such a printed element with a barcode.

Description

Method and apparatus for printing barcodes

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for printing a barcode on a printable element by a printing head with a plurality of printing dots. The invention further relates to a printing apparatus with a printing head comprising a plurality of printing dots capable of printing barcodes on a printable element and to a computer program adapted for controlling a printing apparatus with a printing head having print dots to print lines of a barcode. The invention also relates to a printed element com- prising a barcode and a product comprising a printed element with a barcode. Finally, the invention also relates to a method of obtaining information from a barcode.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Barcodes are used in many applications to convey information. For example, barcodes are used in the UPC (Universal Product Code) that allows a checkout scanner to operate in a retail sales setting. Further, barcodes are applied on labels to convey information on the price or weight of a product. However, the use of barcodes is becoming far more extensive. For example, while many documents are intended to convey information to people, by adding a barcode to the document, the document may also convey information to a machine.

Unfortunately, scanning of the barcodes requires uncor- rupted barcodes as to correctly obtain the information represented by these barcodes. Consequently, printing of barcodes is highly critical to allow accurate and error-free scanning.

Typically, a printing apparatus for applying barcodes comprises an array of a considerable amount of printing dots, e.g. a single array of 1260 printing dots. Failure of only one of these dots already makes the printing apparatus unsuitable for reliable application of barcodes, since the line or portion of a line of the barcode corresponding to the defect printing dot would be deficient resulting in a different and thus incorrect barcode .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object to provide a more robust method and apparatus for printing barcodes.

To this end, a method is provided for printing a barcode on a printable element by a printing head with a plurality of printing dots, said method comprising the steps of : transporting said printable element and said printing head with respect to each other in a transportation direction; printing lines of said barcode on said printable element by activating said printing dots such that said lines have a printing direction deviating from said transportation direction.

Further, according to the invention a printing apparatus is provided with a printing head comprising a plurality of printing dots capable of printing barcodes on a printable ele- ment, said apparatus being arranged for time distributed activation of adjacent printing dots to form a line of one of said barcodes .

By appropriate activation of the printing dots, the lines of the barcode are arranged under an angle with respect to the transportation direction. The barcode has an imaginary outer contour substantially in the shape of a parallelogram. Consequently, failure of a printing dot does not corrupt the line of the barcode over its full length. At least a portion of the particular line has the intended width, such that scanning the barcode will give a correct result. Accordingly, failure of one or more printing dots does not make the printing head unsuitable for applying barcodes. Further, as the on-time of a printing dot is reduced, the service life of the printing head is significantly improved. The angle formed by the printed lines preferably is in a range between 0 and 45 degrees, preferably 1-20 degrees, e.g. 10 degrees. The angle is primarily dictated by the line of the barcode that has the largest width. A defect printing dot should preferably completely traverse this line to ensure that at least a portion of this widest line has its intended width.

The invention also relates to a computer program adapted for controlling a printing apparatus with a printing head having print dots to print lines of a barcode at least including software code portions for time distributed activation of adjacent printing dots to form a line of said barcode.

The invention also relates to a printed element com- prising a barcode which has an outer contour shaped as a parallelogram.

Moreover, the invention also relates to a product comprising a barcode, applied on a printed element (such as a label, tag or sticker) attached to said product or directly on said product, said barcode having an outer contour shaped as a parallelogram.

Finally, the invention also relates to a method of obtaining information from such a barcode .

It is noted that barcodes and methods and apparatuses for applying such a barcode that deviate from the conventional

^• rectangular shaped barcodes are .-known.

US 5,395,181 discloses a method and apparatus for printing a circular or bullseye barcode with a thermal printer. A retrieved barcode is transformed into the circular barcode for commanding a printer to cause a print of said circular barcode to be made.

WO 03/050698 discloses a two-dimensional barcode having rows and columns .

These barcodes are complex and may require dedicated scanning devices in order to obtain information represented by these barcodes .

It should be acknowledged that the embodiments described above, or aspects thereof, may be combined.

The invention will be further illustrated with refer- ence to the attached drawings, which schematically show preferred embodiments according to the invention. It will be un- derstood that the invention is not in any way restricted to these specific and preferred embodiments .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings :

Fig. 1 shows a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 2A-2D show examples of time-distributed activation according to an embodiment of a method of the invention; Figs. 3A and 3B show barcodes according an embodiment of the invention, and

Figs. 4A and 4B show a printed element and an article having a barcode according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 shows a thermal printing apparatus 1 comprising a printing control system 2 connected via a cable 3 to an array of printing dots P (not individually shown in Fig. 1) in a printing head 4. Printable elements 5, e.g. labels or stickers, are transported in a transportation direction T by a carrier 6 towards the printing head 4. t

When the labels 5 are provided underneath the printing head -4 a barcode B (see Figs. 3A and 3B) with a parallelogram shaped outer contour can be printed on the labels 5. Printing may e.g. be accomplished by a thermal process directly on the heat-sensitive label 5 or indirectly by using an intermediate carbon element between the printing dots P and the label 5. Batches of identical barcodes B may be printed on the labels 5. Alternatively, a different barcode B may be printed on each Ia- bel 5.

The printing control system 2 comprises a memory module 7 containing a computer program capable of applying an embodiment of the invention further explained with reference to Figs. 2A-2D. In Figs. 2A-2D examples are shown of the time- distributed activation of printing dots Pi in order to obtain a slanting line L of a barcode B. The time axis t is pointed vertically downward.

In Figs. 2A-2C the time-distributed activation of only- three adjacent printing dots P is illustrated. It should be ap- preciated that in practice more printing dots P are applied, such as a linear array of 1260 printing dots P with a density of 12 dots per mm. In Figs. 2A-2C, the adjacent printing dots P are subsequently activated during one, two and four time units respectively. In this way, the slope of the line L of the barcode B is determined.

In contrast to Figs. 2A-2C, Fig. 2D illustrates an example with four printing dots P, wherein at each time during printing, two printing dots P are active. The third printing dot P₃ is activated when the first printing dot Pi is deactivated. In this way sloped lines L of larger width are obtained for the barcode B.

Clearly, from Figs. 2A-2D it is apparent that the on time of the printing dots P is considerably smaller as compared to conventional barcode printing, which consequently improves the electrical service life of the printing head 4.

^■y Figs. 3A and 3B display embodiments of barcodes B having an outer contour shaped as a parallelogram.

Fig. 3A shows an uncorrupted barcode B with slanted lines L of varying width. The length of the lines L is deter- mined by the on-time of the printing dots P and by the velocity of the carrier 6. The lines L point in a printing direction D and define an angle α with the transportation direction T. The deviation of the printing direction D of the lines L from the transportation direction T is obtained by time-distributed acti.- vation of the printing dots P as described with reference to

Figs. 2A-2D. The angle α preferably is smaller than 45 degrees, more preferably smaller than 20 degrees, e.g. 10 degrees.

The angle α is primarily dictated by the line L of the barcode B that has the largest width. This is illustrated in Fig. 3B showing a corrupted barcode B. A defect printing dot Pi forms a blank line in the transportation direction T which completely traverses the line L of the barcode B. As the printing direction deviates by an angle α from the transportation direction T₇ consequently, the intended width of the line L is still detectable in the region R. Therefore the printing head 4 may still be used for the application of barcodes B without result- ing in erroneous results while scanning such a corrupted barcode .

The barcode B may have a base line C in order to indicate which printing dot P is defect.

It should be appreciated that the barcodes may have added numbers positioned along one of the longer sides of the parallelogram contour defined by the barcode B.

Fig. 4A shows a label 5 containing a barcode B according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4B shows a product or article 10 to which a label 5 containing the barcode B is applied. It should be appreciated that the barcode B of the invention may also be applied directly on a suitable product 10, e.g. by using an intermediate transfer ribbon for thermal printing.

Claims

1. A method for printing a barcode (B) on a printable element (5) by a printing head (4) with a plurality of printing dots (P), said method comprising the steps of: transporting said printable element and said printing head with respect to each other in a transportation direction (T) ; printing lines (L) of said barcode on said printable element by activating said printing dots such that said lines have a printing direction (D) deviating from said transpor- tation direction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transportation direction (T) and said printing direction (D) define an angle (α) between 0-45 degrees, preferably between 1-20 degrees .

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said lines

(B) of said barcode (B) define an outer contour which has the shape of a parallelogram.

4. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said printing dots (P) are further activated to print a base line (C) defining an angle smaller than 90 degrees with said lines of said bar code (B) .

5. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said printing head (4) is a thermal printing head comprising a single array of printing dots (P) .

6. The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said printable elements (5) comprise labels provided on a movable carrier (6), further comprising the steps of: transporting said carrier in a direction (T) towards said printing head; - printing said lines (L) of said barcode (B) on said labels by activating said printing dots (P) .

7. A method for printing a bar code (B) on a printable element (5) by a printing head (4) with a plurality of printing dots (P) , said method comprising the step of printing said bar- code with an outer contour of a parallelogram shape.

8. A printing apparatus (1) , preferably a thermal printing apparatus, with a printing head (4) comprising a plurality of printing dots (P) capable of printing barcodes (B) on a printable element (5) , said apparatus being arranged for time- distributed activation of adjacent printing dots to form a line (L) of one of said barcodes.

9. The printing apparatus (1) according to claim 8, wherein said printing dots (P) are arranged in a linear array and said printing apparatus is arranged to form said line (L) in a direction non-perpendicular to said array of printing dots by time-distributed activation of said printing dots.

10. The printing apparatus (1) according to claim 8, wherein said apparatus further comprises a transportation device

(6) capable of conveying said printable element towards said printing head (4) in a transportation direction (T) and wherein said printing apparatus is programmed for time-distributed activation of said adjacent printing dots such that lines of said barcode have a printing direction (D) deviating from said transportation direction.

11. A computer program adapted for controlling a printing apparatus (1) with a printing head (4) having print dots (P) _^r to print lines (L) of a barcode (B) at least including software code portions for time-distributed activation of adjacent printing dots to form a line of said barcode.

12. A printed element (5) comprising a barcode which has an outer contour shaped as a parallelogram.

13. A product (10) comprising a barcode, applied on a printed element attached to said product or directly on said product, said barcode having an outer contour shaped as a paral- lelogram.

14. A method of obtaining information from a barcode (B) , wherein said barcode has an outer contour shaped as a parallelogram, said method comprising the step of scanning said barcode by a scanning apparatus to generate a scanning signal representing said information.