US5552591A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Presence/absence bar code
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1993-02-22
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Granted: 1996-09-03
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Expires: 2013-02-22
Abstract
Abstract A single width bar code exhibiting inherent self clocking characteristics is provided so as to be particularly useful in the identification of semiconductor wafers in very large scale integrated circuit manufacturing processes. The codes described herein are robust, reliable and highly readable even in the face of relatively high variations in scanning speed. The codes are also desirably dense in terms of character representations per linear centimeter, an important consideration in semiconductor manufacturing wherein space on the chips and the wafer is at a premium. Additionally, a preferred embodiment of the present invention exhibits a minimum number for the maximum number of spaces between adjacent bars in code symbol sequences.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas C. Bossen
- 👤 Chin-Long Chen
- 👤 Frederick H. Dill
- 👤 Douglas S. Goodman
- 👤 Mu-Yue Hsiao
- 👤 Paul V. McCann
- 👤 James M. Mulligan
- 👤 Ricky A. Rand
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 01:59
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/10; G06K7/10544; G06K7/10821; G06K7/10861; G06K1/00; G06K1/12; G06K1/126; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/06009; G06K19/06018; G06K19/06028; G06K7/01; G06K7/016; G06K7/0166; G06K2019/06215; G06K2019/06253
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
An article of manufacture having identifying indicia thereon said indicia comprising adjacently positioned groups of sequences of marks, said groups including k substantially uniformly wide marks of a first width, W 1 , at selectively spaced intervals within said groups, and also including an equal number of blank intervals within said groups, said blank intervals being defined by said marks, said blank intervals having a width which is substantially equal to an integral multiple of a second width, W 2 , so that each sequence group has substantially the same width and the same number of said substantially uniformly wide marks in each group, and wherein the total blank interval width in each group is equal to (n-k) W 2 , where n is the number of marks whose width is W 1 plus the number of blank positions whose width is W 2 , and wherein there is at least one sequence group in which the number of distinctly blank interval widths, between the marks in said at least one sequence group, is at least 3.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
An article of manufacture having identifying indicia thereon said indicia comprising adjacently positioned groups of sequences of marks, said groups including k substantially uniformly wide marks of a first width, W 1 , at selectively spaced intervals within said groups, and also including an equal number of blank intervals within said groups, said blank intervals being defined by said marks, said blank intervals having a width which is substantially equal to an integral multiple of a second width, W 2 , so that each sequence group has substantially the same width and the same number of said substantially uniformly wide marks in each group, and wherein the total blank interval width in each group is equal to (n-k) W 2 , where n is the number of marks whose width is W 1 plus the number of blank positions whose width is W 2 , and wherein there is at least one sequence group in which the number of distinctly blank interval widths, between the marks in said at least one sequence group, is at least 3.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 in which the number of marks in each group is 4.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 in which said first width is substantially equal to said second width.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
196 words
A method for reading a substrate having a bar code disposed thereon, said method comprising the step of determining the presence or absence of marks and blank intervals which are adjacently positioned in groups of sequences of marks, said groups including k substantially uniformly wide marks of a first width, W 1 , at selectively spaced intervals within said groups, and also including an equal number of blank intervals within said groups, said blank intervals being defined by said marks, said blank intervals having a width which is substantially equal to an integral multiple of a second width, W 2 , so that each sequence group has substantially the same width and the same number of said substantially uniformly wide marks in each group, and wherein the total blank interval width in each group is equal to (n-k)W 2 , where n is the number of marks whose width is W 1 plus the number of blank positions whose width is W 2 , and wherein there is at least one sequence group in which the number of distinctly blank interval widths, between the marks in said at least one sequence group, is at least 3.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
196 words
A method for reading a substrate having a bar code disposed thereon, said method comprising the step of determining the presence or absence of marks and blank intervals which are adjacently positioned in groups of sequences of marks, said groups including k substantially uniformly wide marks of a first width, W 1 , at selectively spaced intervals within said groups, and also including an equal number of blank intervals within said groups, said blank intervals being defined by said marks, said blank intervals having a width which is substantially equal to an integral multiple of a second width, W 2 , so that each sequence group has substantially the same width and the same number of said substantially uniformly wide marks in each group, and wherein the total blank interval width in each group is equal to (n-k)W 2 , where n is the number of marks whose width is W 1 plus the number of blank positions whose width is W 2 , and wherein there is at least one sequence group in which the number of distinctly blank interval widths, between the marks in said at least one sequence group, is at least 3.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 4 in which the number of marks in each group is 4.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 4 in which said first width is substantially equal to said second width.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
168 words
A method for marking a substrate with a bar code, said method comprising the step of: providing adjacently positioned groups of sequences of marks, said groups including k substantially uniformly wide marks of a first width, W 1 , at selectively spaced intervals within said groups, and also including an equal number of blank intervals within said groups, said blank intervals being defined by said marks, said blank intervals having a width which is substantially equal to an integral multiple of a second width, W 2 , so that each sequence group has substantially the same width and the same number of said substantially uniformly wide marks in each group, and wherein the total blank interval width in each group is equal to (n-k)W 2 , where n is the number of marks whose width is W 1 plus the number of blank positions whose width is W 2 , and wherein there is at least one sequence group in which said integral multiple is at least 3.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
168 words
A method for marking a substrate with a bar code, said method comprising the step of: providing adjacently positioned groups of sequences of marks, said groups including k substantially uniformly wide marks of a first width, W 1 , at selectively spaced intervals within said groups, and also including an equal number of blank intervals within said groups, said blank intervals being defined by said marks, said blank intervals having a width which is substantially equal to an integral multiple of a second width, W 2 , so that each sequence group has substantially the same width and the same number of said substantially uniformly wide marks in each group, and wherein the total blank interval width in each group is equal to (n-k)W 2 , where n is the number of marks whose width is W 1 plus the number of blank positions whose width is W 2 , and wherein there is at least one sequence group in which said integral multiple is at least 3.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
156 words
A substrate having identifying information comprising adjacently positioned groups of sequences of marks, said groups including k substantially uniformly wide marks of a first width, W 1 , at selectively spaced intervals within said groups, and also including an equal number of blank intervals within said groups, said blank intervals being defined by said marks, said blank intervals having a width which is substantially equal to an integral multiple of a second width W 2 , so that each sequence group has substantially the same width and the same number of said substantially uniformly wide marks in each group, and wherein the total blank interval width in each group is equal to (n-k)W 2 , where n is the number of marks whose width is W 1 plus the number of blank positions whose width is W 2 and wherein there is at least one sequence group in which said integral multiple is at least 3.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
156 words
A substrate having identifying information comprising adjacently positioned groups of sequences of marks, said groups including k substantially uniformly wide marks of a first width, W 1 , at selectively spaced intervals within said groups, and also including an equal number of blank intervals within said groups, said blank intervals being defined by said marks, said blank intervals having a width which is substantially equal to an integral multiple of a second width W 2 , so that each sequence group has substantially the same width and the same number of said substantially uniformly wide marks in each group, and wherein the total blank interval width in each group is equal to (n-k)W 2 , where n is the number of marks whose width is W 1 plus the number of blank positions whose width is W 2 and wherein there is at least one sequence group in which said integral multiple is at least 3.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The substrate of claim 8 in which the number of marks in each group is 4.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The substrate of claim 8 in which said first width is substantially equal to said second width.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4680457A
Cited
US4833306A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-09-03 | 2000-03-04 | 2000-09-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-09-03 | 2004-03-04 | 2004-09-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-09-03 | 2008-03-04 | 2008-09-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |