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You have often seen them on cereal boxes, books, and just about every consumer product on store shelves. Those are the infamous UPC barcodes. Why could they be needed? Who's with them, and what sort of information will they glean from their store?
What's promising about Universal Product Code (UPC) barcodes is they weren't used for nefarious government purposes as was feared when they were first introduced commercially within the 1970s. That point might be coming in the long run, but for now they're harmless towards the average consumer. They are used primarily to trace inventory for retail, manufacturing along with other purposes.
Good reputation for the UPC Barcode
A brief history from the used PC barcode actually dates back to the early 1930s and also the first automated checkout system featuring technology using punch cards. Inventors Bernard Silver and Joseph Woodland patented the very first barcode system in the early 1950s based on their previous understanding of those earlier punch card systems.
Various organizations and business entities then continued to test out the UPC barcode through the 1960s, yet commercial success seemed elusive typically. However, in the early 1970s, IBM introduced the current barcode for commercial use. And just what was the first product they coded? A pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum.
How it Works
A standard UPC barcode includes a mixture of black strips, white spaces and numerical digits. As many as 12 digits from the UPC number, with each number sequence being represented with a specific mixture of black strips and white spaces. Uniqueness is achieved by allowing just one way to display any numerical sequence.
By arranging the black strips and white spaces accordingly, the UPC barcode provides a graphical image that may be scanned using infrared light or any other similar technologies. The unique number sequence of each individual code may be used to retrieve and store data from the item scanned.
DIY UPC Barcodes
Organizations like the U.S. Postal Service and UPS use UPC barcodes to trace packages. Retailers like Walmart and Kmart use the codes to track inventory in warehouses and native department stores. Manufacturers make use of the codes to manage recycleables coming in and finished products heading out. But you may use them you to ultimately manage your personal small business or keep track of possessions in your home for insurance purposes.
There are a variety of free software application programs that permit individual consumers to create and print their very own barcodes. All you need to do is link these to a database or spreadsheet, then print a label and fix it to anything you want to track. With a smartphone or PDA your UPC bar codes become a simple and efficient method to keep an eye on whatever you desire.