The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 08, 2011
Filed:
Jan. 18, 2008
Kim O. Lindahl, Golden Valley, MN (US);
Kelly Kuhn-wallace, Minneapolis, MN (US);
David Sha, Minneapolis, MN (US);
John J. Kaiser, St. Paul, MN (US);
Ellen A. Boldt, Minnetonka, MN (US);
Eric B. Erickson, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Vicki L. Domka, Becker, MN (US);
John J. Butcher, Chanhassen, MN (US);
Bonnie Eggleston, Apple Valley, MN (US);
Ted C. Halbur, Lino Lakes, MN (US);
Kim O. Lindahl, Golden Valley, MN (US);
Kelly Kuhn-Wallace, Minneapolis, MN (US);
David Sha, Minneapolis, MN (US);
John J. Kaiser, St. Paul, MN (US);
Ellen A. Boldt, Minnetonka, MN (US);
Eric B. Erickson, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Vicki L. Domka, Becker, MN (US);
John J. Butcher, Chanhassen, MN (US);
Bonnie Eggleston, Apple Valley, MN (US);
Ted C. Halbur, Lino Lakes, MN (US);
Target Brands, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
Barcodes are provided that convey images to help consumers and/or to help identify information about the origin of an article. The images conveyed by the barcodes may be associated with a merchant, a department, an event, a season, a theme or a product, for example. The barcodes may be placed on any number of articles including purchaser receipts, gift receipts, marketing receipt coupons, paper coupons, electronic coupons, rewards cards, gift cards, registry printouts, and products/packaging, for example. Under some embodiments, the barcodes help consumers to associate articles with a particular merchant or department. Under other embodiments, the barcodes help consumers to distinguish purchaser receipts from gift receipts. In some embodiments, the barcodes are generated dynamically by altering font-based barcodes to convey the image.