Historical chronology of the birth and development of barcodes

Mar 10, 2015 08:38 822

1949

Bernard Siliver 和 N. J. Woodland registered the first machine-readable barcode: the "bullseye code".

1951

Dr. David Sheppard developed the first practical Optical Character Recognition (OCR) reader. Over the next 20 years, more than 50 companies and over 100 types of OCR readers entered the market.

1956

The American Bankers Association chose MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) as the standard machine language for processing checks.

1964

Recognition Equipment, Inc. installed the first OCR reader with a font library at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, capable of reading standard printed characters.

1967

Kroger supermarket in Cincinnati installed the first barcode-scanning retail system. Some shoppers were skeptical about prices represented by barcodes.

1968

The first company entirely dedicated to barcode equipment, Computer-Identics, was founded by David Collins.

1969

Computer-Identics developed the first fixed-position helium-neon laser scanner.

1970

The first smart card patent was granted to Dr. Kunitaka Arimura in Japan. Seventeen years later, the USDA implemented the first large-scale smart card project in the U.S. for peanut farmers.
Motorola developed the first portable Radio Frequency Data Collection (RF/DC) system.
Norand launched a handheld portable data terminal.

1971

Jim Bianco of Control Module developed the PCP portable barcode reader, the first to use a microprocessor (Intel 4004) and digital cassette memory with a then-impressive 500K capacity. It weighed 27 pounds.
The first European barcode symbology, Plessey Code, was introduced by the UK’s Plessey Company. Originally designed for the Ministry of Defence, it was later adopted by libraries.
Norand introduced the first portable pen-type scanner, Norand 101, signaling major developments in portable retail scanning and opening new fields in automatic identification. It allowed orders to be written directly from store shelves, greatly reducing order planning time.
AIM (Automatic Identification Manufacturers Association) was founded with four members: Computer-Identics, Identicon, 3M, and Mekoontrol. By 1986, membership grew to 85 companies, and by early 1991 to 159.
Codabar was introduced by Monarch Marking Systems, a division of Pitney-Bowes, primarily for blood banks. It was the first symbology to use computer verification.

1972

Interleaved 2 of 5 was invented by Dr. David Allais of Intermec and provided to Computer-Identics. This barcode could store more data in a smaller space.
NCR introduced color barcodes for retail POS systems.

1973

UPC barcode standard was announced.
Exxon subsidiary Verbex developed a voice recognition system.
Recognition Equipment developed a handheld OCR reader for Sears, Roebuck—the first such device used in warehousing.

1974

Intermec launched the Plessey barcode printer, the industry’s first contact "demand" printer.
The first UPC scanner was installed at Marsh Supermarket in Oklahoma. Only 27 products carried UPC codes at the time. The first scanned item was a pack of Wrigley’s gum, priced at 69 cents, successfully read by the scanner. Visitors came from Japan and Denmark to observe the scanner. Within ten years, nearly half of U.S. supermarkets had scanners. By 1989, 17,180 stores had scanning systems—62% of all U.S. grocery stores.
Code 39, the first alphanumeric barcode, was developed by Dr. David Allais and Ray Sterens of Intermec.

1976

Europe adopted their own version of the UPC—EAN (European Article Numbering).
Kurzweil Computer Company released a reader that could scan and read entire pages aloud.

1977

George Goldberg published the first issue of *Scan Newsletter*.

1978

1. The first patented barcode verifier, Lasercheck 2701, was introduced by Symbol Technologies.
2. Bill Maginnis of Hunt Wesson Foods led the “distribution barcode standards task force,” greatly advancing standardization.
3. LXE launched the first vehicle-mounted RF/DC terminal.

1980

1. Sato introduced its first thermal transfer printer, model 5323, originally designed to print UPCs for retail.
2. RF/ID debuted in the U.S. when Recognition Equipment developed RFID tags for livestock identification. France’s Sattec also developed passive programmable transponders.

1981

Barcoding and RF/DC were used together for the first time.
Norand released the first linear CCD scanner, model 20/20.
The 1,200-page LOGMARS report was released to U.S. industry.
The Department of Defense mandated all supplied goods use LOGMARS Code 39.
Code 128 was introduced by Computer Identics.

1982

The first *Bar Code Manufacturers and Service Manual* was published by *Bar Code News*.
Symbol introduced the LS7000, the first successful handheld, moving-beam laser scanner—marking the start of portable laser scanners.
Dest released the first desktop OCR document reader, capable of scanning 250 pages per hour.
The first Scan-Tech exhibition was held in Dallas, with 55 vendors.

1983

RFID was first used in dairy cow feeding, by Babson Bros. in the U.S.
ANSI MH10.8M became the first U.S. national barcode standard, covering Code 39, Codabar, and Interleaved 2 of 5.
The Auto Industry Action Group (AIAG) adopted Code 39 as its standard. It was the first industry to use "on-site verification" of barcode use.

1984

The healthcare barcode committee adopted Code 39 as the industry standard.
The first introductory barcode book, *Reading Between the Lines*, was published by Craig K. Harmon and Russ Adams.
The first European Scan-Tech exhibition was held in Amsterdam.
The UPC Shipping Container Code was launched for identifying large packages of the same product, aiding in bulk scanning.

1985

The book industry advisory council adopted book EAN codes.
The Foundation for Automatic Coding Technologies (FACT) was established as a branch of AIM. It initially included 10 industries; by 1991, 22 industries participated.
The first issue of *Automatic ID News* was published.

1986

The *ID System* magazine hosted the first automatic identification technology exhibition (ID Expo) in San Francisco.
LEX developed a voice-recognition-based RF input system.

1987

Dr. David Allais developed Code 49, the first 2D barcode, introduced by Intermec.
With support from AIM, the "Automatic Identification Center" was established at Ohio University by Professor James Fales to train teachers in automatic ID technologies.

1988

Ted William of Laserlight Systems introduced a second 2D barcode, Code 16K.

1989

Teklogix launched the first cellular RF system, allowing users to move within the network without losing data or switching frequencies—making RF systems as convenient as car phones.
Scan-Tech'89 in San Francisco became a historic "Barcode Quake".

1990