System and method for quality management utilizing barcode indicators

摘要

A quality management system for products including a multiplicity of barcoded quality indicators, a barcode indicator reader and a product type responsive indication interpreter, each of the barcoded quality indicators including a first barcode including at least one first colorable area, the first barcode being machine-readable before exceedance of the at least one time and temperature threshold, at least a second barcode including at least one second colorable area, the second barcode not being machine-readable before exceedance of the at least one time and temperature threshold, a coloring agent located at a first location on the indicator and a coloring agent pathway operative to allow the coloring agent to move, from the first location to the first and second colorable areas simultaneously thereby causing the first barcode to become unreadable and at the same time causing the second barcode to become machine-readable.

主权项

1. A quality management system for products comprising:
a multiplicity of barcoded quality indicators each operative to provide a machine-readable indication of exceedance of at least one multi-parameter threshold, each of said indicators comprising:
a first barcode including at least one first colorable area, said first barcode being machine-readable before exceedance of said at least one multi-parameter threshold;at least a second barcode including at least one second colorable area, said second barcode not being machine-readable before exceedance of said at least one multi-parameter threshold;a coloring agent located at a first location on said indicator; anda coloring agent pathway operative to allow said coloring agent to move, at a rate which is at least partially a function of time, from said first location to said first and second colorable areas simultaneously for simultaneous coloring thereof upon exceedance of said multi-parameter threshold, thereby causing said first barcode to become unreadable and at the same time causing said second barcode to become machine-readable; a barcode indicator reader operative to read said barcoded quality indicators and to provide output indications; and a product type responsive indication interpreter operative to receive said output indications and to provide human sensible, product quality status outputs, each of said barcoded quality indicators being operative to provide a single machine-readable barcode readable by said barcode indicator reader, generally at all times including times prior to, during and immediately following exceedance of said at least one multi-parameter threshold.