Illinois Tool Work awarded patent for printed scannable codes on corrugated packaging; codes connect user to informational website

Sandy Yang

ATLANTA , December 6, 2012 (Politics & Government Week) – By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Politics & Government Week -- A patent application by the inventors Green, William (Williamstown, NJ), filed on May 17, 2012, was cleared for further review on November 29, 2012, according to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by VerticalNews correspondents.

Patent serial number 474318 is assigned to Illinois Tool Work Inc.

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: "This invention relates to a product package having a scannable code and a method of printing the scannable code on a corrugated package.

"Companies seeking to describe their products and train end users of their products often rely on pamphlets and/or salespersons to accomplish these goals. However, each of these options has drawbacks.

"As the products require greater and/or more detailed instructions, the pamphlets must accordingly increase in size. As the pamphlet increases in size, it becomes more difficult to include with the product packaging. Additionally, users of the product become less interested in reading and following large sets of written instruction.

"On the other hand, reliance on salespersons and/or other employees to train customers can be expensive, including opportunity costs of training purchasers rather than selling to new customers. Further, reliance on salespersons is limited by each salesperson's aptitude to teach and knowledge of the product, often resulting in an inconsistent message/training to the end user.

"Other methods of getting information and/or training of a products to the end user includes providing a website address, in association with the packaging, which provides instructions and/or training of the product. However, this method requires the user to retain the website address and later access the information.

"Accordingly, there is a need to provide product information and training to users in a quick and accurate way without the shortcomings of the previously known approaches."

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent application, VerticalNews journalists also obtained the inventors' summary information for this patent: "It is one object of this invention to provide a package for a product with a scannable code that connects a user to an informational website that includes a training video describing proper use the product. This invention allows the user of the product to scan the scannable code with a handheld device, for example a smart phone or a camera enabled tablet, to access the informational website. In a preferred embodiment, the scannable code is a Quick Response (QR) code.

"This invention provides immediate access to training and educational videos via product packaging. Through the video, the product packaging becomes a visual training, education and learning device. Further, this invention provides a consistent product message through all sales channels. This invention also provides paperless training, instructions and education.

"It is still another object of this invention to provide a method of applying the scannable code to a package made of corrugated cardboard. The method of applying the scannable code compensates for the soft and stretchable properties of corrugated cardboard by compensating for the stretch of the corrugated cardboard by spacing the features of the scannable code on a photopolymer printing press die."

URL and more information on this patent application, see: Green, William. Method of Printing Scannable Codes on Packaging. U.S. Patent Serial Number 474318, filed May 17, 2012, and posted November 29, 2012. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.html&r=5865&p=118&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&S1=20121122.PD.&OS=PD/20121122&RS=PD/20121122

Keywords for this news article include: Illinois Tool Work Inc.

Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2012, NewsRx LLC

(c) 2012 Politics & Government Week via VerticalNews.com

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.