bar code : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: bar code	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for bar code
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
bar code n code consisting of a series of vertical bars of variable width that are scanned by a laser; printed on consumer product packages to identify the item for a computer that provides the price and registers inventory information Synonym(s): bar code, Universal Product Code
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (15Feb98) [foldoc]:
bar code A printed horizontal strip of vertical bars of varying widths, groups of which represent decimal digits and are used for identifying commercial products or parts. Bar codes are read by a bar code reader and the code interpreted either through {software} or a {hardware} decoder. All products sold in open trade are numbered and bar-coded to a worldwide standard, which was introduced in the US in 1973 and to the rest of the world in 1977. The Uniform Code Council in the US, along with the international article numbering authority, EAN International, allocate blocks of unique 12 or 13-digit numbers to member companies through a national numbering authority. In Britain this is the Article Number Association. Most companies are allocated 100,000 numbers that they can use to identify any of their products, services or locations. Each code typically contains a leading "quiet" zone, start character, data character, optional {check digit}, stop character and a trailing quiet zone. The check digit is used to verify that the number has been scanned correctly. The quiet zone could be white, red or yellow if viewed by a red scanner. Bar code readers usually use visible red light with a wavelength between 632.8 and 680 nanometres. [Details of code?] (1997-07-18)