The first product is marked with a bar code Arrow gum. Bar code technology the first produced in the paranoia of the twenties of the 20th century, was born in Westinghouse (Westinghouse) in the laboratory. A named inventor John Kermode (John Kermode) is an odd character of "the Fantasticks" to the postal documents to achieve automatic sorting, then a tentative idea of electronic technology applications to feel very novel.

His idea was to do a bar code symbol on the envelope, bar code information is the address of the receiver, like today's post encoding. Therefore Kermode invented the earliest barcode logo, design scheme is very simple (Note: this method said module of Comparative Law), namely a "," said the number "1", the second "" said the number "2", 310-311 analogy. Then he went on to invent the composed of the basic elements of bar code reading device: a scanner capable of emitting light and receives the reflected light); a determination method for the reflected signal and empty, edge localization of coil; and using method of determination results of, namely decoder.

Kermode's scanner uses the newly invented light battery to collect the reflected light. "Empty" reflected back is a strong signal, "the article" reflected back is weak signal. The application of electronic components and the high speed is different, to determine the "kermod" and "empty by the magnetic coil". Just like a child who connects the wires to the battery and then circles a nail. Kermode attracted a switch with a coil with iron core in the receiving signal of the "empty", the release switch and circuit. Therefore, the earliest bar code reader noise. The switch is controlled by a series of relays, "open" and "off" by the number of printed "strips" on the envelope. In this way, the bar code symbol directly to the letter of the sub check.

Shortly after that, Kermode Douglas, (Young Douglas), made some improvements on the basis of the Kermode code.

The amount of information contained in kermod code is fairly low, and it is difficult to make more than ten different code. While the use of the code is less, but the use of the space between the empty space changes, as today's UPC bar code symbols use four different dimensions. New bar code symbol to encode a hundred different regions in the space of the same size, and Kermode code only to ten different regions is encoded.

Until 1949 patent literature to first have the record of Nome, invented by woodland (NORM) woodland Bernard silver Bernard silver, a full range of the bar code symbol, before the patent literature has not record of bar code technology, has not yet put into practical application of precedent. Noam, woodland and Bernard Silbo's idea is using Kermode and Yang vertically, the "a" and "empty", and bent into a ring, much as the archery target. Such a scanner can decode the bar code symbol by the center of the scan pattern, regardless of the direction of the bar code symbol.

In the process of using the patented technology, a science fiction writer, Isaac Asimov (Azimov Isaac), in his "The Sun" (Naked), tells the story of using the new method of information encoding to achieve automatic identification. At that time, people thought that the bar code symbol in this book looks like a square grid of the board, but today's bar code professionals will realize that this is a two-dimensional matrix bar code symbol. Although this bar code symbol has no direction, orientation and timing, but it is clear that it is the high information density of digital encoding.

Until 1970 Iterface on the company to develop a two-dimensional code, only the price for sales of the two-dimensional matrix barcode printing and reading devices. At that time, the two-dimensional matrix bar code used in the newspaper layout process automation. A two-dimensional matrix barcode on a tape, a one-dimensional CCD scan reading today. CCD lights on the tape, different regions of each photovoltaic cell alignment tape. Each light battery according to the tape printing bar code or not different output patterns, combined to produce a high density information pattern. Using this method, can be in the same size print space on a single character, as early Kermode code among a single article. Timing information is also included, so the whole process is reasonable. When the first system after entering the market, a full set of equipment including printing and reading equipment, about $5000.

Shortly thereafter, with the development of LED (light emitting diode), microprocessors and laser diodes, the new logo (symbol) and its application in the big bang, people call it "bar code industry". Few companies or individuals that have found no direct contact with the bar code technology today. As the technology progress and development in this area is very fast, and every day more and more applications are being developed, with a long bar code will be like a light bulb and semiconductor radios as universal, will make our lives easier and more convenient.