TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates the reading of bar codes. More particularly, the invention relates to a bar code arrangement, a method of detecting the reading of a bar code on an article, a photosensitive barcode, a bar code reader and a method of sending data to a bar code arrangement. BACKGROUND

Bar codes and bar code readers are used in a variety of different

environments, ranging from grocery stores, libraries and production lines. Bar codes may also be used as a part of a logistic system.

A bar code reader obtains information about an article comprising the bar code, which can be used in a number of different situations, of which some were described above. However, there may in some instances exist a need for conveying information from the bar code reader to the article, something that is not possible today.

There is thus a need for providing a solution to the problem of providing the article being read with data from the bar code reader. SUMMARY

One object of the invention is to enable data to be provided an article with data when being read by a bar code reader. This object is according to a first aspect achieved by a bar code

arrangement. The bar code arrangement comprises an article with a bar code and a reading detector for detecting a reading of the bar code by a bar code reader.

This object is according to a second aspect achieved by a method of detecting the reading of a bar code on an article. The method is performed in a bar code arrangement of the article and comprises:

providing a bar code, and

detecting a bar code reader reading the bar code. The object is according to a third aspect achieved by a photosensitive barcode for a barcode arrangement also comprising an article, the photosensitive barcode being provided for detecting a reading by a bar code reader. In one variation of the first aspect, the bar code arrangement further comprises a decoding unit configured to decode data provided by the bar code reader.

In a corresponding variation of the second aspect, the method comprises decoding , while detecting the reading, data provided by the bar code reader.

In another variation of the first aspect, the decoding unit is configured to store the data in an article memory being readable from outside the article.

In a corresponding variation of the second aspect, the method comprises storing the data in an article memory being readable from outside the article. In yet another variation of the first aspect, the reading detector is a photo detector integrated with the bar code. In a further variation of the first aspect, the decoding unit comprises a demodulator configured to demodulate data being modulated onto a light beam emitted by the bar code reader. In a corresponding variation of the second aspect, the decoding comprises decoding data encoded onto a light beam emitted by the bar code reader.

In another variation of the second aspect, the detecting comprises detecting the scanning of the bar code being performed by the bar code reader.

In yet a further variation of the first aspect, the reading detector comprises a camera configured to photograph the bar code reader. In yet another variation of the first aspect, the article is at least a part of a vehicle.

In another variation of the first aspect, the article is a card board box. The above-mentioned object is according to a fourth aspect achieved by a bar code reader for reading a bar code on an article. The bar code reader comprises a light source configured to emit a light beam onto a bar code based on user activation, a detector configured to detect the light beam reflected off the bar code and a modulator configured to modulate data onto the light beam for being conveyed to a bar code arrangement associated with the bar code simultaneously with the reading of the bar code.

The above-mentioned object is according to a fifth aspect achieved by a method of sending data to a bar code arrangement. The method is performed in a bar code reader and comprises emitting a light beam based on user activation for scanning a bar code, modulating data onto the light beam and detecting the light beam reflected off the bar code for reading the bar code simultaneously with conveying data to the bar code arrangement. The invention has a number of advantages. The conveying of data to an article opens up the field for a number of different new applications in different fields of technology. A bar code arrangement is furthermore easy to implement in an article with a limited number of components. This can also be easily combined with existing bar code reader technology. There is no need for complex new bar code reader designs.

It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising" when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in more detail in relation to the enclosed drawings, in which: fig. l schematically shows a bar code reader together with an article equipped with a bar code,

fig.2 shows a block schematic of a first version of a bar code arrangement provided as a part of the article,

fig. 3 shows a block schematic of a bar code reader,

fig. 4 shows a number of method steps being performed in a first variation of a method of detecting the reading of a bar code,

fig. 5 shows a number of method steps being performed in a method of sending data to a bar code arrangement, fig. 6 shows a number of method steps being performed in a second variation of a method of detecting the reading of a bar code,

fig. 7 schematically shows an article in the form of a vehicle being equipped with a bar code,

fig. 8 schematically shows a bar code reader together with an article equipped with a bar code, and

fig. 9 shows a block schematic of a second version of a bar code

arrangement provided in the article of fig. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth such as particular architectures, interfaces, techniques, etc. in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, circuits and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the invention with unnecessary detail.

The invention is generally directed towards providing data from a bar code reader to an article equipped with a bar code. Articles, such as packages to be delivered, are often provided with bar codes. Reading a bar code identifies the article. However, it may be of interest to know more about the circumstances of the reading from the perspective of the article. In case of bar codes this means a two-way communication when the barcode is being read so that data is conveyed to the article when the bar code is read. The ability to provide the article with data from the bar code reader opens up a number of interesting applications, of which some will be described later. Fig. l schematically shows a bar code reader BRC 10 reading a bar code BC i6 provided on an article A 14. The bar code reader 10 is equipped with a user input unit UIU for instance a button, which is used by a user for making the bar code reader read the bar code 16. When such a reading is performed light L is emitted from the bar code reader 10, which light reflects off the bar code 16 and the reflect light RL is then detected in the bar code reader 10.

Fig. 2 schematically shows a block schematic of a first version of a bar code arrangement 18 being provided as a part of the article 14 shown in fig. 1 and being associated with the bar code 16. The bar code arrangement 18 comprises the article with the bar code 16. It furthermore comprises a reading detector. In this first variation of the bar code arrangement, the reading detector is a photo detector 20, which is connected to a decoding unit 22. The decoding unit 22 is in turn connected to an article memory 24. The article memory maybe externally readable. It may thus be readable form outside the article. An interested party may thus inspect the article and obtain contents of the article memory either directly or via some reading device. The photo detector 20 may in this example be provided as a photo sensor in the form of light sensitive paper or card board, which emits a signal if being illuminated by light such as laser light. This may more particularly be combined with the bar code for instance through the photo detector being provided as black or coloured bars of the bar code 16. The bar code 16 may thus be provided on a piece of light sensitive paper or light sensitive card board. Light sensitive papers and card boards are just two types of materials that may be used. The bar code may in fact be provided on any type of light sensitive material such as paper, polymers, semiconductors etc. As can be seen in fig. 2, there is thus a photosensitive barcode 16 for a barcode arrangement 18, where the barcode arrangement also comprises the article. The bar code arrangement thus comprises the article and the photosensitive bar code, where the photosensitive barcode is provided for detecting a reading by the bar code reader.

Fig. 3 schematically shows an exemplifying bar code reader 10. The bar code reader 10 comprises the previously mentioned user input unit UIU 12. The user input unit 12 is connected to a control unit 26. The control unit 26 is in turn connected to light source LS 28 and to a light detector LD 34. The control unit 26 is furthermore connected to a modulator M 30, which modulator 30 is connected to the light source 28. There is furthermore a data memory DM 32. The data memory 32 is connected to the modulator 30 in order to provide data that is to be transmitted to the article 14. The data memory 32 is also connected to the light detector 34 in order to receive data obtained through the reading of the bar code. Now a first variation of a method of detecting the reading of a bar code will be given with reference being made to the previously mentioned fig. 1 - 3 as well as to fig. 4, which shows a number of method steps being

performed by the bar code arrangement 18 in a first variation of the method. This first variation is the most basic realization of the detecting of a reading. The method may be used with any type of bar code reader. It is thus not limited to being used with the bar code reader depicted in fig. 3

The article 14 may as one example be a cardboard box with a bar code provided on a light sensitive paper. In this way a bar code 16 is provided, step 36.

A user of a bar code reader 10, for instance a bar code reader employing laser light then scans the bar code 16 with a beam of laser light L. The reading detector, which in the first variation may be the above mentioned photo detector 20 provided in the form of light sensitive paper, then detects that the bar code reader 10 reads the bar code 16, step 38. This may be done through the detecting of the light L, for instance through detecting the intensity of the emitted light being above a level that is a laser light intensity level. This intensity level may be easily discernible from ordinary ambient light levels. A signal corresponding to a detection may then be provided to the decoding unit 22, which determines that the level is a detected reading or not. The decoding unit 22 thereby notices the reading action and then stores data in the article memory 24 indicating that a reading has been made, i.e. a detection of a scanning of the bar code being performed by the bar code reader 10. The data stored may be merely the detection of a reading, which may be a value, such as a one. The detection may also be stored as an integer value that gets incremented each time a reading is detected. The decoding unit 22 may comprise a clock and in that case also the time of the detection maybe stored in the article memory 24. The article 14 may furthermore be provided with a positioning unit, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) unit. In this case also the position of the article at the detection maybe stored in the article memory 24.

The article maybe provided with an energy source for powering the bar code arrangement 18. The energy source may be a battery. However it may also be based on for instance solar panels. It is furthermore possible with a rechargeable battery that maybe charged using solar panels. In other instances the article as such may be equipped with an energy source for energizing other functions of the article. In this case this energy source may also be used for energizing the bar code arrangement 18.

It can in this way be seen that the reading of the bar code 16 is detected in the bar code arrangement 18. The fact that a reading has been made may then be stored in the article memory 24 with advantage together with the time of the reading and in some cases also the position. This may then be used in a number of interesting scenarios, of which some will be described later. Further methods will now be described with reference being made to the previously mentioned fig. l, 2 and 3, as well as to fig. 5, which shows a number of method steps being performed by the bar code reader 10 in a 5 method of sending data to the bar code arrangement 18 and to fig. 6, which shows a number of method steps being performed by the bar code arrangement 18 in a second variation of a method of detecting the reading of a bar code 16.

10 In the method of sending data, the control unit 26 of the bar code reader 10 detects if a user employs the user input unit 12, which use of the user input unit signals a user selecting that a bar code is to be read. If the user input unit 12 is a button, this may be done through detecting that the user presses the button. If the user in this way presses the button 12 while at the

15 same time holding the bar code reader 10 so that the light source 28 faces the bar code 16 on the article 14, the control unit 26 controls the light source 28 to emit a light beam L, step 40. In this way the light source 28 emits a length beam L onto the bar code 16 based on user activation. The control unit 26 furthermore orders the modulator 30 to modulate the light

20 L with data. When the modulator 30, which forms an encoding node of the bar code reader 10, receives such a command, it then fetches data from the data memory 32 and modulates it onto the light beam L, step 42, which modulated light beam is thereby emitted from the light source 28 of the bar code reader 10 for being conveyed to the bar code arrangement 18. At

25 the same time as it controls the light source 28 to emit light L, the control unit 26 also controls the light detector 34 to detect light. The light detector 34 thus detects light, such as light RL reflected off the bar code 16. The light detector 34 furthermore decodes the data and stores it in the data memory 32, which in this way receives the data provided by the bar code

30 16 of the article 14. In this way the data is modulated onto the light beam L simultaneously with the reading of the bar code 16. There is no limitation in the data that maybe modulated onto the light beam. However, it is often of interest that it comprises an identifier of the bar code reader or the user, time data and/or position data.

The modulation may as an example be amplitude modulation. Any type of code division coding may also be used.

As mentioned earlier, the bar code arrangement 18 provides the bar code i6 on the article 14 for being read, step 46. The reading is again detected, step 48, for instance through he light detector, here in the form of the photo detector 20, detecting the emitted light L. Thereby the decoding is being performed when the reading is detected. The detected light L is furthermore provided to the decoding unit 22, which decodes the data therein, step 50. The decoding unit which maybe considered to be a processing or decoding node may for this reason comprise a demodulator unit which demodulates or decodes the data coded onto the laser light L. The decoded data is then stored in the article memory 24, step 52. Thereby data concerning the reading is stored in the article memory 24, such as time of reading, an identifier associated with the reading and position at which reading was made. In this way it is possible to find out when, where and by whom the reading of a bar code of the article is made.

As was mentioned earlier there are a number of different scenarios in which the invention may be used. One such scenario is in the field of libraries and books. A book may be provided with a bar code arrangement comprising a bar code. The date a book is borrowed and possibly also the person borrowing it may then then sent from the bar code reader to the book. It may then be possible to see when the book was borrowed and/ or perhaps when it is supposed to be returned and what library it is to be returned to. Another possible example is in logistics, for instance the handling of packages. A package being handled at a location maybe stamped with the time of handling and the location of the handling. In this way the transportation route of a packet may be obtained from the packet itself.

Yet another area is in the production of a product. A product being produced at a production plant passing a station such as a point of an assembly line, may receive data of the time it passed the point as well as an identifier of the point. In this way it is possible to get data about when a product has passed a production point. This can be used for later quality checks.

Another possible scenario is in relation to servicing and/or repair of vehicles. The article may be at least a part of a vehicle.

The article may for instance be the vehicle 54 provided with a bar code 16 as shown in fig. 7. The vehicle 54 may thus be provided with a bar code arrangement. When the vehicle 54 is being repaired or serviced, the bar code 16 maybe read in order to identify the vehicle 54 that is to be serviced/repaired. At the same time data of the time of service repair, the person making the service and/ or the garage performing the

servicing/repair maybe transmitted to the vehicle 54. In this way a service handbook maybe provided by the bar code arrangement where the trace of repairs/ services performed on a vehicle 54 can be registered in a simple fashion.

Yet another scenario is in the field of advertisement. A bar code

arrangement comprising a bar code with an ad may be placed on a light sensitive material. As the ad is read by a bar code reader, details about the person reading the ad may then be transferred to the bar code

arrangement. Data transferred from the bar code reader may for instance be user preferences, user age, occupation, marital status etc. In this way it is possible to collect consumer data that may be used in marketing activities.

In the first version of the bar code arrangement, the reading detector was a photo detector. It is possible with other realizations of the reading detector. The reading detector may for instance be a camera.

Fig. 8 schematically shows a bar code reader BRC 10 equipped with a user input unit 12 and reading a bar code BC 16 provided on an article A 14 where the reading detector is a camera configured to photograph the bar code reader 10. For this reason a lens 56 of this camera is provided above the bar code 16.

Fig. 9 schematically shows a block schematic of a second version of a bar code arrangement 18 being provided as a part of the article 14 shown in fig. 8, where the reading detector is a camera C 60. For this reason the lens 56 is connected to an image processing unit 58, such as a charge coupled device (CCD) unit for registering digital images. The CCD unit 58 of the camera 60 is in turn connected to the decoding unit 22 for decoding data such as Optical Character Reading (OCR) data in digital images. The decoding unit 22 is also in this version connected to the article memory 24 in order to store data extracted from an image in the article memory 24.

A bar code reader maybe provided with an identifier placed above the light source and such an identifier may then be read by the camera as the bar code is being read by the bar code reader. The identifier maybe a plate with a serial number. As an alternative the data intended for the bar code arrangement may be provided through a display, which opens up for a flexibility of which data maybe conveyed. In this case the bar code reader may also be provided through a cellular phone. It is possible with other types of bar code arrangements. A bar code arrangement may for instance be based on short range communication technologies, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The bar code arrangement may in such a case be equipped with an RFID reader configured to read an RFID tag on the bar code reader. The tag would then comprise data of the bar code reader that is transferred to the bar code arrangement. Another possible short-range communication technology is Near Field Communication (NFC). In this case a bar code arrangement maybe provided with an NFC reader configured to read an NFC tag on the bar code reader. The tag would then comprise data of the bar code reader that is transferred to the bar code arrangement.

The control unit of the bar code reader as well as the decoding unit may each be provided in the form of a processor with associated program memory including computer program code for performing the

functionality of the unit in question. These units may also be provided in the form of digital signal processors (DSP). A bar code is an optical machine-readable representation of data encoded into the surface of the article. The bar code may be any of a number of different types. It may for instance be an Aztec Code, a Quick Response (QR) code or a conventional Universal Product Code (UPC). A bar code is thus not limited to being implemented as a number of bars, but may have any suitable optically readable shape.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various

modifications and equivalent arrangements. Therefore the invention is only to be limited by the following claims.