바코드 역사 연대표

1949

First Barcode Patent Filed

Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver file US patent for a "Classifying Apparatus and Method" — a circular bullseye pattern read by a photomultiplier tube.

1952

US Patent 2,612,994 Granted

Woodland and Silver receive their patent for the bullseye barcode concept, the earliest predecessor of modern linear barcodes.

1966

National Association of Food Chains Proposes Automated Checkout

NAFC recommends automated checkout systems, catalyzing the grocery industry's search for a universal product identification code.

1971

MSI Plessey Barcode Developed

Plessey Company develops the MSI barcode for inventory management in supermarket shelves, one of the earliest commercial barcode implementations.

1972

Codabar Invented by Monarch Marking

Codabar developed for retail price labeling, later adopted by blood banks, libraries, and FedEx airbills.

1972

Interleaved 2 of 5 Developed

Intermec creates Interleaved 2 of 5 by encoding digit pairs in interleaved bar and space patterns, doubling data density.

1973

UPC Symbol Selected by Grocery Industry

The Ad Hoc Committee selects the Universal Product Code (UPC) symbol designed by George Laurer at IBM, establishing the standard for retail scanning.

1974

First UPC Scan at a Grocery Store

A pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum is scanned at Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio — the first commercial UPC scan in history.

1974

Code 39 Invented by Intermec

David Allais and Ray Stevens at Intermec develop Code 39, the first barcode symbology to encode alphabetic characters as well as numbers.

1977

EAN-13 Adopted for International Retail

The European Article Numbering system (EAN) extends UPC to 13 digits with country prefix, enabling global product identification.

1978

Pharmacode Developed for Pharmaceutical Packaging

Laetus develops Pharmacode specifically for pharmaceutical packaging lines, using a binary encoding readable in both directions.

1981

Code 128 Developed by Computer Identics

Ted Williams creates Code 128, offering three character sets and the highest data density of any linear barcode at the time.

1982

Code 93 Introduced by Intermec

Intermec develops Code 93 as a more compact alternative to Code 39, offering higher density with the same full ASCII character set.

1983

POSTNET Introduced by USPS

The United States Postal Service deploys POSTNET height-modulated barcode for automated mail sorting, processing billions of mail pieces.

1987

Data Matrix Invented

International Data Matrix (now Cognex) develops the first 2D matrix barcode, opening the era of high-density 2D data encoding.

1989

GS1-128 (UCC/EAN-128) Introduced

GS1 introduces Application Identifiers for Code 128, enabling structured data encoding for supply chain — batch numbers, expiry dates, and serial numbers.

1991

PDF417 Invented by Symbol Technologies

Ynjiun Wang creates PDF417, a stacked 2D barcode capable of encoding up to 1,850 alphanumeric characters — adopted for driver's licenses worldwide.

1992

MaxiCode Developed by UPS

United Parcel Service creates MaxiCode for high-speed package sorting, featuring a distinctive bullseye finder pattern.

1995

Aztec Code Invented by Welch Allyn

Andrew Longacre at Welch Allyn develops Aztec Code, requiring no quiet zone and used extensively for airline boarding passes and transport tickets.

2001

GS1 DataBar Standardized

GS1 introduces DataBar (originally RSS) for small items and fresh produce, enabling variable-weight pricing and expiry date encoding at point of sale.

2004

GS1 EPCglobal Launches RFID Standards

GS1 launches EPCglobal network combining barcodes with RFID, beginning the convergence of optical and radio-frequency identification.

2007

ISBN-13 Transition Complete

Publishing industry completes global transition from ISBN-10 (Mod 11) to ISBN-13 (EAN-13 compatible), unifying book identification with the GS1 system.

2009

Intelligent Mail Barcode Replaces POSTNET

USPS mandates Intelligent Mail barcode (4-State Customer Barcode) for commercial mail, combining routing, tracking, and mail class in one 65-bar code.

2019

EU Falsified Medicines Directive Takes Effect

The EU FMD mandates unique Data Matrix serialization on all prescription pharmaceutical packaging, the world's largest barcode anti-counterfeiting program.

2027

GS1 Digital Link Sunrise Date

Target date for retailers to accept GS1 Digital Link (2D barcodes with embedded URLs) at point of sale, marking the transition from 1D to 2D retail scanning.