QR Codes Whitepaper(040511)

7/31/2019 QR Codes Whitepaper(040511)

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WIPRORetail | Consumer Packaged Goods | Transportation | Government

QR CODES

The Next Big Leap in Mobile Web

Author:Senthil Kumar SundaramurthyArchitect, Business Engineering & Architecture, Wipro Technologies

www.wipro.com


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Table of Contents

03. Origin

03. About QR Codes

03. Overview

04. Barcodes Vs QR Codes

04. Features

06. How QR Codes work?

06. How to create QR Codes?

07. How to read QR Codes?

08. QR Codes and Mobile Phones

09. Factsheet

10. Where QR Codes are used?

11. How QR Codes can be used?

11. Points to Ponder

11. Future of QR Codes

02


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03

This is the time to scan or read a QR code with your iPhone, Android or other camera-enabled Smartphone and link to digital

content on the web; activate a number of phone functions including email, IM and SMS; and connect the mobile device to a web

browser. Yes, Black-and-white barcodes in the size of a postage stamp are connecting people with smartphones to Internet sites,

delivering immediate information and marking another advance in the world of the mobile web.

Origin

In 1994, QR Code was a kind of two dimensional symbology

created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave as one of the most

popular types of two-dimensional barcodes.

QR Codes originated within the technology hungry country of

Japan and have merely only recently began to become popular in

the Middle East and Europe.

About QR Codes

The acronym QR is derived from the term Quick Response. The

company Denso Wave originally spawned the term QR as the

creator intended that such barcodes and their contents were to

be decoded at high speed electronically.

QR Codes are similar to the barcodes used by retailers to track

inventory and price products at the point of sales.

The key difference between the two is the amount of

data they can hold or share.

Overview

QR Codes first hit mainstream when they were initially used for

tracking parts by vehicle manufacturers. After a while, companies

began to see the scope for where QR Codes could be used

elsewhere within the world. The most commercial use for

QR Codes is in the telecommunications industry where the

mobile phone seems to be the biggest driver of their popularity.

QR Codes are two-dimensional (2D) matrix barcodes

that can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of

information whereas barcodes are linear one-dimensional

codes and can only hold up to 20 numerical digits.


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Barcodes Vs QR Codes

QR Codes have become more popular than the typical barcode

as the typical barcode can only hold a maximum of 20 digits,

whereas the QR Code can hold up to 7,089 characters. This

makes the use and diversity of QR Codes much more appealing

than their older counter part, the barcode.

Partially part of the reason QR Codes can hold more data, is

because if you compare a typical barcode to a QR Code, you can

see one major difference; barcodes only span horizontally

whereas QR Codes can span horizontally and vertically.

Statistic - QR Codes are capable of encoding the same amount

of data in approximately one-tenth the space of a traditional bar

code. Such minute QR Codes are called Micro QR Codes.

Features

QR Code is capable of handling several dozen to several hundred

times more information while conventional bar codes are

capable of storing a maximum of approximately 20 digits.

High Capacity Encoding of Data

A QR Code symbol of this size can encode 300 alphanumeric characters

Small Printout Size

QR Code is capable of encoding the same amount of data in

approximately one-tenth the space of a traditional bar code since

QR Code carries information both horizontally and vertically.

QR Code is a matrix barcode or 2-dimensional code that can be read by QR Code readers as well as camera phones. The code consists of

black modules arranged in a square pattern on the white background. The information encode can be text, URL or any other data.

QR Code (2D Code) contains information in both the vertical and horizontal directions, whereas a bar code contains data in one

direction only. QR Code holds a considerably greater volume of information than a barcode.

Kanji and Kana Capability

QR Code is capable of Japanese encoding JIS Level 1 and Level 2

kanji character set.

Dirt and Damage Resistant

QR Code has error correction capability. Data can be restored

even if the symbol is partially dirty or damaged. A maximum 30%

of code words can be restored.


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Position

A great feature of QR Codes is that you do not need to scan

them from one particular angle. QR Codes are capable of Omni

directional (360 degrees) high-speed reading. QR Codes

scanners are capable of determining the correct way to decode

the content within the QR Code due to the three specific

squares that are positioned in the corners of the symbol. System Configuration

Standards

License

A QR Code system is used in combination with a

QR Code printer (or QR Code creation software) and

QR Code scanner.

The Japanese standard for QR Codes devised by Denso

Wave is JIS X 0510 which was released in January of 1999.

The corresponding ISO International Standard, ISO/IEC

18004, was then approved in June of 2000. The standard

was then updated back in 2006. (ISO/IEC 18004:2006).

The use of QR Codes is free of any license. The QR Code

is clearly defined and published as an ISO standard.

Denso Wave owns the patent rights on QR Codes, but

has chosen not to exercise them.

The term QR Code itself is a registered trademark of

Denso Wave Incorporated.

Data Capacity

QR Codes are capable of handling of sorts of data, including

numbers, alphabetic characters, Kanji, Kana, Hiragana, symbols,

binary, and control codes.

A total of 7,089 characters can be

encoded in one symbol alone.

Numeric only: Max 7,089 characters /

Alphanumeric: Max 4,296 characters

Binary (8-bits): Max 2,953 bytes / Kanji, full-

width Kana: Max 1,817 characters


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How QR Codes work?

Take a mobile phone such as the iPhone; nearly every mobile phone has a digital camera in todays world. The camera, along with decoding

software can be used to capture a picture of the QR Code of which the QR Code software decoder then transform the data held with the

QR Code to a meaningful action for the mobile phone:

*Connect to a web address *Download a MP3 *Dial a telephone number *Prompt your email client with a sender address

This can all be done within a matter of milliseconds making the transformation from a users mobile phones browser to the mobile

web instantaneous.

How to create QR Codes?

The following sections talks about how to encode with an

easy example, and no complex function(like structured

append) is:

Capacity - Capacity of a QR Code is determined by

version, error correcting level and encoding mode

(e.g. numeric, alphanumeric etc)

Encode to data code words- 8-bit data is treated as

a code word

Example: To encode source data "ABCDE123" to QR Code

in version1- error correcting level H (below 1-H)

Mode indicator- Mode indicator is created in 4-bit long

as binary representation. (numeric mode: 0001 / alphanumeric

mode: 0010 / 8-bit byte mode: 0100 / KANJI mode : 1000)

Example data is alphanumeric, and we select an alphanumeric

mode - 0010

Character count indicator - Character count

indicator is character counts stored in each mode. (numeric :

10-bit long / alphanumeric : 9-bit long / 8-bit byte : 8-bit long /

KANJI mode : 8-bit long)

Example data have 8 characters, we encode 8 in 9-bit long

binary representation for alphanumeric mode.

0010 000001000

Encoding data in binary representation

Alphanumeric mode: each character is converted to value in

rule of below table. Next we consider delimited data by 2

numbers. First value increase 45 times and second value is

added to it. Result value is encoded in 11bit long binaryrepresentation. When length of delimited data is 1, 6-bit long

are used.


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How to read QR Codes?

QR Readers help us to quickly scan them with camera and either launch a web site, show product info, display plain text, send an

SMS message and much more.

The following is the list of software vendors:

KAYWA Reader Nokia Reader i-nigma Reader Lynkee Reader UpCode QuickMark

SnapMaze BeeTagg NeoReader ScanLife MobileTag

In example data

"AB" "CD" "E1" "23"

45*10+11 45*12+13 45*14+1 45*2+3

461 553 631 93

0010 000001000 00111001101 01000101001

01001110111 00001011101

Terminator

Add 0000 to result data in section: Encoding data in binary

representation When length of encoded data is full in this

version and error correcting level, terminator is not needed.

0010 000001000 00111001101 01000101001

01001110111 00001011101 0000

Encode to code words

Result data in section: Terminator are delimited by 8bit.

00100000 01000001 11001101 01000101 00101001

11011100 00101110 10000

If last data length is less than 8, padded 0.

00100000 01000001 11001101 01000101 00101001

11011100 00101110 10000000

If count of code words is less than symbol's capacity, thenwe alternately put "11101100" and "00010001" until full

capacity. Now capacity of 1-H are 9,

00100000 01000001 11001101 01000101 00101001

11011100 00101110 10000000 11101100

To decimal representation - 32 65 205 69 41 220 46 128

236 (Source: http://www.swetake.com/qr/qr2_en.html)

Note:

There are many resources which can help you to generate a

QR Code, in Ubuntubuzz.com you can use application

called 'qrencode', the qrencode could help you to generate

your own QR Code complete with what size do you like

(Large, Medium, or Small), a manual how to use a qrencode

can be completely found here.

Another way , you can v i s i t th i s webs i te

(http://qrcode.kaywa.com/) to generate your own

QR Code.


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Libraries

.Net - QR Code library

(source: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/qrcode.aspx)

Encode content into a QR Code image which can be saved

in JPEG, GIF, PNG, or Bitmap formats and Decode a QR

Code image

PHP - PHP QR Code

(source: http://hirokawa.netflowers.jp/entry/4900/)

Supports QR Code versions (size) 1-40 / Numeric,

Alphanumeric, 8-bit and Kanji encoding.

Implemented purely in PHP, no external dependencies

except Gd2

Exports to PNG, JPEG images, also exports as bit-table /

TCPDF 2-D barcode API integration

Easy to configure / Data cache for calculation speed-up /

Provided merge tool helps deploy library as a one big

dependency-less file, simple to "include and do not worry"

Debug data dump, error logging, time benchmarking / 100%

Open Source, LGPL Licensed

Java - QR Code decode/encode library under GPL v2

(source: http://qrcode.sourceforge.jp/)

Supports decoder for Java (J2SE, J2ME MIDP2.0/CLDC1.0)

Pre-process Camera-captured image for better

performance

Filtering image noise / recognize angle of image

automatically CUI / GUI / MIDlet

Real time QR Code reader by Java Media Framework(JMF)

and PC camera

Python - Pyqrcode

(source: http://pyqrcode.sourceforge.net/)

To encode and decode the QR Code

The encoder is based on Fukuchi Kentaro's libqrencode,

with a small python hack from Stefano Pedemonte's

PyQrCodec.

The decoder is based on the best free and open source

qrcode decoder written by Yusuke Yanbe, in java. It's built

with Andi Vajda's JCC.

Ruby (source: http://nycrb.rubyforge.org/qrencoder)

This Gem is a wrapper around a useful open-source library

for creating QR Codes, a two-dimensional bar code format

popular in Japan (and readable by cell phones even) created

by the Denso-Wave Corporation in 1994.

QR Codes and Mobile Phones

With the technology of mobile phones constantly expanding,

especially within mobile internet, QR Codes seemed the perfect

solution to quickly and efficiently bring mobile phone users onto

the mobile web. QR Codes can be used to store all kids of data

including such data such as a URL (Universal Resource Locator)

or as most people know them; web addresses. This then allowed

offline publications such as: Magazines/Papers/Business

Cards/Buses/Signs/T-shirts.

Or basically any medium that can accept the print of a QR Code

to advertise their online product which would then direct the

user to the medium.


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Factsheet

Best Buys Mood QR Codes

Best Buys use of QR Codes has become a benchmark for other retailers and their latest

experiment is no exception. Posters (image right) have gone up at Best Buy Headquarters to

test the viability of mood sampling. The relevant QR Code when scanned inputs a single value

good or bad and a running total of goods and bads is displayed to the user. At the back end

Best Buy techies can see the running totals and because each code is location specific they can

attribute a mood to that location. I would not be surprised if this experiment is successful and

rolled out to the stores. (Source: http://2d-code.co.uk/best-buy-mood-qr-code/)

Changing The Way Business Works With QR Codes

Are Americans past the point of treating QR Codes as merely a trend? I think we are seeing

too many evidences in the recent past to continue treating QR Codes as a flash in the pantrend for the young and trendy. With QR Codes popping up everywhere in the country

(especially in New York), we can safely deduce that QR Codes is most likely here to stay and

that we now have to take a deeper look at how the not-so-new technology will affect our lives

on a personal and professional level. (Source: http://www.beqrious.com/)

Nintendo 3DS Makes Mii Sharing Easy With QR Codes

Nintendo 3DS recently made a big, bold move towards making the device even more fun and

interactive. You need to be in on the Nintendo game train in order to understand what a Mii is.

(Source: http://www.beqrious.com/)

Basically, it is an avatar or icon that you can create with the device. Mii was first introduced

through Nintendo Wii. Kids, being the creative beings that they are, love to play around with

the options to come up with an avatar that they can be proud of.

Make User-friendliness Top Priority When Launching QR

Codes Campaigns

Because QR Codes technology is a relatively new technology in the United States, there is all

the more reason to pay special attention to how we introduce it to consumers. Strictly

speaking, there is no right or wrong way to use them. But there is an effective and interesting

way to use them... and one that puts the interested consumers off. (Source:

http://www.beqrious.com/)

We've Exceeded the 1,000 Friends Mark!

Today, we are just super excited because we have finally reached and exceeded the 1,000 'likes'

or 'friends' on Facebook. It's something that we have been working really hard on. The blood,

sweat and tears are well worth it. Understandably, every one of us here in the BeQRious office

is a celebrative mood. What do we do in celebration, here we have a custom-made QR Code.

Want to know what it does and where it leads to... why don't you whip out your smart phoneand scan it and then let US know. (Source: http://www.beqrious.com/)


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Where QR Codes are used?

At Chukyo Coca-Cola Bottling - Product code, expiration

date, manufacturing history, and other data are encoded

into QR Codes. The data is used for logistics management

of food products.

At Daido Limited Shipping destination, product code,

color, size, and other data are encoded into QR Codes for

printing on shipping instructions of garment products. The

data is used for shipping control.

(Source: http://www.denso-wave.com)

Dicks Sporting Goods displayed a QR Code on theJumboTron during a football game. The fans took pictures

of the QR Code which connected them to a website

where they were offered discounts on purchases.

McDonald uses QR Codes on its packaging in Japan

so consumers can access nutritional information, and

review the amount of calories, fat, and carbohydrates in

their meal

A couple of years ago, Ralph Lauren began placing QR

Codes in print ads, store placements, and mailers. The QR

Codes gave consumers access to their style guides, limited

edition collections and exclusive video content.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movie

posters were printed with QR Codes, giving users access

to movies trailers. The user also received a QR Code

discount coupon for their next concession purchase.

Pepsi printed QR Codes on bottles that redirected users

to a custom landing page to view content

CSI recently used QR Codes as a plot twist in a TV

episode

The Nonprofit Technology Network used QR Codes to

conduct a scavenger hunt at the recent NTEN

conference

Google is using QR Codes to highlight "Favorite Places"

in search results

Editoras Online published a book that contained nothing

but QR Codes (no text what so ever) that when

decoded provided content about love and hate

Audi made a giant QR Code out of people holding black

and white squares in a video advertisement

Lego created QR Code advertisement using Lego blocks

Calvin Klein displayed a large QR Code on a billboard

that launched a racy advertisement

Real estate agents are putting QR Codes on "house for

sale" signs

Best Buy has a QR Code iPhone app that provides

product information

QR Codes are showing up on Japanese tombs providing

information about the deceased

QR Codes were used in the NBA all-star game

Fox TV is using QR Codes to advertise TV programs

Starbucks is using QR Codes for micro payments.

(Source: http://searchengineland.com)


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How QR Codes can be used?

Encode contact information or a short white paper on

the back of a business card. This enables a paper to digital

transfer of information. Also enables an easy connection

by a mobile device to your website. You could also encode

a map with directions for company visitors, or encode

company info for display in Google maps.

Track print-based media effectiveness-tracking which ad

or poster drove traffic to custom landing pages. Users can

also interact with other printed media such as offers on

paper-based gift cards and coupons. QR Codes can be

printed on receipts with additional offers, or provide

customer service contact information.

Users can interact with digital ads e.g. they can scan digital

coupons and discount offers on a webpage. You could also

place QR Codes in an email newsletter for additional

offers or for event-based information.

You can develop loyalty programs-providing special

offers on landing pages from paper-based content that is

not accessible from any other source. You could push

consumers to a website to view the daily offer, to see if

they won a free prize or perhaps to participate in a

contest. You could also conduct surveys where a user

scans one of multiple choice codes and the select

response is automatically sent back to the company.

You can enable product purchase offers, and provide

easy access to product information and reviews. You can

also provide easy connections to down load applications

and content. You could also register a bookmark, append

a QR Code to a tweet using Bit.ly or encode access to a

special webinar.

You could print codes with product or contact

information on business swag such as coffee cups,

t-shirts and hats. Ive also seen several examples where

QR Codes were tattooed on a mans arm.

Nokia's Symbian operating system is also provided with

a barcode scanner, which is able to read QR Codes whilembarcode is a QR Code reader for the Maemo

operating system.

In the Apple iOS, a QR Code reader is not natively

included, but over 50 free Apps are available with reader

and metadata browser URI redirection capability.

Points to Ponder

Google's mobile Android operating system supports

QR Codes by natively including the barcode scanner

(ZXing) on some models, and the browser supports URI

redirection, which allows QR Codes to send metadata to

existing applications on the device.

Future of QR Codes

The future of QR Codes is exciting and extremely bright with the capability of taking the social networking media in an upward direction.

Not far are the days of QR Codes overtaking the Internet by embedding all the contents into the codes. Just scan and read.

About Wipro Technologies

Wipro Technologies, the global IT business of Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT) is a leading Information Technology, Consulting and

Outsourcing company, that delivers solutions to enable its clients do business better. Wipro Technologies delivers winning business

outcomes through its deep industry experience and a 360 degree view of Business through Technology helping clients create successful

and adaptive businesses. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, a practitioners approach to delivering

innovation and an organization wide commitment to sustainability, Wipro Technologies has 120,000 employees and clients across 54

countries. For more information, please visit www.wipro.com


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QR Codes Whitepaper(040511)

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