QR Codes - How can we use them? PDF Print E-mail
Written by Petr Michalec   
Wednesday, 24 February 2010 15:13
QR code is a magic square, which is able to connect real and virtual world. Where did they come from? This trend has come from Asia, where you can find these codes in many applications - advertising posters, products packaging, personal business cards, etc. What does QR abbreviation means? It's connection of words "Quick Response".
    
QR codes enable easy and quick transaction of information between advertiser and costumer. There is no need to write long website address on a small keyboard of a cell phone. You don't have to write SMS message and send it to download the newest hit. It's enough to aim your cell phone camera at  pictured  QR code and everything else will work by itself.



Europe is still acquainting itself with QR code. Mass QR code utilizing can be started by initiative of Gogole Company, which is trying to connect printed advertisement with the internet. The goal is to contain QR codes in printed advertisements and so make easier to a reader his searching at website of other information. A camera, which is integrated in a cell phone will can QR matrix and special software will transfer it into text.




What does the brand mean?
It is two-dimensional code written into square. Every figure like this has in three corners positional marks in a form of centrical squares and in the fourth mark of a small square. Space between these four marks contains abscisses made of alternating points and a space. This system of a barcode has very sophisticated mechanism of fails controlling, which can restore even 30% of data. It's the same system, which is utilized for CD and DVD data carriers fails repairing. QR code patent has Denso Ware Inc. Company, but they don't claim their laws. A standard was designed in 1994 and in 2006 was changed into its today version.

What is data capacity of these marks like?
It's possible to safe 3000 bytes into a picture by binary way, this means that this picture contains 1 500 little squares. If you want to save a number into QR code, this number can have 7 000 digits. In the case of alphanumeric signs is possible to create a text 4 300 signs long. QR matrices have different sizes: from size 1, which is a square with size 21 x 21 points, till size 40 - this is the biggest possible matrix, which is created by 177 x 177 points. Information is transferred into binary code - it means into ones and zeros. Back field means 1, white fields 0. Because cell phones aren't able to make high-quality scan marks, final decomposition of black and white fields is provided by one chosen mask to not create large area of compact field. Because of this mark doesn't involve just data, but also coded information about used standard and the mask.

Using in practice:

These figures were utilized for example while introducing world movies, what was the last "bond movie" or the last Mr. Bean like. They have served here to get fans at the website of above mentioned movies as soon as possible to make them possible free downloading of rings tones and other materials dedicated to movies.


 
With the help of QR code is available to download easily wallpaper, java game, there exist even application for traffic order of urban mass transportation. For example printer’s manufacturer Epson in Japan places QR code at ink jets. As soon as the ink jet is empty, you can read the code, which will redirect you at the website pages where you can make an order of your ink jets without the need of knowledge of its exact type.

Another way of utilization is for QR codes possible at packaging materials. Supermarkets can connect QR code at a packaging with costumer's cell phone to show him an electronic prospect, sales actions, website or a poster and so enable to gain gift coupon, perfect information about a product, information about sales actions etc. Simply - cell phones and QR codes offer possibilities, which can be applied at all spheres of communication. McDonald's Company has on its hamburgers QR code, which lead at a website with information about the hamburger's ingredients and nutritional value.



Advertising industry will cope with QR codes utilization, but even end-users won't come off badly. The advantage of QR codes is that QR code reader is available for free. You can download them from the website pages http://reader.kaywa.com/. Here we have prepared for you a version for Nokia with Symbian and for PDA devices based on Windows Mobile. And as a speciality there is a application for windows, which use web camera of your notebook for reading a QR code. You can get generated your own free QR code at http://qrcode.kaywa.com/. Nokia Company implements for example into its Nseries (Nxx) cell phones reader of QR code automatically.

QR codes are still just as a rarity in the Czech Republic. In Germany there is Tag City project at Frankfurt already. There are pictures places, where you can find QR codes. Marks are applied for example on historical landmarks and notable places, where you can get closer information about this landmark and even get information with a advice for next sightseeing.

It is still just rather matter of interest and its utilization won't be big. Fundamental thing for development of these marks is availability of unlimited access to internet for end-users of mobile devices.
Last Updated on Saturday, 01 May 2010 07:53