Mobile tagging is the process of providing data read from tags for display on mobile devices, commonly encoded in a two-dimensional barcode, using the camera of a camera phone as the reader device. The contents of the tag code is usually a URL for information addressed and accessible through Internet.
Mobile tagging is currently most prominent in Asia, especially Japan. It was developed in 2003 and ever since it has been used in several fields of mobile marketing. Denso's QR Code
in Asia and the Data Matrix are currently the most popular 2D barcodes. Both are ISO-standardised. In 2009, prominent electronics company Microsoft introduced the Microsoft Tag format, based on the company's self-developed High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB) standard, in an effort to establish the format through emerging mobile tagging markets in the west. [1] Unlike most popular 2D barcodes, which use black-and-white square pixels, HCCBs are based on colors in a triangle-based arrangement.
The reason for the success of mobile tagging, besides the flexible and multiple fields of application, is the quick, precise and customer-driven access to information. According to the principle of physical world connection (see also Object hyperlinking), the user is able to gather digital information immediately by scanning a two-dimensional barcode, like one on an advertisement.
In Europe mobile tagging is now gaining traction, albeit that the primary usage has been direct linking of URLs to 2D codes. Indeed, several campaigns in relation to physical world connection have been launched, however a standard for multi-dimensional barcodes is still missing.
One of the key organizations driving wider implementation of two-dimensional barcodes is GS1 / GS1's main activity is the development of the GS1 System, a series of standards designed to improve supply chain management. The GS1 System is composed of four key product areas: Barcodes (used to automatically identify things), eCom (electronic business messaging allowing automatic electronic transmission of data), GDSN (Global Data Synchronisation Network which allows partners to have consistent item data in their systems at the same time) and EPCglobal (which uses RFID technology to immediately track an item).
Currently about 70 different types of barcodes and their specific versions exist and are mostly in use in the field of logistics. In terms of mobile tagging, the number of codes is essentially restricted to a dozen types. For reading out 2d-barcodes it is essential to install specific software, a reader, on the mobile device.
The reader uses the camera of a mobile phone for the mobile tagging process. The producers of the reader are very involved in developing solutions to increase the number of compatible mobile phones. Most services on the corresponding websites offer the download directly onto the mobile device or PC. In addition, many providers offer the user a generator for creating their own codes.
Smartphone cameras can be used in Google's mobile Android operating system via both their own Google Goggles application or 3rd party mobile tag readers. Nokia's Symbian operating system features a scanner which can scan mobile tags, [2] while mbarcode [3] is a reader for the Maemo operating system. In the Apple iOS, a mobile tagging reader is natively included in the iOS 11 update through the camera app, although there are more than fifty paid and free apps are available with both scanning capabilities and hard-linking to URI. With BlackBerry devices, the App World application can natively scan mobile tags. Windows Phone 7.5 is able to scan tags through the Bing search app.
Due to the absence of a standard code, the readers are faced with the same problem. On the one hand there is a remarkable number of readers which aren't able to identify barcodes apart from their own proprietary codes. On the other hand, there are several readers which were created to read out non-proprietary code, these 'open source codes' are the most used for Optical Reading with Mobile like the QR Code and the Data Matrix. However, a QR code is always 60% larger than a DataMatrix code and this tends to mean that DM is the primary code used in packaging and enterprise solutions for example.
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At present, mobile tagging is not only finding its way into the day-to-day-life of campaigns in the fields of commercial, public and private tagging but also may end absolute convergence between information media. Mobile tagging connects static information carriers with the Internet and encourages the interactive behaviour of the user. At least this is not the only reason why leading experts are firmly convinced that performance in the European markets will almost reach Asian levels in the foreseeable future. However, the future success will not be attributed to simply linking to URL's, as with the internet no one will pay to connect to a URL. The real enterprise solutions are where the codes will be monetized and customization for business and commercial use will be at the forefront of intelligent and professional use, examples of which are; e-government, tourism, advertising and targeted marketing, packaging, supply chain management, brand management and brand protection, logistics, track and trace, anti-counterfeit or smuggling, id & passports, transport and ticketing, parking, disability, CRM, cross media campaigns, m-ticketing, m-payments, e-learning, complete integration of localization, personalization, objects and other data.
Commercial tagging includes the use of multi-dimensional barcodes, especially in the fields of mobile marketing and advertising. Showcases in this context are additional information on products (such as the nutrient content on hamburgers), direct downloads such as free ringtones, clips or mobile games) and the direct link to a specific site of a company. Particularly in the field of commercial tagging it is vital for the code to be able to be branded (it is possible to integrate a logo in the code). It is hard to convince people to use this technology.
The first company used QR Code for IT Asset Inventory Tagging System was initiated last October 11, 2012 made by Castlewood Group Pte Ltd Singapore led by IT Manager, Engr. Men-She-Vik P. San Diego, MIT. This unique concept innovates the use of QR Code as a medium for proper handling and monitoring of IT devices and peripherals for this company. Earlier concept made by other companies with the help of bar code tagging technology for IT asset inventory but now with the latest technology of encrypting and decrypting of information, QR Code may consider as one of the best application to manage IT asset of the company.
In terms of public tagging, barcodes serve as a hyperlink to additional information on public information carriers. This information may include maps, customer reviews or other non-commercial advice.
In view of private tagging, personal motives come to the fore. Besides the opportunity for creating direct hyperlinks on blogs or profiles, it is possible to participate immediately in online auctions (such as barcodes on cars with eBay hyperlinks).
Furthermore, barcodes allow services like saving data automatically in the contact list of mobile phones by scanning a code printed on business cards.
In addition to higher user friendliness, private tagging offers novel opportunities for self-presentation.[ original research? ]
A barcode or bar code is a method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form. Initially, barcodes represented data by varying the widths, spacings and sizes of parallel lines. These barcodes, now commonly referred to as linear or one-dimensional (1D), can be scanned by special optical scanners, called barcode readers, of which there are several types.
A barcode reader or barcode scanner is an optical scanner that can read printed barcodes and send the data they contain to computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens, and a light sensor for translating optical impulses into electrical signals. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers contain decoder circuitry that can analyse the barcode's image data provided by the sensor and send the barcode's content to the scanner's output port.
Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection through a simple setup that can be used for the bootstrapping of capable wireless connections. Like other proximity card technologies, NFC is based on inductive coupling between two electromagnetic coils present on a NFC-enabled device such as a smartphone. NFC communicating in one or both directions uses a frequency of 13.56 MHz in the globally available unlicensed radio frequency ISM band, compliant with the ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface standard at data rates ranging from 106 to 848 kbit/s.
Semacode is a software company based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is also this company's trade name for their machine-readable ISO/IEC 16022 Data Matrix barcodes, which are used to encode Internet URLs.
A QR code is a type of two-dimensional matrix barcode, invented in 1994, by Japanese company Denso Wave for labelling automobile parts. It features black squares on a white background with fiducial markers, readable by imaging devices like cameras, and processed using Reed–Solomon error correction until the image can be appropriately interpreted. The required data is then extracted from patterns that are present in both the horizontal and the vertical components of the QR image.
A Data Matrix is a two-dimensional code consisting of black and white "cells" or dots arranged in either a square or rectangular pattern, also known as a matrix. The information to be encoded can be text or numeric data. Usual data size is from a few bytes up to 1556 bytes. The length of the encoded data depends on the number of cells in the matrix. Error correction codes are often used to increase reliability: even if one or more cells are damaged so it is unreadable, the message can still be read. A Data Matrix symbol can store up to 2,335 alphanumeric characters.
Object hyperlinking is a term that refers to extending the Internet to objects and locations in the real world. Object hyperlinking aims to extend the Internet to the physical world by attaching tags with URLs to tangible objects or locations. These object tags can then be read by a wireless mobile device and information about objects and locations retrieved and displayed.
ShotCode is a circular barcode created by High Energy Magic of Cambridge University. It uses a dartboard-like circle, with a bullseye in the centre and datacircles surrounding it. The technology reads databits from the datacircles by measuring the angle and distance from the bullseye for each point.
Windows Live Barcode was a part of Microsoft's Windows Live services. It allowed users to transfer information between various media and handsets via Quick Response Code, a two-dimensional matrix barcode. It provided a method for people to exchange information and use various online services on handsets.
A guard tour patrol system is a system for logging the rounds of employees in a variety of situations such as security guards patrolling property, technicians monitoring climate-controlled environments, and correctional officers checking prisoner living areas. It helps ensure that the employee makes their appointed rounds at the correct intervals and can offer a record for legal or insurance reasons. Such systems have existed for many years using mechanical watchclock-based systems. Computerized systems were first introduced in Europe in the early 1980s, and in North America in 1986. Modern systems are based on handheld data loggers and RFID sensors. The system provides a means to record the time when the employee reaches certain points on their tour. Checkpoints or watchstations are commonly placed at the extreme ends of the tour route and at critical points such as vaults, specimen refrigerators, vital equipment, and access points. Some systems are set so that the interval between stations is timed so if the employee fails to reach each point within a set time, other staff are dispatched to ensure the employee's well-being. An example of a modern set-up might work as follows: the employee carries a portable electronic sensor (PES) or electronic data collector which is activated at each checkpoint. Checkpoints can consist of iButton semiconductors, magnetic strips, proximity microchips such as RFIDs or NFC- or optical barcodes. The data collector stores the serial number of the checkpoint with the date and time. Later, the information is downloaded from the collector into a computer where the checkpoint's serial number will have an assigned location. Data collectors can also be programmed to ignore duplicate checkpoint activations that occur sequentially or within a certain time period. Computer software used to compile the data from the collector can print out summaries that pinpoint missed checkpoints or patrols without the operator having to review all the data collected. Because devices can be subject to misuse, some have built-in microwave, g-force, and voltage detection.
High Capacity Color Barcode (HCCB) is a technology developed by Microsoft for encoding data in a 2D "barcode" using clusters of colored triangles instead of the square pixels conventionally associated with 2D barcodes or QR codes. Data density is increased by using a palette of 4 or 8 colors for the triangles, although HCCB also permits the use of black and white when necessary. It has been licensed by the ISAN International Agency for use in its International Standard Audiovisual Number standard, and serves as the basis for the Microsoft Tag mobile tagging application.
Asset tracking refers to the method of tracking physical assets, either by scanning barcode labels attached to the assets or by using tags using GPS, BLE, LoRa, or RFID which broadcast their location. These technologies can also be used for indoor tracking of persons wearing a tag.
Nokia Point & Find is a mobile application, which lets you point your Nokia smartphone camera at objects and images you want to know more about, to find more information. It is a visual search technology that uses the phone's camera to obtain information by using image recognition to identify objects, images and places in the physical world in real-time. For example, one can use the application to find information on movies by pointing the camera at movie posters and then view reviews, or find tickets at nearby theaters. Its uses include city landmark tagging, barcode scanning for comparison shopping and 2D barcode scanning and finding information related to products and services based on content provided by third party publishers.
The application Barcode Scanner is an Android app, from the open-source project ZXing, that allows an Android device with imaging hardware to scan barcodes or 2D barcodes and retrieve the data encoded. Information encoded often includes web addresses, geographical coordinates, and small pieces of text, in addition to commercial product codes. This Android-based system has similar functionality to a hardware barcode reader.
SnapTag, invented by SpyderLynk, is a 2D mobile barcode alternative similar to a QR code, but that uses an icon or company logo and code ring rather than a square pattern of black dots.
ShopSavvy is a mobile application for shopping that scans products and finds online and local stores providing those products. Additionally, ShopSavvy compares the prices, displays user reviews, and searches for deals and discounts on scanned items. The app was developed by Rylan Barnes, Jason Hudgins and Alexander Muse, who won the “Google’s Android Developer Challenge" and subsequently founded ShopSavvy, Inc.
Microsoft mobile services are a set of proprietary mobile services created specifically for mobile devices; they are typically offered through mobile applications and mobile browser for Windows Phone platforms, BREW, and Java. Microsoft's mobile services are typically connected with a Microsoft account and often come preinstalled on Microsoft's own mobile operating systems while they are offered via various means for other platforms. Microsoft started to develop for mobile computing platforms with the launch of Windows CE in 1996 and later added Microsoft's Pocket Office suite to their Handheld PC line of PDAs in April 2000. From December 2014 to June 2015, Microsoft made a number of corporate acquisitions, buying several of the top applications listed in Google Play and the App Store including Acompli, Sunrise Calendar, Datazen, Wunderlist, Echo Notification Lockscreen, and MileIQ.
Bing Vision is an image recognition application created by Microsoft which is installed on Windows Phones running version 7.5 and above, including Windows Phone 8. It is a part of the Bing Mobile suite of services, and on most devices can be accessed using the search button. On Windows Phone 8.1 devices where Microsoft Cortana is available, it is only available through the lenses of the Camera app. Bing Vision can scan barcodes, QR codes, Microsoft Tags, books, CDs, and DVDs. Books, CDs, and DVDs are offered through Bing Shopping.
Barcode library or Barcode SDK is a software library that can be used to add barcode features to desktop, web, mobile or embedded applications. Barcode library presents sets of subroutines or objects which allow to create barcode images and put them on surfaces or recognize machine-encoded text / data from scanned or captured by camera images with embedded barcodes. The library can support two modes: generation and recognition mode, some libraries support barcode reading and writing in the same way, but some libraries support only one mode.
Han Xin code is two-dimensional (2D) matrix barcode symbology invented in 2007 by Chinese company The Article Numbering Center of China to break monopoly of QR code. As QR code, Han Xin code consists of black squares and white square spaces arranged in a square grid on a white background. It has four finder patterns and other markers which allow to recognize it with camera-based readers. Han Xin code contains Reed–Solomon error correction with ability to read corrupted images. At this time, it is issued as ISO/IEC 20830:2021.