Kiosk Solutions Feb-Mar 2017 | Page 34

code scanners
system to monitor inventory .
• Bookkeeping hours decreased because counting coupons and other tasks were done by the system .
• Stores installed electronic scales at the register , speeding up weighing and pricing produce .
• Customer acceptance of the new system was positive .
Introduction of the QR Code In 1994 , 20 years after the initial barcode scanners were introduced , it became apparent you would have limitations using them . The most significant was that a barcode scanner could only read the 20 alphanumeric characters a barcode could hold . Denso Wave Inc . embarked on developing a new 2D code . Known as Quick Response ( QR ) codes , these can be scanned digitally – most commonly by a smartphone – the phone ’ s camera reads the code . It ' s made up of four squares , with the first three larger ones acting as alignment targets , while the smaller square normalises the angle and size of the shot . The encoded data is interpreted by one of the four primary modes , although other forms of information can also be shown if your scanner has the appropriate extensions : alphanumeric , numeric , binary / byte and Kanji .
As its technology evolved , QR scanners became able to read more information , including up to 177 pixels square that held about 1,852 characters .
Timeline of Barcodes and Barcode Scanners To get a feel for what the future holds for barcodes and barcode readers , you need to look at how far this technology has come . This type of data collection technology actually dates back to the 19th century , when the concept of collecting information through a machine was first discussed . But there were many highlights in the brief history of barcodes and barcode scanners .
The concept of a linear barcode is first discussed and developed .
Woodland and Silver file for a patent .
Silver passes away at age 38 , before the commercialisation of both the barcode and barcode scanner .
Just a year later , the Association of American Railroads adopts the barcode and scanner , and uses them on its whole fleet of equipment .
1890
1930 - 1940
1948 1949 1952 1962 1966 1967
Punch cards are used to speed up the process during the 1890 Census .
Two college students , Bernard Silver and Joseph Woodland , overhear a request made to the head of their school while attending a food fair .
The barcode and the barcode scanner receive patents , later purchased by Philco and sold to RCA – an American electronics company .
The National Association of Food Chains becomes the first company to utilise barcodes , using them to decrease checkout times .
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