Weird images on real estate billboards take customers to online information By Computerworld staff Auckland | Monday, 29 June, 2009
Online Real Estate company Open2View.com has launched QR Codes, codes that automatically connect potential customers with virtual property tours and other information online. Q
R Codes, a two-dimensional bar code originally created by Japanese automotive components manufacturer Denso-Wave in 1994, are odd looking pictures appearing on Open2View.com real estate billboards nationwide.
Standing for quick response, the QR Codes at Open2View.com connect people to information online at the click of a button, in this instance the camera on their mobile phone, says Open2View.com managing director Chris Bates.
A customer can walk past a house or read a brochure and snap a picture of the QR code to get transported to a website with a virtual tour, Bates says. Taking a photo of a QR Code prompts reader software to scan the image and then launches the phone’s browser directly to a programmed URL. Bates says most new 3G phones sold in New Zealand in the past year come with a QR Code reader or can download one from the internet to decipher the codes.
Ultimately every Open2View.com property will have a code and they will appear in all the traditional Real Estate marketing materials, including print advertising, window cards and flyers, he says.
Demonstration of Open2view QR code
Showing posts with label QR Code. Show all posts
Showing posts with label QR Code. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Revamping Ticket Sales - Meepass
In the report there are references to vouchers and B2C. We make the comment that ticket sale, distribution and admission could be changed significantly. This is based in fact and one French company is make inroads into this model.
The consumer locks into their onboard code generator with their PIN number. This allows personal iormation to be encoded and solves the security/fraudulent use issue.
Next the user generates the code and presents the phone to the reader on the entrance gate.
The reader scans the barcode from the handset screen, one of the key benefits of the technology is the flexibility of media that can be used.
Success!! the reader identifies the consumer as a paying guest and allows access to the venue.
This could be used for all venue events. I could have a barcode set with my Wellington Rugby Football Union season ticket number. I could then present my phone to the reader when I go to watch the Hurricanes or Lions down at the cake tin.
The consumer locks into their onboard code generator with their PIN number. This allows personal iormation to be encoded and solves the security/fraudulent use issue.
Next the user generates the code and presents the phone to the reader on the entrance gate.
The reader scans the barcode from the handset screen, one of the key benefits of the technology is the flexibility of media that can be used.
Success!! the reader identifies the consumer as a paying guest and allows access to the venue.
This could be used for all venue events. I could have a barcode set with my Wellington Rugby Football Union season ticket number. I could then present my phone to the reader when I go to watch the Hurricanes or Lions down at the cake tin.
txtBus 2.0
Metlink currently provide the txtBus service.
The basic premise is that a passenger can text the bus stop number to an SMS gateway run by Metlink. The passenger then gets an SMS by return that provides the next three services to run from that bus stop.
Problem 1: the number, although easy, is not displayed on all bus stops. That means I have to remember it :(
Problem 2: the bus stop already has a static timetable showing all of the [planned] service times departing from that bus stop, this is the same information used by Metlink. The problem is that buses never actually run on time.
GoWellington buses are running a smartcard system similar to London's Oyster, Hong Kong's Octopus and Singapore's EZLink cards. The Wellington Snapper service uses GPS tracking to determine the passengers boarding bus stop and their alighting bus stop. This provides the basis for fare calculation.
It should then be possible to use this information to provide a more accurate estimated arrival time for services approaching your bus stop. If this information was then made available through the SMS gateway and supplied to customers then service actually becomes useful.
Where th QR Code fits in is that each bus stop would then have a QR Code with the bus stop number encoded in the message and the txtBus phone number encoded in the recipient. Now a passenger has two click access to real time bus service data.
The basic premise is that a passenger can text the bus stop number to an SMS gateway run by Metlink. The passenger then gets an SMS by return that provides the next three services to run from that bus stop.
Problem 1: the number, although easy, is not displayed on all bus stops. That means I have to remember it :(
Problem 2: the bus stop already has a static timetable showing all of the [planned] service times departing from that bus stop, this is the same information used by Metlink. The problem is that buses never actually run on time.
GoWellington buses are running a smartcard system similar to London's Oyster, Hong Kong's Octopus and Singapore's EZLink cards. The Wellington Snapper service uses GPS tracking to determine the passengers boarding bus stop and their alighting bus stop. This provides the basis for fare calculation.
It should then be possible to use this information to provide a more accurate estimated arrival time for services approaching your bus stop. If this information was then made available through the SMS gateway and supplied to customers then service actually becomes useful.
Where th QR Code fits in is that each bus stop would then have a QR Code with the bus stop number encoded in the message and the txtBus phone number encoded in the recipient. Now a passenger has two click access to real time bus service data.
Appendix D - Calculating Code Size and Capacity
The code stamp size and the data capacity are influenced by the print media and the dpi (dots per inch) capability of the printer used.
The data in a 2D barcode is rendered as groups of modules. A module contains one or more dots and is equivalent to Binary 1. The residual white space in the code is treated as a Binary 0. The interplay between the black and white areas allows the meaning of the pattern to be referenced as data.
For the matrix code types of QR Code and DataMatrix, each black area or module is recommended to comprise of 4 or more dots to maximize the stability of the code stamp. The overall size of the stamp is then constrained by the printer head and the number of dots in a module, this relationship is detailed below.
The module size will then directly impact the overall size of the barcode stamp depending on the capacity required.
Carl Sewell has a spreadsheet that shows the relationship between barcode proportions (rows and columns) , the data capacity (Numeric, Alphanumeric and ASCII) and the stamp size in inches for the DataMatrix format,
The data in a 2D barcode is rendered as groups of modules. A module contains one or more dots and is equivalent to Binary 1. The residual white space in the code is treated as a Binary 0. The interplay between the black and white areas allows the meaning of the pattern to be referenced as data.
For the matrix code types of QR Code and DataMatrix, each black area or module is recommended to comprise of 4 or more dots to maximize the stability of the code stamp. The overall size of the stamp is then constrained by the printer head and the number of dots in a module, this relationship is detailed below.
The module size will then directly impact the overall size of the barcode stamp depending on the capacity required.
Carl Sewell has a spreadsheet that shows the relationship between barcode proportions (rows and columns) , the data capacity (Numeric, Alphanumeric and ASCII) and the stamp size in inches for the DataMatrix format,
Appendix B - Using a QR Code Reader
Using a 2D barcode reader such as the Kaywa Reader is a simple process.
Appendix A - QR Codes in Japan
Since QR Codes have been in use in Japan for a number of years, they appear in everyday life. Below are some example.
C2C
There are several free 2D barcode generators available online. The readers are readily available for most mobile phones and are relatively simple to install (Appendix C). This combination makes the technology easily accessible to consumers.
Classified Advertisements 2.o
The business models for newspapers and magazines are being disrupted by web technology. However, there is still some value in their content and 2D barcodes could be a means of converging print media and the online world.
The Dominion Post still runs a large classified advertisement section at the weekend for rental properties. If this was extended to include a 2D barcode, containing the contact details and contact method, it could assist property seekers making contact with prospective landlords.
The contact method is a choice that can be embedded into the 2D barcode (initiate SMS, start a call, send an email or display contact details). This could help drive seekers down the best contact channel for the landlord or agent. For SMS, the message can be automatically included which helps as a filter for the landlord if they are managing several properties.
Classified Advertisements 2.o
The business models for newspapers and magazines are being disrupted by web technology. However, there is still some value in their content and 2D barcodes could be a means of converging print media and the online world.
The Dominion Post still runs a large classified advertisement section at the weekend for rental properties. If this was extended to include a 2D barcode, containing the contact details and contact method, it could assist property seekers making contact with prospective landlords.
The contact method is a choice that can be embedded into the 2D barcode (initiate SMS, start a call, send an email or display contact details). This could help drive seekers down the best contact channel for the landlord or agent. For SMS, the message can be automatically included which helps as a filter for the landlord if they are managing several properties.
C2B
Consumer-to-Business transactions do not offer many opportunities for 2D barcodes. One potential scenario is referral hiring.
Fast Access Contact Information
As the age of the free-agent starts to emerge and we enter an era of resource exchanges, a mechanism for quick retrieval of contact information will become an advantage.
The standard information for contact details, name, address, phone number(s) and email address can be easily encoded into a 2D barcode. Further, the data capacity of these barcodes formats also allows for a succinct resume and a truncated skill set to be included as well. This allows for a quick retrieval of pertinent information from a business card and defers the need to look up a CV from file.
Fast Access Contact Information
As the age of the free-agent starts to emerge and we enter an era of resource exchanges, a mechanism for quick retrieval of contact information will become an advantage.
The standard information for contact details, name, address, phone number(s) and email address can be easily encoded into a 2D barcode. Further, the data capacity of these barcodes formats also allows for a succinct resume and a truncated skill set to be included as well. This allows for a quick retrieval of pertinent information from a business card and defers the need to look up a CV from file.
Dynamic Advertisement
2D barcodes can turn the traditional static billboard advertisements into a more dynamic marketing platform. For instance, with 2D barcodes incorporated into the billboard, consumers are able to access the movie trailer with a single click on their phone, obtain the ticket price or receive promotional vouchers.
B2C
The largest opportunity for the adoption of 2D barcodes will be within the B2C segment through the distribution of tickets and promotional coupons, generically referred to as vouchers.
Vouchers
These can be earned through paying for a service or by receiving a coupon for a free item, for example a coffee from your nearest Starbucks.
Air New Zealand has already adopted the use of 2D barcodes, specifically the PDF417 format, as a key enabler of their self service check-in solution. This approach could easily be transcribed to adjunct service providers as a means of distributing tickets to customers.
By applying a different format that can be easily presented from a mobile phone screen to an appropriate barcode reader, TicketMaster could transform the purchase, distribution and admission process for venue events for example; concerts, sporting events, trade shows and cinemas.
Similarly businesses that wish to reward customers with free products or merchandise through a promotion, typically be sending coupons, could utilise 2D barcodes to revolutionise this form of marketing campaign.
A coffee franchise could adopt 2D barcodes in the following process. First, send the coupon in the form of a matrix code to a known customer as an SMS or MMS. On receiving the electronic message, the customer can then present the coupon on their mobile handset. The square, compact nature of matrix codes such as QR Code or DataMatrix, lends itself to the size and proportiions of the average mobile phone screen. This is not the case for traditional linear barcodes. The data capacity of 2D barcodes gives the franchisee greater flexibility in tailoring coupon content. It is therefore possible to achieve personalised coupons that contain coffee choice, member information and location data in a very compact and portable coupon form.
Another example: Dynamic Advertisement
Vouchers
These can be earned through paying for a service or by receiving a coupon for a free item, for example a coffee from your nearest Starbucks.
Air New Zealand has already adopted the use of 2D barcodes, specifically the PDF417 format, as a key enabler of their self service check-in solution. This approach could easily be transcribed to adjunct service providers as a means of distributing tickets to customers.
By applying a different format that can be easily presented from a mobile phone screen to an appropriate barcode reader, TicketMaster could transform the purchase, distribution and admission process for venue events for example; concerts, sporting events, trade shows and cinemas.
Similarly businesses that wish to reward customers with free products or merchandise through a promotion, typically be sending coupons, could utilise 2D barcodes to revolutionise this form of marketing campaign.
A coffee franchise could adopt 2D barcodes in the following process. First, send the coupon in the form of a matrix code to a known customer as an SMS or MMS. On receiving the electronic message, the customer can then present the coupon on their mobile handset. The square, compact nature of matrix codes such as QR Code or DataMatrix, lends itself to the size and proportiions of the average mobile phone screen. This is not the case for traditional linear barcodes. The data capacity of 2D barcodes gives the franchisee greater flexibility in tailoring coupon content. It is therefore possible to achieve personalised coupons that contain coffee choice, member information and location data in a very compact and portable coupon form.
Another example: Dynamic Advertisement
Product Identification Data
2D barcodes allow for new possibilities for stock management right through the supply chain to the customer. The 2D barcode could store expiry dates, batch codes or storage requirements for perishable goods. For durable goods - details of the make, model, serial number and service tags.
This deeper level of information can also be accessed by the customer as they can now use their camera phone to access opposed to any specialised equipment.
The product data could also include dimension data (height, width, length, volume, weight) that could aid warehouse efficiency of stock handling. Combine this with a warehouse map that includes information such as current shelf weight and space data to maximise the storage capacity of a warehouse.
This deeper level of information can also be accessed by the customer as they can now use their camera phone to access opposed to any specialised equipment.The product data could also include dimension data (height, width, length, volume, weight) that could aid warehouse efficiency of stock handling. Combine this with a warehouse map that includes information such as current shelf weight and space data to maximise the storage capacity of a warehouse.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Matrix Codes
The most established form is the matrix code that uses vertical and horizontal grid of pixels to encode data. Forms of matrix codes inlcude:
- QR Code - Quick Response codes, the most successful form of matrix code widely adoptied in Japan.
- PDF417 - a stacked barcode commonly used by airlines for eTicket presentation.
- DataMatrix - a similar form to QR Code widely used in USA.
Basic Characteristics
Our research has identified two main forms of 2D barcodes - Matrix Codes and Radial (Polar Coordinate) Codes.
The actual data capacity of a 2D barcode is dependent on a number of factors. These include the media choice, the final size of the presentation allowing for the resolution of the dots used in the printing process (Appendix D) and the level of error correction required (Appendix E).
One of the key differentiators for the use of 2D barcodes is the data capacity they offer. Due to the use of both horizontal and vertical axes, the data can be stored in a much smaller area when compared to traditional barcodes, like those used in shops. The table shows potential data capacity and usage options for five of the main symbologies.
The actual data capacity of a 2D barcode is dependent on a number of factors. These include the media choice, the final size of the presentation allowing for the resolution of the dots used in the printing process (Appendix D) and the level of error correction required (Appendix E).With the higher data capacities available in 2D barcodes, a number of different types of message can be encoded in the barcode. This allows for a wide range of potential uses, though the intepretation of the message is generally dependent on the capabilities of the reader.
Introduction
This online report discusses the potential use of 2-Dimensional (2D) Barcodes within New Zealand. This is an applied use of a common piece of technology, the mobile phone camera, that takes data in the form of a binary image and turns it into information.
The barcode has evolved from the one dimensional form widely adopted in the retail industry since the 1950's to the current forms of 2D barcodes now in circulation and being applied to diverse industries outside of retail. This evolution has resulted in higher data capacity and greater flexibility of use, all in a smaller presentation area.
One version of this application has been in active use in Japan sunce 1995 and has evolved from a way of tracking car parts to mobile tagging where information is now quickly and easily retrieved by most current Japanese mobile phone (Appendix A).
The report will outline the basic characteristics of this evolution of tradtional barcodes, the types of industries and ways that these industries could use 2D barcodes and finally any issues and barriers to the form adoption of this technology.
The barcode has evolved from the one dimensional form widely adopted in the retail industry since the 1950's to the current forms of 2D barcodes now in circulation and being applied to diverse industries outside of retail. This evolution has resulted in higher data capacity and greater flexibility of use, all in a smaller presentation area.
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