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Barcode application innovation for smartphones
Gerald Eichler*, Karl-Heinz Lüke
#, Aykan Aydin
*, Roland Schwaiger
#
Innovation Development, Convergent Services and Platforms
Deutsche Telekom AG, Laboratories *Deutsche-Telekom-Allee 7, D-64295 Darmstadt
#Ernst-Reuter-Platz 7, D-10587 Berlin
gerald.eichler@telekom.de
karl-heinz.lueke@telekom.de
aykan.aydin@telekom.de
roland.schwaiger@telekom.de
Abstract: Modern smartphones provide a high sophisticated camera and a high
resolution display. Therefore, they can be used to enable various application
scenarios for 1D and 2D barcode recognition as well as barcode presentation
device. The device positioning against the barcode allows innovative interaction:
e.g., additional product information or “rail information” on paper tickets. In the
future, the challenges lie on applications that are “easy to use” with one-click: e.g.,
book auctions with one key press. Beside usability approaches, the technical
challenges cover fast and robust algorithms under bad light conditions, different
angel orientation and parallax calculation.
1 Motivation – new technology of smartphone cameras
Over the recent years, smartphone cameras have reached the level of compact cameras.
Manual macro switch or additional lenses were replaced by autofocus systems while the
resolution increases. Vendor dependent APIs to access picture or video stream mode are
available and the device processor allows real-time calculations which are essential for
object detection even under bad light conditions (brightness, colors, reflexes).
(a)
Shop 1Shop 2 Shop 3
Shop 6Shop 4 Shop 5
Mall
Shop 1Shop 2 Shop 3
Shop 6Shop 4 Shop 5
Mall
(b)
Figure 1: (a) fixed orientation angle ⇒ activation of different functions on key press; (b) square
parallax calculation ⇒ detection of camera sight point out of the 2D barcode.
If the object type – in our case various barcode types – is known, object deficits like
knitter, scraper, bulge can either be corrected or used for additional interaction by
orientation detection. New challenges lie on the usability of new applications that are
easy to use by extending the limited smartphone interaction options.
2 Barcode application overview
Barcode applications for smartphones can be divided in to receptive (recognition) and
productive (generation) services (see fig. 2). Beside a static barcode, scan technology
that covers angle orientation and parallax detection, dynamic scan methods will become
more relevant for further approaches. If the device with the camera or the object is in
motion, the applications should be usable in an intuitive way. Dedicated device motion
can be used as interactive function enabler. Therefore, the object has to be recognized
very fast under bad light conditions, surface damages and different orientation relation
between barcode and camera.
Barcodes & Smartphones
Barcode Generation
Barcode Recognition
Static Scan Dynamic Scan
Angle Orientation Parallax Detection Device Motion Object Motion
Barcodes & Smartphones
Barcode Generation
Barcode Recognition
Static Scan Dynamic Scan
Angle Orientation Parallax Detection Device Motion Object Motion
Figure 2: Classification of smartphone barcode applications.
2.1 Barcode detection and database/URL linking
Principle: Barcodes include either a short numeric (mostly 1D code) or more extensive
alphanumeric (mostly 2D code) information. In most cases, only an additional public or
private database (numeric ID) or the Internet by URL coding (alphanumeric) leads to the
final data source, which requires an online data connection for further service invention.
Appropriate barcodes: 1D EAN, ISBN as EAN, 2D QR-code
Deutsche Telekom Laboratories application prototypes:
• “Allergy Warner” for super market products [Contigo IV]. The Allergy Warner
gives an alert message if a product contains special ingredients when scanning
the product barcode and having activated the personal allergy profile during
shopping.
• “ebay Book Auction” for books per one key press [Contigo IV]. This
application gives the user a one click solution for book auctions by checking the
ISBN barcode. The customers benefit from the high usability.
• “Movie Information” and cinema trailer delivery [Contigo IV]. At special
locations in a city, e.g. bus tops, additional advertising information to movies,
can easily be added on posters. The barcode scan
triggers a trailer preview and leads to the nearest
cinema.
• “Additional rail information” on paper tickets
[LME+09]. The scan of barcode on paper tickets can
improve the allocation of real-time travel information
(e.g. delays, connections and platform information).
• QR-code for news and advertisement with direct URL coding [SSM+08]. Print
media are linked to web resources for further details and background
information.
2.2 Barcodes 2D with exact shape and orientation detection
Principle: Analysis of square parallax of a known barcode shape allows calculating the
exact point the camera center is aimed at.
Appropriate barcodes: square codes: 11x11 code, QR-code
Deutsche Telekom Laboratories application prototypes:
• “Mall Navigator” or “Interactive Fashion Catalogue”
with indirect object focusing [Contigo II]. Multiple
additional real-time shop (opening hours) or product
(sizes on stock) information bundled one page can
improve the user experiences.
• “Function Activation” by angle scan [Contigo III]. Scan and click initiates
different action e.g., show details, mail me, print info.
2.3 Location based barcode generation on mobile screens
Principle: Using location information as trigger of additional
services and direct reading from displays by scanner. In
specific situations, e.g. traveling or shopping, the customer
can receive a dynamic barcode coupon depending on his local
position or context.
Appropriate barcodes: EAN, QR-code
Deutsche Telekom Laboratories application prototypes:
Kaufen M
ehr
Kaufen M
ehr
• “Mobile Couponing” for location based discount campaigns when entering a
defined area [BEH07, EK06]. At selected places, like airports or stations, the
customer can get special mobile coupons that can be recognized by a barcode
reader directly from the display of the mobile phone. Campaign, time, area and
profile management is supported.
• “Mobile Ticketing” for ticket verification [LME+09]. Barcodes at platforms can
improve the accuracy of the GSM route tracing. The location-based mobile
ticketing solution Ring&Ride can be extended by using bar codes with platform
information. In comparison to ticketing solutions that uses NFC (Near filed
communication), cameras in mobile phones are much more widely spread on
the market than NFC-chip.
• “Context aware Adaptive Barcodes” generation for refunding. Context
information that are used on mobile phones, e.g. location information and
calendar data, can be used as a significantly improvement of the user
experience. Depending on the context, the user can receive a special barcode
which is useful in his current situation e.g., coupons or additional information.
3 Summary and Outlook
Barcode supported applications on smartphones are a powerful enabler for efficient user
interaction, although generic, device independent APIs to access the camera are still rare.
One click applications with a high usability will be the challenges for further work.
Beside the aspect of usability, new technological challenges cover robust and fast
algorithms with different angle orientation even under bad light conditions.
References
[BEH07] Böhm, A.; Eichler, G.; Haffner, M.: Location-based Couponing mit MMS Barcode.
Erfahrungen per Feldversuch, BDOA: „Bonus-/Gutscheinsysteme und Partnering”,
Hamburg, 2007, URL: http://www.bdoa.de/download/BDOA_TSY_1.1.pdf
[Contigo II], [Contigo III], [Contigo IV] Contextual Information to Go (Contigo) is a series of
innovation projects of Deutsche Telekom Laboratories in the project field Convergent
Services and Platforms, Berlin, Bonn, Darmstadt, 2001 – 2008
[EK06] Eichler, G.; Karge, R.: A Location and Privacy Middleware for Context-aware Mobile
Applications, ICIN, Convergence in Services, Media and Networks, Bordeaux, 2006
[LME+09] Lüke, K-H.; Mügge, H.; Eisemann, M.; Telschow, A.: Integrated Solutions and
Services in Public Transport on Mobile Devices, In: Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI),
I2CS conference proceedings, Jena, 2009
[SSM+08] Sapira, B.; Shoval, P.; Meyer, J.; Tractinsky, N.; Mimram, D.: ePaper - the
Personalized Mobile Newspaper, ReColl 2008: International Workshop on
Recommendation and Collaboration 2008 at International ACM Conference on
Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI 2008), 2008
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