Quick+Response+(QR)+Codes

= What Is A Quick Response (QR) Code? = toc A QR Code is an enhanced type of barcode. With the widespread use of barcodes, however, the QR code was developed in order to present data that would allow for more information and characters, and at the same time require less space. It is similar to traditional barcodes in the sense that a scanner “reads” the code. The code is linked to certain information, which is subsequently interpreted and used for any number of specific purposes. QR codes have been around for almost 2 decades now, and while they have been adopted largely by business and industry, individuals are utilizing them more commonly now due to advancements in web and other technologies. The QR code was developed by a Japanese company, Denso Wave Inc., in 1994, and has seen multiple iterations since the initial inception.

A QR code is first created by arranging pixels, known as “modules,” into a grid. Each QR code is linked to information stored in a system. Once a scanner reads the QR code, the information is processed in the system and then returned to the user.

QR codes have specific requirements in order to be read by a scanner. The number of modules, or square pixels that span both vertically and horizontally, must be designated in accordance with which version of QR code is being used. There are currently 40 versions, with the first comprising a square grid of 21x21 modules, and the 40th comprising a square grid of 177x177 modules. People who create QR codes need to understand what kind of information they want to convey, since more information requires a larger QR code made up of more modules to represent all of the data.

How Can Someone Make QR Codes?
Since Denso Wave Inc. does not exercise their patent right and has disclosed the specification for the QR code, it is open for others to make use of. There are several QR code generators available online. The following url links to an article discussing 3 QR code tools anyone can use, and weighs the potential benefits and drawbacks of each: @http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/digital/biz-categories-technology/qr-codes-made-easy/article1999456/

What Can QR Codes Be Used For?
QR codes are predominantly used for marketing. They provide a quick way (hence the meaning “Quick Response”) for people to gain access to information. With the growth of people using smartphones that have cameras with high resolutions, applications have been made so that anyone can scan a QR code and retrieve online information on their handheld device. Not only companies, but individuals have a means now to provide others with their information via the web. People can use QR codes to make others aware of their Facebook or Twitter pages. Another possibility is for people to use their QR code as a link to their email signup page. media type="youtube" key="oWzPGorP6AE" height="315" width="560"

Libraries, moreover, could create their own QR codes that people could scan in order to visit that library’s home page online. They could even possibly enhance their facilities by applying QR codes to books so that readers could scan a book’s QR code and see what other titles the library offered by that author.

Another example of QR codes can be found at San Diego State University's Library website: @http://libpac.sdsu.edu/search~S0?/tHistory+of+Westphalia/thistory+of+westphalia/-3%2C0%2C0%2CB/frameset&FF=thistory+of+wireless+networks&1%2C1%2C/indexsort=- This page from their online catalog shows a QR code in the bottom right corner of the page that facilitates a user in checking the book out.

**References**
AldeBaer. (2007, June 22). QR code Aldebaer [Photograph]. Retrieved November 13, 2011, from @http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AQR_Code_AldeBaer.png

Blum, J. (2011, April 27). Apps make QR codes easy to master. Retrieved November 8, 2011, from @http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/digital/biz-categories-technology/qr-codes-made-easy/article1999456/

Brooks, R. (2011). How to market your small business with QR codes. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from @http://www.flyte.biz/resources/newsletters/11/02-qr-code-marketing.php

Brooks, R. (2011, January 24). 13 creative ways to use QR codes for marketing. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from @http://www.fastcompany.com/1720193/13-creative-ways-to-use-qr-codes-for-marketing

Denso Wave Inc. (2010). QRCode.com. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from @http://www.denso-wave.com/qrcode/index-e.html

ID History: The History of Automated Identification. (2011, July 9). Retrieved October 20, 2011, from @http://www.idhistory.com/

QRCodeMedia. (2011, September 23). Using a QR code for a quick response [Video file]. Retrieved November 13, 2011, from @http://www.youtube.com/user/QRCodeMedia?blend=7&ob=5

Salmon, P. (2011, September 5). What is a QR code? Retrieved October 20, 2011, from @http://technicallyeasy.net/2011/09/what-is-a-qr-code/

//Wireless ad hoc and sensor networks: Theory and applications.// (2011). In San Diego State University Library and Information Access. Retrieved from @http://libpac.sdsu.edu/search~S0?/tHistory+of+Westphalia/thistory+of+westphalia/-3%2C0%2C0%2CB/frameset&FF=thistory+of+wireless+networks&1%2C1%2C/indexsort=-

Stierch, S. (2011, June 22). QR code at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis [Photograph], Retrieved November 12, 2011, from @http://www.flickr.com/photos/7633518@N08/5881496566