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 1
Shop 2 Shop 3
Shop 6 Shop 4 Shop 5
Mall
Shop 1
Shop 2 Shop 3
Shop 6 Shop 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 Mehr Kaufen Mehr
• “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
