A QR code, short for quick-response code, is a type of two-dimensional matrix barcode made of black and white squares arranged in a grid with corner markers, readable by a camera and decoded using Reed-Solomon error correction so that the pattern can still be read even if part of it is damaged or obscured. The Japanese engineer Masahiro Hara of the automotive parts supplier Denso Wave invented the QR code in 1994 to label components on the factory floor, choosing a two-dimensional design specifically because it could hold far more data and be read far faster than a standard one-dimensional barcode. QR codes spread well beyond the automobile industry into product tracking, ticketing, payments and marketing, aided by the code's ability to store data in numeric, alphanumeric, byte and Japanese kanji formats.
Facts
Patent or First-Use Date SignificanceCompared to standard UPC barcodes, the QR labeling system was applied beyond the automobile industry because of faster reading of the optical image and greater data-storage capacity in applications such as product tracking, item identification, time tracking, document management, and general marketing. 2 Sources
1. US Patent 5,726,435 (Google Patents)
Google Patents / United States Patent and Trademark OfficeGoogle Patents US5726435, Filing date fieldQuote, Google Patents US5726435, Filing date field
Filing date 1995-03-14
2. QR Code (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia QR code, lead paragraph
A QR code, short for quick-response code, is a type of two-dimensional matrix barcode invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara of the Japanese company Denso Wave for labelling automobile parts.
Wikipedia QR code, lead paragraph, third sentence
Compared to standard UPC barcodes, the QR labeling system was applied beyond the automobile industry because of faster reading of the optical image and greater data-storage capacity in applications such as product tracking, item identification, time tracking, document management, and general marketing.
- In Group: Automatic Identification and Data Capture, lead states a QR code is a type of two dimensional matrix barcode
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Does anyone have to pay to use a QR code?
No. Denso Wave waived its key patent for standardized codes and licenses the technology freely to anyone following the JIS or ISO/IEC standards.
Not for the standardized code. Denso Wave, the company where Masahiro Hara invented the QR code in 1994 to label automobile parts, owns a number of patents on the technology, including a patent filed in 1995. It chose to exercise them only in a limited fashion. To promote wide use, Denso Wave waived its rights to a key patent for standardized codes only. Use of the technology is freely licensed as long as users follow the QR code standards documented with JIS or ISO/IEC. That open approach is part of why the code spread from car factories into product tracking, ticketing, payments and marketing.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.