Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
(OP)
Hello,
I'm currently developing an application for mobile loyalty system.
In this application you will be able to store your discount/loyalty cards on a smart-phone.
Application works like this:
You scan your loyalty card's bar-code and save it on smart-phone.
When you are in a store you just show your loyalty card's bar-code on a smart-phone's screen for a discount.
The problem:
Not all types of bar-code scanners can scan directly from a smart-phone screen.
Bar-codes from the screen can easily be read by CCD or Camera-based scanners.
But if you use laser scanner you will find very difficulty or nearly impossible to scan a bar-code from a screen.
CCD or Camera-based scanners are quite new and expensive, so not all the stores have them.
Nearly 70% of the time you will find a laser bar-code scanner in a store.
Now talking from the business point of view it is possible to provide new scanners together with an application.
But talking about business - the stores won't be very happy with this kind of investment, since their current laser bar-code scanners
are perfectly doing their job.
My question to you:
Is there a way, to overcome this technological barrier, so the laser bar-code scanners could scan the bar-code from the smart-phone screen?
P.S.
I tried many different kind of filters: few types of anti-reflect screen protectors, matte film, tracing paper, nothing worked.
I also tried to make a bar-code not black and white, but black and red so foto-element in a scanner would get, not reflected light from a scanner, but emitted light from a screen, it didn't work either.
I'm currently developing an application for mobile loyalty system.
In this application you will be able to store your discount/loyalty cards on a smart-phone.
Application works like this:
You scan your loyalty card's bar-code and save it on smart-phone.
When you are in a store you just show your loyalty card's bar-code on a smart-phone's screen for a discount.
The problem:
Not all types of bar-code scanners can scan directly from a smart-phone screen.
Bar-codes from the screen can easily be read by CCD or Camera-based scanners.
But if you use laser scanner you will find very difficulty or nearly impossible to scan a bar-code from a screen.
CCD or Camera-based scanners are quite new and expensive, so not all the stores have them.
Nearly 70% of the time you will find a laser bar-code scanner in a store.
Now talking from the business point of view it is possible to provide new scanners together with an application.
But talking about business - the stores won't be very happy with this kind of investment, since their current laser bar-code scanners
are perfectly doing their job.
My question to you:
Is there a way, to overcome this technological barrier, so the laser bar-code scanners could scan the bar-code from the smart-phone screen?
P.S.
I tried many different kind of filters: few types of anti-reflect screen protectors, matte film, tracing paper, nothing worked.
I also tried to make a bar-code not black and white, but black and red so foto-element in a scanner would get, not reflected light from a scanner, but emitted light from a screen, it didn't work either.





RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
Seems to me that almost everyone has a smartphone, so either use the store owner's smartphone to read the QR code displayed on the customer's phone, or Bluetooth the data over. I've been in one store where there was no barcode reader at all, and all the credit card transactions were performed through the proprietor's iPhone with a credit card reader plugged into the audio jack.
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RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
So people can add already existing plastic cards to their phones.
Use of bar-codes is inevitable since all old cards are with them.
My aim is to find a business-friendly solution in which no big investments would be necessary.
At least in Baltic region (Europe) the new payment methods aren't spreading so fast.
And there is no need for changes since everything is still working perfectly.
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
Another completely different approach would be to install printers in stores with email to print addresses.
NFC is another next big thing.
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
You scan your loyalty card's bar-code and save it on smart-phone.
When you are in a store you just show your loyalty card's bar-code on a smart-phone's screen for a discount.<<<
That application, without the discount, has been available for the iPhone for several years, and is also available for Android; it's called CardStar. There are surely other versions.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
My question was:
Is there a way, to overcome this technological barrier, so the laser bar-code scanners could scan the bar-code from the smart-phone screen?
The solution that could work right here and right now.
I am familiar with NFC or e-ink technologies, i am just aware that these technologies will take some time to get widely used in practice.
-davidbeach
You might be confused, if you see a red light during bar-code reading it doesn't mean that it is a laser bar-code reader.
It might be the combined type (laser/CCD) reader or just a CCD type reader which emits red light from LED to get better results.
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
"Will work for salami"
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
I tell the checker my phone number. They punch it in. Done.
No need to engineer some complex solution - this is a solved problem.
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
http://www.cardstar.com/support/
Topic = Device Is Not Scanning In Store
Seems to be crystal clear.
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cac...
What do you think?
Could it work with Smartphones?
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
Perhaps the smartphone's camera flash LED can be modulated at a high enough rate; but this is (probably) silly.
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
RE: Bar-code reading from a smart-phone screen
The remainder, reportage of wireless data transmission by LED illumination bulbs, falls under 'Duh'.
As noted, there are a few technical problems to be ironed out, like transmitting data when the light switch is off. As not noted, there are a few more technical problems to be ironed out, like getting the data into the bulb in the first place without defeating its transient suppression mechanisms, and providing a reverse data channel for uploading, or at least for flow control.
On the other hand, some labcoat types got to spend a few more days screwing around in the lab, and did relatively little damage. Good on 'em.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA