YES ! BARCODE Technology : Behind The Lines !

Barcode Definition  A Barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data relating to the object to which it is attached. Originally, barcodes systematically represented data by varying the widths and spacing of parallel lines, and may be referred to as a linear or one-dimensional (1D).  Later, they evolved into rectangles, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns in two dimensions (2D).  Although 2D systems use a variety of symbols, they are generally referred to as barcodes as well.  Barcodes originally were scanned by special optical scanners called barcode readers.  Later, scanners and interpretive software became available on devices including desktop printers and smart phones.

Linear Barcodes : A first generation One Dimensional barcode that is made up of lines and spaces of various widths that create specific patterns Matrix (2D) barcodes : A Matrix Code, also termed a 2D Barcode, is a two-dimensional way to represent information. It is similar to a linear (1- dimensaional) barcode, but can represent more data per unit area

First, a bit of history… Bernard Silver, a graduate student, overheard the president of a food chain pleading with a dean to undertake research on capturing product information automatically at check out. Silver mentioned the conversation to his friend Normand Joseph Woodland, a twenty- seven-year-old graduate student and teacher at Drexel. The problem fascinated Woodland. Their journey began

The first patent for a barcode type product was issued to Woodland and Silver on October 7th. The Woodland and Silver bar code can be described as a Bull’s Eye symbol, made up of a series of concentric circles. The first device was the size of a desk, included a 500 Watt incandescent light bulb and had to be wrapped in black oil cloth to keep out ambient light. We’ve come a long way since…

News! News! It’s a premier !!! On June 26th, 8:01 a.m., C. Dawson pulled a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum out of his basket, which was scanned by S. Buchanan, at the March supermarket in Troy, Ohio. Spectra Physics and NCR jointly developed the system. This model A price scanner is one of the first scanners. Mounted within the unit a helium-neon laser projected a beam onto a rotating mirror and thence up through a glass plate on the top surface. The light reflected from the code label on the package and was detected by a photo-diode computerized cash register matched the signal from the photo-diode with information in a stored database to determine which product was being scanned. The pack of gum and the receipt are now on display in the Smithsonian Institute.

Experience with barcode scanning in stores revealed multiple benefits Detailed sales information acquired by the new systems allowed greater responsiveness to customer Sales started climbing and eventually leveled off at a 10-12% increase Decrease of 1- 2% in operating cost for the stores that enabled them to lower prices to increase market share Return on investment for a barcode scanner was 41.5% By 1980, 8000 stores per year were converting

Today They are widely used in the healthcare system (patient identification & medical history) They are used to keep track of objects and people Barecode tickets allow the holder to enter sports events, cinemas, transportation, etc… They are used to record the arrival and departure of vehicles from rental facilities Today Some 2D barcodes embed a hyperlink to a web page A capable cell phone might be used to read the pattern and browse the linked website Since 2005, airlines use an IATA-standards 2D barcode for boarding passes Since 2008, 2D barcodes sent to mobile phones enable electronic boarding passes

How does this relate to Security? Conclusion In Security Applications, Barcodes are rarely used since these are easily replicated through photocopy machines and photo images with smart phone cameras. Therefore, for us in the Security /Access Control industry, it is considered an older technology, that has been replaced by the arrival of new products. We will discover together what has replaced Barcodes through the years.

We’ll see you again next week… We’ll find out what is Magstripe Technology