Automatic Identification and Data Capture

The methods of automatically identifying objects, collecting data about them, and entering that data directly into computer systems. Technologies part of Automatic Identification

Bar Codes Radio Frequency Identification RFID Biometrics Magnetic Stripes Optical Character Recognition OCR Smart Cards Voice Recognition Matrix Bar Codes

Bar Codes

A barcode is a machine-readable representation of information usually dark ink on a light background to create high and low reflectance which is converted to 1s and 0s. Applications items purchased from a department store Rental car companies keep track of their cars by barcodes on the car's glass or bumper Airlines track passenger luggage with barcodes toll bridge quickly scan for cars that had paid for a monthly pass U.S. Post Office keep track of which trucks have entered the yard Symbology The mapping between messages and barcodes is called a symbology is the pattern of bars and spaces which make up a barcode the language used for determining the barcode Structure of a Bar Code

Components of a Bar Code

The quiet zone - The blank area surrounding the barcode The start/stop pattern - defines the beginning and end of the data contained in the barcode The Data - the section in the barcode where the information is stored Human Readable Information - HRI displays the content of the data stored in a barcode in a text format which can be read by the user Check character- computation of a checksum Data in Bar Codes the widths and spacings of printed parallel lines in patterns of dots concentric circles text codes hidden within images Radio-Frequency IDentification

RFID

small electronic devices that consist of a small chip and an antenna chip is capable of carrying 2,000 bytes of data or less the RFID device must be scanned to retrieve the identifying information

RFID Tags

The tag need not be on the surface of the object therefore not subject to wear RFID device does not need to be positioned precisely relative to the scanner The read time is typically less than 100 milliseconds Large numbers of tags can be read at once rather than item by item Have wide variety of shapes and sizes May be encased in a variety of materials Applications of RFID

Animal tracking tags, inserted beneath the skin, can be rice-sized Tags can be screw-shaped to identify trees or wooden items Credit-card shaped for use in access applications Heavy-duty 120 by 100 by 50 millimeter rectangular transponders are used

track shipping containers heavy machinery trucks railroad cars Advantages of RFID

readers do not require a direct line of sight to RFID tags can be read at much greater distances (up to 300 feet) tags can be reused (read/write devices) or permanent tags are typically more rugged - the electronic components are better protected in a plastic cover Low cost-per-use