Cloud-Based Bar Code Decoding for Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices, such as smartphones, are limited by their CPU power and memory when processing and storing bar code data, restricting the complexity and quality of bar code scanning and decoding, and the ability to share encoded information.
Innovation Solution
Offloading processing and storage to cloud computing resources, allowing mobile devices to use a thin client for bar code scanning and decoding, where CPU power and storage are virtually unlimited, enabling complex data encoding and decoding without relying on the device's resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If bar code scanning software is installed on mobile devices, then bar code scanning capability is provided, but device CPU power and memory are consumed limiting processing capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cloud computing services as an intermediary between the mobile device and bar code processing tasks. The mobile device captures bar code images and transmits them to cloud-based processing servers, which perform the computationally intensive decoding and data retrieval operations. This mediator approach allows the device to maintain scanning functionality without consuming local CPU power or memory for heavy processing tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the computationally intensive bar code processing functions from the mobile device and relocates them to cloud-based servers. By separating the lightweight image capture function (performed on-device) from the heavy decoding and data processing functions (performed on-cloud), the system enables complex bar code scanning capabilities while preserving device resources.
2Manufacturing precision
If complex data encoding is performed on mobile devices, then bar code detail and complexity are enhanced, but device storage and processing resources are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud computing service acts as an intermediary that handles complex data encoding operations. The mobile device prepares basic bar code data and sends it to cloud servers, which perform sophisticated encoding algorithms and generate high-detail bar code images. This allows the device to produce complex bar codes without storing large amounts of processing data locally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts complex encoding computations from the mobile device environment and performs them on cloud-based infrastructure with virtually unlimited storage and processing capabilities. This separation enables the generation of high-detail bar codes that would exceed the storage and computational limits of mobile devices.
3Loss of information
If bar code data is stored on mobile devices, then data access is enabled, but device memory limitations restrict data volume and sharing capability
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud computing service serves as an intermediary storage system that receives bar code data from mobile devices and makes it accessible to multiple users. Instead of storing data locally on each device, the system uploads decoded bar code information to cloud storage, where it can be retrieved by any authorized device. This enables unlimited data volume and facilitates mobile-to-mobile communication without relying on individual device memory.
Data Source
AI summary
A data decoding system that includes a server-side proxy component and at least two back-end computers, where the server-side proxy component is configured, when it receives an encoding request from a client, to select a back-end computer to forward the encoding request to, based on either a pre-defined rule, load estimates for the at least two computers, estimated network throughputs across network paths to the two computers. In response to receiving this request, the back-end computer that is selected is configured to encode the request.