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Rectangular Micro QR Code (also known as rMQR Code) is two-dimensional (2D) matrix barcode invented and standardized in 2022[1] by Denso Wave as ISO/IEC 23941.[2] rMQR Code is designed as a rectangular variation of QR code and has the same parameters and applications as original QR code. But rMQR Code is more suitable for the rectangular areas and has difference between width and height up to 19 in R7x139 version. In this way it can be used in places where 1D barcodes are used. rMQR Code can replace Code 128 and Code 39 barcodes with more effective data encoding.
rMQR Code consists of black squares and white square spaces arranged in a square grid on a white background. It has one finder pattern in left-top corner the same as in QR Code and small finder sub-pattern in right-bottom corner. Also, it has alignment and timing patterns to help with recognition. rMQR Code has Reed–Solomon error correction with ability to restore data from corrupted barcodes. As other 2D matrix barcodes it can be read with camera-based readers.
As original QR code, rMQR Code can encode Unicode characters with Extended Channel Interpretation feature, bytes array and can natively encode Japanese characters in kanji encoding. In maximal R17x139 version rMQR Code can encode up to 361 numeric, 219 alphanumeric, 150 bytes and 92 kanji characters.[3]
History and application
rMQR Code was invented by Denso Wave company in 2022 and standardized as ISO/IEC 23941. It is an extension of QR Code for rectangular areas and designed to be a replacement of 1D barcodes.[4]
rMQR Code is a novel barcode and at this time it not widely used, but it can unite QR Code features like error correction and Unicode encoding and 1D barcodes features like effective usage of rectangular areas. At this time rMQR Code yet is not widely supported by hardware printers and scanners but it is already supported by barcode libraries.[5][6] In this way rMQR Code can be used in:
- Advertisement;
- Automatic data identification in document processing;
- Automatically identified hyperlinks to internet pages;
- Food and goods tracking in retail;
- In airports, bus / railroad stations for automatic tickets and passenger documents identification;
- Package tracking;[7]
- Patient or medicine identification in healthcare services or industry.[8]
Main advantages of rMQR Code are:
- Ability to encode Japanese characters with embedded methods;
- Effective usage of rectangular areas and full replacement of 1D barcodes.
- Encoding GS1 Data;[9]
- Extended Channel Interpretation support;
- Reed–Solomon error correction with ability to restore data from corrupted barcodes.
Barcode design
Rectangular Micro QR Code is designed for the better utilization of rectangular areas with all features of QR code. The symbology consists of black squares and white square spaces arranged in a square grid on a white background. Additionally, the barcode has inverse version with black background with inverse (luminance) color of elements.[2]: 6.2
rMQR Code has minimal height of 7X and minimal width of 27X, where maximal height is 17X and maximal width 139X.[2]: 7.1 rMQR Code has 32 versions with different combinations of height and width. Reed–Solomon error correction has two levels and allows to restore from 15% to 30% of corrupted data.
rMQR Code symbol is constructed from the following elements:[10][2]: 6.3.1
- Finder pattern on top-left corner with 1X separator on bottom-right space, the same as in QR Code;
- Finder sub pattern in bottom-right corner;
- Corner finder patterns on top-right and bottom-left barcode sides, width and height variable and maximal can be 3x3;
- Alignment patterns, variable count, depends from version width: 0 in R11x27 version, 8 in R11x139 version;
- Timing patterns which are used as border around barcode;
- Format information region around finder pattern and finder sub pattern;
- Data encoding region;
- Quiet zone 2X.
Here are some samples of Rectangular Micro QR Code (rMQR Code):
-
Rectangular Micro QR Code (rMQR Code) version R7x43
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Rectangular Micro QR Code (rMQR Code) version R17x43
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Rectangular Micro QR Code (rMQR Code) version R7x139
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Rectangular Micro QR Code (rMQR Code) version R17x139
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Rectangular Micro QR Code (rMQR Code) version R11x77
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Rectangular Micro QR Code (rMQR Code) version R15x59
Versions
Rectangular Micro QR Code can be encoded in 32 versions with height from 7X to 17X and width from 27X to 139X. All versions have two Error correction levels: M and H, which have influence on possible encoded data size and error correction. All of Rectangular Micro QR Code versions and their features can be watched in the following table:[2]: 7.4.10
Version | Version indicator |
Error correction level |
Data codewords |
Error correction codewords |
Data capacity | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Numeric | Alpha | Byte | Kanji | |||||
R7x43 | 0 | M | 6 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
H | 3 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
R7x59 | 1 | M | 12 | 9 | 26 | 16 | 11 | 6 |
H | 7 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 3 | ||
R7x77 | 2 | M | 20 | 12 | 45 | 27 | 19 | 11 |
H | 10 | 22 | 21 | 13 | 9 | 5 | ||
R7x99 | 3 | M | 28 | 16 | 64 | 39 | 27 | 16 |
H | 14 | 30 | 30 | 18 | 13 | 8 | ||
R7x139 | 4 | M | 44 | 24 | 102 | 62 | 42 | 26 |
H | 24 | 44 | 54 | 33 | 22 | 14 | ||
R9x43 | 5 | M | 12 | 9 | 26 | 16 | 11 | 6 |
H | 7 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 3 | ||
R9x59 | 6 | M | 21 | 12 | 47 | 29 | 20 | 12 |
H | 11 | 22 | 23 | 14 | 10 | 6 | ||
R9x77 | 7 | M | 31 | 18 | 71 | 43 | 30 | 18 |
H | 17 | 32 | 37 | 23 | 16 | 9 | ||
R9x99 | 8 | M | 42 | 24 | 97 | 59 | 40 | 25 |
H | 22 | 44 | 49 | 30 | 20 | 12 | ||
R9x139 | 9 | M | 63 | 36 | 147 | 89 | 61 | 38 |
H | 33 | 66 | 75 | 46 | 31 | 19 | ||
R11x27 | 10 | M | 7 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 3 |
H | 5 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | ||
R11x43 | 11 | M | 19 | 12 | 42 | 26 | 18 | 11 |
H | 11 | 20 | 23 | 14 | 10 | 6 | ||
R11x59 | 12 | M | 31 | 16 | 71 | 43 | 30 | 18 |
H | 15 | 32 | 33 | 20 | 14 | 8 | ||
R11x77 | 13 | M | 43 | 24 | 33 | 20 | 14 | 8 |
H | 23 | 44 | 52 | 31 | 21 | 13 | ||
R11x99 | 14 | M | 57 | 32 | 133 | 81 | 55 | 34 |
H | 29 | 60 | 66 | 40 | 27 | 17 | ||
R11x139 | 15 | M | 84 | 48 | 198 | 120 | 82 | 51 |
H | 42 | 90 | 97 | 59 | 40 | 25 | ||
R13x27 | 16 | M | 12 | 9 | 26 | 16 | 11 | 6 |
H | 7 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 3 | ||
R13x43 | 17 | M | 27 | 14 | 62 | 37 | 26 | 16 |
H | 13 | 28 | 28 | 17 | 12 | 7 | ||
R13x59 | 18 | M | 38 | 22 | 88 | 53 | 36 | 22 |
H | 20 | 40 | 45 | 27 | 18 | 11 | ||
R13x77 | 19 | M | 53 | 32 | 124 | 75 | 51 | 31 |
H | 29 | 56 | 66 | 40 | 27 | 17 | ||
R13x99 | 20 | M | 73 | 40 | 171 | 104 | 71 | 44 |
H | 35 | 78 | 80 | 49 | 33 | 20 | ||
R13x139 | 21 | M | 106 | 60 | 251 | 152 | 104 | 64 |
H | 54 | 112 | 126 | 76 | 52 | 32 | ||
R15x43 | 22 | M | 33 | 18 | 76 | 46 | 31 | 19 |
H | 15 | 36 | 33 | 20 | 13 | 8 | ||
R15x59 | 23 | M | 48 | 26 | 112 | 68 | 46 | 28 |
H | 26 | 48 | 59 | 36 | 24 | 15 | ||
R15x77 | 24 | M | 67 | 36 | 157 | 95 | 65 | 40 |
H | 31 | 72 | 71 | 43 | 29 | 18 | ||
R15x99 | 25 | M | 88 | 48 | 207 | 126 | 86 | 53 |
H | 48 | 88 | 111 | 68 | 46 | 28 | ||
R15x139 | 26 | M | 127 | 72 | 301 | 182 | 125 | 77 |