How was QR code invented, why has it not been patented till date?

Admin — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:47:03 +0000

But have you ever wondered who invented this QR code for the first time? Who came up with the idea of creating this code? How is so much information stored in this QR code and why has it not been patented yet? Let us know about this.

QR code was invented by Masahiro Hara, an engineer working at Denso Wave, a subsidiary of TOYOTA company in Japan. He got the idea from the famous game GO played in Japan. Looking at the white colored pieces of this game, they started seeing patterns of QR codes.

Before this, barcode was used, which was invented in the year 1949. But its limitation was that due to it having only vertical lines, it stored very less information.

In such a situation, Hara thought of creating a new 2D code, which would store information in both horizontal and vertical lines and would contain more information than barcode. So he gave it a square shape and used lines from right to left and from top to bottom.

As soon as this QR i.e. Quick Response code is scanned, it is read immediately and payment is made. This QR code has the capacity to store thousands of characters. For this reason it is very special.

But there came a time when people believed that the era of QR codes was over. But the increasing use of smartphones in China revived it again and it started being used.

Also, its most important thing is that no one has patented it till date. Actually, the reason for this is that its inventor wanted as many people as possible to use it. That’s why he didn’t patent it.

Published at : 02 Nov 2025 08:04 AM (IST)

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The magical story of QR Code How a Small Thing Created A Sensation in the World

Admin — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 05:31:49 +0000

QR Code: The QR code has become quite common in the digital world. From digital payment to information about a product, almost all information is received through QR code. Especially since the Korona epidemic, this black and white square code has started appearing everywhere. They are being used from payment apps, coconut water carts to big billboards. But have you ever wondered how this code started?

QR Code Story

Actually, the QR code story has roots in Japan. In the year 1994, when Denso Wave (a Toyota’s a subsidiary) engineer Masahir Hara thought the idea of creating a QR code. Hara, who was associated with automobile construction, was playing a traditional strategy called ‘Go’ in the office, when he saw the mix of black and white stones. This scene became the inspiration of a new system in his mind, which led to “Quick Response Code” i.e. QR code.

Barkode’s first round

In 1949, Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver first patented barcode technology in which pairs of lines were used to depict numbers. However, in the initial design, circles were used instead of lines. For many years, companies were hesitant to adopt this technology. But in the 1960s, Theodore Mimon created the first laser to make it easier to scan the barcode.

By the 1970s, America’s grocery stores suffered from the rising costs and inventory management problems. To solve these, a new Universal Product Code (UPC) system was created which was designed by IBM. This barcode was used for the first time in a store in Ohio in 1974.

Invented QR Code

Hara developed a new 2D code that was in square shape and could store thousands of characters. But in the initial efforts, when this square code was printed with other text, scanners failed to recognize him. One day, while traveling from the subway, Hara saw skyscrapers in the sky which looked clearly different. With this, they got the idea of small square blocks in the three corners of the QR code so that the scanners can identify them immediately. With this technique, the QR code started scanning not only from any angle but the data could be read despite partially spoiled.

Second innings of QR code

By 2012, some people had assumed that the utility of the QR code was over. But the smartphone revolution in China gave it a new life. The QR code for access to mobile payment, discount coupon, and services started extensively. Apps like WeChat brought the QR code to a new stage. In India too, the use of QR code increased rapidly during epidemic. Shopkeepers and customers adopted it for digital transactions, which made it very easy to scan from mobile.

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