Monday, December 07, 2009 11:27:03 AM
http://austria.mmaglobal.com/events/080515/neomedia_fokustag_20080515.pdf
Benefits of an Indirect Encoding Model
The Indirect encoding model offers several benefits over the Direct model, which are useful for consumers, Code Publishers and Campaign Managers. The following describes the main benefits of an Indirect encoding model:
• Interoperability - Indirect encoding allows multiple Campaign Managers to reach carrier subscribers through a single handset code reader application. The incorporation of a Central Clearing House and Central Registry enables Campaign Managers to use this system in an interchangeable, equal way, while maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of their company’s 2D bar code campaigns.
• Consistency of Service and Market Reach -One key to adoption of 2D barcodes in the United States is consistency of service experience and reliability for customers, independent of carrier or camera phone make & model and choice of barcode symbology. Indirect encoding supported by a Central Clearing House function acting on behalf of carriers enables users to scan and decode different supported symbologies using a single code reader application on the handset. This fulfills a key objective of Code Publishers by ensuring a consistent experience to the broadest base of users and allows access to campaign content or service, regardless of their choice of Campaign Managers, carriers or symbologies.
• Advertising Uses & Size - The Indirect model encodes an alpha-numeric code (‘Identifier’) into the barcode, rather than a full address of the intended content or service (i.e. WAP URL). This Identifier is used by the Campaign Manager as an index to resolve the full URL, which will be returned to the handset 2D barcode reader application for action. As a result of encoding a smaller amount of data, indirect barcodes are typically much smaller in size. A small bar code will be essential in usage situations with space constraints, such as on consumer goods packaging involving imprints on small objects.
• Security and Trust - The Indirect model ensures the security of content and a trusted user experience. This contrasts the Direct encoding of barcodes, which typically involves unmanaged routing of the user’s client to the code publisher’s web portal, hence exposing the user to potential inappropriate content, fraud, phishing and other attacks. With the Indirect model, system entities work collaboratively to ensure a trusted and managed user experience. Stakeholders are much better equipped to institute content guidelines for 2D bar code distributions and they can mitigate the adverse impact of misleading or inappropriate content on end users by removing the associated Identifiers from circulation.
• Consumer Analytics Reporting - The Indirect model enables system entities (Clearing House and Campaign Managers) to leverage carrier capabilities to report user demographics (on a opt-in and anonymous basis). These demographics are of value to Code Publishers for purposes of advertising accountability and campaign planning. As the 2D Barcode market and methods of user-controlled disclosure of application attributes (e.g. geo-location and subscription profile CTIA Wireless Internet Caucus Code Scan Action Team – Camera-phone Barcode Scanning data) mature, further opportunities exist to enhance the user experience and create possible follow-on service transactions with the Code Publishers (e.g. e-commerce).
Code Reader Application
The Code Reader Application scans the 2D barcode and decodes a data string from the symbology. Next, it sends the unique Identifier, the Header, customer-provided demographic information and scan data to the Central Clearing House for processing. The Header will include information about the handset and carrier.
CTIA CCSAT Decision:
All member carriers will support, at a minimum, the following code symbologies on their initial Code Reader Applications:
• Data Matrix
• EZ Code
A single code reader application will support more than one code symbology. To facilitate common codes, the CCSAT group has agreed to include support for reading two symbologies in the initial code reader application: Data Matrix and EZ Code.
Code Reader Application Responsibilities:
** Scan and read both Data Matrix and EZ Code symbologies
** Send decoded Identifier and Header information to the Central Clearing House for partial de-referencing
** Potentially send Subscriber demographic data (if available) and scan data with each scan to the Central Clearing House
Central Clearing House
All scans in the ecosystem must pass through the Central Clearing House (CCH) in order to maintain consistency of service. The CCH is responsible to the CCSAT group. The CCH acts as a point of reference (‘Gateway function’) for all Campaign Managers and all participating Carriers in the ecosystem. Any participating Carrier can utilize the CCH to assist with auditing of scan data for each Campaign Manager. The CCH must therefore maintain records of scans sent from each Carrier’s network to each Campaign Manager.
The technical flow is as follows:
Once an Identifier is decoded in the Code Reader Application, the Identifier is sent with a Header, along with potential anonymous demographic information and scan data to the CCH server. The CCH server checks the Identifier against its database to find the assigned Campaign Manager. Then, the CCH determines whether the sending Carrier network has an agreement with the assigned Campaign Manager. (Koko notes: remember it's the carriers that decide on whether you can use their pipeline or not). If the Carrier does have an agreement, the CCH forwards the Identifier and all data to that Campaign Manager. If the Carrier does not have a contract with the Campaign Manager, the CCH will then send an “error” or “sorry” message back to the customer’s handset.
Finally, the CCH is the entity that evaluates and permits Campaign Manager use of the ecosystem Service Mark. Therefore, the CCH will be required to sign and maintain policies of acceptable use with each Campaign Manager in the ecosystem. This topic will be further discussed later in the paper.
Central Clearing House Responsibilities:?? Responsible to the CCSAT group
** Maintain a database of Identifiers with their associated Campaign Managers
** Update database regularly with the Registry
** Check that the Carrier has a contract with the Campaign Manager that manages the Identifier
** If a contract is in place, send the Identifier to the controlling Campaign Manager with the Header, potential demographic information and scan data
** If a contract does not exist, or the Identifier is not registered, send an “error” or “sorry” message to the Code Reader Application
** All Header information must be sent to the Campaign Manager in a format identical to the way it is received
** Maintain and appropriately share records of scans sent from each Carrier’s network to each Campaign Manager for auditing purposes
** Ensure confidentiality of all scan, demographic and header information between Carriers and between Campaign Managers
** Maintain and enforce acceptable use policies with each Campaign Manager on behalf of the CCSAT group.
http://files.ctia.org/pdf/WhitePaper_CTIA_WIC_CodeScan_9_08.pdf - September 2008
