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Challenges with Scanning Boarding Passes Barcodes on Mobile Devices
Scanning barcodes on mobile boarding passes presents unique challenges in today’s digital age. While mobile boarding passes offer convenience, various factors can make it difficult to scan the barcode from the screen.
However, several challenges can hinder the scanning process, necessitating advanced technology to ensure accurate and seamless decoding.
Top Challenges with Scanning Boarding Passes on Mobile Screens
Addressing the challenges listed below is crucial for maintaining smooth and efficient operations in busy environments like airports.
Screen glare
Screen glare is a challenge when you scan barcode from screen, especially in bright environments like airports. The light reflecting off the glossy screen creates shiny areas that obscure the barcode.
Scanners rely on the contrast between dark lines and spaces to read barcodes accurately, but the glare disrupts this contrast, making it hard to capture a clear image. This not only affects visual perception but also impairs the scanner’s ability to interpret the data, leading to errors and delays. Bright natural lighting in such settings amplifies the glare, further complicating scanning with traditional barcode scanners.
Ineffective Laser Scanners
Traditional laser scanners struggle with scanning barcodes on mobile screens due to their reliance on light reflection. Mobile devices emit their light and have anti-reflection coatings, preventing the laser beam from reflecting to the scanner. This makes laser scanners ineffective for reading barcodes on screens.
Unclear Barcode Due to Smudged or Broken Screen
A dirty or broken screen can significantly hinder the ability to scan barcodes on mobile devices. Smudges, fingerprints, and cracks obscure the barcode, making it difficult for scanners to capture a clear image. This can lead to failed scans, causing delays and frustration during the boarding process. In busy environments like airports, passengers may not have the time or means to clean their screens, exacerbating the problem.
Barcode Density
High-density barcodes, which contain more information within a smaller space, can be particularly challenging to scan. These barcodes are more sensitive to factors like poor lighting, or damage, which can easily disrupt the scanning process.
In environments such as airports, reading errors can lead to delays and inefficiencies. Additionally, not all barcode scanners are equipped to handle the complexity of high-density barcodes, requiring specialized or high-resolution scanners for accurate reading.
Moiré Pattern
When scanning a barcode from the screens of mobile phones, LCD, or LED screens, the moiré pattern can pose a significant challenge. This pattern consists of roughly parallel dark and light bands that appear superimposed over the barcode image. These interfering bands disrupt the clear contrast needed for accurate decoding, making it difficult for barcode scanners to interpret the information correctly. The presence of moiré patterns can lead to frequent scanning errors and inefficiencies, particularly in fast-paced environments like airports where quick and accurate barcode reading is essential.
How to Scan Barcodes on Boarding Passes on Mobile with Dynamsoft Barcode Reader
Scanning barcodes on digital boarding passes can be challenging. However, Dynamsoft Barcode Reader offers an enterprise-grade solution designed to handle even the most difficult scenarios.
Ordinary barcode readers often struggle to scan barcodes from the screen due to varying screen conditions and lighting. However, Dynamsoft Barcode Reader’s configurable parameters allow developers to fine-tune settings such as focus, lighting, and decoding algorithms to optimize performance in airport environments.
- Setting the ExpectedBarcodesCount to a higher value like 999 allows the use of all available image processing methods.
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The GrayscaleEnhancementModes parameter offers several image processing techniques to improve the grayscale quality of text line areas.
If your image is distorted and could be corrected with standard image processing methods, this parameter allows you to achieve a higher-quality grayscale image by adjusting the sequence of preprocessing algorithms used.
- ScaleUpModes can be used to enlarge small modules.
- The adaptive binarization mode BM_LOCAL_BLOCK caters to different lighting areas within an image, ensuring successful decoding.
With these advanced features, Dynamsoft Barcode Reader can read screens and decode high-density barcodes quickly, making it the ideal solution for efficient and reliable barcode scanning on mobile devices at the airport.
Contact the Dynamsoft Technical Support Team
By leveraging DBR’s capabilities, you can ensure a smooth and efficient boarding process. For further assistance or if you encounter any challenges with barcode scanning, don’t hesitate to contact the Dynamsoft technical support team.
At Dynamsoft, we are committed to helping developers integrate advanced barcode scanning into their applications, streamlining workflows, and addressing the demands of complex environments.