Thanks, Arnold. Good time for an update... The public domain specification (an AIM International Technical Standard)for black/white Ultracode(R) will be released sometime this year, probably around 4Q2002. We will have prototype encoding (UTF-8 to symbol graphic) and codeword-to-UTF-8 software available for anyone to try in 2Q2002. I'll send out notice of availability of the current draft spec and software to the Unicode list as soon as it is ready.
Color Ultracode uses the same data encoding internal engine as monochrome Ultracode but 1x9 colored tiles rather than 2x9 B/W tiles. This spec will probably run about 6-9 months later. Both versions support UTF-8 input/output and can address all codepoints on Code Planes 0-16. Internally, the encoding has sophisticated compaction modes for decimal numerics and delimited numeric strings, 7-bit ASCII/ISO 646, a wide range of 8-bit character sets (such as the ISO 8859/x series, etc.; using 8-bit I/O), Unicode single-Row alphabetic languages, BMP and multiplanar CJKV encoding. It is a Reed-Solomon error-correcting barcode designed for rough service and high damage applications. It can be printed and direct marked using almost any technology, including a stencil and spray can! Several companies have expressed interest in developing imagaing scanners for it. Zebra Technologies will have it available in its bar code printers by the end of the year. Anyone with a potential application or who wants to do a field trial should contact me off-line. I'll be delighted to help! Cheers, Clive ************************************* Clive P Hohberger, PhD VP, Technology Development & Director of Patent Affairs Zebra Technologies Corporation 333 Corporate Woods Parkway Vernon Hills IL 60061-3109 USA Voice: +1 847 793 2740 FAX: +1 847 793 5573 Cellular: +1 847 910 8794 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Winkler, Arnold F [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 8:36 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: FW: Bar codes using unicode Found that somewhat old e-mail from Clive, but the web site is still there ... Good luck Arnold -----Original Message----- From: Hohberger, Clive [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, May 11, 2001 5:34 AM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: Bar codes using unicode Speaking as a member of the AIM bar code standards committee, there are new two bar codes which support Unicode. 93i (designed by Sprague Ackey of Intermec) is a linear, error-correcting barcode has issue as an AIM International Technical Standard, and it encodes Unicode 2.0/2.1. For an overview, see: http://www.aimglobal.org/standards/symbinfo/93i_overview.htm Ultracode(r) and Color Ultracode (designed by me; Zebra Technologies Corporation) are 2-dimensional error-correcting symbologies in the AIM standards process. The Ultracode symbology is a constant-height, variable length two-dimensional "linear matrix" using 9-cell high x 2-cell wide tiles containing 283 different values (orignally was 47). Ultracode can encode either 8-bit, multi-byte or the full 21-bit Unicode 3-series character sets. Because of the unique way in which characters are encoded, there is little difference in symbol length when either 8-bit or Unicode encoding is used with either Latin or non-Latin characters such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean. UTF-8 is the default input/output. Black & white Ultracode is scheduled for completion this year... Color Ultracode in 2002. Anyone wishing a copy of the current Ultracode draft spec should contact me offline ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Clive
