Archive for January 2017

Home Archive for January 2017

Samsung, finally revealed the in-depth investigation report regarding Galaxy Note 7 explosions. Samsung in a Statement said, " Based on detailed analysis of the affected batteries, both Battery A from the 1st recall and Battery B from the 2nd recall, we identified separate factors that originated in and were specific to the different batteries."

The Final Report:-

Battery 'A' Assessment:-

1. There may be multiple contributing factors relating to battery assembly/manufacturing and design that combined led to the failure of the Note 7 in the field.

A. Battery assembly/manufacturing:

Deformation at the upper corners

B. Battery Design:

Thinner separator could lead to poorer protection and reduced tolerance to manufacturing defects
Higher energy density in general can exacerbate the severity of a battery failure

2. One major failure mechanism likely:

A combination of deformation at the upper corners+thin separator+repeating mechanical stresses due to cycling, causing higher possibility of separator damage leading to an ISC between aluminium and copper foil at the corner.

3. Additional investigation is needed to understand the root-cause of the deformations at the upper corners.

Battery B Assessment:-

1. No evidence of device-level compatibility issue that may have contributed to the failure of the Galaxy Note 7 in the field.

2. There may be multiple contributing factors relating to production quality and battery design that when combined led to the failure of Note 7 in the field.

A. Product Quality:

Missing insulation tape on tab could result in higher possibility of ISC
Bigger protrusion of welding points in tab could lead to higher possibility of seperator puncture
Misalignment of insulation tape and/or tab could bring more risk of ISC

B. Battery Design:

Thinner separator could lead to poorer protection and reduced tolerance to manufacturing defects
Higher energy density in general can exacerbate the severity of battery failure

3. One major failure mechanism for field incidents is likely: The combination of (1) missing insulation tape+ (2) sharp edged protrusions on tab + (3) thin separator, all leading to a high possibility of an ISC between cathode tab and anode, subsequently resulting in heating and fire.

4. Further analysis is needed to understand the root-cause of the damage to the edge/corner of the battery which results in ISC at that location.

Following the Note 7 incidents, Samsung said that it has developed strict quality assurance protocols across its entire development process in an effort to renew its commitment to safety. This includes, 8-Point Battery Safety Check, multi-layer safety measures protocol and new battery advisory group.

So, what do you think about the Samsung detailed report about the Note 7 incidents. Will Samsung get back the trust of the customers? Well I do hope that all smartphones, made by Samsung or any other manufacturer, will be safe to use now on. Do let me know your thoughts in the comment section and stay tuned for more contents from me.

Source: Samsung Press Release

Today, we will talk about the recognition techniques. You already heard about OCR, OMR and MICR, these are the recognition techniques used in today's computer systems. So lets get started with OCR:-

OCR (Optical Character Recognition):-

OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. It is the mechanical or electronic translation of scanned images of handwritten, typed or printed text into the machine-encoded text. It is widely used to convert books and documents into electronic files, to computerize a record-keeping system in an office, or to publish the text on a website. OCR makes it possible to edit the text, search for a word or phrase, store it compactly in digital format of any printed document. OCR is a field of research in pattern recognition, artificial intelligence and computer vision.

OCR system require calibration to read a specific font, early versions needed to be programmed with the images of each character, and worked on one font at a time. "Intelligent" system with a high degree of recognition accuracy for most fonts are now common. Some system are capable of reproducing formatted output that closely approximates the original scanned page including images, column and other non-textual components. It uses two methods for recognition: Matrix matching and Feature extraction.

OMR (Optical Mark Recognition/Reader):-

You already aware of the word OMR. It is widely used for conducting surveys, competitive exams, etc. So what basically OMR is? OMR stands for Optical Mark Recognition. It is a recognition technique which reads the pencil/pen marks on NCS compatible scan forms such as surveys or test answer forms. If that all seems overly technique to you, just thing of it as the machine checks multiple choice computer forms. The computer test forms designed for the OMR are known as NCS compatible scan forms. Tests and surveys completed on these forms are read in by the scanner, checked, and then the results are saved to a file.

OMR is the process of capturing data by contrasting reflectivity at predetermined positions on a page. By shining a beam of light onto the paper, the scanner is able to detect a marked area because it reflects less light than the blank areas of the paper. Some OMR devices use forms which are preprinted onto "Trans-optic paper" and measure the amount of light which passes through the paper, thus a mark on either side of the paper will reduce the amount of light passing through the paper.

MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition):-

MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. It is a character recognition technology used primarily by the banking industry to facilitate the processing of cheques and makes up the routing number and account number at the bottom of a cheque. The technology allows computers to read information (such as account numbers, bank code, etc) of printed document.

MICR characters are printed in special typefaces with a magnetic ink or toner, usually containing iron oxide. As a machine decodes the MICR text, it first magnetizes the characters in the plane of the paper. Then the characters are passed over a MICR read head, a device similar to the playback head of a tape recorder. As each character passes over the head it produces a unique waveform that can be easily identified by the system. The use of magnetic printing allows the characters to be read reliably even if they have been overprinted or obsured by other marks, such as cancellation stams and signature. The error rate for the magnetic scanning of a typical cheque is smaller than with optical recognition systems.

Hope this article helps you to understand the different recognition technology used in today's computer systems. If you have any query or suggestion, feel free to ask in the comment section below. I will be happy to hear from you.

The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi launched a mobile payment platform as an app, known as BHIM. BHIM represents for Bharat Interface for Money. The app is developed by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). The app is basically based on UPI.

UPI is Unified Payment Interface, is a payment system that allow us to send and receive money using our smartphones. It is different from the mobile wallets we use for this, because in UPI, the funds directly transfer from one bank to another without storing the money on any wallet. The benefit is, we can transfer money to anyone without knowing there account number or any other details like IFSC code, branch code, etc. UPI can work both online and offline. We can use it offline using USSD code *99#.

So, Now I will show you the step to step guide to use the BHIM app:-

Download and Install the BHIM app from Google Playstore (The app is not available for iOS yet)
Open the app, then you asked to choose language (Hindi or English).
Then you are asked to verify your mobile number associated with your bank account. Now if you are using a dual-sim smartphone, choose the sim which is associated with your bank account. (The app will verify your number by sending a sms).
Once the verification is complete, you have to enter a four digit pass-code. (This will used for login to BHIM app every-time you open it).
After that, you have to choose your bank name, then it will automatically fetch your bank account details through the registered mobile number.
Now just setup your MPIN through the app, which is basically 6-digit code. (It is used as a password, when you are sending money to anyone)
Now you will see the option of send money, request money, scan and pay.

Now you are ready with your BHIM app. You can now send or receive money using your mobile number. If you don't want to share your mobile number, you can also generate QR code, that will help you to receive money without sharing your mobile number.

So, the app seems working fine for me. You can share your experience and suggestion through comment section below. I will be happy to hear from you.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 7 explosions: The Final Report

What is OCR, OMR and MICR !

How to use BHIM app!