QR codes are high density 2D bar codes first created and patented by Denso Wave in Japan QR Codes They are becoming a popular means to encode data for quick machine readable ( camera or bar-code scanner ) retrieval and decoding on a worldwide basis . Quick response codes or QR codes were first developed and patented by Denso-Wave a Japanese corporation . QR codes are 2D bar codes and because data is recorded in two dimensions , equivalent amounts of data can be encoded into smaller area and retrieved more quickly .