Of all the crazy places my QR Code has shown up, now a Google patent application, US 2012/0158919 A1, page 3:

The abstract for “Changing Device Configuration Based On Machine-Readable Codes” reads:

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for providing users of computing devices the ability to connect to a network using a computer-generated image. A subscriber to a network with access to the network through a network device can generate a computer-generated image that encodes network configuration information corresponding to the network device. These techniques allow a user with a computing device to scan the computer-generated image, launching a reader application to decode the encoded network configuration information. The network configuration information may be automatically used to configure a network interface on the computing device to connect to the network. The network connection may be initiated and configured without requiring user input other than capturing the computer-generated image.

Or in plain English, they “invented” the technique of scanning a QR Code instead of typing an SSID and password. Sheesh.

This discovery finally gave me a reason to listen to When Patents Attack!, This American Life’s well-regarded broadcast on software patents, and the patent trolls they beget. This recent article now seems especially relevant: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google.

Wondering why that QR Code goes to justinsomnia.org?