Printed medium activated interactive communication
First Claim
1. A method of distributing vendibles using a network connecting a scanner, a portal server, and a receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an object containing at least human-readable information and machine-readable codes identifying vendibles;
scanning one of said machine-readable codes containing information identifying a desired vendible using the scanner;
storing the machine-readable code in a memory;
optionally obtaining and storing in the memory a user input information further identifying the desired vendible;
sending the stored information and information identifying the user to the portal server via the network;
receiving the said information at the portal server;
selecting a supplier of said desired vendible; and
sending to at least one of said user and said selected supplier information identifying the other of said user and said selected supplier.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for bridging the gap between the virtual multimedia-based Internet world and the physical world of tangible object media, such as print media. More particularly, the methods are based on initiating a communication from a printed medium or other object containing provider information using a scanner, a portal server and a receiver connected across a network. The method involves scanning a machine-readable code corresponding to the provider information from the object using the scanner and storing the machine-readable code in a memory. The provider information may include network link information, or it may include information from which a default portal server can deduce an appropriate link automatically. The link information is then extracted from the machine readable code in the memory. A user input information corresponding to the provider information may also be obtained and stored in the memory. The link information and the user input information are then sent to the portal server via the network. The portal server receives the link information and user input information and selects a multimedia information sequence or initiates another desired transaction corresponding to the link information and the user input information. The multimedia information sequence is sent to the receiver via the network. The receiver receives and stores the multimedia information sequence, and plays the sequence automatically or in response to a stimulus, such as a user request.
-
Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A method of distributing vendibles using a network connecting a scanner, a portal server, and a receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing an object containing at least human-readable information and machine-readable codes identifying vendibles;
scanning one of said machine-readable codes containing information identifying a desired vendible using the scanner;
storing the machine-readable code in a memory;
optionally obtaining and storing in the memory a user input information further identifying the desired vendible;
sending the stored information and information identifying the user to the portal server via the network;
receiving the said information at the portal server;
selecting a supplier of said desired vendible; and
sending to at least one of said user and said selected supplier information identifying the other of said user and said selected supplier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of communicating news information via a network connecting a scanner, a portal server, and a receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a printed medium containing information including human-readable news information and a machine-readable code containing a link information related to the human-readable news information;
scanning the machine-readable code from the printed medium using the scanner;
storing the machine-readable code in a memory;
extracting the link information from the machine readable code in the memory;
optionally obtaining and storing user input information in the memory;
sending the link information and the user input information to the portal server via the network;
receiving the link information and the user input information at the portal server;
selecting by the portal server a multimedia news information sequence corresponding to the link information and the user input information;
sending the multimedia information sequence to the receiver via the network;
receiving and storing the multimedia information sequence at the receiver; and
playing the multimedia information sequence via the receiver. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
-
15. A system for communicating information via a telecommunications network by initiating a communication from an object containing scannable provider information, the system comprising:
-
telecommunications apparatus including a scanner comprising a memory, the scanner receiving data by scanning from said object and storing said data in said memory, the data comprising link information corresponding to the provider information, a user interface for receiving user input information, the user input information capable of being stored in the memory;
the telecommunications apparatus being connected to the network for communicating the link information and the user input information via the network and receiving information via the network; and
a portal server in communication with the telecommunications apparatus via the network, the portal server receiving the link information and the user input information, selecting an information sequence corresponding to the link information and the user input information, and causing the information sequence to be transmitted via the network to the telecommunications apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method of commercial administration using a network connecting a scanner, a portal server, and a receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
-
generating a written record of a transaction, which record includes machine-readable code identifying at least the transaction and a database containing records of the transaction and accessible from the network via the portal server;
scanning said machine-readable code using the scanner;
storing the machine-readable code in a memory;
optionally obtaining and storing a user input information;
sending the stored information and information identifying the user to the portal server via the network;
receiving the said information at the portal server; and
accessing the records of the transaction in the said database. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method of contact administration using a network connecting a scanner, a portal server, and a receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
-
distributing business cards that identify and provide contact details for a person and include machine-readable code at least identifying the said person;
scanning said machine-readable code using the scanner;
storing the machine-readable code in a memory;
sending the stored information and information identifying a user to the portal server via the network;
receiving the said information at the portal server;
storing in a database associated with the said person at least the information identifying the said user; and
notifying at least some users identified in the said database of changes in the contact details of the said person. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. Apparatus for selection of entertainment programs, comprising:
-
a printed medium containing entries giving human-readable information on respective available entertainment programs, and each including a machine-readable code;
a scanner for scanning the machine readable codes;
a portal server connected to said scanner via a network; and
a receiver connected to said portal server via said network;
said scanner being capable of transmitting said scanned code to said portal server; and
said portal server being responsive to said transmitted scan to transmit said entertainment program to said receiver. - View Dependent Claims (35)
-
-
36. Apparatus for selection of entertainment programs, comprising:
-
a printed medium containing entries giving human-readable information on respective available entertainment programs, and each including a machine-readable code;
a scanner for scanning the machine readable codes;
a portal server connected to said scanner via a network; and
a receiver connected to said portal server via said network;
said scanner being capable of transmitting said scanned code to said portal server; and
said portal server being responsive to said transmitted scan to transmit to said receiver information enabling said receiver to show said entertainment program to a user. - View Dependent Claims (37)
-
Specification