Printable interfaces and digital linkmarks
First Claim
1. An encoded physical medium suitable for use in interfacing a computer user and a computer system such that the user can control a plurality of computer implemented processes, the encoded physical medium comprising:
- a linkmark wherein machine readable linking information has been encoded, the encoded linking information indicating a computer implemented process, the computer system operable to open up the computer implemented process when the linkmark is selected by the computer user; and
an instruction mark wherein a machine readable operating instruction has been encoded, the encoded operating instruction including an instruction that can be executed by the computer implemented process.
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Abstract
The present invention improves the human/computer interface by providing printable interfaces that enable a user to invoke and control computer processes. The present invention teaches an encoded physical medium suitable for use in interfacing a computer user and a computer system such that the user can control and/or access a plurality of computer implemented processes such computer applications and web pages. The encoded physical medium has a Linkmark and an instruction mark. Encoded within the Linkmark is machine readable linking information directing to a computer implemented process. Encoded within the instruction mark is a machine readable operating instruction that, when decoded, may be executed by the computer implemented process. The present invention also teaches that the marks can present human readable information related to the nature of the machine readable information stored therein. For example, the Linkmark may have graphical illustrations indicating content found at the web page, media format of the content, user designation, payment and membership requirements, communication speed, duration of content, etc. The present invention further teaches a two-dimensional bar code with a plurality of colored glyphs formed such that the average color of the two-dimensional bar code represents encoded information. The colored glyphs are also arranged such that digital information is encoded within the two-dimensional bar code.
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Citations
61 Claims
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1. An encoded physical medium suitable for use in interfacing a computer user and a computer system such that the user can control a plurality of computer implemented processes, the encoded physical medium comprising:
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a linkmark wherein machine readable linking information has been encoded, the encoded linking information indicating a computer implemented process, the computer system operable to open up the computer implemented process when the linkmark is selected by the computer user; and
an instruction mark wherein a machine readable operating instruction has been encoded, the encoded operating instruction including an instruction that can be executed by the computer implemented process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A computer system suitable for controlling a computer implemented process, the computer system comprising:
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a digital processor;
memory coupled to the digital processor, the memory storing operating instructions suitable for controlling the operation of the digital processor;
an encoded physical medium including;
a linkmark wherein machine readable linking information has been encoded, the encoded linking information indicating a computer implemented process, the computer system operable to open up the computer implemented process when the linkmark is selected by the computer user; and
an instruction mark wherein a machine readable operating instruction has been encoded, the encoded operating instruction being an instruction that can be executed by the computer implemented process; and
a sensor coupled to the digital processor and operable for measuring information present within each mark located on the encoded physical medium. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. A computer system as recited in claim is a WebTV coupled to the Internet, and the encoded linking information includes a uniform resource locator (URL).
- 40. A two-dimensional bar code comprising a plurality of colored glyphs, each colored glyphs having a color intensity such that information is encoded as an average color intensity of the combination of the plurality of colored glyphs, the plurality of colored glyphs also arranged such that digital information is encoded within the two-dimensional bar code.
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46. A method for interfacing a human user with a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing an encoded physical medium including a linkmark wherein machine readable linking information has been encoded, the encoded linking information indicating a computer implemented process;
in response to the user selecting the linkmark, measuring and decoding the machine readable information encoded within the link; and
invoking the computer implemented process. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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- 56. An encoded physical medium suitable for use in interfacing a computer user and a computer system such that the user can invoke and interface with a web site by way of the encoded physical medium and the computer system, the encoded physical medium comprising a linkmark wherein machine readable linking information has been encoded, the encoded linking information indicating a particular web site, the computer system operable to establish a communications link with the web site when the linkmark is selected by the computer user, the linkmark displaying human readable information in the form of at least one graphical icon, the at least one graphical icon providing an indication of at least one characteristic of the particular web page to which the encoded linking information directs the computer system.
Specification