Universal product information lookup and display system
First Claim
1. A method of capturing and providing demographic information concerning a consumer of products to the manufacturer of such products during transactions in which the consumer utilizes a bar code reader and the Internet for product inquiries, comprising:
- providing the consumer with a bar code symbol reader;
scanning a uniform product code (UPC) bar code symbol on a product by the consumer;
providing an association table in a database between the UPC symbol data and an Internet web site address affiliated with the product manufacturer;
providing the associated web site address to a computing device of the consumer for allowing the consumer to make a product information inquiry to said web site address; and
providing demographic information about the consumer to the product manufacturer by utilizing the information inquiry.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for automated remote retrieval and display of product specific information includes a bar code reader for scanning uniform product code information, or other suitable indicia from a product. This information is decoded via local mapping, remote mapping done by a mapping server, or direct correlation with a network address. Such decoding allows for immediate and automated access to product specific information which is obtained, communicated to a user terminal, and displayed. Use of hypertext-based displays allow a consumer to provide additional querying specific to that particular product to obtain further or specified information. Demographic information specific to a user is suitably obtained to provide valuable market information for the product manufacturers.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method of capturing and providing demographic information concerning a consumer of products to the manufacturer of such products during transactions in which the consumer utilizes a bar code reader and the Internet for product inquiries, comprising:
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providing the consumer with a bar code symbol reader;
scanning a uniform product code (UPC) bar code symbol on a product by the consumer;
providing an association table in a database between the UPC symbol data and an Internet web site address affiliated with the product manufacturer;
providing the associated web site address to a computing device of the consumer for allowing the consumer to make a product information inquiry to said web site address; and
providing demographic information about the consumer to the product manufacturer by utilizing the information inquiry. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification