MACHINE READABLE LABLEL READER SYSTEM WITH VERSATILE RESPONSE SELECTION

• US 20020139839A1
• Filed: 03/31/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Catan, Carolyn Ramsey
• Granted Patent: US 6,491,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A method and system for reading machine-readable label devices and searching resources bases responsive to the context in which the reading took place provides versatility and intelligence that insures users will obtain real value from their use. For example, the system may be used to obtain information about a product fitted with a transponder. The system goes beyond monolithic information-gathering and transaction automation by exploiting context information and flexible search engine technology and by using natural language parsing to make searching to make creation and maintenance of resource bases more economical.

Claims

1. A device for identifying and connecting to a data resource in a data store, comprising:

a machine-readable label reader;

a controller connected to control said reader and to connectable to search said data resources;

said controller being programmed to receive a first term identifying an object from said reader and to generate at least one query being usable for searching said data resources and for identifying one or more of said data resources matching said at least one query;

said controller being programmed to look up at least one second term semantically related to said first term and to use said term in query or another query.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein said machine-readable label includes a radio transponder or transmitter.

3. A device as in claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed such that said query or said another query include data responsive to an identifier of an object associated with said reader.

4. A device as in claim 1, wherein:

said reader contains, or is connectable to, a user preference data store;

said controller is connectable to said data store;

said controller is programmed to include at least a portion of data from said preference data store in said query, said at least selected ones being selected responsively to said at least a portion of data from said preference data store.

5. A device as in claim 4, wherein:

said controller is programmed to receive input from a user indicating a desirability of said selected ones and to update said preference data store responsively to said input.

6. A device as in claim 1, wherein said reader is a wireless portable reader.

7. A system for identifying and selecting at least one data resource in a data store, comprising:

a machine-readable label reader;

a resource base having resources and text descriptions corresponding to said resources, said text descriptions being separate from, or partially or fully subsumed within, said resources;

said text descriptions containing natural language terms in natural language narrative;

a controller connectable to said resource base to generate an index of said resources, in part by parsing said text descriptions with a natural language interface to identify key terms in said descriptions for use in matching to queries;

said reader being programmed to look up at least one term semantically related to a term responsive to data stored in a machine-readable label;

said reader being programmed generate a query for use in identifying said at least selected ones of said data resources and usable to identify said at least selected ones, said query containing said at least one term semantically related to said said term responsive to data stored in said machine-readable label.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein said machine-readable label includes a radio transponder or transmitter.

9. A system as in claim 7, wherein said query contains data responsive to an identifier of a class to which an object associated with said reader belongs.

10. A system as in claim 7, wherein said query contains data responsive to an identifier of a class to which an object associated with said machine-readable label.

11. A method of identifying a resource in a resource base, comprising the steps of:

scanning, at a first reader, a machine-readable label device and receiving data identifying an object associated with said machine-readable label therefrom;

generating a first search query containing first data responsive to at least one of an identifier of an object associated with said first reader data responsive to said data identifying said object associated with said machine-readable device;

looking up at least one term related to said first data in a dictionary of related terms to identify at least one related term;

generating at least a second query containing said at least one term related to said first data;

using said first and said at least a second query to search a resource base.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein said at least one related term includes terms describing locations where, when, and/or how said object associated with said machine-readable label, and other objects, are used.

13. A method as in claim 11, wherein said at least one related term includes hyponyms and/or hypernyms.

14. A method as in claim 11, further comprising looking up at least one term related to second data characterizing an object associated with said first reader, and using said at least one term related to second data in a further query to search said resource base.

15. A method as in claim 11, further comprising:

identifying at least one resource matching said first and said at least a second query and determining a confidence level of said matching;

when said confidence level is lower than a predetermined confidence level, soliciting further data from a user;

when said confidence level is higher than said predetermined confidence level, generating an output responsively to said at least one resource.

16. A method as in claim 11, further comprising:

identifying at least one resource matching said first and said at least a second query and determining a confidence level of said matching;

when said confidence level is lower than a predetermined confidence level, receiving input defining a new resource and storing said new resource in a resource base;

when said confidence level is higher than said predetermined confidence level, generating an output responsively to said at least one resource.

17. A method as in claim 11, further comprising:

identifying at least one resource matching said first and said at least a second query and determining a confidence level of said matching;

when said confidence level is lower than a predetermined confidence level, identifying an object of a type that is different from said object associated with said first reader and outputting an identifier thereof;

when said confidence level is higher than said predetermined confidence level, generating an output responsively to said at least one resource.