Method and apparatus for creating a bar code

• US 20040073495A1
• Filed: 08/09/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRI Ventures, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TRI Ventures, Inc.
• Inventors: Calaway, Douglas, Kotte, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,124,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A process and article of manufacture for ordering items. Descriptive item information is provided to a consumer on a mass media storage device. The consumer reviews the itern information and selects items for purchase. During a check out process a textual order form and bar code, both including order information, are generated. The bar code is applied to the order form and both are transmitted to a vendor via mail, facsimile; upon receipt the vendor reads the bar code to enter the order information. Alternatively, the order information is electronically transmitted to the vendor, in which case it is not necessary to generate the bar code containing the order information.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having a computer readable code therein for use by a consumer for ordering items from a vendor, the computer readable code comprising.

a computer readable program code module storing information associated with the items;

a computer readable program code module for receiving order information from the consumer for one or more of the items; and

a computer readable program code module for providing the order information to the vendor via a communications link between the vendor and the consumer.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the items are selected from among one or both of products and services.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the information associated with the items comprises features of the items for consideration by the consumer relative to purchasing an item.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the computer readable medium comprises one of a compact disk, a digital video disk, a flash memory, a memory stick, a zip drive and a microdrive.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the communications link comprises an Internet link.

6. The artide of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the computer readable program code module for providing the order information to the vendor comprises a computer readable program code module for providing the order information to the vendor as one or more of an email document, an attachment to an email document or an electronic data file.

7. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having a computer readable code therein for use by a consumer for ordering items from a vendor, the computer readable code comprising;

a computer readable program code module storing information associated with the items;

a computer readable program code module for receiving order information from the consumer for one or more of the items;

a computer readable program code module for generating a bar code in response to the order information; and

a computer readable program code module for generating an order form responsive to the order information, including the bar code disposed thereon.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the items are selected from among one or both of products and services.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the information associated with the items comprises features of the items for consideration by a consumer relative to purchasing an item.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the consumer transmits the order form to the vendor.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10 wherein the consumer transmits the order form to the vendor by one of mail and facsimile.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the bar code comprises a two dimensional bar code.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the vendor scans the bar code to determine the order information.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the computer readable medium comprises one of a compact disk, a digital video disk, a flash memory, a memory stick, a zip drive and a microdrive.

15. A method for ordering items from a vendor, wherein item information is stored on a mass storage medium, the method comprising:

retrieving the item information from the mass storage medium onto a computer;

identifying one or more items for purchasing;

entering order information into the computer; and

transmitting the order information to the vendor.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the items are selected from among one or both of products and services.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the item information comprises features of the items for consideration by the consumer relative to purchasing an item.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the mass storage medium comprises one of a compact disk, a digital video disk, a flash memory, a memory stick, a zip drive and a microdrive.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of transmitting the order information comprises transmitting the order information over an Internet link.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of transmitting the order information comprises transmitting the order information as one or more of an email document, an attachment to an email document or an electronic data file.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating a bar code in response to the order information.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of transmitting the order information comprises transmitting the bar code to the vendor.

23. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating a bar code in response to the order information;

printing an order form in response to the order information, wherein the order information includes the bar code disposed thereon, and

wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the order form to the vendor.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting the order form to the vendor by one of mail and facsimile.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the bar code comprises a two dimensional bar code.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the vendor scans the bar code to determine the order information.

27. A method for use by a consumer to order items from a vendor, comprising:

transmitting an email from the vendor to the consumer, wherein the email provides a website address;

requesting a catalog from the website address;

transmitting the catalog to the consumer from the website;

storing the catalog on a computer of the consumer;

retrieving item information from catalog;

identifying one or more items for purchasing;

entering order information into the computer; and

transmitting the order information to the vendor.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising generating a bar code in response to the order information.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of transmitting the order information comprises transmitting the bar code to the vendor.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

generating a bar code in response to the order information;

printing an order form in response to the order information, wherein the order information includes the bar code disposed thereon, and

wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the order form to the vendor.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of transmitting further comprises transmitting the order form to the vendor by one of mail and facsimile.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the bar code comprises a two dimensional bar code.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the vendor scans the bar code to determine the order information.

34. The method of claim 27 further comprising providing notification to the vendor by the consumer permitting transmission of the email from the vendor to the consumer.