Method and apparatus for accessing a remote location with an optical reader having a dedicated memory system

• US 20050021672A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: LV Partners LP (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan, Davis, Douglas L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,197,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10762 Relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A method of accessing a remote location on a network using an optical reader. The optical reader has an optical scanning system and a dedicated address memory system. The optical scanning system, in response to the user scanning an encoded indicia therewith, sends to a first computer disposed on the network a scan code indicative of information encoded in the scanned indicia. The dedicated address memory system, in response to the user completing an activation sequence, sends to the first computer a dedicated code indicative of information corresponding to a particular remote location. The information from the dedicated address memory system corresponding to a particular remote location does not originate from the scanning of an encoded indica by the user. One of the scan code and the dedicated code is transmitted from the optical reader to the first computer. In response to the first computer receiving either the scan code or the dedicated code from the optical reader, a second computer disposed on the network is accessed. A lookup operation is performed at the second computer to match the code received from the optical reader, i.e., the scan code or the dedicated code, with a routing information for a remote location on the network. The routing information is returned from the second computer to the first computer. The remote location on the network is then accessed in accordance with the routing information returned from the second computer.

Claims

1. :

A method of enabling a user to access a remote location on a network using an optical reader, comprising the steps of;

transmitting one of a scan code and a dedicated code from an optical reader to a first computer disposed on the network, the optical reader having an optical scanning system for scanning an encoded indicia, and a dedicated address memory system;

including the steps of;

the optical scanning system, in response to the user scanning the encoded indicia therewith, sending to the first computer the scan code indicative of information encoded in the scanned encoded indicia;

or

the dedicated address memory system, in response to the user completing an activation sequence, sending to the first computer the dedicated code indicative of information relating to a particular remote location on the network, the information not originating from the scanning of an encoded indica by the user or related to the encoded indicia, the dedicated code having no routing information contained therein wherein the dedicated address memory system will override the operation of the optical scanning system when sending;

accessing, in response to the first computer receiving the one of the scan code or the dedicated code from the optical reader, a second computer disposed on the network;

performing a lookup operation at the second computer to match the one of the scan code or the dedicated code received from the optical reader with routing information for a remote location on the network;

returning the routing information from the second computer to the first computer; and

accessing the remote location on the network in accordance with the routing information returned from the second computer.

2. :

A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the dedicated address memory system further comprises;

a processor;

an electronic memory operably connected to the processor and including a memory location storing the information relating to the particular remote location on the network; and

an electrical switch operably connected to the processor;

whereby, in response to activation of the electrical switch, the processor accesses the electronic memory, retrieves the information relating to the particular remote location from the memory location, and produces the dedicated code indicative of the information relating to the particular remote location.

3. :

A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the information relating to the particular remote location in the electronic memory cannot be changed by the user.

4. :

A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the electrical switch is operably connected to a dedicated button accessible from the exterior of the optical reader.

5. :

A method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the activation sequence includes pressing the dedicated button to activate the electrical switch.

6. :

A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second computer is connected to a computer database including a plurality of codes and a plurality of routing information for remote locations on the network, and associating each of the plurality of routing information for remote locations on the network with at least one of the plurality of codes.

7. :

A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein one of the plurality of codes in the computer database is the dedicated code.

8. :

A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of accessing a second computer further comprises;

launching a software application on the first computer;

incorporating the one of the scan code and the dedicated code received from the optical reader into a message packet using the software application; and

transmitting the message packet to the second computer.

9. :

A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the message packet includes information identifying the optical reader.

10. :

A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the message packet includes information identifying the user.

11. :

A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step of accessing the remote location on the network further comprises the steps of;

locating information on a third computer at the remote location; and

returning the information from the third computer to the first computer for presentation to the user.

12. :

A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the network is a global communication network.

13. :

A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the dedicated code has a data format substantially identical to a scan code resulting from the scanning of an encoded indicia.

14. :

A method of enabling a user to access a remote location on a network using an optical reader, comprising the steps of;

pressing a dedicated button accessible on an exterior surface of the optical reader, the optical reader operable for scanning an encoded indicia and sending decoded indicia information therefrom;

transmitting, in response to the pressing of the dedicated button, a dedicated code indicative of information stored in a memory location of the optical reader from the optical reader to a first computer disposed on the network, the information stored in the memory location not associated with or originating from the step of scanning of the encoded indica by the user and having no routing information contained therein wherein the pressing of the dedicated button will override the operation of the optical reader;

accessing, in response to the first computer receiving either the dedicated code or the dedicated indicia from the optical reader, a second computer disposed on the network;

performing a lookup operation at the second computer to match the received one of either the dedicated code or the decoded indicia received from the optical reader with routing information stored at the second computer for a remote location on the network;

returning the routing information from the second computer to the first computer; and

accessing the remote location on the network in accordance with the routing information returned from the second computer.

15. :

The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the step of accessing the remote location on the network further comprises the steps of;

locating information on a third computer at the remote location; and

returning the information from the third computer to the first computer for presentation to the user.