SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USINGA N ORDINARY ARTICLE OF COMMERCE TO ACCESS A REMOTE COMPUTER

• US 20110029640A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NM, LLC
• Original Assignee: NeoMedia Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Hudetz, Peter R., Hudetz, Frank C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A system and method for using identification codes found on ordinary articles of commerce to access remote computers on a network. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a computer is provided having a database that relates Uniform Product Code (“UPC”) numbers to Internet network addresses (or “URLs”). To access an Internet resource relating to a particular product, a user enters the product'"'"'s UPC symbol manually, by swiping a bar code reader over the UPC symbol, or via other suitable input means. The database retrieves the URL corresponding to the UPC code. This location information is then used to access the desired resource.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A method of a user computing device receiving content from one of a plurality of remote information computers available for communication over a network comprising:

a) machine-reading with a user computing device a data carrier encoded with an index;

b) transmitting the index to a remote server computer over the network;

c) using the index to access a database associated with the remote server computer, the database comprising a plurality of records that each link an index to a pointer which identifies a remote information computer on the network;

d) extracting a pointer from the database as a function of the index;

e) transmitting the extracted pointer from the remote server computer to the user computing device over the network;

f) the user computing device using the extracted pointer to establish communication directly with the remote information computer identified by the extracted pointer; and

g) the user computing device receiving content from the remote information computer identified by the extracted pointer.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of machine-reading with a user computing device a data carrier encoded with an index comprises scanning a bar code symbol encoded with the index.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of machine-reading with a user computing device a data carrier encoded with an index comprises inputting into the user computing device an RF signal modulated with information correlated to the index.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the extracted pointer comprises a Uniform Resource Locator.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of the user computing device using the extracted pointer to establish communication with the remote computer identified by the extracted pointer is executed automatically by the user computing device without user intervention.

38. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of the user computing device using the extracted pointer to establish communication with the remote computer identified by the extracted pointer is executed by a user selecting a link transmitted to the user computing device by the remote server computer.

39. A system comprising:

a. a user computing device;

b. an input device associated with the user computing device, configured to machine-read a data carrier encoded with an index;

c. a remote server computer in communication with the user computing device via a network, said remote server computer comprising computer storage for storing a database that comprises a plurality of records that each link an index to a pointer which identifies a remote information computer on the network;

wherein the user computing device is programmed to;

communicate over the network with the remote server computer to (i) transmit the index to the remote server computer to enable the remote server computer to use the index to access the database to extract a pointer from the database as a function of the index, and (ii) receive the extracted pointer from the remote server computer;

use the extracted pointer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the extracted pointer; and

receive content from the remote information computer identified by the extracted pointer.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the input device comprises a bar code scanner.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the input device comprises means for inputting an RF signal modulated with information correlated to the index.

42. The system of claim 39 wherein the extracted pointer comprises a Uniform Resource Locator.

43. The system of claim 39 wherein the user computing device is programmed to use the extracted pointer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the extracted pointer by automatically establishing communication with the remote computer identified by the extracted pointer without user intervention.

44. The system of claim 39 wherein the user computing device is programmed to use the extracted pointer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the extracted pointer by receiving a user selection of a link transmitted to the user computing device by the remote server computer.

45. A user computing device comprising an input device configured to machine-read a data carrier encoded with an index;

wherein the user computing device is programmed to;

i) transmit the index to a remote server computer to enable the remote server computer to utilize the index to access a database comprising a plurality of records that each link an index to a pointer which identifies a remote information computer on the network and extract from the database at least one pointer as a function of the index;

ii) receive from the remote server computer the pointer that was extracted from the database; and

iii) use the extracted pointer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the extracted pointer.

46. The user computing device of claim 45 wherein the input device comprises a bar code scanner.

47. The user computing device of claim 45 wherein the input device comprises means for inputting an RF signal modulated with information correlated to the index.

48. The user computing device of claim 45 wherein the extracted pointer comprises a Uniform Resource Locator.

49. The user computing device of claim 45 which is programmed to use the extracted pointer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the extracted pointer by automatically establishing communication with the remote computer identified by the extracted pointer without user intervention.

50. The user computing device of claim 45 which is programmed to use the extracted pointer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the extracted pointer by receiving a user selection of a link transmitted to the user computing device by the remote server computer.