SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CREATING AND USING IMBEDDED SHORTCODES AND SHORTENED PHYSICAL AND INTERNET ADDRESSES

• US 20110244882A1
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WGRS Licensing Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: WGRS Licensing Company, LLC
• Inventors: Hancock, S. Lee
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/146 Coding or compression of tree-structured data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for creating and using imbedded Shortcodes. An imbedded Shortcode (ISC) and Shortcode may be uniquely associated with a full name that identifies an item of interest. The Shortcode may be visually identified when the full name is displayed by the ISC, which is select characters of the full name that are visually distinguished from the other characters of the full name. Thus, subsequent reference to the associated full name and its item of interest may be identified simply by using the Shortcode instead of the full name. For example, a user of an electronic device may observe the full name with the ISC in a visual display, and sequentially enter the characters of the Shortcode from the ISC into the electronic device to obtain additional information regarding the item of interest.

Claims

1. A method for accessing content related to a location of interest, comprising:

observing a display including a full name identifying a location, the full name including an imbedded Shortcode defined by less than all of the characters of the full name;

inputting the characters defined by the imbedded Shortcode into an electronic device; and

receiving on the electronic device additional information regarding the location of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is a destination, and wherein the information received is directions to the destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a static display.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the display is one of a map and a billboard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is an electronic display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a portable device including a wireless interface for transmitting the letters defined by the imbedded Shortcode to a remote location, and receiving the additional information from a remote location, the portable device comprising a display for displaying the additional information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the characters defined by the imbedded Shortcode has no more than three characters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the characters defined by the imbedded Shortcode includes of the first character of the full name and one or additional characters less than all of the characters of the full name.

9. A method for accessing content related to an item of interest, comprising:

observing a display including a full name identifying an item, the full name including an imbedded Shortcode defined by less than all of the letters of the full name;

inputting the letters defined by the imbedded Shortcode into an electronic device; and

receiving on the electronic device additional information regarding the item of interest.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the item is a location.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the item comprises electronic media, and wherein receiving additional information comprises displaying the electronic media on a display of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic media comprises at least one of a video recording, an audio recording, an article, and a publication.

13. A method for creating and using an ISC database, comprising:

identifying an item of interest and assigning the item a full name;

assigning a Shortcode and imbedded Shortcode to the item, the Shortcode including less than all of the characters of the full name, the imbedded Shortcode comprising a visual representation of the full name with the characters of the Shortcode visually distinguished from the remaining characters of the full name; and

storing the full name, Shortcode, and imbedded Shortcode associated together within the ISC database.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing additional information regarding the item of interest together with the full name, Shortcode, and imbedded Shortcode within the ISC database.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

subsequently receiving an inquiry via a communication interface communicating with a network from a remote electronic device, the inquiry including the Shortcode; and

transmitting the additional information to the electronic device.

16. A system for creating and using an ISC database, comprising:

a processor for assigning Shortcodes and imbedded Shortcodes to items of interest having respective full names, the Shortcodes including less than all of the characters of the respective full names, the imbedded Shortcodes comprising visual representations of the respective full names with the characters of the Shortcodes visually distinguished from the remaining characters of the full names; and

memory communicating with the processor and providing an ISC database, the processor storing the Shortcodes, and imbedded Shortcodes associated together with the items of interest and respective full names within the ISC database.

17. The system of claim 16, the memory further comprising additional information regarding respective items of interest.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a communication interface for receiving an inquiry via a network from a remote electronic device, the processor configured for extracting a Shortcode from the inquiry and accessing the ISC database to identify the item of interest associated with the Shortcode and for transmitting the additional information regarding the item of interest to the electronic device via the communication interface.