Methods and apparatus for disseminating product information via the internet

• US 5,913,210 A
• Filed: 03/27/1998
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Product Association Technologies, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: Charles Call
• Inventors: Call, Charles G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulik, Paul V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMERE, JEAN RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US09/049,426
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/10, 707/513, 707/524, 705/20, 705/23, 395/200.31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

An Internet system for delivering information about products from the source of those products, typically the manufacturer, to those who need that information, such as product resellers and consumers. The system employs a product code translator, which may be implemented by one or more servers accessed via the Internet. The product code translator stores cross-references between product codes and the address of Internet resources which provide information about the products designated by the codes. Web pages produced by online resellers may display lists of products in response to search requests from customers, and provide the customer with detailed information about any listed product by incorporating links to the product information made available by the participating manufacturers using the cross-referenced addresses provided by the product code translator. Searchable databases may be complied by indexing product description data which is retrieved from the manufacturers'"'"' Internet sites using the Internet addresses provided by the product code translator.

Claims

1. The method of retrieving, via a telecommunications network, information relating to different products produced by different manufacturers and designated by a different universal product codes, said method comprising, in combination, the steps of:

storing information relating to a first product designated by a first universal product code in a first computer connected to said network and identified by a first network address;

storing information relating to a second product designated by a second universal product code in a second computer connected to said network and identified by a second network address;

storing a first cross-reference between said first universal product code and said first network address in a third computer functioning as a cross-reference resource identified by a third network address;

storing a second cross-reference between said second universal product code and said second network address in said third computer; and

transmitting a query from a fourth computer containing an identification of a given one of said universal product codes, said query being transmitted via said network to said third network address, and said response being transmitted by said third computer via said network to said fourth computer, said response including an indication of the particular network address at which information relating to the product designated by said given one of said universal product codes is stored.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 and comprising the further steps of

receiving said response to said query at said fourth computer, and

transmitting a request for information from said fourth computer to said particular network address.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 and comprising the further step of transmitting product information describing the product designated by said given one of said universal product codes to said fourth computer in response to said request for information.

4. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein said product information takes the form of a file.

5. The method set forth in claim 4 wherein said product information takes the form of a file having filename indicative of the format in which said product information is stored in said file.

6. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein said file takes the form of a page expressed in hypertext markup language transmitted using the hypertext transport protocol.

7. The method of retrieving, via the Internet, product information about items produced by a plurality of different manufacturers, each of said items being of a type that is uniquely specified by a corresponding universal product code, said method comprising, in combination, the steps of

establishing at least one product code translator at at least one predetermined uniform resource location on the Internet,

providing to said product code translator a plurality of cross-references, each of which specifies a relationship between at least a given one of said universal product codes and an Internet address from which descriptive information may be obtained about the product type specified by said given one of said universal product codes;

and

utilizing said product code translator to provide, in response to a query containing at least a portion of a particular uniform product code, at least one Internet address from which descriptive information about the product or products designated by said portion of said particular uniform product code may be obtained.

8. The method set forth in claim 7 further including the step of expressing said one Internet address from which descriptive information may be obtained as the referenced address in a hyperlink contained in a page of hypertext which is transmitted via the Internet.

9. The method set forth in claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a query designating a plurality of universal product codes to said product code translator to obtain a plurality of cross-references relating to a plurality of different products,

generating a listing expressed in hypertext of said different products with at least some of the products in said listing being associated with a hyperlink specifying the Internet address at which additional information about the listed product may be obtained.

10. A product code translator for disseminating, via the Internet, information describing each of a plurality of items originating from a plurality of different manufacturers, each of said items being of type identified by a universal product code, said product code translator comprising, in combination:

means for accepting via the Internet one or more cross-references designating items originating with each of said different manufacturers, each of said cross-references consisting of the specification of at least one universal product code and associated location data from which the Internet address at which information describing the type of items identified by said universal product code may be accessed,

means for performing a lookup operation in response to a query received via the Internet to produce a response, said query including the specification of at least a portion of at least one universal product code and said response including the location data associated with said one universal product code; and

means for transmitting said response via the Internet to the source of said query.

11. The product code translator set forth in claim 10 further comprising means for accepting and storing information describing each of said manufacturers.

12. The product code translator set forth in claim 10 wherein said location data includes, for at least some of said manufacturers, an email address from which product information may be obtained.

13. The product code translator set forth in claim 10 wherein said location data includes, for at least some of said manufacturers, an Internet address of a resource from which product information about products designated by specific universal product codes may be obtained.

14. The method of providing potential customers with information via the Internet relating to each of a plurality of product types produced by a plurality of different manufacturers, each of said product types being designated by a universal product code, said method comprising, in combination, the steps of

storing said information at a plurality of different storage locations selected by said manufacturers, each of said storage locations being designated by a different Internet address,

storing at one or more predetermined product code translators plurality of cross-references each of which associates one or more particular universal product codes with one of said Internet addresses,

transmitting to at least one of said product code translators a query specifying a the universal product codes of said plurality of different products to obtain said cross-references;

transmitting to said potential customers a hypertext product listing identifying each of said said product types and displaying, for each of said product types, a hyperlink to an Internet address specified in a cross-reference to enable said potential customers to obtain additional information concerning a selected product identified on said listing.