Communication system and method via digital codes

• US 5,938,727 A
• Filed: 01/31/1997
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takashi Ikeda
• Original Assignee: Takashi Ikeda
• Inventors: Ikeda, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US08/791,982
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.33, 395/200.36, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.57, 395/200.75, 705/26, 705/27, 364/237.35, 463/36, 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication system for identifying the desired destination, comprising: a destination specifying tag with a digital code corresponding to each of the destinations, means for selecting a kind of communication, means for reading out the digital code printed on the tag, means responsive of the reading out of the digital code for converting the digital information included in the digital code to the identification code of the desired destination, apparatus means for communicating to the destination specified by the identification code. In particular, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the digital code is a two-dimensional barcode and the means for reading the digital code is a two-dimensional barcode reader. The communication to be performed includes telephone, facsimile transmission, access to a WWW homepage on the Internet, and E-mail transmission over the Internet.

Claims

1. A communication system for performing a single kind of communication and a selective communication, said system comprising:

destination specifying means, used in both the single kind of communication and the selective communication, for specifying a destination, said destination specifying means carrying a notification code corresponding to the destination;

means, used in the selective communication, for selecting a kind of communication;

means, used in the single kind of communication, for reading out the notification code;

means, used in the selective communication, for reading out the notification code on said destination specifying means;

means, used in the single kind of communication, for performing a communication corresponding to single information included in the notification code in response to the reading out of the notification code;

means, used in the selective communication, for converting the read out notification code to a destination identification code corresponding to the notification code in the selected kind of communication; and

means, used in the selective communication, for performing the selected kind of communication to the destination specified by the destination identification code;

wherein the notification code is printed in an ink which is invisible with naked eyes but which can be scanned by each of said reading out means.

2. A communication system for performing a single kind of communication and a selective communication, said system comprising:

destination specifying means, used in both the single kind of communication and the selective communication, for specifying a destination, said destination specifying means carrying a notification code corresponding to the destination;

means, used in the selective communication, for selecting a kind of communication;

means, used in the single kind of communication, for reading out the notification code;

means, used in the selective communication, for reading out the notification code on said destination specifying means;

means, used in the single kind of communication, for performing a communication corresponding to single information included in the notification code in response to the reading out of the notification code;

means, used in the selective communication, for converting the read out notification code to a destination identification code corresponding to the notification code in the selected kind of communication; and

means, used in the selective communication, for performing the selected kind of communication to the destination specified by the destination identification code;

wherein the notification code is printed in an ink which is invisible with naked eyes but which can be scanned by each of said reading out means, and wherein at least one mark, which visually represents a kind of information contained in the notification code, is attached in a vicinity of the notification code.

3. A communication method for performing a single kind of communication and a selective communication, said method comprising:

providing, in both the single kind of communication and the selective communication, a destination specifying means carrying a notification code corresponding to the destination;

selecting, in the selective communication, a kind of communication;

reading out, in the single kind of communication, the notification code;

reading out, in the selective communication, the notification code on the destination specifying means;

performing, in the single kind of communication, a communication corresponding to single information included in the notification code in response to the read ing out of the notification code;

converting, in the selective communication, the read out notification code to a destination identification code corresponding to the notification code in the selected kind of communication; and

performing, in the selective communication, the selected kind of communication to the destination specified by the destination identification code;

wherein the notification code is printed in an ink which is invisible with naked eyes but which can be scanned during each of said reading out steps.

4. A communication method for perform ing a single kind of communication and a selective communication, said method comprising:

providing, in both the single kind of communication and the selective communication, a destination specifying means carrying a notification code corresponding to the destination;

selecting, in the selective communication, a kind of communication;

reading out, in the single kind of communication, the notification code;

reading out, in the selective communication, the notification code on the destination specifying means;

performing, in the single kind of communication, a communication corresponding to single information included in the notification code in response to the reading out of the notification code;

converting, in the selective communication, the read out notification code to a destination identification code corresponding to the notification code in the selected kind of communication; and

performing, in the selective communication, the selected kind of communication to the destination specified by the destination identification code;

wherein the notification code is printed in an ink which is invisible with naked eyes but which can be scanned during each of said reading out steps, and wherein at least one mark, which visually represents a kind of information contained in the notification code, is attached in a vicinity of the notification code.

5. A communication method for specifying a destination by using a digital code, said method comprising:

providing destination specifying means carrying a digital code corresponding to the destination;

selecting a kind of communication;

reading out the digital code carried on the destination specifying means;

converting, in response to said reading out the digital code, digital information included in the read out digital code to a destination identification code corresponding to the digital code; and

performing the selected communication to the destination specified by the destination identification code;

wherein the digital code is printed in an ink which is invisible with naked eyes but which can be scanned during said reading out step.

6. A communication method for specifying a destination by using a digital code, said method comprising:

providing destination specifying means carrying a digital code corresponding to the destination;

selecting a kind of communication;

reading out the digital code carried on the destination specifying means;

converting, in response to said reading out the digital code, digital information included in the read out digital code to a destination identification code corresponding to the digital code; and

performing the selected communication to the destination specified by the destination identification code;

wherein the digital code is printed in an ink which is invisible with naked eyes but which can be scanned during said reading out step, and wherein at least one mark, which visually represents a kind of information contained in the digital code, is attached in a vicinity of the digital code.

7. A communication system for performing a single kind of communication and a selective communication, said system comprising:

destination specifying means, used in both the single kind of communication and the selective communication, for specifying a destination, said destination specifying means carrying a notification code corresponding to the destination;

means, used in the selective communication, for selecting a kind of communication;

means, used in the single kind of communication, for reading out the notification code;

means, used in the selective communication, for reading out the notification code on said destination specifying means;

means, used in the single kind of communication, for performing a communication corresponding to single information included in the notification code in response to the reading out of the notification code;

means, used in the selective communication, for converting the read out notification code to a destination identification code corresponding to the notification code in the selected kind of communication; and

means, used in the selective communication, for performing the selected kind of communication to the destination specified by the destination identification code;

wherein the notification code is a bar-code, two-dimensional code, or two-dimensional barcode, and wherein at least one mark, which visually represents a kind of information contained in the notification code, is attached in a vicinity of the notification code so as to visually indicate, prior to the reading of the notification code, that the notification code is provided for communication purposes rather than for distribution, logistics, or identification purposes.

8. A communication method for performing a single kind of communication and a selective communication, said method comprising:

providing, in both the single kind of communication and the selective communication, a destination specifying means carrying a notification code corresponding to the destination;

selecting, in the selective communication, a kind of communication;

reading out, in the single kind of communication, the notification code;

reading out, in the selective communication, the notification code on the destination specifying means;

performing, in the single kind of communication, a communication corresponding to single information included in the notification code in response to the reading out of the notification code;

converting, in the selective communication, the read out notification code to a destination identification code corresponding to the notification code in the selected kind of communication; and

performing, in the selective communication, the selected kind of communication to the destination specified by the destination identification code;

wherein the notification code is a bar-code, two-dimensional code, or two-dimensional barcode, and wherein at least one mark, which visually represents a kind of information contained in the notification code, is attached in a vicinity of the notification code so as to visually indicate, prior to the reading of the notification code, that the notification code is provided for communication purposes rather than for distribution, logistics, or identification purposes.