System and method for using an ordinary article of commerce to access a remote computer
DCFirst Claim
1. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to access a remote computer, comprising:
- (a) a machine-readable indicia associated with the article of commerce, said indicia encoding at least one of a plurality of identification numbers, said encoded identification number corresponding to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard;
(b) an input device generating a signal corresponding to said encoded identification number; and
(c) a database containing a plurality of network addresses and said plurality of identification numbers, each of said identification numbers being associated with at least one of said plurality of network addresses;
said database being responsive to said signal for providing one of said network addresses which is associated with said encoded identification number;
further comprising a local host adapted for network communication; and
a first network containing a plurality of nodes, each having an assigned network address;
said network being operatively coupled to said local host for allowing communication between said local host and that one of said nodes whose assigned network address corresponds to the network address provided by said database.
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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.
1117 Citations
41 Claims
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1. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to access a remote computer, comprising:
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(a) a machine-readable indicia associated with the article of commerce, said indicia encoding at least one of a plurality of identification numbers, said encoded identification number corresponding to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard; (b) an input device generating a signal corresponding to said encoded identification number; and (c) a database containing a plurality of network addresses and said plurality of identification numbers, each of said identification numbers being associated with at least one of said plurality of network addresses;
said database being responsive to said signal for providing one of said network addresses which is associated with said encoded identification number;further comprising a local host adapted for network communication; and
a first network containing a plurality of nodes, each having an assigned network address;
said network being operatively coupled to said local host for allowing communication between said local host and that one of said nodes whose assigned network address corresponds to the network address provided by said database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to generate the network address of a computer on a network, comprising:
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(a) means for generating a signal corresponding to an article identification number which is used to identify the article of commerce in accordance with a standard that specifies the length of the identification number; (b) a database having a plurality of identification numbers including said article identification number and a plurality of network addresses, and associating each of said identification numbers with at least one of said network addresses; and (c) control means responsive to said signal and operatively coupled to said database for retrieving from said database at least one of said network addresses which correspond to said article identification number; further comprising a local host in communication with said database to receive the network address provided by said database; further comprising a network including a plurality of nodes, each associated with one of said plurality of network addresses;
wherein said local host is adapted for communicating with one of said nodes using said network address generated by said database. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In an apparatus comprising means for generating a signal corresponding to a product identification number which is used to identify the article of commerce bearing an indicia on which said product identification number is encoded in accordance with an extrinsic standard that specifies the length of the identification number;
- a computer database having a plurality of identification numbers including said product identification number, and a plurality of network addresses, and associating each of said product identification numbers with at least one of said network addresses; and
control means responsive to said signal and operatively coupled to said database for retrieving from said database at least one of said network addresses which corresponds to said product identification number;a method for generating the address of a node on the network, comprising the steps of; (a) associating in computer memory at least a portion of a product identification number with the node'"'"'s network address;
said identification number having recognized significance in accordance with an extrinsic standard as a number identifying an article of commerce;(b) providing an article of commerce bearing an indicia on which said identification number is encoded; (c) reading at least a portion of said identification number from said indicia; and (d) retrieving from said computer memory the network address associated therein with said product identification number. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
- a computer database having a plurality of identification numbers including said product identification number, and a plurality of network addresses, and associating each of said product identification numbers with at least one of said network addresses; and
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33. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to access a remote computer, comprising:
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(a) a machine-readable indicia associated with the article of commerce, said indicia encoding at least one of a plurality of identification numbers, said encoded identification number corresponding to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard; (b) an input device generating a signal corresponding to said encoded identification number; and (c) a database containing a plurality of network addresses and said plurality of identification numbers, each of said identification numbers being associated with at least one of said plurality of network addresses;
said database being responsive to said signal for providing one of said network addresses which is associated with said encoded identification number;further comprising a local host in communication with said database to receive the network address provided by said database; further comprising a network including a plurality of nodes, each associated with one of said plurality of network addresses;
wherein said local host is adapted for communicating with a selected one of said nodes using said network address generated by said database. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to access a remote computer, comprising:
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(a) a machine-readable indicia associated with the article of commerce, said indicia encoding at least one of a plurality of identification numbers, said encoded identification number corresponding to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard; (b) an input device generating a signal corresponding to said encoded identification number; and (c) a database containing a plurality of network addresses and said plurality of identification numbers, each of said identification numbers being associated with at least one of said plurality of network addresses;
said database being responsive to said signal for providing one of said network addresses which is associated with said encoded identification number;further comprising a local host operatively coupled to said means for generating a signal;
a server operatively coupled to said local host and said database; and
a network including a plurality of nodes, each associated with one of said plurality of network addresses;
wherein said server is adapted for communicating with a selected one of said nodes using said network address generated by said database.
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36. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to generate the network address of a computer on a network, comprising:
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(a) means for generating a signal corresponding to an article identification number which is used to identify the article of commerce in accordance with a standard that specifies the length of the identification number; (b) a database having a plurality of identification numbers including said article identification number and a plurality of network addresses, and associating each of said identification numbers with at least one of said network addresses; and (c) control means responsive to said signal and operatively coupled to said database for retrieving from said database at least one of said network addresses which correspond to said article identification number;
further comprising;(d) a first network containing a plurality of nodes, each corresponding to one of said network addresses; (e) a local host in communication with said network and said control means and adapted for communication with that one of said nodes corresponding to the network address retrieved by said control means. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification