System and method for composing menus of URL-encoded bar code symbols while surfing the internet using an internet browser program

• US 6,045,048 A
• Filed: 01/15/1999
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilz, David M. Sr., Knowles, Carl Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Thien, Le Minh
• Application Number:
  US09/231,239
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/472.01, 235/494, 235/375, 235/462.07, 235/462.09, 235/462.25, 235/383
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03

Abstract

A computer-based system is provided for composing menus of URL-encoded bar code symbols specifying the location of Internet-based information resources on the Internet. In the illustrative embodiment, the system comprises a computer system operably connectable to the Internet and including a visual display screen, a keyboard, and printer. The system also includes a GUI-based Internet browser program and a URL-menu composition program supported by the computer system. The function of the GUI-based Internet browser program is to enable a user to access and display Internet-based information resources stored on an Internet information server at a location specified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The function of the URL-menu composition program is to enable the user to compose a menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols while surfing the Internet using the GUI-based Internet browser program. After the menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols has been composed, it may be edited and then printed on a selected print medium. By virtue of the present invention, any Internet-based information resource can be automatically accessed and displayed by reading its URL-encoded bar code symbol from the printed menu using a bar code symbol reader operably connected to an Internet-enabled computer system supporting a bar code driven Internet browser program.

Claims

1. A computer-based system for accessing and displaying Internet-based information resources stored in information servers on the Internet and composing menus of URL-encoded bar code symbols specifying the location of said Internet-based information resources on the Internet, said system comprising:

a computer system operably connectable to the Internet by way of an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and having a visual display screen and a data input means;

a GUI-based Internet browser program, supported by said computer system, and enabling a user to access and display of Internet-based information resources on said visual display screen, each said Internet-based information resource being stored on an information server connected to the Internet, and at a location specified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) defined on the Internet; and

a URL-menu composition program, supported by said computer system, and enabling a user to compose a menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols, each said URL-encoded bar code symbol being encoded with a URL specifying the location of one of said Internet-based information resources on the Internet;

wherein, during the operation of said GUI-based Internet browser program, said URL-menu composition program allows the user to compile said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols for printing on a selected print medium, and

wherein, after said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols are printed on said selected print medium, an Internet-based information resource specified by its URL-encoded bar code symbol on said menu can be automatically accessed and displayed by reading the URL-encoded bar code symbol with a bar code symbol reader operably connected to an Internet-enabled computer system provided with a bar code driven Internet browser program.

2. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein said URL-menu composition program comprises a plug-in type module for integration with said GUI-based Internet browser program.

3. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein said Internet-based information resources comprise a plurality of HTML-encoded documents.

4. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols further comprises, for each said URL-encoded bar code symbol listed in said menu, one or more of the following information elements:

a human-readable URL corresponding to said URL-encoded bar code symbol;

a title description assigned to said URL-encoded bar code symbol;

a brief description of the content of the Internet-based information resource specified by said URL-encoded bar code symbol; and

a date indicating when the Information-based information resource was last accessed and displayed by the composer of said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols.

5. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein said URL-menu composition program comprises:

a composing mode of operation during which said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols is composed; and

an editing mode of operation during which said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols is edited.

6. The computer-based system of claim 5, wherein said URL-menu composition program further comprises a printing mode of operation during which said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols is printed on said selected print medium.

7. The computer-based system of claim 1, which further comprises a printer, operably connected to said computer system, for printing said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols on said selected print medium.

8. The computer-based system of claim 8, which further comprises

a bar code symbol reader operably connected to said computer system, for reading one or more of URL-encoded bar code symbols on said menu and automatically accessing and displaying the Internet-based information resources specified by said one or more of URL-encoded bar code symbols printed on said selected print medium.

9. The computer-based system of claim 8, wherein said visual display screen is realized by a visual display device.

10. The computer-based system of claim 8, wherein said data input means comprises a keyboard.

11. A method of accessing and displaying Internet-based information resources stored in information servers on the Internet and composing menus of URL-encoded bar code symbols specifying the location of said Internet-based information resources on the Internet, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) operably connecting a computer system to the Internet by way of an Internet Service Provider (ISP), said computer system having a visual display screen and a data input means, and supporting a GUI-based Internet browser program and a URL-menu composition program,

said GUI-based Internet browser program enabling a user to access and display of Internet-based information resources on said visual display screen, each said Internet-based information resource being stored on an information server connected to the Internet, and at a location specified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) defined on the Internet, and

said URL-menu composition program enabling a user to compose a menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols, each said URL-encoded bar code symbol being encoded with a URL specifying the location of one of said Internet-based information resources on the Internet;

(b) during the operation of said GUI-based Internet browser program, using said URL-menu composition program to compile said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols for printing on a selected print medium; and

(c) after said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols are composed, printing said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols on said selected print medium.

12. The method of claim 11, which further comprises after step (c)

(d) accessing one or more Internet-based information resources specified by URL-encoded bar code symbols on said printed menu by reading said URL-encoded bar code symbols using a bar code symbol reader operably connected to an Internet-enabled computer system provided with a bar code driven Internet browser program.

13. The method of claim 11, where during step (a) said URL-menu composition program comprises a plug-in type module for integration with said GUI-based Internet browser program.

14. The method of claim 11, where during step (a) said Internet-based information resources comprises a plurality of HTML-encoded documents.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein step (b) comprises composing said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols such that, for each said URL-encoded bar code symbol listed in said menu, one or more of the following information elements are included in said menu:

a human-readable URL corresponding to said URL-encoded bar code symbol;

a title description assigned to said URL-encoded bar code symbol;

a brief description of the content of the Internet-based information resource specified by said URL-encoded bar code symbol; and

a date indicating when the Information-based information resource was last accessed and displayed by the composer of said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein after step (b) but before step (c), said method further comprises:

editing said menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols.