Hand-held WWW access device with GUI-based www browser program integrated with bar code symbol reader for automatically accessing and displaying HTML-encoded documents by reading bar code symbols

• US 6,345,764 B1
• Filed: 01/07/1999
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• 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: Knowles, C. Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/229,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20020017566A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/482.01, 235/375, 235/382, 235/383, 235/462.02, 235/462.07, 235/462.45, 235/462.46
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion

Abstract

A portable hand-held WWW access terminal for accessing HTML encoded documents located on the WWW. The terminal includes a bar code symbol reader in a hand-supportable housing for reading bar code symbols encoded with information, such as URLs, for use in accessing HTML-encoded documents stored in information servers connected to the Internet and supporting the TCP/IP standard. A computing platform is provided for supporting a GUI-based WWW browser program integrated with the bar code symbol reader, in the hand-supportable housing. A telecommunication modem is operably connected to the computing platform in order to establish a two-way telecommunication link between the GUI-based WWW browser and an Internet service provider (ISP) connected to the Internet. In response to reading a URL-encoded bar code symbol, the WWW browser program automatically accesses a corresponding HTML-encoded document on the Internet, for display on a visual display panel integrated with the hand-supportable housing. A keypad is also integrated with the hand-supportable housing for manually providing information to the WWW browser program.

Claims

1. A portable WWW access terminal for allowing an operator to access and display HTML-encoded documents located on the WWW by reading bar code symbols encoded with information specifying the location of said HTML-encoded documents on the WWW, said portable WWW access terminal comprising:

a hand-supportable housing supportable within the hand of said operator;

a bar code symbol reader, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, and programmed for (i) reading a bar code symbol encoded with information specifying the location of an HTML-encoded document stored in an information server connected to the Internet and supporting the TCP/IP standard, and (ii) producing symbol character data representative of said information;

visual information display means, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for visually displaying information including graphical information contained in said HTML-encoded document specified by said information;

Internet accessing means, disposed in said hand-supportable housing and responsive to said bar code symbol reader, said Internet accessing means further including

(i) computing means disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and

(ii) a GUI-based WWW browser program executed by said computing means, and integrated with said bar code symbol reader in said hand-supportable housing, so that, in response to said bar code symbol reader reading the bar code symbol encoded with said information, said GUI-based WWW browser program automatically accesses the HTML-encoded document specified by said information using said TCP/IP standard and the symbol character data representative of said information, and automatically displays said accessed HTML-encoded document on said visual information display means for review by the operator; and

a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver, integrated with said hand-supportable housing and being operably connected to said Internet accessing means, for enabling a wireless two-way telecommunication link between said Internet accessing means and a base-station operably connected to an Internet service provider connected the Internet so as to enable said Internet accessing means to access said HTML-encoded document.

2. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 1, wherein said bar code symbol reader is a device selected from the group consisting of a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD bar code symbol reader, and a wand-type bar code symbol reader.

3. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 1, which further comprises information entry means for entering information into said Internet accessing means.

4. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 3, wherein said information entry means comprises a keypad integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for manually entering information into said Internet accessing means.

5. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 1, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel.

6. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 1, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel, and said information entry means comprises a touch-sensitive keypad integrated with said LCD panel.

7. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 1, wherein said radio-frequency (RF) transceiver comprises a modem card for enabling said wireless two-way communication link between said Internet accessing means and said base-station.

8. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 1, wherein said base station is a device selected from the group consisting of a cellular base station operably connected to the Internet, and a satellite-base station operably connected to the Internet.

9. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 1, wherein said bar code symbol, encoded with said information, is a one-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said one-dimensional bar code symbol.

10. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 1, wherein said bar code symbol, encoded with said information, is a two-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said two-dimensional bar code symbol.

11. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 1, wherein said information is a Uniform Resources Locator (URL).

12. A portable information access terminal for allowing an operator to access and display HTML-encoded documents located on an information network by reading bar code symbols encoded with information specifying the location of said HTML-encoded documents on said network, said portable information access terminal comprising:

a hand-supportable housing;

a bar code symbol reader, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, and programmed for (i) reading a bar code symbol encoded with information specifying the location of an HTML-encoded document stored in an information server connected to said information network and supporting the TCP/IP standard, and (ii) producing symbol character data representative of said information;

visual information display means, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for visually displaying information including graphical information contained in said HTML-encoded document specified by said information;

network accessing means, disposed in said hand-supportable housing and responsive to said bar code symbol reader, said network accessing means further including

(i) computing means disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and

(ii) a GUI-based WWW browser program executed by said computing means, and integrated with said bar code symbol reader in said hand-supportable housing, so that, in response to said bar code symbol reader reading the bar code symbol encoded with said information, said GUI-based WWW browser program automatically accesses the HTML-encoded document specified by said information using said TCP/IP standard and the symbol character data representative of said information, and automatically displays said accessed HTML-encoded document on said visual information display means for review by the operator; and

a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver, integrated with said hand-supportable housing and being operably connected to said network accessing means, for enabling a wireless two-way telecommunication link between said Internet accessing means and a base station operably connected to an Internet service provider (ISP) connected to said information network so as to enable said network accessing means to access said HTML-encoded document.

13. The portable information access terminal of claim 12, wherein said bar code symbol reader is a device selected from the group consisting of a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD bar code symbol reader, and a wand-type bar code symbol reader.

14. The portable information access terminal of claim 12, which further comprises information entry means for entering information into said network accessing means.

15. The portable information access terminal of claim 14, wherein said information entry means comprises a keypad integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for manually entering information into said network accessing means.

16. The portable information access terminal of claim 12, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel.

17. The portable information access terminal of claim 12, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel, and said information entry means comprises a touch-sensitive keypad integrated with said LCD panel.

18. The portable information access terminal of claim 12, wherein said radio-frequency (RF) transceiver comprises a modem card for enabling said wireless two-way digital communication link between said Internet accessing means and said base-station.

19. The portable information access terminal of claim 12, wherein said base station is a device selected from the group consisting of a cellular base station operably connected to the Internet, and a satellite-base station operably connected to the Internet.

20. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 12, wherein said bar code symbol, encoded with said information, is a one-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said one-dimensional bar code symbol.

21. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 12, wherein said bar code symbol, encoded with said information, is a two-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said two-dimensional bar code symbol.

22. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 12, wherein said information is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

23. An Internet-based information system for allowing an operator to access and display HTML-encoded documents on the WWW by reading bar code symbols encoded with information specifying location of said HTML-encoded documents on the WWW, said information system comprising:

(A) an Internet information server connected to the Internet, supporting the TCP/IP standard, and storing a HTML-encoded document at a location on the Internet specified by information encoded within a bar code symbol; and

(B) a portable WWW access terminal including

(1) a hand-supportable housing supportable within the hand of said operator;

(2) a bar code symbol reader, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, and programmed for (i) reading said bar code symbol encoded with said information specifying the location of said HTML-encoded document stored in said Internet information server, and (ii) producing symbol character data representative of said information;

(3) visual information display means, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for visually displaying information including graphical information contained in said HTML-encoded document specified by said information;

(4) Internet accessing means, disposed in said hand-supportable housing and responsive to said bar code symbol reader, said Internet accessing means further including

(i) computing means disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and

(ii) a GUI-based WWW browser program executed by said computing means, and integrated with said bar code symbol reader in said hand-supportable housing, so that, in response to said bar code symbol reader reading the bar code symbol encoded with said information, said GUI-based WWW browser program automatically accesses from said Internet information server, the HTML-encoded document specified by said information using said TCP/IP standard and the symbol character data representative of said information, and automatically displays said accessed HTML-encoded document on said visual information display means of said portable WWW access computer terminal for review by the operator; and

(5) a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver, integrated with said hand-supportable housing and being operably connected to said Internet accessing means, for enabling a wireless two-way telecommunication link between said Internet accessing means and a base-station operably connected to an Internet service provider connected the Internet so as to enable said Internet accessing means to access said HTML-encoded document specified by the information encoded in said bar code symbol read by said bar code symbol reader.

24. The Internet-based information system of claim 23, wherein said bar code symbol reader is a device selected from the group consisting of a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD bar code symbol reader, and a wand-type bar code symbol reader.

25. The Internet-based information system of claim 23, wherein said portable WWW access client terminal further comprises information entry means for entering information into said Internet accessing means.

26. The Internet-based information system of claim 24, wherein said information entry means comprises a keypad integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for manually entering information into said Internet accessing means.

27. The Internet-based information system of claim 23, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel.

28. The Internet-based information system of claim 23, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel, and said information entry means comprises a touch-sensitive keypad integrated with said LCD panel.

29. The Internet-based information system of claim 23, wherein said radio-frequency (RF) transceiver comprises a modem card for enabling said wireless two-way communication link between said Internet accessing means and said base-station.

30. The Internet-based information system of claim 23, wherein said base station is a device selected from the group consisting of a cellular base station operably connected to the Internet, and a satellite-base station operably connected to the Internet.

31. The Internet-based information system of claim 23, wherein said bar code symbol, encoded with said information, is a one-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said one-dimensional bar code symbol.

32. The Internet-based information system of claim 23, wherein said bar code symbol, encoded with said information, is a two-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said two-dimensional bar code symbol.

33. The Internet-based information system of claim 23, wherein said information is a Uniform Resource Locator.

34. A portable WWW access terminal for allowing an operator to access and display HTML-encoded documents located on the WWW by reading bar code symbols encoded with information for use in accessing HTML-encoded documents on the WWW, said portable WWW access terminal comprising:

a hand-supportable housing supportable within the hand of said operator;

a bar code symbol reader, integrated within said hand-supportable housing, and programmed for (i) reading a bar code symbol encoded with information for use in accessing an HTML-encoded document stored in an information server connected to the Internet and supporting the TCP/IP standard, and (ii) producing symbol character data representative of said information;

visual information display means, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for visually displaying information including graphical information contained in said HTML-encoded document specified by said information;

Internet accessing means, disposed in said hand-supportable housing and responsive to said bar code symbol reader, said Internet accessing means further including

(i) computing means disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and

(ii) a GUI-based WWW browser program executed by said computing means, and integrated with said bar code symbol reader in said hand-supportable housing, so that, in response to said bar code symbol reader reading the bar code symbol encoded with said information, said GUI-based WWW browser program automatically accesses the HTML-encoded document specified by said information using said TCP/IP standard and the symbol character data representative of said information, and automatically displays said accessed HTML-encoded document on said visual information display means for review by the operator; and

telecommunication means, integrated with said hand-supportable housing and being operably connected to said Internet accessing means, for enabling a two-way telecommunication link between said Internet accessing means and a base-station operably connected to an Internet service provider connected the Internet so as to enable said Internet accessing means to access said HTML-encoded document.

35. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 34, wherein said bar code symbol reader is a device selected from the group consisting of a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD bar code symbol reader, and a wand-type bar code symbol reader.

36. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 34, which further comprises information entry means for entering information into said Internet accessing means.

37. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 36, wherein said information entry means comprises a keypad integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for manually entering information into said Internet accessing means.

38. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 34, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel.

39. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 34, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel, and said information entry means comprises a touch-sensitive keypad integrated with said LCD panel.

40. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 34, wherein said telecommunication means comprises a modem card for enabling said two-way communication link between said Internet accessing means and said base-station.

41. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 34, wherein said base station is a device selected from the group consisting of a cellular base station operably connected to the Internet, and a satellite-base station operably connected to the Internet.

42. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 34, wherein said bar code symbol encoded within said information is a one-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said one-dimensional bar code symbol.

43. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 34, wherein said bar code symbol encoded within said information is a two-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said two-dimensional bar code symbol.

44. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 34, wherein said information is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

45. A portable information access terminal for allowing an operator to access and display HTML-encoded documents located on an information network by reading bar code symbols encoded with information for use in accessing HTML-encoded documents on the WWW, said portable information access terminal comprising:

a hand-supportable housing;

a bar code symbol reader, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, and programmed for (i) reading a bar code symbol encoded with information for use in accessing an HTML-encoded document stored in an information server connected to said information network and supporting the TCP/IP standard, and (ii) producing symbol character data representative of said information;

visual information display means, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for visually displaying information including graphical information contained in said HTML-encoded document specified by said information;

network accessing means, disposed in said hand-supportable housing and responsive to said bar code symbol reader, said network accessing means further including

(i) computing means disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and

(ii) a GUI-based WWW browser program executed by said computing means, and integrated with said bar code symbol reader in said hand-supportable housing, so that, in response to said bar code symbol reader reading the bar code symbol encoded with said information, said GUI-based WWW browser program automatically accesses the HTML-encoded document specified by said information using said TCP/IP standard and the symbol character data representative of said information, and automatically displays said accessed HTML-encoded document on said visual information display means for review by the operator; and

telecommunication means, integrated with said hand-supportable housing and being operably connected to said network accessing means, for enabling a two-way telecommunication link between said Internet accessing means and a base station operably connected to an Internet service provider (ISP) connected to said information network so as to enable said network accessing means to access said HTML-encoded document.

46. The portable information access terminal of claim 45, wherein said bar code symbol reader is a device selected from the group consisting of a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD bar code symbol reader, and a wand-type bar code symbol reader.

47. The portable information access terminal of claim 45, which further comprises information entry means for entering information into said network accessing means.

48. The portable information access terminal of claim 47, wherein said information entry means comprises a keypad integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for manually entering information into said network accessing means.

49. The portable information access terminal of claim 47, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel.

50. The portable information access terminal of claim 45, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel, and said information entry means comprises a touch-sensitive keypad integrated with said LCD panel.

51. The portable information access terminal of claim 45, wherein said telecommunication means comprises a modem card for enabling said wireless two-way digital communication link between said Internet accessing means and said base-station.

52. The portable information access terminal of claim 45, wherein said base station is a device selected from the group consisting of a cellular base station operably connected to the Internet, and a satellite-base station operably connected to the Internet.

53. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 45, wherein said bar code symbol encoded with said information is a one-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said one-dimensional bar code symbol.

54. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 45, wherein said bar code symbol encoded with said information is a two-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said two-dimensional bar code symbol.

55. The portable WWW access terminal of claim 45, wherein said information is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

56. An Internet-based information system for allowing an operator to access and display HTML-encoded documents on the WWW by reading bar code symbols encoded with information for use in accessing said HTML-encoded documents on the WWW, said Internet-based information system comprising:

(A) an Internet information server connected to the Internet, supporting the TCP/IP standard, and storing a HTML-encoded document at a location on the Internet specified by said information; and

(B) a portable WWW access terminal including

(1) a hand-supportable housing supportable within the hand of said operator;

(2) a bar code symbol reader, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, and programmed for (i) reading a bar code symbol encoded with said information specifying the location of said HTML-encoded document stored in said Internet information server, and (ii) producing symbol character data representative of said information;

(3) visual information display means, integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for visually displaying information including graphical information contained in said HTML-encoded document specified by said information;

(4) Internet accessing means, disposed in said hand-supportable housing and responsive to said bar code symbol reader, said Internet accessing means further including

(i) computing means disposed in said hand-supportable housing, and

(ii) a GUI-based WWW browser program executed by said computing means, and integrated with said bar code symbol reader in said hand-supportable housing, so that, in response to said bar code symbol reader reading the bar code symbol encoded with said information, said GUI-based WWW browser program automatically accesses from said Internet information server, the HTML-encoded document specified by said information using said TCP/IP standard and the symbol character data representative of said information, and automatically displays said accessed HTML-encoded document on said visual information display means of said portable WWW access computer terminal for review by the operator; and

(5) telecommunication means, integrated with said hand-supportable housing and being operably connected to said Internet accessing means, for enabling a two-way telecommunication link between said Internet accessing means and a base-station operably connected to an Internet service provider connected the Internet so as to enable said Internet accessing means to access said HTML-encoded document.

57. The Internet-based information system of claim 56, wherein said bar code symbol reader is a device selected from the group consisting of a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD bar code symbol reader, and a wand-type bar code symbol reader.

58. The Internet-based information system of claim 56, wherein said portable WWW access terminal further comprises information entry means for entering information into said Internet accessing means.

59. The Internet-based information system of claim 58, wherein said information entry means comprises a keypad integrated with said hand-supportable housing, for manually entering information into said Internet accessing means.

60. The Internet-based information system of claim 56, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel.

61. The Internet-based information system of claim 56, wherein said visual information display means comprises an LCD panel, and said information entry means comprises a touch-sensitive keypad integrated with said LCD panel.

62. The Internet-based information system of claim 61, wherein said telecommunication means comprises a modem card for enabling said two-way communication link between said Internet accessing means and said base station.

63. The Internet-based information system of claim 56, wherein said base-station is a device selected from the group consisting of a cellular base station operably connected to the Internet, and a satellite-base station operably connected to the Internet.

64. The Internet-based information system of claim 56, wherein said bar code symbol encoded with said information is a one-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said one-dimensional bar code symbol.

65. The Internet-based information system of claim 56, wherein said bar code symbol encoded with said information is a two-dimensional bar code symbol, and said bar code symbol reader is programmed to read said two-dimensional bar code symbol.

66. The Internet-based information system of claim 56, wherein said information is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).