UNIVERSAL TRANSACTION MACHINE FOR CARRYING OUT INFORMATION-RELATED TRANSACTIONS USING HTML-ENCODED DOCUMENTS EMBODYING TRANSACTION-ENABLING JAVA-APPLETS AUTOMATICALLY LAUNCHED AND EXECUTED IN RESPONSE TO READING CODE SYMBOLS

• US 6,375,078 B1
• Filed: 01/13/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilz, David M. Sr., Russell, Garrett, Knowles, Carl Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/229,867
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 705/25, 705/26, 235/381, 235/375, 235/462.01, 235/472.01, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs

Abstract

A universal transaction machine (UTM) is disclosed, wherein a code symbol reader is integrated with a Java-enabled Internet terminal to enable the reading of a code symbol (e.g. magstripe or bar code) encoded with information related to a predetermined Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The predetermined URL specifies the location of a HTML-encoded document stored in an HTTP server and contains one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets. When the URL-encoded symbol is read using the code symbol reader and provided to the Java-enabled browser program, the corresponding HTTP document is automatically accessed and displayed at the terminal. Preferably, the transaction-enabling Java-Applets are executed in order to produce a graphical user interface on the display screen of the terminal, thereby enabling the user to carry out data read and entry operations related to the prespecified information-related transaction. The transaction-enabling Internet terminal can be in the form of an Internet kiosk installed in a public location, in the manner as conventional ATMs. By virtue of the present invention, the universal transaction machine can be easily deployed for use by the mass population so that they can easily conduct various types of information-related transactions, including electronic-commerce, over the Internet.

Claims

1. A universal transaction machine for enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, said universal transaction machine comprising:

a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for requesting a HTML-encoded document embodying a transaction-enabling Applet which, when executed, results in the production of a graphical use interface designed to enable a user to conduct a prespecified information-related transaction over the Internet, said HTML-encoded document being stored in a HTTP information server connected to the Internet and at a location specified by a predetermined Uniform Resource Locator (URL), said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including

an Internet browser program for executing Applets, including said transaction-enabling Applet, embedded within said HTML-encoded document,

a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded document and said graphical user interface for use in carrying out data entry and display operations during said prespecified information-related transaction,

a data entry device for entering data into said Internet browser program using said graphical user interface displayed on said display screen, and

a code symbol reader, operably connected to said Internet browser program, for scanning a code symbol encoded with information related to said predetermined URL, decoding said scanned code symbol, producing symbol data representative of said predetermined URL, and providing said data to said Internet browser program for accessing said HTML-encoded document whose location is specified by said predetermined URL,

wherein, when said code symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned code symbol is automatically decoded, data representative of said predetermined URL is automatically produced and provided to said Internet browser program, and

whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server in order to execute said transaction-enabling Applet embedded in said HTML-encoded document and display said graphical user interface, thereby enabling the user to conduct said prespecified information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

2. The universal transaction machine of claim 1, wherein said code symbol a magstripe structure encoded with said predetermined URL, and said code symbol reader is a magstripe reader for reading said encoded magstripe structure.

3. The universal transaction machine of claim 2, wherein said encoded magstripe structure is applied to a transaction card associated with said prespecified information-related transaction.

4. The universal transaction machine of claim 1, wherein said code symbol is a URL-encoded bar code symbol, and said code symbol reader is a bar code symbol reader for reading said URL-encoded bar code symbol.

5. The universal transaction machine of claim 4, wherein said bar code symbol reader is selected from the group consisting of a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD-type bar code symbol, and a wand-type bar code symbol reader.

6. The universal transaction machine of claim 1, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a hand-supportable data terminal and said code symbol reader is a bar code symbol reader integrated with said hand-supportable data terminal.

7. The universal transaction machine of claim 1, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a kiosk-type device having a code symbol reader selected from the group consisting of a bar code reader for reading bar code symbols, and a magstripe reader for reading magstripe structures.

8. The universal transaction machine of claim 1, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a computer-based kiosk.

9. The universal transaction machine of claim 1, wherein, when said code symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned code symbol is automatically decoded, data representative of said predetermined URL is automatically produced and provided to said Internet browser program,

whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server and initiates execution of said transaction-enabling Applet embedded therein, thereby enabling the user to conduct said prespecified information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

10. A universal transaction machine for enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, said universal transaction machine comprising:

a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for requesting a HTML-encoded document embodying a transaction-enabling Java Applet which, when executed, results in the production of a graphical use interface designed to enable a user to conduct a prespecified information-related transaction over the Internet, said HTML-encoded document being stored in a HTTP information server connected to the Internet, and at a location specified by a predetermined Uniform Resource Locator (URL) said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including

a Java-enabled browser program for executing Java-Applets, including said transaction-enabling Java-Applet, embedded within said HTML-encoded document,

a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded document and said graphical user interface for use in carrying out data entry and display operations during said prespecified information-related transaction,

a data entry device for entering data into said Java-enabled browser program using said graphical user interface displayed on said display screen, and

a code symbol reader, operably connected to said Java-enabled browser program, for scanning a code symbol encoded with information related to said predetermined URL, decoding said scanned code symbol, producing data representative of said predetermined URL, and providing said data to said Java-enabled browser program for accessing said HTML-encoded document whose location is specified by said predetermined URL,

wherein, when said code symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned code symbol is automatically decoded, data representative of said predetermined URL is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program,

whereupon said Java-enabled browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server in order to execute said transaction-enabling Java-Applet embedded in said HTML-encoded document and display said graphical user interface, thereby enabling the user to conduct said prespecified information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

11. The universal transaction machine of claim 10, wherein said code symbol a magstripe structure encoded with said predetermined URL, and said symbol reader is a magstripe reader for reading said encoded magstripe structure.

12. The universal transaction machine of claim 11, wherein said encoded magstripe structure is applied to a transaction card associated with said prespecified information-related transaction.

13. The universal transaction machine of claim 10, wherein said code symbol is a URL-encoded bar code symbol, and said code symbol reader is a bar code symbol reader for reading said URL-encoded bar code symbol.

14. The universal transaction machine of claim 13, wherein said bar code symbol reader is selected from the group consisting of a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD-type bar code symbol, and a wand-type bar code symbol reader.

15. The universal transaction machine of claim 10, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a hand-supportable data terminal and said code symbol reader is a bar code symbol reader is integrated with said hand-supportable data terminal.

16. The universal transaction machine of claim 10, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a kiosk-type device having a code symbol reader selected from the group consisting of a bar code symbol reader for reading bar code symbols, and a magstripe reader for reading magstripe structures.

17. The universal transaction machine of claim 10, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a computer-based kiosk.

18. The universal transaction machine of claim 10, wherein, when said code symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned code symbol is automatically decoded, data representative of said predetermined URL is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program,

whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server and initiates execution of said transaction-enabling Java-Applet embedded therein, thereby enabling the user to conduct said prespecified information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.