System and method for carrying out information-related transactions

• US 6,386,453 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1996
• 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:
  US09/308,806
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462, 235/472, 235/375, 235/380, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A novel transaction method and system, wherein a transaction Java-Applet is embedded within an HTML-encoded document stored in an HTTP server at predetermined URL. When a code symbol (8) encoded with the URL is read using a code symbol reader (7, 7A) interfaced with a Java-enabled Internet terminal, the corresponding HTML document is automatically accessed and displayed at the terminal, and the transaction Java-Applet initiated for execution so that the customer, consumer or client desiring the transaction can simply and conveniently conduct the information-related transaction over the Internet. The transaction-enabling Internet terminal (3) can be in the form of an Internet kiosk installed in a public location, in the manner as conventional ATMs.

Claims

1. An Internet-based system for enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, comprising:

an HTTP information server connected to the Internet, for storing an HTML-encoded document having a location on the Internet specified by a predetermined URL, said HTML-encoded document embodying one or more Applet tags representing one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets which, when executed, enable a user to conduct an information-related transaction over the Internet; and

a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for requesting said HTML-encoded document and executing said one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets symbolically embedded therein, said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including

a Java-enabled browser program for executing Java-Applets, including said one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets,

a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded documents,

a data entry means for entering data into said Java-enabled browser program, and

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

wherein, when said URL-encoded symbol is scanned by said symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character 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, displays said HTML-encoded document on said display screen, and executes said one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets so as to thereby enable the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

2. The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said URL-encoded symbol comprises a URL-encoded magstripe encoded with said predetermined URL, and said symbol reader is a magstripe reader for reading said URL-encoded magstripe.

3. The Internet-based system of claim 2, wherein said URL-encoded magstripe is applied to a transaction card associated with said information-related transaction.

4. The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said URL-encoded symbol is a URL-encoded bar code symbol, and said symbol reader is a bar code symbol reader for reading said URL-encoded bar code symbol.

5. The Internet-based system 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 Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a hand-supportable data terminal with an integrated bar code symbol reader.

7. The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a kiosk-type device having a bar code symbol reader for reading URL-encoded bar code symbols, or a magstripe reader for reading URL-encoded magstripes.

8. The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a body-wearable computer system.

9. The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein, when said URL-encoded symbol is scanned by said symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character data representative thereof 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 and initiates execution of said one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets, thereby enabling the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

10. A method of enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing in an HTTP information server connected to the Internet, an HTML-encoded document having a location on the Internet specified by a predetermined URL, said HTML-encoded document embodying one or more Applet tags representing one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets which, when executed, enable a user to conduct an information-related transaction over the Internet;

(b) providing a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for accessing said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server and executing said one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets, said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including

a Java-enabled browser program for executing Java-Applets, including said one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets,

a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded documents,

a data entry means for entering data into said Java-enabled browser program, and

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

(c) reading said URL-encoded symbol using said symbol reader, whereupon symbol character data representative of said URL-encoded symbol is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program, and said Java-enabled browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server and displays said HTML-encoded document on said display screen, and executes said transaction-enabling Java-Applet so as to thereby enable the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said URL-encoded symbol is a URL-encoded magstripe encoded with said predetermined URL and said symbol reader is a magstripe reader, and step (c) comprises reading said URL-encoded magstripe using said magstripe reader.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said URL-encoded symbol is a URL-encoded bar symbol and said code symbol reader is a bar code symbol reader, and step (c) comprises reading said URL-encoded bar code symbol using said bar code symbol reader.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises

reading said URL-encoded symbol, whereupon said Java-enabled browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server and initiates execution of said one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets, thereby enabling the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

14. A system for carrying out information-related transactions over the Internet, comprising:

an Internet information server containing a Web page embodying an Applet tag representative of a transaction-enabling Applet; and

an Internet-enabled client computer system having a code symbol reader for reading a DN/PN-encoded or URL-encoded symbol which points to said Web page embodying said Applet tag representative of said transaction-enabling Applet, and automatically accessing and displaying said Web page to enable the launching of said transaction-enabling Applet.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said DN/PN-encoded or URL-encoded symbols are printed on transaction cards, and other forms of print media, for automatically accessing said Web page from said Internet information server when read by said code symbol reader.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said code symbol reader comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD-type bar code symbol, a Wand-type bar code symbol reader, and a magnetic-stripe reader.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said Internet-enabled client computer system is a device selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a laptop computer system, a computer-based kiosk, a body-wearable computer system, and palmtop computer system.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said Internet-enabled client computer system is connected to the Internet by way of an Internet Service Provider (ISP);

wherein said Internet-enabled client computer system has a GUI-based Web browser program; and

wherein said code symbol reader is a programmed bar code symbol scanner operably connected with said GUI-based Web browser program for automatically accessing Web pages embodying transaction-enabling Applets.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said transaction-enabling Applet is a Java-Applet.