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

• US 6,622,917 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Knowles, C. Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US09/506,947
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 235/472.01, 705/28, 705/14
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• 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 novel system and method of surfing Web-sites on the Internet and for composing and printing lists and sets of URL-encoded bar code symbols representing Web-sites within the WWW. In the first illustrative embodiment, the Internet Scanning System includes a bar code symbol reader programmed to read URL-encoded bar code symbols printed on various types of print media which, when read thereby, automatically connect the Internet Client System to the Internet Server supporting the Web-site specified by the scanned URL-encoded bar code symbol. In a second illustrative embodiment, the Internet Scanning system includes optical character reader programmed to read URLs printed on various types of print media which, when read thereby, automatically connect the Internet Client System to the Internet Server supporting the Web-site specified by the read URL.

Claims

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

a Internet browser program, supported by said computer system, and enabling a user to access and display 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

an application supported by said computer system, and enabling a user to compose a set 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 the Internet browser program, said application program allows the user to compile said set of URL-encoded bar code symbols for printing on a selected print medium, and

wherein, after said set 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 set 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 application program comprises a plug-in type module for integration with said Internet browser program.

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

4. The computer-based system of claim 1, wherein said set of URL-encoded bar code symbols further comprises, for each said URL-encoded bar code symbol listed in said set, 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;

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

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

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

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

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

8. The computer-based system of claim 7, 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 set 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 device comprises a keyboard.

11. A method of accessing and displaying Internet-based information resources stored in information servers on the Internet and composing sets 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 device, and supporting an Internet browser program and application program,

said Internet browser program enabling a user to access and display Internet-based information resources on said visual display screen, each said Internet-based information resources 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 application program enabling a user to compose a set of URL-encoded bar code symbols, each said URL-encoded bar code symbol being encoded with a URL specifying the location of said Internet-based information resource on the Internet;

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

(c) after said set of URL-encoded bar code symbols is composed, printing said set 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 printed on said selected medium, 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 application program comprises a plug-in type module for integration with said Internet browser program.

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

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

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 set 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 set of URL-encoded bar code symbols.