Method and system for directing end user to network location of provider based on user-provided codes

• US 6,691,914 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Airclic Inc. (The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Isherwood, David, Lommock, John, Nygren, Kaj, Ritz, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US09/971,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20020030097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/741, 705/27, 705/26, 709/219, 235/375, 235/462.13, 235/462.15
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Information representative of scanned machine-readable codes is transmitted between network sites. Information associated with scans of machine-readable codes are received at a first site and stored within a database, along with a unique alpha-numeric identifier. The end user is directed from the first site to a second site with a URL that includes a symbol identifying an address of the second site on the network and the unique alpha-numeric identifier. A request (which includes a representation of the unique alpha-numeric identifier) for the information stored at the first site is received. The information stored at the first site is sent to the second site.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting information representative of scanned machine-readable codes between network sites, comprising:

a) receiving, at a first site, information associated with one or more scans of machine-readable codes made by an end-user;

b) storing, at a database associated with the first site, the information associated with one or more scans of machine-readable codes in a data record having a unique alpha-numeric identifier associated therewith;

c) directing the end-user from the first site to a second site with a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that includes both a symbol identifying an address of the second site on the network and the unique alpha-numeric identifier associated with the information stored at the first site;

d) receiving, at the first site, a request signal from the second site for the information stored at the first site, wherein the request signal includes a representation of the unique alpha-numeric identifier; and

e) sending the stored information from the first site to the second site in response to the request signal.

2. A system for transmitting information representative of scanned machine-readable codes between network sites, comprising:

a first site at which information associated with one or more scans of machine-readable codes made by an end-user is received;

a database associated with the first site that stores the information associated with one or more scans of machine-readable codes in a data record having a unique alpha-numeric identifier associated therewith;

a second site to which the end user is directed, from the first site, with a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that includes both a symbol identifying an address of the second site on the network and the unique alpha-numeric identifier associated with the information stored at the first site;

wherein a request signal is received at the first site from the second site for the information stored at the first site, wherein the request signal includes a representation of the unique alpha-numeric identifier; and

wherein the stored information is sent from the first site to the second site in response to the request signal.