Method and system for searching a dynamically updated database of UPN/TM/PD and URL data links

• US 6,959,286 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas J. Perkowski
• Original Assignee: IPF Incorporated
• Inventors: Perkowski, Thomas J
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US10/272,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

An Internet-based method of and system for enabling communication of consumer product information between a vendor and a consumer in a stream of commerce. The Internet-enabled system comprises an Internet-enabled database server for storing a plurality of UPN/TM/PD/URL links for each consumer product registered with the Internet-enabled database server. A first http-enabled information server enables the vendor and/or its agents to create and manage the UPN/TM/PD/URL links stored in the Internet-based information server. A second http-enabled information server publishes an HTML-encoded graphical user interface (GUI) which functions as a consumer product information (CPI) search screen for use by the consumer. An http-enabled client computer enables the consumer to (i) access and display the published HTML-encoded GUI, and (ii) provide one or more UPN, TM and/or PD data elements to the Internet-enabled database server by way of the published HTML-encoded GUI, and access and a plurality of URLs associated with the entered UPN, TM and/or PD data elements and arranged in the form of a menu of categorized consumer product information resources. By virtue of the present invention, the consumer can access and display one or more information resources on the Internet from the information resource menu, thereby enabling enable communication of consumer product information between the vendor and the consumer in the stream of commerce.

Claims

1. A method of enabling communication of consumer product information between a vendor and a consumer in a stream of commerce supported by the Internet, said method comprising steps of:

(a) in an Internet-enabled database server operably connected to the Internet, creating and managing a plurality of UPN/TM/PD/URL data links for each consumer product registered with said Internet-enabled database server and being offered for sale by the vendor in said stream of commerce, wherein the term UPN designates the Universal Product Number identifying a particular consumer product of the vendor, the term TM designates the Trademark assigned to the particular consumer product, the term PD designates the Product Descriptor assigned to the particular consumer product, and the term URL designates the Universal Resource Locator specifying the location of a particular information resource on the Internet related to the identified consumer product;

said method including means for automatically soliciting registration of vendors whose data links have been accessed but were not available in said Internet-enabled database server, and

means for vendors and/or their agents to dynamically update and manage data links associated with the vendor,

(b) operably connecting a http-enabled information server to the infrastructure of the Internet;

(c) publishing from said http-enabled information server, an HTML-encoded graphical user interface (GUI) which functions as a consumer product information (CPI) search screen and enables the consumer situated in said stream of commerce to search for and access one or more URLs associated with one or more UPN/TM/PD/URL data links stored in said Internet-enabled database server, wherein said search and access operation involves using, as search keys, the UPN, TM and/or PD data elements associated with said one or more UPN/TM/PD/URL data links;

(d) operably connecting a Web-enabled computer to the infrastructure of the Internet;

(e) the consumer using said Web-enabled computer to access and display said published HTML-encoded GUI;

(f) the consumer providing one or more UPN, TM and/or PD data elements to said Internet-enabled database server, by way of said published HTML-encoded GUI, and accessing and displaying on said Web-enabled computer, a plurality of URLs associated with said one or more UPN, TM and/or PD data elements entered as search keys, and arranged in the form of a menu of categorized consumer product information resources relating to a particular consumer product;

whereby the consumer can access and display one or more information resources on the Internet specified by the one or more displayed URLs, and

thereby enabling communication of consumer product information between the vendor and the consumer in said stream of commerce using said vendor created and managed UPN/TM/PD/URL data links.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said UPN assigned to each said consumer product is a unique Uniform Product Code (UPC) number assigned to said consumer product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said information resources contain multi-media information content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises transporting said plurality of UPN/TM/PD/URL data links from a local RDBMS to said Internet-enabled database server, using an electronic data interchange (EDI) messaging process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises transporting said plurality of UPN/TM/PD/URL data links from a local RDBMS to said Internet-enabled database server, via a file transfer protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises said vendor registering with said Internet-enabled database server, and then downloading a computer program producing and managing a local RDBMS within the vendor'"'"'s enterprise.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said vendor is a manufacturer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said vendor is a retailer.

9. An Internet-based system for enabling communication of consumer product information between a vendor and a consumer in a stream of commerce, said Internet-based system comprising:

an Internet-enabled database server operably connected to the Internet, for creating, managing and storing a plurality of UPN/TM/PD/URL data links for each consumer product registered with said Internet-enabled database server and being offered for sale by the vendor in said stream of commerce, wherein the term UPN designates the Universal Product Number identifying a particular consumer product of the vendor, the term TM designates the Trademark assigned to the particular consumer product, the term PD designates the Product Descriptor assigned to the particular consumer product, and the term URL designates the Universal Resource Locator specifying the location of a particular information resource on the Internet related to the identified consumer product;

said Internet-enabled database server providing means for automatically soliciting registration of vendors whose data links have been accessed, but were not available in said Internet-enabled database server,

said Internet-enabled database server further providing means for vendors and/or their agents to dynamically update and manage data links associated with said vendor,

a first http-enabled information server operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, for enabling the vendor and/or its agents to create and manage said UPN/TM/PD/URL data links stored in said Internet-enabled database server;

a second http-enabled information server, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, for publishing an HTML-encoded graphical user interface (GUI) which functions as a consumer product information (CPI) search screen and enables the consumer situated in said stream of commerce to search for and access one or more URLs associated with one or more UPN/TM/PD/URL data links stored in said Internet-enabled database server, wherein said search and access operation involves using, as search keys, the UPN, TM and/or PD data elements associated with said one or more UPN/TM/PD/URL data links; and

an http-enabled client computer operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, for enabling the consumer to (i) access and display said published HTML-encoded GUI, and (ii) provide one or more UPN, TM and/or PD data elements to said Internet-enabled database server, by way of said published HTML-encoded GUI, and access and display on said http-enabled client computer, a plurality of URLs associated with said one or more UPN, TM and/or PD data elements entered as search keys, and arranged in the form of a menu of categorized consumer product information resources relating to a particular consumer product;

whereby the consumer can access and display one or more information resources on the Internet specified by the one or more displayed URLs, and enable communication of consumer product information between the vendor and the consumer in said stream of commerce using said vendor created and managed UPN/TM/PD/URL data links.

10. The Internet-based system of claim 9, wherein said UPN assigned to each said consumer product is a unique Uniform Product Code (UPC) number assigned to said consumer product.

11. The Internet-based system of claim 9, wherein said information resources contain multi-media information content.

12. The Internet-based system of claim 9, which further comprises means for transporting said plurality of UPN/TM/PD/URL data links from a local RDBMS to said Internet-enabled database server, using an electronic data interchange (EDI) messaging process.

13. The Internet-based system of claim 9, which further comprises means for transporting said plurality of UPN/TM/PD/URL data links from a local RDBMS to said Internet-enabled database server, via a file transfer protocol.

14. The Internet-based system of claim 9, which further comprises means for enabling the vendor to register with said Internet-enabled database server, and then download a computer program for producing and managing a local RDBMS within the vendor'"'"'s enterprise.

15. The Internet-based system of claim 9, wherein said consumer product information contained in said information resources includes information items selected from the group consisting of product advertisements, products specifications, product updates, product distributors, product warranty/servicing, and product incentives including rebates, discounts and coupons.

16. The Internet-based system of claim 9, wherein http-enabled client computer comprises:

a GUI-based Web browser program, and

a bar code symbol reader, operably connected to said GUI-based Web browser program, for reading bar code symbols placed on consumer products and encoded with said UPNs.

17. The Internet-based system of claim 9, wherein said Internet-enabled client computer is installed within a retail environment, and comprises

a GUI-based Web browser program, and

a bar code symbol reader, operably connected to said GUI-based Web browser program, for reading bar code symbols placed on consumer products and encoded with said UPNs.

18. The Internet-based system of claim 9, wherein said http-enabled client computer is a Web-enabled consumer product information (CPI) kiosk installed within a retail environment, for accessing consumer product related information in response to reading UPN-labeled consumer products, said Web-enabled CPI kiosk comprising:

a housing of compact construction;

a bar code symbol reader, integrated with said housing, for reading a UPN-encoded bar code symbol on a consumer product being offered for sale in said retail shopping environment, and producing symbol character data representative of the UPN encoded within said UPN-encoded bar code symbol;

an Internet accessing mechanism, integrated with said housing, responsive to the symbol character data produced from said bar code symbol reader, and automatically accessing from said Internet-enabled database server, a plurality of URLs symbolically-linked to the UPN encoded within said UPN-encoded bar code symbol read by said bar code symbol reader; and

a display screen, integrated with said housing, for visually displaying said plurality of URLs symbolically-linked to said UPN, and consumer product related information resources accessed from said Internet-based product information servers in response to selecting at least one of said URLs displayed on said display screen.

19. The Internet-based system of claim 18, wherein said display screen is touch-type display screen.

21. The Internet-based system of claim 18, wherein said Web-enabled CPI kiosk further comprises a credit card transaction terminal for accessing a consumer credit database.

22. The Internet-based system of claim 9, wherein said vendor is a manufacturer.

23. The Internet-based system of claim 9, wherein said vendor is a retailer.

20. The Internet-based system of 19, wherein said touch-type display screen comprises an LCD panel.