Input device for allowing input of a unique digital code to a user's computer to control access thereof to a web site

• US 6,985,954 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2000
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jack A. Turpin, RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: LV Partners LP (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan, Mathews, David Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C.
• Application Number:
  US09/491,142
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 709/248, 709/203, 709/238, 709/218, 709/219, 709/224, 709/239, 235/462.01, 705 10- 14, 705/21, 705 23- 25, 715523-524
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 : using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 : Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 : Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An input device for allowing input of a unique digital code to a user'"'"'s computer to control access thereof to a web site. A method for connecting a user computer at a first location on a network with a second location on the network through use of a coded symbol having contained therein encoded information associated with routing information on the network to the second location thereover is disclosed. The encoded information is extract from the coded symbol and then decoded to provide decoded information. The decoded information is input to a defined port on the user computer which has an existing first functionality associated with the operation of the user computer which is not the same functionality as the step of inputting the decoded information. The input operation of the encoded symbol comprises a second functionality, with the port of the user computer operable to accommodate for both the first and second functionality during operation thereof. The operation under the second functionality when decoded information is input to the port is then detected. In response to detection of the input of the encoded information, the user computer is connected to the second location utilizing the decoded information.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a user computer at a first location on a network with a second location on the network through use of a coded symbol having contained therein encoded information associated with routing information on the network to the second location thereover, comprising the steps of:

providing a input device, wherein the input device has associated therewith an input device ID;

extracting the encoded information from the coded symbol and decoding such extracted encoded information to provide decoded information;

inputting the decoded information and the input device ID to a defined port on the user computer which has an existing first functionality associated with the operation of the user computer which is not the same functionality as the step of inputting the decoded information, such that the step of inputting comprises a second functionality, with the port of the user computer operable to accommodate for both the first and second functionality during operation thereof;

detecting operation under the second functionality when decoded information is input to the port;

translating the second functionality to the compatible with the first functionality for input to the port; and

in response to the step of detecting, connecting to the second location utilizing the decoded information and the input device ID by the steps of;

interfacing the user computer through the network to an intermediate location on the network having a resource server and a resource database disposed thereat,

transmitting the decoded information and device ID to the intermediate location,

the database having stored therein, a table of routing information and a plurality of information for a plurality of second location on the network, and each of the routing information associated with one or more of different decoded information,

wherein the resource database has stored therein information associated with the device ID and wherein the resource server is operable to extract the input device ID for storage thereof and use thereof to perform a predetermined commerce transaction,

comparing the received decoded information and device ID with the stored decoded information and, if there is a match, transmitting the associated routing information with the matched decoding information back to the user computer, and

connecting the user computer with the second location in accordance with the routing information transferred from the intermediate location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the coded symbol comprises a bar code.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the bar code includes a UPC.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the bar code includes coded therein an ISBN code.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the barcode contains therein an EAN code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the coded symbol is disposed on a product.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the encoded information comprises information related to the product and is unique thereto.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the coded symbol comprises an optical symbol and the step of extracting comprises optically scanning the encoded information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of inputting comprises the steps of:

providing a wedge having a first input operating in accordance with the first functionality and a second input operating in accordance with the second functionality and a single output for being connected to the port of the user computer;

receiving the encoded information at the second input and decoding the received encoded information to provide decoded information at the single output of the wedge; and

converting the second functionality to the first functionality with the encoded information thereon and transmitting it to the single output port thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first functionality comprises a keyboard port and a second functionality comprises an optical scanner operation for scanning the coded symbol, which coded symbol is an optical symbol.