System for and method of managing and delivering manufacturer-specified consumer product information to consumers in the marketplace

• US 7,089,199 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas J. Perkowski
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Perkowski, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US10/281,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20040019535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• 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 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A method of managing and delivering manufacturer-specified consumer product information to consumers in the marketplace. For a plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products offered for sale within a the marketplace, the manufacturer of the plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products or an agent thereof, accesses an Internet-enabled relational database and store therein, information elements representative of (1) a plurality of universal product numbers (UPNs) assigned to the plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products manufactured by the manufacturer and registered with the relational database, and (2A) a trademark (TM) symbolically linked to each the UPN, (2B) a product description (PD) symbolically linked to each the UPN, and (2C) one or more uniform resource locators (URLs) symbolically linked to each the UPN, wherein each the URL specifies the location of an information resource located on the Internet and related to one of the plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products registered with the relational database by the manufacturer, and wherein a UPN/TM/PD/URL data link is created and maintained in the relational database for each the UPN-labeled consumer product registered with the relational database by the manufacturer. A consumer within the marketplace transmits a request to the relational database from the Internet-enabled client computer. The UPN, TM and/or PD contained in the request enabled the consumer to access the URLs symbolically linked to the UPN, TM and/or PD, and the URLS are then transmitted to the Internet-enabled client computer for display to and use by a consumer in accessing information resources stored in the Internet-based product information servers, at the URLs.

Claims

1. A method of managing and delivering manufacturer-specified consumer product information to consumers in the marketplace, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) for a plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products offered for sale within a the marketplace, having the manufacturer of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products or an agent thereof, access a relational database and store therein, information elements representative of

(1) a plurality of universal product numbers (UPNs) assigned to said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products manufactured by said manufacturer and registered with said relational database, and

(2A) a trademark (TM) symbolically linked to each said UPN,

(2B) a product description (PD) symbolically linked to each said UPN, and

(2C) one or more uniform resource locators (URL) symbolically linked to each said UPN,

wherein each said URL specifies the location of an information resource located on the Internet and related to one of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products registered with said relational database by said manufacturer, and

wherein a UPN/TM/PD/URL data link is created and maintained in said relational database for each said UPN-labeled consumer product registered with said relational database by the manufacturer;

(b) operably connecting an Internet information server to the infrastructure of the Internet and to said relational database, so as to enable said Internet information server to service a request made by an Internet-enabled client computer, for information on the Internet about one of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products registered with said relational database by said manufacturer and/or its agent;

(c) operably connecting one or more Internet-based product information servers, to the infrastructure of Internet, in which information resources related to one or more of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products are stored at said plurality of URLs;

(d) operably connecting a plurality of Internet-enabled client computers to the infrastructure of the Internet;

(e) transmitting from at least one of said Internet-enabled client computers, a request for information on the Internet about a UPN-labeled consumer product registered with said relational database, wherein each said request transmitted by said Internet-enabled computer may include either the UPN, TM and/or PD symbolically linked to the UPN assigned to a registered UPN-labeled consumer product on which consumer product information on the Internet is being sought by a consumer within said marketplace;

(f) receiving at said Internet information server, the request transmitted by said Internet-enabled client computer, and recovering the UPN, TM and/or PD contained in said request so as to enable said Internet information server to access said URLs symbolically linked to the UPN, TM and/or PD and stored in said relational database, and then transmit said accessed URLs to said Internet-enabled client computer for display to and use by a consumer in accessing information resources stored in said Internet-based product information server, at said URLs;

(g) automatically soliciting the registration of consumer products by manufacturers whose UPN/TM/PD/URL data links have been accessed but were not available in said relational database, and

(h) enabling a manufacturer and/or its agents to dynamically update and manage UPN/TM/PD/URL data links associated with the manufacturer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said Internet-based client computers comprises an Internet-enabled consumer product information kiosk installed within said marketplace, wherein said Internet-enabled consumer product information kiosk has (i) a bar code symbol reader for reading the UPN labels on said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products and entering UPN information into said Internet-enabled consumer product information kiosk, (ii) a data entry and display screen for entering TM and PD related information into said Internet-enabled consumer product information kiosk and displaying consumer product information resources accessed from Internet-based information servers, and (ii) UPN, TM and PD directed modes of consumer product information search operation.

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

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said Internet-enabled consumer product information kiosk comprises an Internet browser program enabling either the UPN, TM and/or TM symbolically linked to the UPN of a registered UPN-labeled consumer product, to be used to access consumer product information contained within said Internet-based product information servers on the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said information resources contain multi-media information content relating to one or more of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said manufacturer or an agent thereof uses an Internet-enabled browser to access said relational database, and store UPN/TM/PD/URL data links therein.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said bar code symbol reader is an automatic laser-scanning bar code symbol reader used to read the UPN-label on at least one of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products.

8. A system for managing and delivering manufacturer-specified consumer product information to consumers within a marketplace, said system comprising:

a relational database accessible by the manufacturer of a plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products offered for sale within the marketplace, or by an agent thereof, for storing therein information elements representative of

(1) a plurality of universal product numbers (UPNs) assigned to a plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products manufactured by said manufacturer and registered with said relational database, and

(2A) a trademark (TM) symbolically linked to each said UPN,

(2B) a product description (PD) symbolically linked to each said UPN, and

(2C) one or more uniform resource locators (URLs) symbolically linked to each said UPN,

wherein each said URL specifies the location of an information resource located on the Internet related to one of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products registered with said relational database by said manufacturer, and

wherein a UPN/TM/PD/URL data link is created and maintained in said relational database for each UPN-labeled consumer product registered with said relational database by the manufacturer, and offered for sale in said marketplace

an Internet information server, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet and said relational database, and being capable of servicing a request made by an Internet-enabled client computer, for information on the Internet about one of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products registered with said relational database by said manufacturer;

a plurality of Internet-based product information servers, each operably connected to the infrastructure of Internet and storing information resources located at one or more of said plurality of URLs stored in said relational database, and being related to one or more of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products;

a plurality of Internet-enabled client computers installed within said marketplace, each said Internet-enabled client computer being operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet and being capable of transmitting a request therefrom for information resources on the Internet about a UPN-labeled consumer product registered with said relational database;

wherein each said request may include either the UPN, TM and/or PD symbolically linked to the UPN assigned to a registered UPN-labeled consumer product on which consumer product information on the Internet is being sought by a consumer within said retail store environment,

whereby each request transmitted by said Internet-enabled client computer is received by said Internet information server, and the UPN, TM and/or PD contained in said request is recovered by said Internet information server and used to access said URLs symbolically linked to the UPN, TM and/or PD and stored in said relational database, and said URLs accessed from said relational database are transmitted to said Internet-enabled client computer for display to and use by a consumer in accessing information resources stored in said Internet-based product information servers, at said URLs;

means for automatically soliciting the registration of consumer products by manufacturers whose UPN/TM/PD/URL data links have been accessed but were not available in said relational database; and

means for enabling a manufacturer and/or its agents to dynamically update and manage UPN/TM/PD/URL data links associated with the manufacturer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said UPN assigned to each said UPN-labeled consumer product is a unique Uniform Product Code (UPC) number assigned to said UPN-labeled consumer product.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of said Internet-enabled client computers comprises an Internet-enabled consumer product information kiosk having (i) an automatic bar code symbol reader for automatically reading the UPN labels on said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products and entering UPN information into said Internet-enabled consumer product information kiosk, (ii) a touch-type data entry and display screen for entering TM and PD related information into said Internet-enabled consumer product information kiosk and displaying consumer product information resources accessed from Internet-based information servers, and (ii) UPN, TM and/or PD directed modes of consumer product information search operation.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein each said Internet-enabled client computer comprises an Internet browser program enabling either the UPN, TM and/or PD symbolically linked to the UPN of a registered UPN-labeled consumer product, to be used to access consumer product information contained within said Internet-based product information servers on the Internet.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said information resources contain multi-media information content relating to one or more of said plurality of UPN-labeled consumer products.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said automatic bar code symbol reader is an automatic laser scanning bar code symbol reader.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the manufacturer or an agent thereof uses an Internet-enabled browser to access said relational database, and store UPN/TM/PD/URL information links therein.