Methods and apparatus for using the internet domain name system to disseminate product information
First Claim
1. A new use for the Internet Domain Name System which comprises, in combination, the steps of:
- establishing a plurality of separate hosts connected to the Internet, each of said hosts providing data relating to one or more products, each of said products being designated by a unique universal product code value, and each of said hosts being designated by a unique Internet address,storing cross-references in the Internet Domain Name System, each of said cross-references establishing a relationship between a domain name that incorporates at least a predetermined portion of a given one of said product code values and a corresponding Internet address of the host computer that provides data relating to the product designated by said given one of said product code values, andretrieving data via the Internet that relates to a particular product designated by a particular universal product code value by performing the steps of;
transforming said particular universal product code value into a destination domain name that incorporates at least said predetermined portion of said particular one of said universal product code values,using the Internet Domain Name System to convert said destination domain name into the destination Internet address that corresponds to said destination domain name, andretrieving data relating to said particular product via the Internet from the host designated by said destination Internet address.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for disseminating over the Internet product information produced and maintained by product manufacturers using existing universal product codes (bar codes) as access keys. A cross-referencing resource preferably implemented by the existing Internet Domain Name System (DNS) receives Internet request messages containing all or part of a universal product code value and returns the Internet address at which data or services relating to the identified product, or to the manufacturer of that product, may be obtained. By using preferred Web data storage formats and protocol which conform to XML, XLS, XLink, Xpointer, RDF and Web service standards specifications, product and company information may be seamlessly identified, retrieved and integrated with information from other sources. A “web register” module can be employed to provide an Internet interface between a shared sales Internet server and an otherwise conventional inventory control system, and operates in conjunction with the cross-referencing server to provide detailed product information to Internet shoppers who may purchase goods from existing stores via the Internet.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A new use for the Internet Domain Name System which comprises, in combination, the steps of:
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establishing a plurality of separate hosts connected to the Internet, each of said hosts providing data relating to one or more products, each of said products being designated by a unique universal product code value, and each of said hosts being designated by a unique Internet address, storing cross-references in the Internet Domain Name System, each of said cross-references establishing a relationship between a domain name that incorporates at least a predetermined portion of a given one of said product code values and a corresponding Internet address of the host computer that provides data relating to the product designated by said given one of said product code values, and retrieving data via the Internet that relates to a particular product designated by a particular universal product code value by performing the steps of; transforming said particular universal product code value into a destination domain name that incorporates at least said predetermined portion of said particular one of said universal product code values, using the Internet Domain Name System to convert said destination domain name into the destination Internet address that corresponds to said destination domain name, and retrieving data relating to said particular product via the Internet from the host designated by said destination Internet address. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for disseminating information relating to a plurality of different manufactured products, each given one of said products being designated by a unique universal product code value that includes a numeric company code designating the manufacturer of said given one of said products said system comprising, in combination:
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a plurality of different host computers each of which is operated on behalf of one or more of manufacturers and each of which comprises storage means for accepting and staring information about at least one of said products and each of which has an entry point connection to the Internet tat is uniquely identified by an Internet protocol address for receiving and responding to Internet messages requesting information relating to said at least one of said products, registration means for storing cross-references in the Internet Domain Name System, each of said cross-references specifying an association between a company code domain name and a corresponding Internet protocol address wherein said company code domain name comprises an alphanumeric character string comprising one of said numeric company codes designating a particular manufacturer and predetermined characters concatenated with said one said numeric company codes, and wherein said corresponding Internet protocol address identifies the particular entry point connection to a particular one of said host computers operated on behalf of said particular manufacturer that receives and responds to Internet messages requesting information relating to products manufactured by said particular manufacturer, means for retrieving information about a selected one of said products that is designated by a selected one of said universal product code values comprising; means for deriving a target company code domain name from the numeric company code in a selected one of said universal product code values, means for transmitting said target product code domain name to the Internet Domain Name System to obtain the corresponding target Internet protocol address specified by one of said cross-references, and means for transmitting an Internet message requesting information relating to said selected one of said products to said corresponding target Internet protocol address. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for distributing information via the Internet relating to a manufactured product designated by a specific universal product code value that includes numeric company code characters that designate the manufacturer of said manufactured product, said system comprising, in combination:
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means for storing said information at a computing host accessible via the Internet at a specific Internet protocol address, a first source of a specific universal product code value that designates a specific product, means coupled to said first source for deriving a domain name character string that includes numeric company code characters that designates the manufacturer of said specific product from said specific universal product code value in accordance with a predetermined translation process, means for storing a cross-reference in the Internet Domain Name System, said cross-reference specifying an association between said domain name character string and said specific Internet protocol address, and utilization means coupled to the Internet comprising; a second source of said specific universal product code value, means coupled to said second source for deriving a target domain name character string from said specific universal product code value in accordance with said predetermined translation process, means for transmitting said target domain name character string to the Internet Domain Name System to obtain said specific Internet protocol address, and means for transmitting a request message via the Internet to said specific Internet protocol address to obtain said information relating to said manufactured product designated by said specific universal product code value. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification