Network routing utilizing a product code

• US 7,321,941 B1
• Filed: 08/24/1999
• Issued: 01/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jack A. Turpin, RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: LV Partners LP (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan, Matthews, David Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIA, SYED
• Application Number:
  US09/379,699
• Time in Patent Office: 3,073 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 709/245, 705/1, 705/23, 713/201, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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 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: 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 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

Abstract

A method for utilizing a product code having product information contained therein for interfacing over a network. The product information is extracted from the product code, which product code is disposed on or in close association with an associated product. In response to this extraction, network routing information is associated with the product code information.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a product code having product information contained therein for interfacing a user node to a remote node over a network, the user node having application software installed thereat for examining product code input thereto, comprising the steps of:

extracting the product information from the product code at the user node for input thereto, which product code is disposed on or in close association with an associated product;

in response to the step of extracting, the application software;

assembling a message packet containing a destination address of an intermediate node on the network, a source address that defines the location of the user node on the network and a data field that includes the product information, and

transmitting the message packet to the intermediate node on the network;

receiving from the intermediate node on the network, instructional code that instructs the user node to connect to one of the remote nodes on the network that has a defined association with the extracted product information defined at the intermediate node; and

connecting the user node to the one of the remote nodes in accordance with the received instructional code such that connection to the remote node is controlled by the intermediate node through the instructional code, wherein connections to remote nodes having defined relationships to product information are controlled only by the intermediate node and not by any actions at the user node other than the operation of extracting, and wherein actions at the user node do not prevent connection or effect connection to the remote node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the product code comprises machine readable code.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of interfacing with the network utilizing network routing information embedded with the instructional code.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination address of the intermediate node is associated with the application software installed at the user node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the product code is visible.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the product code has the product information embedded within a visible indicia.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message packet comprises a message packet that includes the destination address that defines network routing information to the intermediate node on the network, the source address that defines network routing information to the user node on the network and a data field that includes the product information.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of extracting comprises scanning the machine readable code to extract the product code information therefrom.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the machine readable code comprises a bar code.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of extracting comprises scanning the product code with an optical scanner that is operable to extract the product information from the product code.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the destination address of the intermediate node is associated with the application software installed at the computing device at the user node.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the bar code represents a UPC.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the bar code represents an ISBN number.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the bar code represents an EAN number.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the application software installed at the user node is operating prior to the step of extracting.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the application software installed on the computing device at the user node is operating prior to the step of extracting.

17. A method for utilizing a product code having product information contained therein for interfacing a user node to a remote node over a network, the user node having application software installed thereat for examining product code input thereto, comprising the steps of:

extracting the product information from the product code at the user node for input thereto, which product code is disposed on or in close association with an associated product;

in response to the step of extracting, the application software;

assembling a message packet containing the product information,

transmitting the message packet containing the product information to the intermediate node on the network; and

at the intermediate node;

comparing the product information with an associative database disposed at the intermediate node and having stored therein associations with a plurality of product information and associated routing information to at least one of the remote nodes on the network, and

determining if there is a match; and

if there is a match, returning instructional code from the intermediate node to the user node, which instructional code has embedded therein the routing information to the location on the network of the at least one of the remote nodes;

receiving from the intermediate node on the network, the instructional code that instructs the user node to connect to one of the remote nodes on the network that has a defined association with the extracted product information defined at the intermediate node; and

connecting the user node to the one of the remote nodes in accordance with the received instructional code such that connection to the remote node is controlled by the intermediate node through the instructional code, wherein connections to remote nodes having defined relationships to product information are controlled only by the intermediate node and not by any actions at the user node other than the operation of extracting, and wherein actions at the user node do not prevent connection or effect connection to the remote node.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the message packet comprises a data transmission that includes a destination address of the intermediate node on the network, a source address that defines the location of the user node on the network and a data field that includes the product information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the destination address of the intermediate node is associated with the application software installed at the user node.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the application software installed at the user node is operating prior to the step of extracting.

21. A method for utilizing a product code having product information contained therein for interfacing a computing device at a user node on a network to at least one of a plurality of remote nodes on the network, the computing device at the user node having application software installed thereat for examining product code input thereto, comprising the steps of:

extracting the product information from the product code at the user node for input to the computing device at the user node;

in response to the step of extracting, the application software;

assembling a data transmission containing the product information, and

transmitting the data transmission to an intermediate node on the network;

receiving from the intermediate node on the network instructional code that instructs the computing device at the user node to connect to one of the remote nodes on the network that has a defined association with the extracted product information,

interfacing with the network utilizing network routing information embedded within the instructional code, which network routing information uniquely defines the one of the remote nodes on the network; and

connecting the computing device at the user node to the one of the remote nodes in accordance with the received instructional code such that connection to the one of the remote nodes is controlled by the intermediate node through the instructional code, wherein connections to remote nodes on the network in response to the step of extracting are controlled only by the intermediate node and not by any actions at the user node other than the operation of extracting, and wherein actions at the user node do not prevent connection or effect connection to the one of the remote nodes.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the product code comprises machine readable code.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of extracting comprises scanning the machine readable code with a scanning machine to extract the product code information therefrom.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the machine readable code comprises a bar code.