Method and system for accessing information and/or data available on a wide area computer network

• US 7,328,236 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swatch AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Swatch AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Fleury, Emmanuel, Blondeau, Fabien, Hayek, Georges Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): NEURAUTER, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US10/112,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/228, 709/245, 709/248, 709/202, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

There is disclosed a method and a system for accessing information and/or data available on a wide area computer network (100), such as the Internet. A first modulated acoustic signal (A) is transmitted to a group of potential users each provided with a portable communication unit (1, 1*), this first modulated acoustic signal including at least one identifier (ID_—1, ID_—2, ID_—3, . . . ) associated with a link to a determined site of the wide area computer network. These identifiers are stored in the portable communication unit then subsequently downloaded to a computer terminal (50, 51, 52) connected to the wide area computer network. After the downloaded identifier or identifiers have been compared with a determined list of identifiers (ID_A, ID_B, ID_C, . . . ), a list of links (Link_A, Link_B, Link_C, . . . ) to sites corresponding to the downloaded identifier or identifiers is generated by the computer terminal.

Claims

1. A method for accessing information and/or data available on a wide area computer network, such as the Internet, using information transmission equipment fitted with loudspeakers for reading out audio signals capable of being heard by users, said method including:

a) transmitting, via the loudspeakers of the information transmission equipment, a first modulated acoustic signal to a group of potential users each provided with a portable communication unit, this first modulated acoustic signal including at least one identifier associated with a link to a determined site of said wide area computer network;

b) storing, in said portable communication unit, the identifier or identifiers transmitted by means of said first modulated acoustic signal;

c) downloading the identifier or identifiers stored in said portable communication unit in a computer terminal connected to said wide area computer network; and

d) comparing the downloaded identifier or identifiers with a determined list of identifiers in order to generate a list of links to sites corresponding to the downloaded identifier or identifiers,

wherein at least one identifier is retransmitted from a portable communication unit of one user to the portable communication unit of another user.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said downloading step c) is achieved by transmitting, to said computer terminal, a second modulated acoustic signal including the identifier or identifiers stored by said portable communication unit.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said computer terminal is connected to a specific site of the Internet including a database containing said determined list of identifiers and in that said comparing step d) is effected by said specific site.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein said computer terminal is connected to a specific site of the Internet including a database containing said determined list of identifiers and in that said comparing step d) is effected by said specific site.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein at least one identifier is also associated with a key providing access to privileged data on the site with which said identifier is associated.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one identifier is also associated with a key providing access to privileged data on the site with which said identifier is associated.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one identifier automatically staffs a predefined process in said computer terminal, such as connection to a determined site of said Internet, as soon as the identifier is downloaded onto the computer terminal.

12. A method according to claim 6, wherein at least one identifier automatically staffs a predefined process in said computer terminal, such as connection to a determined site of said Internet, as soon as the identifier is downloaded onto the computer terminal.

13. A method according to claim 7, wherein at least one identifier automatically staffs a predefined process in said computer terminal, such as connection to a determined site of said Internet, as soon as the identifier is downloaded onto the computer terminal.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein at least one identifier automatically staffs a predefined process in said computer terminal, such as connection to a determined site of said Internet, as soon as the identifier is downloaded onto the computer terminal.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein at least one identifier automatically staffs a predefined process in said computer terminal, such as connection to a determined site of said Internet, as soon as the identifier is downloaded onto the computer terminal.

16. A method according to claim 10, wherein at least one identifier automatically staffs a predefined process in said computer terminal, such as connection to a determined site of said Internet, as soon as the identifier is downloaded onto the computer terminal.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first modulated acoustic signal is transmitted by means of a TV or radio retransmission installation.

2. A system for accessing information and/or data available on the Internet, using information transmission equipment fitted with loudspeakers for reading out audio signals capable of being heard by users, said system including:

means for transmitting, via the loudspeakers of the information transmission equipment, a first modulated acoustic signal to a group of potential users, this first modulated acoustic signal including at least one identifier associated with a link to a determined site of said Internet;

a portable communication unit, with which each user is provided, this portable communication unit including means for receiving said first modulated acoustic signal, means for storing the identifier or identifiers transmitted by means of said first modulated acoustic signal, and means for transmitting a second modulated acoustic signal including the identifier or identifiers stored by said portable communication unit, at least one identifier being retransmitted from a potable communication unit of one user to the portable communication unit of another user; and

a computer terminal connected to said Internet and including downloading means adapted to receive said second modulated acoustic signal, this computer terminal being arranged to compare the downloaded identifier or identifiers with a determined list of identifiers and to generate a list of links to sites corresponding to the downloaded identifier or identifiers.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said computer terminal is connected to a specific site of the Internet including a data base containing said determined list of identifiers and in that the comparison of the downloaded identifier or identifiers with the determined list of identifiers is effected by said specific site.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein at least one identifier is also associated with a key providing access to privileged data of the site with which said identifier is associated.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein said first modulated acoustic signal is transmitted by means of a TV or radio retransmission installation.