System and method for finding and serving consumer product related information to consumers using internet-based information servers and clients

• US 7,441,710 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas J. Perkowski
• Original Assignee: IPF Incorporated
• Inventors: Perkowski, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/109,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 23546201-46247, 23547201-47203, 235/375, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A system for and method of delivering manufacturer-specified consumer product information to consumers within a marketplace. Manufacturers and/or their agents remotely and actively manage UPN/TM/PD/URL data links for registered consumer products by updating information elements stored in a relational database so as to compose a menu of URLs for each consumer product registered in the relational database. Using an Internet-enabled client computer, a consumer transmits a request for information resources about a UPN-labeled consumer product registered with the relational database, using one or more of the UPN, TM and/or PD that are symbolically linked to the UPN assigned to a registered UPN-labeled consumer product. In response to the request, the UPN, TM and/or PD contained in the request are automatically recovered and used to access the URLs stored in the relational database and the accessed URLs are then transmitted back to the Internet-enabled client computer.

Claims

1. A method of 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 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 (™

) 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 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 and/or agent thereof;

(b) said manufacturer and/or its agent remotely and actively managing said UPN/TM/PD/URL data links by updating information elements stored in said relational database so as to compose a menu of URLs for each consumer product registered in said relational database, for delivery and presentation to consumers in the marketplace;

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

(d) 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 and are stored at said plurality of URLs;

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

(f) 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 may include any one or more of the UPN, TM and 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; and

(g) 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 use in accessing information resources stored in said Internet-based product information servers, at said URLs.

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) an automatic 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 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 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 information links therein.

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

14. The system of claim 6, 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.

8. A system for 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 a retail store environment, 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 (™

) 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 server, and being capable of servicing a request made by an Internet-enabled consumer product information kiosk, 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 manufacturer-managed computers, each being operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, and enabling the manufacturer and/or its agent to remotely and actively manage said UPN/TM/PD/URL data links by updating information elements stored in said relational database so as to compose a menu of URLs for each consumer product registered in said relational database, for delivery and presentation to consumers in the marketplace;

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; and

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 any one or more of the UPN, TM and 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 consumer product information kiosk 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 use in accessing information resources stored in said Internet-based product information servers, at said URLs.

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 consumers products.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said automatic bar code symbol reader is an automatic laser scanning bar code symbol reader.