Method and apparatus for accessing electronic data via a familiar printed medium

• US 8,261,993 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marshall Feature Recognition LLC
• Original Assignee: Marshall Feature Recognition LLC
• Inventors: Rathus, Spencer A., Nevid, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US12/590,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20100133332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 23547201-47203, 23546201-46225, 235/454, 235/455, 235/470, 235/375, 235/380, 235/383
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon

Abstract

The disclosed methods and apparatus relate generally to the electronics media industry, such as cable television (CATV), home shopping services, on-line computer services and computer memory applications. These methods and apparatus allow a user to access and make use of electronic media input and output devices by reference to and/or utilization of standard printed matter, such as magazines, textbooks, or any other printed matter that can be correlated to electronic media.

Claims

1. A method for displaying selected programming material to a user using at least one machine recognizable feature within a printed matter and a database comprising programming material associated with the at least one machine recognizable feature, comprising the steps of:

recognizing the at least one machine recognizable feature of the printed matter using a feature recognizing device coupled to a user device, wherein the at least one machine recognizable feature has a plurality of portions of encoded data, and further wherein at least one portion of the plurality of portions comprises a preprogrammed command for executing an interaction with the user device;

identifying encoded data associated with the at least one machine recognizable feature of the printed matter;

presenting a plurality of options on a display;

selecting at least one of the plurality of options;

transmitting, using the user device, data associated with the at least one machine recognizable feature and the at least one option selected to the database;

receiving the selected programming material from the database; and

displaying the programming material on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the interaction comprises displaying selectable options on the display.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each portion of the plurality of portions of encoded data comprises a link for retrieving programming material.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one machine recognizable feature is selected from a group consisting of a printed matter, a code, a barcode, a two-dimensional barcode, a QR code, a magnetic strip, an audible audio emitting device, a biometric sample, a watermark, a digital watermark, a transponder, a radio frequency identification device tag, a touch sensor, an infrared tag, and a quantum dot.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the printed matter is selected from the group consisting of a book, a textbook, a newspaper, an editorial, a letter-to-the-editor, an advertisement, a magazine, a passport, a boarding pass, a real estate listing, an identification card, a smart card, a student identification card, a license, a registration, a receipt, a ticket, a business card, a credit card, a cash card, and a document.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user device is selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, a hand-held communications device, a cellular telephone, a camera-enabled cellular telephone, a scanner, a personal digital assistant, an Internet-enabled telephone, an Internet-enabled device, an intelligent terminal, a television, a pager, a simulated book, a laptop computer, and a wireless communications device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one machine recognizable feature has associated therewith a data link which is recognized by the user device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the data link is selected from the group consisting of an image data link, a video data link, an audio data link, a programming data link, an online data link, a pictorial data link, an electronic data link, an electronic media link, and an “

information superhighway”

data link.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the “

information superhighway”

data link is selected from the group consisting of the Internet, a computer network, a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, an Ethernet network, a Radio Frequency cellular network, an Integrated Services Digital Network, a telephone line, and a cable television line.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the feature recognizing device is selected from the group consisting of a scanner, a camera, a barcode scanner, a code reader, a magnetic stripe reader, a transceiver, a biometric reading device, a watermark reader, a receiver, a radio frequency identification device reader, an infrared reader, a quantum dot reader, an optical reader, and an optical mouse.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the feature recognizing device is linked to a personal computer or a wireless interface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the wireless interface is selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone, a pager, a wireless personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a wireless device, an Internet accessing device, and a television receiver.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the database is selected from the group consisting of a local database, a remote database, a remote server, and a network of databases.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the display is coupled to the user device.

15. A system for displaying programming material to a user, the system comprising:

a printed matter having a machine recognizable feature, wherein said machine recognizable feature has a plurality of portions of encoded data, and further wherein at least one portion of the plurality of portions comprises a preprogrammed command for executing an interaction with a user device;

the user device including;

a feature recognition device configured to recognize said machine recognizable feature,

a display configured to present a plurality of options upon recognizing said machine recognizable feature, and

a transmitter configured to transmit a coded signal upon recognition of said machine recognizable feature and selection of at least one option from said plurality of options; and

an intelligent controller configured to access said programming material in response to receiving said coded signal and cause said programming material to be displayed on said display.

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein said machine recognizable feature has associated therewith a data link which is recognized by said feature recognition device.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein said data link is selected from the group consisting of an image data link, a video data link, an audio data link, a programming data link, an online data link, a pictorial data link, an electronic data link, an electronic media link, and an “

information superhighway”

data link.

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein said “

information superhighway”

data link is selected from the group consisting of the Internet, a computer network, a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, an Ethernet network, a Radio Frequency cellular network, an Integrated Services Digital Network, a telephone line, and a cable television line.

19. A system according to claim 15 wherein said printed matter is selected from the group consisting of a book, a textbook, a newspaper, an editorial, a letter-to-the-editor, an advertisement, a magazine, a license, a registration, a passport, a ticket of admission, a boarding pass, a travel ticket, a business card, an identification card, a real estate listing, a commercial document, and an educational document.

20. A system according to claim 15 wherein said machine recognizable feature is selected from the group consisting of a printed matter, a code, a bar code, a two-dimensional bar code, a magnetic strip, a biometric sample, a watermark, a digital watermark, and a transponder.

21. A system according to claim 15 wherein said feature recognition device is selected from the group consisting of a scanner, a camera, a bar code scanner, a code reader, a magnetic stripe reader, a biometric reading device, a watermark reader, a receiver, and a transceiver.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein said feature recognition device is linked to a personal computer.

23. A system according to claim 21 wherein said feature recognition device is linked to a wireless interface.

24. A system according to claim 23 wherein said wireless interface is at least one selected from the group consisting of a cellular telephone, a pager, a wireless personal computer, a personal digital assistant, an Internet accessing device, and a television receiver.

25. A system according to claim 15 wherein said display comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital planner, an Internet accessing device, a wireless communication device, an intelligent terminal, a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a camera-enabled cellular telephone, an Internet enabled telephone, a handheld device, a television, a pager, and a flat panel display.