Enabling participation in an online community using visual machine-readable symbols

• US 8,407,621 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: George, John-Alistair, Connelly, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US12/913,733
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715/751, 715/752, 715/753, 715/758, 715/764, 715/765, 715/835, 715/864, 715/205, 709/203, 709/204, 705/14.1, 705/14.23, 705/14.39
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A facility for coordinating an online discussion is described. The facility receives an indication that a user has captured a machine-readable symbol encoding an identifier that identifies a particular online discussion. In response, the facility incorporates into an online forum that hosts this online discussion an indication that this user captured a symbol encoding an identifier that identifies this online discussion.

Claims

1. A method in a handheld device for providing a promotion, comprising:

using the handheld device to capture an image of a machine-readable symbol shown in connection with an item offered for sale; and

displaying with the handheld device a machine-readable symbol entitling a person in possession of the handheld device to participate in a promotion relating to purchasing the item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising decoding an identifier encoded in the machine-readable symbol in the captured image.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a notification containing a copy of the decoded identifier from the captured symbol from the handheld device for delivery to a server; and

wirelessly receiving information providing a basis for the displaying in the handheld device from the server.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the wirelessly received information includes a copy of the displayed machine-readable symbol.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the wirelessly received information includes a promotion identifier, the method further comprising:

using the promotion identifier to generate the displayed machine-readable symbol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a notification containing a copy of the machine-readable symbol in the captured image from the handheld device for delivery to a server; and

wirelessly receiving information providing a basis for the displaying in the handheld device from the server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying human-readable information describing the promotion.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying is performed in such a manner that the displayed machine-readable symbol is subject to optical capture.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying is performed in such a manner that the displayed machine-readable symbol is subject to optical capture by a point-of-sale terminal.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the handheld device is a mobile phone.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the promotion that the person in possession of the handheld device is entitled to participate based on the displayed machine-readable symbol is a promotion providing a discount on the purchase of the item.

12. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to perform a method for coordinating an online discussion, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that a handheld device has been used to capture a machine-readable symbol encoding an identifier that identifies an item;

identifying an active promotion relating to purchasing the item identified by the identifier; and

generating an indication directing the handheld device to display a machine-readable symbol entitling a person in possession of the handheld device to participate in the active promotion relating to purchasing the item.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the received indication contains an image of the captured machine-readable symbol and wherein the captured machine-readable symbol is a matrix barcode.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the received indication contains the identifier identifying the item.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the generated indication contains an image of the machine-readable symbol to be displayed by the handheld device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the generated indication contains an identifier that is to be encoded into the machine-readable symbol to be displayed by the handheld device.

17. A wireless handset, comprising:

a symbol capture subsystem for visually capturing an image of a first machine-readable symbol encoding data that is presented in connection with a product;

a symbol decoding subsystem that processes the captured image to discern data encoded into the symbol;

a promotion identification subsystem that identifies a promotion that is active for the product on the basis of the data discerned by the symbol decoding subsystem;

an encoding subsystem that generates a second machine-readable symbol entitling a person in possession of the wireless handset to participate in the identified promotion by encoding a coupon redemption code; and

a display that displays the second machine-readable symbol entitling a person in possession of the wireless handset to participate in the identified promotion, so that the wireless handset is configured to display the second machine-readable symbol and wherein the second machine-readable symbol is configured to be captured by another wireless handset when displayed.

18. The wireless handset of claim 17, further comprising:

a decoding component configured to decode a phone number encoded within the first machine-readable symbol.

19. The wireless handset of claim 18, further comprising:

a calling component configured to call the decoded phone number encoded within the first machine-readable symbol.