Data acquisition and processing system and method

• US 20030019939A1
• Filed: 07/29/2002
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sellen, Abigail Jane
• Application Number:
  US10/206,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20030019939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A data acquisition and processing computer system (10) includes a data acquistion device, which may be a scanner (12) for acquiring data (20) relating to an audio/visual/audio-visual product (22). A network element typically a PC (14) or a server (16) contains records relating to a plurality of audio/visual/audio-visual recordings. A network connection, such as a wireless connection, (38) connects said data acquisition device (12) to said network element (14,16). A processor identifies a record that relates to said data (20) and outputs information relating to said identified record via a screen (28) or a loudspeaker (29).

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a portable data acquisition means for acquiring data relating to an audio/visual/audio-visual product;

a network element containing records relating to a plurality of audio/visual/audio-visual recordings, each of said records being arranged to store at least a portion of each of said recordings to which it relates along with additional audio/visual/audio-visual information relating to said recordings;

a connection means for connecting said data acquisition means to said network element;

processing means for identifying from said records an identified record relating to said acquired data; and

output means arranged to output said stored information relating to said identified record.

2. A computer system according to claim 1 in which said portable device includes a visual display upon which at least a portion of said additional information can be displayed.

3. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein said additional information comprises any one, or combination, of the following visual/audio-visual information:

a video accompanying the record, a picture, a portion of text, a web-page and a web-address.

4. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein said portable data acquisition means includes an input means, and said output means is arranged to output at least a portion of one of said recordings stored upon said network element in response to a user operation of said input means.

5. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein a user of said system is directed to a Website associated with a provider of at least one of said recordings.

6. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein said data acquisition means comprises at least one, or a combination, of the following:

a scanner, a bar code reader, a magnetic reader.

7. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein said connection means comprises a wireless network connection.

8. A computer system according to claim 7 wherein said wireless network connection is any one, or combination, of the following:

wireless LAN, Bluetooth, GSM, UTMS, GPRS.

9. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein said network element includes a database and wherein said records are held on said database.

10. A method of acquiring and processing data comprising the steps of:

acquiring data relating to an audio/visual/audio-visual product by portable data acquisition means;

hosting records containing additional data relating to a plurality of audio/visual recording on a network element;

connecting said data acquisition means to said network element;

identifying which of said records corresponds to said acquired data; and

outputting, at least a portion of, said recording associated with said identified record.

11. A method according to claim 10 including the additional step of presenting said visual/audio-visual information on a display associated with said portable data acquisition device.

12. The method of claim 10 including providing said data as any one, or combination, of the following forms:

textual, numerical bar codes, magnetically coded, passive radio frequency.

13. The method of claim 10 including connecting said network element to a network.

14. The method of claim 10 including connecting said data acquisition means to said network element by any one, or combination, of the following:

wireless network connection, for example IEEE 802.11 or Bluetooth, temporary hardwired connection, USB, serial or parallel data buses, cellular telecommunication link including any one, or combination of;

GSM, UTMS, GPRS, SMS and WAP protocols.

15. The method of claim 10 including providing said data acquisition means in at least one of the following forms:

a scanner, bar code reader, magnetic reader.

16. The method of any one of claim 10 including providing said data acquisition means in a pocket sized, hand held, battery operated form.

17. A portable data acquisition device comprising:

a body housing a data capture device, storage means, a wireless data transfer means and a visual display, wherein said data capture means is arranged to capture data relating to an audio/visual/audio-visual product, said storage means is arranged to store said captured data and said wireless data transfer means is arranged to transfer said data to a network element, and further wherein said wireless data transfer means is adapted to retrieve from said network element visual/audio-visual information relating to said captured data and present said data on said display means.

18. A device according to claim 17 wherein said data capture means is at least one of:

a scanner, a bar code reader, a magnetic reader or any combination thereof.

19. A device according to claim 17 wherein said wireless data transfer means is a wireless network transceiver.

20. A device according to claim 17 wherein said wireless data transfer means is a cellular telecommunications transceiver employing any one, or combination, of the following:

GSM, UTMS, GPRS, SMS or WAP.

21. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions which when running on a processor of a portable data acquistion device cause said device to perform the steps of:

acquiring data relating to an audio/visual/audio-visual product;

connecting said data acquisition means to a network element which hosts records containing data relating to a plurality of audio/visual recordings;

receiving from said network element at least a portion of said recordings associated with said identified record in said network element,

and presenting said received portion of recording to a user on a display associated with said portable data acquisition device.