Mobile device gateway providing access to instant information

• US 20060011728A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scanbuy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Scanbuy Incorporated
• Inventors: Frantz, Didier, Outmezguine, Avi
• Granted Patent: US 7,309,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.460
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to the field of systems capable of managing the interaction between vendors and end users. To use the system, a user first scans any common barcode using a mobile device. The barcode information along with a user identification number is then sent to a server. The server uses the user identification number to look up the user'"'"'s preferred vendors and content providers. The manufacturer code from the barcode is also looked up in a vendor database. Once the preferences have been determined, this information is sent to each vendor and content provider which returns information, a list of options, and/or other content. This information is then aggregated into a WAP page by the server and transmitted to the mobile device. The user utilizes the mobile device to select a content provider or vendor.

Claims

1. A mobile gateway for managing the interaction between providers and end users comprising:

at least one barcode;

at least one mobile device capable of scanning said barcode;

a server computer containing a plurality of databases;

a network, wherein said mobile device is able to communicate with said server utilizing said network to transmit data after a barcode has been scanned with said mobile device;

a plurality of vendors;

a plurality of content providers;

a user database located on said server which associates a user of said mobile device with a plurality of said vendors and said content providers;

a provider database located on said server which associates barcodes with said vendors and said content providers, wherein said server utilizes said scanned barcode to access information from said vendors and said content providers to create a WAP page for display on said mobile device.

2. A mobile gateway according to claim 1, wherein said user utilizes the information from said server to purchase the item corresponding to said scanned barcode.

3. A mobile gateway according to claim 1, wherein said content provider provides multimedia content to said user.

4. A mobile gateway according to claim 1, wherein said server presents the information from said content providers and said vendors to said user in the form of an XML page.

5. A mobile gateway according to claim 1, wherein said network is a wireless network.

6. A mobile gateway according to claim 1, further comprising:

a barcode database for storing said barcodes scanned by said mobile device; and

a client computer capable of accessing said barcodes stored in said barcode database, wherein said user utilizes said stored barcodes to access information from said vendors and said content providers through said server.

7. A mobile gateway according to claim 1, wherein said mobile device it at least one from the group consisting of a camera phone, a mobile phone, a PDA, a laptop computer, a smart phone, and a cellular telephone.