System and method for using an ordinary article of commerce to access a remote computer

• US 5,978,773 A
• Filed: 10/03/1995
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NM, LLC, William E. Goins
• Original Assignee: NeoMedia Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Hudetz, Peter R., Hudetz, Frank C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US08/538,365
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/200.1, 395/201, 395/829, 395/200.03, 395/114, 395/117, 395/200.57, 395/200.61, 395/200.33, 358/440, 235/383, 235/380, 235/375, 235/462, 235/385, 235/432, 235/466, 364/464.18, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 382/313, 382/317, 705/14, 705/23, 709/219, 709/217, 709/220, 707/523
• US Class Current: 705/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A system and method for using identification codes found on ordinary articles of commerce to access remote computers on a network. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a computer is provided having a database that relates Uniform Product Code ("UPC") numbers to Internet network addresses (or "URLs"). To access an Internet resource relating to a particular product, a user enters the product'"'"'s UPC symbol manually, by swiping a bar code reader over the UPC symbol, or via other suitable input means. The database retrieves the URL corresponding to the UPC code. This location information is then used to access the desired resource.

Claims

1. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to access a remote computer, comprising:

(a) a machine-readable indicia associated with the article of commerce, said indicia encoding at least one of a plurality of identification numbers, said encoded identification number corresponding to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard;

(b) an input device generating a signal corresponding to said encoded identification number; and

(c) a database containing a plurality of network addresses and said plurality of identification numbers, each of said identification numbers being associated with at least one of said plurality of network addresses;

said database being responsive to said signal for providing one of said network addresses which is associated with said encoded identification number;

further comprising a local host adapted for network communication; and

a first network containing a plurality of nodes, each having an assigned network address;

said network being operatively coupled to said local host for allowing communication between said local host and that one of said nodes whose assigned network address corresponds to the network address provided by said database.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 where said machine-readable indicia is a bar code, and wherein said input device includes a bar code reader.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 where said identification number is at least a portion of a Universal Product Code.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said identification number is at least a portion of a EAN code.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said indicia includes human-readable elements, and wherein said input device includes a keyboard for manually entering said identification number.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said local host is a multi-user computer with a plurality of user terminals.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said local host is a single-user computer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a server, wherein said local host computer is remotely connected to said server and wherein said database is resident on said server.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said communication between said local host and said one of said nodes is carried through said server.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said database is resident on said local host.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said database is resident on one of said nodes that is remote from said local host.

12. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to generate the network address of a computer on a network, comprising:

(a) means for generating a signal corresponding to an article identification number which is used to identify the article of commerce in accordance with a standard that specifies the length of the identification number;

(b) a database having a plurality of identification numbers including said article identification number and a plurality of network addresses, and associating each of said identification numbers with at least one of said network addresses; and

(c) control means responsive to said signal and operatively coupled to said database for retrieving from said database at least one of said network addresses which correspond to said article identification number;

further comprising a local host in communication with said database to receive the network address provided by said database;

further comprising a network including a plurality of nodes, each associated with one of said plurality of network addresses;

wherein said local host is adapted for communicating with one of said nodes using said network address generated by said database.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said identification numbers are Universal Product Codes.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said network addresses are Uniform Resource Locators.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a remote host adapted for network communication, wherein said reader for generating said signal is resident on said local host, and said database is resident on said remote host.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said identification numbers are EAN codes.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for generating said signal includes a bar code scanner.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for generating said signal includes a keyboard.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said local host is a multi-user computer.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said local host is a single-user computer.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for generating said signal is coupled to said local host so that said signal is communicated to said database through said local host.

22. In an apparatus comprising means for generating a signal corresponding to a product identification number which is used to identify the article of commerce bearing an indicia on which said product identification number is encoded in accordance with an extrinsic standard that specifies the length of the identification number;

a computer database having a plurality of identification numbers including said product identification number, and a plurality of network addresses, and associating each of said product identification numbers with at least one of said network addresses; and

control means responsive to said signal and operatively coupled to said database for retrieving from said database at least one of said network addresses which corresponds to said product identification number;

a method for generating the address of a node on the network, comprising the steps of;

(a) associating in computer memory at least a portion of a product identification number with the node'"'"'s network address;

said identification number having recognized significance in accordance with an extrinsic standard as a number identifying an article of commerce;

(b) providing an article of commerce bearing an indicia on which said identification number is encoded;

(c) reading at least a portion of said identification number from said indicia; and

(d) retrieving from said computer memory the network address associated therein with said product identification number.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein said identification number is a Universal Product Code.

24. The method according to claim 22 where said network address is a Uniform Resource Locator.

25. The method according to claim 22 wherein said indicia is encoded in machine-readable format.

26. The method according to claim 22 where said indicia is encoded in human-readable format.

27. The method according to claim 22 wherein said step of reading is performed using a bar code reader.

28. The method according to claim 22 wherein said step of reading is performed by a human reading said indicia and entering said identification number using a keyboard.

29. The method according to claim 22 wherein the database has one or more tables containing said identification number and said network address.

30. The method according to claim 29 wherein said tables are distributed over a plurality of computers.

31. The method according to claim 29 wherein said tables are resident on a single computer.

32. The method according to claim 22 wherein said identification number is an EAN code.

33. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to access a remote computer, comprising:

(a) a machine-readable indicia associated with the article of commerce, said indicia encoding at least one of a plurality of identification numbers, said encoded identification number corresponding to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard;

(b) an input device generating a signal corresponding to said encoded identification number; and

(c) a database containing a plurality of network addresses and said plurality of identification numbers, each of said identification numbers being associated with at least one of said plurality of network addresses;

said database being responsive to said signal for providing one of said network addresses which is associated with said encoded identification number;

further comprising a local host in communication with said database to receive the network address provided by said database;

further comprising a network including a plurality of nodes, each associated with one of said plurality of network addresses;

wherein said local host is adapted for communicating with a selected one of said nodes using said network address generated by said database.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said means for generating said signal is coupled to said local host so that said signal is communicated to said database through said local host.

35. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to access a remote computer, comprising:

(a) a machine-readable indicia associated with the article of commerce, said indicia encoding at least one of a plurality of identification numbers, said encoded identification number corresponding to the article in accordance with an extrinsic standard;

(b) an input device generating a signal corresponding to said encoded identification number; and

(c) a database containing a plurality of network addresses and said plurality of identification numbers, each of said identification numbers being associated with at least one of said plurality of network addresses;

said database being responsive to said signal for providing one of said network addresses which is associated with said encoded identification number;

further comprising a local host operatively coupled to said means for generating a signal;

a server operatively coupled to said local host and said database; and

a network including a plurality of nodes, each associated with one of said plurality of network addresses;

wherein said server is adapted for communicating with a selected one of said nodes using said network address generated by said database.

36. An apparatus for using an article of commerce to generate the network address of a computer on a network, comprising:

(a) means for generating a signal corresponding to an article identification number which is used to identify the article of commerce in accordance with a standard that specifies the length of the identification number;

(b) a database having a plurality of identification numbers including said article identification number and a plurality of network addresses, and associating each of said identification numbers with at least one of said network addresses; and

(c) control means responsive to said signal and operatively coupled to said database for retrieving from said database at least one of said network addresses which correspond to said article identification number;

further comprising;

(d) a first network containing a plurality of nodes, each corresponding to one of said network addresses;

(e) a local host in communication with said network and said control means and adapted for communication with that one of said nodes corresponding to the network address retrieved by said control means.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said local host is a multi-user computer with a plurality of user terminals.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said local host is a single-user computer.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising a server, wherein said local host computer is remotely connected to said server and said database is resident on said server.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said communication between said local host and said one of said nodes is carried through said server.

41. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said database is resident on said local host.