Interactive printer persistent storage provider
First Claim
1. A system for providing printed information to a user that is obtained from a first server means of a first party, the system including:
- at least one user printer module being provided by a second party for interfacing the user with the first server means, the module being responsive to the user requesting first information from the first server means for generating a first printed media that displays the first information;
identifier means for providing the first printed media with a first identifier of a third party such that designation of the first identifier by the user results in the module communicating second information to the first server means or to a second server means of a fourth party, the first printed media including coded data indicative of an identity of the first printed media and of a plurality of reference points on the first printed media, the coded data identifying a unique location of each of the reference points relative to the first printed media, wherein an association in the first server means between the first identifier and the identity of the first printed media is automatically created when the first printed media is generated;
account means for providing payments to the third party and for receiving payments from one or more of the first party, the second party and the fourth party and calculation means for calculating the quantum of payments to the third party, the payments being at least proportional to the number of requests of the first information.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a network of interactive printers and the provision of persistent storage of system information. More particularly, the provision of that storage is decoupled from fee-earning activities in the network. That is, it allows a profitable role for a participant who is purely a provider of persistent storage. The printers can access information contained on a system database that is owned and/or operated by a storage provider. The system database includes data indicative of each page that is available to be printed by an interactive printer. That is, the system includes a number of actual physical pages that are printed, each of which correspond to a virtual page represented by the respective page descriptions. While each printed page should have a page description, there may exist page descriptions that do not have actual physical counterparts.
7 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system for providing printed information to a user that is obtained from a first server means of a first party, the system including:
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at least one user printer module being provided by a second party for interfacing the user with the first server means, the module being responsive to the user requesting first information from the first server means for generating a first printed media that displays the first information;
identifier means for providing the first printed media with a first identifier of a third party such that designation of the first identifier by the user results in the module communicating second information to the first server means or to a second server means of a fourth party, the first printed media including coded data indicative of an identity of the first printed media and of a plurality of reference points on the first printed media, the coded data identifying a unique location of each of the reference points relative to the first printed media, wherein an association in the first server means between the first identifier and the identity of the first printed media is automatically created when the first printed media is generated;
account means for providing payments to the third party and for receiving payments from one or more of the first party, the second party and the fourth party and calculation means for calculating the quantum of payments to the third party, the payments being at least proportional to the number of requests of the first information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for providing printed information to a user that is obtained from a first server of a first party, the system including:
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a user printer module being provided by a second party for interfacing the user with the first server, the module being responsive to the user requesting first information from the first server for generating a first printed media that displays the first information;
a databse of a third party for providing an identifier which is included with the first printed media such that designation of the identifier by the user results in the module communicating second information to the first server or to a second server of a fourth party, the first printed media including coded data indicative of an identity of the first printed media and of a plurality of reference points on the first printed media, the coded data identifying a unique location of each of the reference points relative to the first printed media, where an association in the first server between the identifier and the identity of the first printed media is automatically created when the first printed media is generated;
an account server for providing payments to the third party and for receiving payments from one or more of the first party, the second party and the fourth party; and
calculation means for calculating the quantum of payments to the third party, the payments being at least proportional to the number of requests of the first information.
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Specification