Media bridge method and apparatus

• US 7,065,559 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2000
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Media Bridge, LLC
• Original Assignee: Organon Wireless, Inc.
• Inventors: Weiss, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US09/596,431
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 705/14, 705/26, 23546201-46246, 23547201-47202
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing a bridge between tangible media and computer media. A bridge server computer system includes a database and a server control program. A client computer system includes a bridge control program and an input device adapted to receive a bridge code associated with a tangible media object. The bridge server computer system and the client computer system are coupled by a communications channel. The bridge control program is operative to send the bridge code from the client computer system to the bridge server and the server control program is operative to query the database based on the bridge code and execute action commands contained in the database in correspondence to the bridge code.

Claims

1. A computer architecture for providing a bridge between tangible media and computer media, said computer architecture comprising:

a bridge server computer system including a database and a server control program;

a portable client device, including a bridge control program and an input device, said portable client device adapted to receive and store at least one bridge code associated with a tangible media object, which was transmitted from a transmitter associated with the object; and

a communications channel coupling said bridge server computer system and said client device to download the previously stored bridge codes from the client device to the bridge server computer system;

whereby said server control program is operative

to query said database based on the received bridge codes,

to display a plurality of links to computer media, wherein the links correspond to the received bridge codes and,

upon activation of one of said plurality of links, to execute action commands in said database in correspondence to the bridge code associated with the activated link.

2. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein the links are displayed on a Web page.

3. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein said portable client device communicates with a client computer system via a local communications channel selectively coupling said client computer system to said portable client device, said input device being disposed in said portable client device and the bridge codes being uploaded from said portable client device to said client computer.

4. A computer architecture as recited in claim 3, wherein said local communications camel is an infrared communications channel.

5. A computer architecture as recited in claim 3, wherein said local communications channel is a radio frequency communications channel.

6. A computer architecture as recited in claim 3, wherein the action commands comprise instructions for downloading data to said client computer system from one of said bridge server computer system or another server coupled to said communications channel.

7. A computer architecture as recited in claim 6, wherein said data comprises a computer media copy of an article in the tangible media object.

8. A computer architecture as recited in claim 6, wherein said data comprises a computer media coupon related to products described in the tangible media object.

9. A computer architecture as recited in claim 6, wherein said data comprises a computer media copy of information related to an article in the tangible media object.

10. A computer architecture as recited in claim 3, wherein said client computer system comprises a wireless communication device.

11. A computer architecture as recited in claim 10, wherein said communications channel is a wireless communications network.

12. A computer architecture as recited in claim 10, wherein said communications channel is a computer network.

13. A computer architecture as recited in claim 12, wherein said computer network is the Internet.

14. A computer architecture as recited in claim 10, wherein said wireless communication device is a cellular phone.

15. A computer architecture as recited in claim 14, wherein said input device is a keypad.

16. A computer architecture as recited in claim 14, wherein said input device is an audio receiver.

17. A computer architecture as recited in claim 10, wherein said wireless communication device is a wireless digital phone.

18. A computer architecture as recited in claim 17, wherein said input device is a keypad.

19. A computer architecture as recited in claim 17, wherein said input device is an audio receiver.

20. A computer architecture as recited in claim 10, wherein said wireless communication device is a personal digital assistant having wireless communications capabilities.

21. A computer architecture as recited in claim 10, wherein said wireless communication device is a vehicle on-board computer.

22. A computer architecture as recited in claim 21, wherein said on-board computer comprises a navigational system.

23. A computer architecture as recited in claim 3, wherein the action commands comprise instructions for displaying a Web page stored on one of said bridge server computer system or a separate content server coupled to said communications channel.

24. A computer architecture as recited in claim 3, wherein the action commands comprise instructions for downloading data to said client computer system from one of said bridge server computer system or another server coupled to said communications channel.

25. A computer architecture as recited in claim 24, wherein said data comprises a computer media copy of an article in the tangible media object.

26. A computer architecture as recited in claim 24, wherein said data comprises a computer media coupon related to products described in the tangible media object.

27. A computer architecture as recited in claim 24, wherein said data comprises a computer media copy of information related to an article in the tangible media.

28. A computer architecture as recited in claim 24, wherein said data comprises geographic maps.

29. A computer architecture as recited in claim 24, wherein said data comprises navigational information.

30. A computer architecture as recited in claim 24, wherein said data comprises audio files to be communicated by a vehicle on-board computer.

31. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein the action commands comprise instructions for displaying a Web page stored on one of said bridge server computer system or a separate content server coupled to said communications channel.

32. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein said portable client device is a wireless phone.

33. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of links is to a vendor Web site for facilitating purchase of a product described in the tangible media object.

34. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein said input device is a bar code reader adapted to read the bridge code in the form of bar codes.

35. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein said communications channel is a computer network.

36. A computer architecture as recited in claim 35, wherein said computer network is the Internet.

37. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmitter device is a radio frequency transmitter.

38. A computer architecture as recited in claim 37, wherein said input device is a radio frequency receiver.

39. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein said transmitter device is an infrared transmitter.

40. A computer architecture as recited in claim 39, wherein said input device is an infrared receiver.

41. A computer architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein the action commands comprise instructions for downloading data to said portable client device from one of said bridge server computer system or another server coupled to said communications channel.

42. A method for bridging tangible media and computer media, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a database of bridge codes and action commands corresponding to the bridge codes;

receiving in a portable client device at least one bridge code associated with a tangible media object, which was transmitted by a transmitter associated with the tangible media object, and storing each received bridge code therein;

after storing each received bridge code, communicating the each bridge code to a bridge server;

querying the database based on each communicated bridge code;

displaying at least one link to the computer media, each link corresponding to one communicated bridge code; and

upon activation of a link, executing an action command stored in the database in correspondence to the bridge code associated with the activated link.

43. A method as recited in claim 42, further comprising uploading the bridge codes from the portable client device to a client computer over a local communications channel.

44. A method as recited in claim 42, wherein said action commands comprise instructions for displaying a Web page stored on one of the bridge server computer system or a separate content server.

45. A method as recited in claim 42, wherein said action commands comprise instructions for downloading data to a client computer system from one of the bridge server computer system or another server.

46. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein hyper links to the data are stored on the bridge server.

47. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the data comprises a computer media copy of an article in the tangible media object.

48. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the data comprises a computer media coupon related to products described in the tangible media object.

49. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the data comprises a computer media copy of information related to an article in the tangible media object.

50. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the data comprises geographic maps.

51. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the data comprises navigational information.

52. A method as recited in claim 45, wherein the data comprises audio files to be communicated by a vehicle on-board computer.

53. A method as recited in claim 42, wherein the link is displayed on a Web page.

54. A method as recited in claim 53, wherein the link is to a vendor Web site for facilitating purchase of a product described in the tangible media object.

55. A method as recited in claim 42, wherein said communicating step copses communicating over a computer network.

56. A method as recited in claim 55, wherein the computer network is the Internet.

57. A method as recited in claim 42, wherein said receiving step comprises reading the bridge code in the form of an infrared signal.

58. A method as recited in claim 42, wherein said receiving step comprises reading the bridge code in the form of a radio frequency signal.

59. A method as recited in claim 42, wherein said communicating step comprises communicating over a wireless network.

60. A method as recited in claim 42, wherein said action commands comprise instructions for downloading data to the potable client device from one of the bridge server computer system or another server.

61. A method as recited in claim 60, wherein the data comprises a computer media copy of an article in the tangible media object.

62. A method as recited in claim 60, wherein the data comprises a computer media coupon related to products described in the tangible media object.

63. A method as recited in claim 60, wherein the data comprises a computer media copy of information related to an article in the tangible media object.

64. A method as recited in claim 60, wherein the data comprises geographic maps.

65. A method as recited in claim 60, wherein the data comprises navigational information.

66. A method as recited in claim 60, wherein the data comprises audio files to be communicated by a vehicle on-board computer.