Method and apparatus for accessing a remote location by receiving a product code

• US 7,886,017 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: RPX-LV Acquisition LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan, Mathews, David Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ibrahim; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/857,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,447 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/216, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 : using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 : Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 : Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method for controlling a computer is disclosed wherein one or more remote locations disposed on a network are accessed in response to accessing a product code. A first computer disposed on the network connects to a device for accessing the product code of a product by a user. The device is uniquely identified with a device distributor by a device identification number. A second computer disposed on the network is accessed in response to the user accessing the product code with the device, wherein a lookup operation is performed at the second computer to match the device identification number with the device distributor to obtain remote routing information of the one or remote locations. The remote routing information is returned from the second computer to the first computer in order to access the one or more remote locations disposed on the network. The one or more remote locations are accessed to return remote information to the first computer for presentation.

Claims

1. A method of accessing one or more remote locations on a network by receiving a product code, comprising the steps of:

providing a first computer disposed on the network, and connected to an input device, the input device for accessing the product code of a product by a user, which product code is separate and distinct from the input device, the input device uniquely identified by a unique device identification number, which device identification number exists apart from the product code and which device identification number is uniquely associated with a device distributor that distributes the input device such that multiple distributed devices distributed by the device distributor can have the same device identification number;

accessing a second computer disposed on the network in response to the user accessing the product code with the input device wherein the device identification number from the input device is converted in a device interface coupled to an output of the input device and combined with routing information for transmission to the second computer;

performing a lookup operation at the second computer in an associative database containing routing relationships between device identification numbers and device distributor remote locations in order to match the device identification number with the device distributor remote locations to obtain remote routing information of one of the one or more remote locations where the device distributor remote location resides;

returning the remote routing information from the second computer to the first computer in order to access the one of the one or more remote locations disposed on the network where the device distributor remote location resides; and

accessing the one of the one or more remote locations according to the remote routing information where the device distributor remote location resides to return remote information to the first computer for presentation to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of accessing the one or more remote locations includes accessing a device distributor node, an advertiser node, and an E-commerce node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of accessing further comprises the steps of,

returning product information of the product from an advertiser node, distributor information of the device distributor from a device distributor node, and E-commerce information from an E-commerce node, and

framing the distributor information, product information, and E-commerce information in a browser window of the first computer for presentation to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing information includes the device identification number and the address of the second computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device interface connected to the device outputs a control code to the first computer in response to the product code being accessed, the control code activating a device program on the first computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the device program appends a user identification number to information being routed to the second computer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein one of the one or more remote locations is an E-commerce node which displays information on the first computer based on a profile of the user, and which is targeted for the user, in particular.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the device interface connected to the input device outputs a control code to the first computer in response the product code being accessed, the control code activating a device program on the first computer, the device program in turn inserting information into communication software for transmission to the second computer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a global communication network.

10. A system for accessing one or more remote locations on a network by receiving a product code, comprising:

providing a first computer disposed on the network, connected to an input device the input device for accessing the product code of a product by a user, said input device uniquely identified by a unique device identification number, which device identification number exists apart from the product code, and which device identification number is uniquely associated with a device distributor that distributes the input device such that multiple distributed devices distributed by the device distributor can have the same device identification number;

accessing a second computer disposed on the network, and accessed in response to said user accessing said product code with said input device wherein the device identification number from said input device is converted in a device interface and combined with routing information generated in said device interface, for transmission to said second computer;

wherein a lookup operation is performed at said second computer in an associative database containing routing relationships between device identification numbers and device distributor remote locations in order to match said device identification number with said device distributor remote locations to obtain remote routing information of one of the one or remote locations;

wherein said remote routing information is returned from said second computer to said first computer in order to access the one of the one or more remote locations disposed on the network where the device distributor remote location resides; and

wherein accessing the one of the one or more remote locations are accessed to return remote information to said first computer for presentation to said user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more remote locations include a device distributor node, an advertiser node, and an E-commerce node.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein product information is returned from an advertiser node, distributor information is returned from a distributor node, and E-commerce information is returned from an E-commerce node.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said product information, distributor information, and E-commerce information is framed in a browser window for presentation to said user.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said routing information includes said device identification number and an address of said second computer.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the device interface connected to said device outputs a control code to said first computer in response to the product code being scanned, said control code activating a device program on said first computer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said device program appends a user identification number to information being routed to said second computer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein one of the one or more remote locations is an E-commerce node which displays information on said first computer based on a profile of said user, and which is targeted for said user, in particular.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the device interface connected to said device outputs a control code to said first computer in response to the product code being scanned, said control code activating a device program on said first computer, said device program in turn inserting information into a communication program for transmission to the one or more remote locations.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the network is a global communication network.