Input device for allowing interface to a web site in association with a unique input code

• US 8,069,098 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• 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): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Buchanan; Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/235,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/28
• 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

An input device for allowing interface to a web site in association with a unique input code. A method for interconnecting a first location on a global communication network with a second location thereon is disclosed. An input device is provided at the first location on the global communication network having associated therewith a unique input device ID. A product code disposed on a product is scanned with the input device, which product code is representative of the product in commercial transactions, the operation of scanning operable to extract the information contained in the product code to provide a unique value as an output. The unique value is then associated with the unique input device ID. In response to the operation of scanning and associating, the first location is connected to the second location.

Claims

1. A method for interconnecting a first location on a global communication network with a second location thereon, wherein the first location has associated therewith an input device, the input device having associated therewith a unique input device ID that is permanently associated with the input device and independent of the first location, comprising the steps of:

receiving at the first location a representation of a unique code provided by the input device, which representation of the unique code represents a unique value as an output received from the input device;

associating the unique value with the unique input device ID in a message packet as a data content portion thereof, such that the unique input device ID is associated with the data content portion of the message packet for transmission over the network and wherein the second location has a predetermined association with the combination of the unique value and the unique input device ID, such predetermined association associates the second location with both the unique input device ID and the unique value; and

in response to the step of receiving and the step of associating, connecting the first location to the second location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting to the second location comprises:

in response to the step of receiving and the step of associating, accessing a database having stored therein a plurality of unique values, each associated with routing information over the global communication network to one of the plurality of second locations;

comparing the output unique value with the stored unique values in the database; and

if a match exists between the output unique value and any of the stored unique values;

retrieving from the database the associated routing information to the second location, and

connecting the first location to the second location on the global communication network in accordance with the retrieved routing information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique value comprises a binary value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique code comprises a universal product code (UPC) as associated with a product indicating information regarding the product for use in commercial transactions associated with that product.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of accessing the database comprises the steps of:

accessing a remote location on the global communication network at an intermediate node thereon;

forwarding the unique value and unique input device ID to the intermediate node;

wherein the database is disposed at the intermediate node; and

retrieving the associated routing information from the database in the event of a positive match and forwarding the retrieved routing information back to the first location and connecting the first location to the second location in accordance with the retrieved information.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the second location represents product information associated with a product.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first location, information from the second location in response to connecting the first location to the second location.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

presenting the information received from the second location to a user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of presenting comprises displaying the information received from the second location via a display at the first location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of connecting the first location to the second location is performed using a browser program.

11. An apparatus for interconnecting a first location on a global communication network with a second location thereon, the apparatus comprising:

an input device having associated therewith a unique input device ID that is permanently associated with the input device and independent of the first location, the input device configured to provide a representation of a unique code which represents a unique value;

a processor configured to;

receive at the first location the representation of a unique code provided by the input device as an output received from the input device;

associate the unique value with the unique input device ID in a message packet as a data content portion thereof, such that the unique input device ID is associated with the data content portion of the message packet for transmission over the network and wherein the second location has a predetermined association with the combination of the unique value and the unique input device ID, such predetermined association associates the second location with both the unique input device ID and the unique value; and

in response to the receiving and associating, connect the first location to the second location.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to the receiving and the associating, access a database having stored therein a plurality of unique values, each associated with routing information over the global communication network to one of the plurality of second locations;

compare the output unique value with the stored unique values in the database; and

if a match exists between the output unique value and any of the stored unique values;

retrieve from the database the associated routing information to the second location, and

connect the first location to the second location on the global communication network in accordance with the retrieved routing information.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the unique value comprises a binary value.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the unique code comprises a universal product code (UPC) as associated with a product indicating information regarding the product for use in commercial transactions associated with that product.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to as part of accessing the database:

access a remote location on the global communication network at an intermediate node thereon;

forward the unique value and unique input device ID to the intermediate node;

wherein the database is disposed at the intermediate node; and

retrieve the associated routing information from the database in the event of a positive match and forward the retrieved routing information back to the first location and connect the first location to the second location in accordance with the retrieved information.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second location represents product information associated with a product.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, at the first location, information from the second location in response to connecting the first location to the second location.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

present the information received from the second location to a user.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor as part of the presenting is further adapted to display the information received from the second location via a display at the first location.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a browser program configured to perform the connecting the first location to the second location.