Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L61/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L61/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
  • H04L61/30—Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L61/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
  • H04L61/30—Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames
  • H04L61/301—Name conversion
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L61/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
  • H04L61/45—Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/01—Protocols
  • H04L67/02—Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
  • H04L69/30—Definitions, standards or architectural aspects of layered protocol stacks
  • H04L69/32—Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
  • H04L69/322—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
  • H04L69/329—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Definitions

• This invention relates in general to a method for controlling a computer and, more particularly, to a method for modifying scanned bar code data associated with a manufacturer's product for input to a computer over a global communication network to a manufacturer's location to effect a link therebetween.
• the type of information that is provided to a user from a given marketing location can be an interactive transaction which allows the user to select products, determine pricing, and even order products.
• Some of these marketing locations provide access to many products.
• other locations provide access to only a single company and all of its products.
• the primary problem with marketing products over the Internet or providing information over the Internet is to somehow inform the user of the location and connect that user to that particular location via an associated URL or domain name.
• the user is required to type the domain or URL into a browser window and then instruct the browser to find that location over the network. This presents several disadvantages.
• the user somehow needs to have information about a particular company or one of its products such that there is a desire on the part of the user to seek more information.
• the present invention disclosed and claimed herein comprises a method for associating a product with remote information for that product.
• a product identifier is accessed at a source location on a network which is in close association with a product such that it identifies the associated product. Routing information is appended to the accessed product identifier, which routing information defines the location of a remote location on the network .
• the product information is then transmitted from the source location to the remote location over the network in accordance with the appended routing information, which routing information defines the network connection between the source location and the remote location on the network, wherein information regarding the associated product can be returned to the source location from the remote location.
• FIGURE 1 illustrates a block diagram of a computer system using the proprietary wedge interface
• FIGURE 2 illustrates the general I/O of the microcontroller used in the proprietary wedge electronics
• FIGURE 3 illustrates the retrieval system for obtaining product information over a global communication network
• FIGURES 4a-4e illustrate the various message packets transmitted between the source PC and servers used in the preferred embodiment
• FIGURE 5 illustrates a flowchart of the method for receiving and encoding the data prior to transmission to an Advertiser Reference Server ("ARS");
• FIGURE 6 illustrates a flowchart of actions taken by the ARS server;
• ARS Advertiser Reference Server
• FIGURE 7 illustrates a flowchart of the interactive process between the source computer and ARS
• FIGURE 8 illustrates a web browser page receiving the modified URL/bar code data according to the preferred embodiment
• FIGURE 9 illustrates a simplified block diagram of the disclosed embodiment
• FIGURE 10 illustrates a more detailed, simplified block diagram of the embodiment of FIGURE 9;
• FIGURE 11 illustrates a diagrammatic view of a method for performing the routing operation
• FIGURE 12 illustrates a block diagram of an alternate embodiment utilizing an audio input for generating the routing information
• FIGURE 13 illustrates a block diagram illustrating the generation of a profile with the disclosed embodiment
• FIGURE 14 illustrates a flowchart for generating the profile and storing it at the ARS
• FIGURE 15 illustrates a flowchart for processing the profile information when information is routed to a user.
• FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a Personal Computer (“PC") 108 connected to receive inputs from a bar code scanner wand 100 and a keyboard 106, and also connected through a network interface 112 to a network.
• the PC 108 runs a browser program to facilitate the access of information on the network, for example, a global communication network known as the "Internet” or the World- Wide- Web (“Web").
• the browser is a hypertext-linked application used for accessing information. Hypertext is a term used to describe a particular organization of information within a data processing system, and its presentation to a user. It exploits the computer's ability to link together information from a wide variety of sources to provide the user with the ability to explore a particular topic.
• Hypertext systems use a large number of units of text or other types of data such as image information, graphical information, video information, or sound information, which can vary in size.
• a collection of such units of information is termed a hypertext document, or where the hypertext documents employ information other than text, hypermedia documents.
• Multimedia communications may use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol ("HTTP"), and files or formatted data may use the Hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”).
• HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
• HTML Hypertext Markup Language
• This formatting language provides for a mingling of text, graphics, sound, video, and hypertext links by "tagging" a text document using HTML.
• Data encoded using HTML is often referred to as an "HTML document,” an "HTML page,” or a “home page.”
• HTML Uniform Resource Locator
• Web resources such as servers, files, Web pages, mail messages, and the like.
• Web resources such as servers, files, Web pages, mail messages, and the like.
• One way that Web resources can be accessed is by browsers made by Netscape® and Microsoft Internet Explorer®.
• scanner 100 scans bar code data 102 into a "wedge" interface 104 for conversion into keyboard data, which keyboard data is passed therefrom into the keyboard input port of PC 108.
• a wedge interface 104 is simply an interface box containing circuitry that accommodates inputs from both a scanner and a computer keyboard 106. Therefore output from the scanner 100 is passed into the wedge 104 for conversion into keyboard data. Since the wedge 104 emulates a keyboard, the PC 108 does not require a separate input for the scanner 100, but may pass scanner data through the wedge 104 directly into the keyboard port of the PC 108. When not receiving scanner data, the wedge 104 simply acts as a pass-through device for keyboard data. The information is ultimately presented to a viewer by display 110.
• FIGURE 2 there is illustrated a microcontroller 200 which controls interfacing of the keyboard 106 and wand 100 with the PC 108.
• the microcontroller 200 has contained therein a memory 202 or it can have external memory.
• the wand 100 requires a serial data line, a ground line, and a power line.
• the keyboard 106 requires a serial data line, a ground line, a clock line, and a power line.
• the PC 108 provides a clock line, a power line, a serial data, and a ground line for input to the microcontroller 200.
• the microcontroller 200 is operable to receive signals from the keyboard 106 and transfer the signals to the PC 108 as keyboard signals. Operation with the keyboard 106 is essentially a "pass-through" procedure. Data output from the keyboard is already in keyboard format, and therefore requires no conversion by the wedge interface 104. With respect to the wand 100, the serial data is not compatible with a keyboard 106 and, therefore, it must be translated into a keyboard format in order to allow input thereof to the keyboard input of the PC 108.
• the microcontroller 200 performs this function after decoding this bar code information and conversion of this bar code information into an appropriate stream of data which is comprised of the bar code information and the appended URL.
• This appended URL will be pre-stored in the memory 202 and is programmable at the time of manufacture.
• the memory 202 is illustrated as being contained within the microcontroller 202 to provide a single chip solution. However, this could be external memory that is accessible by the microcontroller 202. Therefore, the microcontroller 200 provides an interface between a wand 100 and a keyboard 106 to a PC 108 which allows the wand 100 to receive coded information and convert it to keyboard strokes with appended intermediate routing information or, alternatively, to merely pass-through the keystrokes from the keyboard 106. Therefore, the user need not install any type of plug-in circuit board into the motherboard of the computer in order to provide an interface to the wand 100; rather, the user need only utilize the already available keyboard port in order to input the appropriate data into the system.
• Bar codes are structured to be read in either direction. Timing considerations need to be addressed because of the variety of individuals scanning the bar code introduce a wide variety of scan rates. Bar codes use bars of varying widths. The presence of a black bar generates a positive pulse, and the absence of a black bar generates no pulse. Each character of a conventional bar code has associated therewith seven pulses or bars. Depending on the width of the bars, the time between pulses varies. In this disclosed embodiment, the interface circuitry 104 performs a "running" calculation of the scan time based upon the rising edge of the pulses commencing with the leader or header information. The minimum and maximum scans times are calculated continuously in software with the interface 104 during the scanning process to ensure a successful scan by the user.
• advertiser server 312 Upon receipt of the message packet 404 from source PC 302, advertiser server 312 disassembles the message packet 404 to obtain the request-for-product-information data. The advertiser server 312 then retrieves the particular product information from its database, and transmits it over Path "D" back to the source PC 302. Referring now to FIGURE 4d, the message packet 406 for this particular transaction comprises the address of the source PC 302, the requested information, and the URL of the advertiser server 312.
• the UPC code is then used with a look-up table to retrieve the advertiser server 312 URL of the respective product information contained in the UPC code.
• the ARS 308 then assembles message packet 402 for transmission back to the source PC 302.
• Function block 610 indicates the process of sending the message packet 402 back to the source PC 302 over Path "B.”
• the PC 906 in response to receiving the primary routing information from the region 904, will then access a network 910 to provide an interconnection medium with a plurality of network nodes (not shown), one of these having associated therewith remote information on a network node 912.
• This network node 912 has contained therein remote information that is associated with the primary routing information 904.
• the PC 906, in conjunction with the network 910, is operable to access the remote information 912 via the primary routing information extracted from the optical field 904 such that there is connection made between the PC 906 and the remote information node 912 to allow information to then be extracted from the remote information node 912 and provided to the user 908.
• this optical field It is the association of this optical field with the product that encourages the user to input the optical information to a network to view additional information about the product.
• additional information is then viewed by the user or accessible by the user as defined by the manufacturer and not by the PC 1004.
• the PC 1004 merely relays this information.
• the ARS 308 which basically constitutes the PC 1004 of FIGURE 10, is operable to have associated therewith a profile database 1308, which profile database 1308 is operable to store profiles for all of the users.
• the profile database 1308 is a combination of the profiles stored in profile database 1302 for all of the PCs 906 that are attachable to the system. This is to be distinguished from information stored in the database 310, the advertiser's database, which contains intermediate destination tables.
• the profile database is then utilized for each transaction, wherein each transaction in the form of the routing information received from the field 904 is compared to the destination tables 310 to determine what manufacturer it is associated with, and the associated ID that is transmitted along with the routing information in field 904 is then compared with the profile database 1308 to determine if a profile associated therewith is available.
• This information is stored in a transaction database 1310 such that, at a later time, for each routing code or bar code received in the form of the information in field 904, there will associated therewith the IDs of each of the PCs 906.
• the associated profiles in database 1308, which are stored in association with IDs, can then be assembled and transmitted to a subscriber as referenced by a subscriber node 1312 on the network 910.
• FIGURE 15 there is illustrated a flowchart depicting the operation of the host when receiving a transaction.
• the program is initiated at a start block 1502 and then proceeds to decision block 1504, wherein it is determined whether the system has received a routing request, i.e., the routing information in the form of a bar code, etc., stored in the routing field 904 as described hereinabove with respect to FIGURE 9.
• the program will loop back around to the input of decision block 1504 until the routing request has been received.
• the program will flow along the "Y" path to a function block 1506 to receive the primary routing information and the user ID. Essentially, this primary routing information is extracted from the received field, in addition to the user ID.
• the routing code i.e., the barcode
• the profile information can be transmitted back to the subscriber or manufacturer in the node 312 in realtime or non-realtime.
• a decision block 1512 is provided for this, which determines if the delivery is realtime. If realtime, the program will flow along a "Y" path to a function block 1514 wherein the information will be immediately forwarded to the manufacturer or subscriber. The program will then flow to a function block 1516 wherein the billing for that particular manufacturer or subscriber will be updated in the billing database 1316. The program will then flow into an End block 1518. If it was non-realtime, the program moves along the "N" path to a function block 1520 wherein it is set for a later delivery and it is accrued in the transaction database.
• the transaction database will accrue all information associated with a particular routing code.
• a manufacturer With a realtime transaction, it is possible for a manufacturer to place an ad in a magazine or to place a product on a shelf at a particular time. The manufacturer can thereafter monitor the times when either the ads are or the products are purchased. Of course, they must be scanned into a computer which will provide some delay. However, the manufacturer can gain a very current view of how a product is moving.
• a cola manufacturer were to provide a promotional advertisement on, for example, television, indicating that a new cola was going to be placed on the shelf and that the first 1000 purchasers, for example, scanning their code into the network would receive some benefit, such as a chance to win a trip to some famous resort in Florida or some other incentive, the manufacturer would have a very good idea as to how well the advertisement was received. Further, the advertiser would know where the receptive markets were. If this advertiser, for example, had placed the television advertisement in ten cities and received overwhelming response from one city, but very poor response from another city, he would then have some inclination to believe that either one poor response city was not a good market or that the advertising medium he had chosen was very poor. Since the advertiser can obtain a relatively instant response and also content with that response as to the demographics of the responder, very important information can be obtained in a relatively short time.

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• Signal Processing (AREA)
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• Development Economics (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Game Theory and Decision Science (AREA)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
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• Computer And Data Communications (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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• 1999
  • 1999-09-09 JP JP55719999A patent/JP2002512722A/ja active Pending
  • 1999-09-09 CN CNB998006076A patent/CN100476788C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-09-09 IL IL14194199A patent/IL141941A0/xx unknown
  • 1999-09-09 PL PL99347312A patent/PL347312A1/xx unknown
  • 1999-09-09 WO PCT/US1999/020694 patent/WO2000016211A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-09-09 EP EP99945622A patent/EP1018080A4/de not_active Ceased
  • 1999-09-09 CN CN2008100876674A patent/CN101409707B/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-09-09 BR BR9913624-4A patent/BR9913624A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-09-09 AU AU58190/99A patent/AU5819099A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-09-09 KR KR1019997010910A patent/KR20010020456A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-11-19 TW TW088120270A patent/TW459183B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

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