WO2001071517A1 - Procedes et systemes de navigation dans le reseau, au moyen d'un article de courrier - Google Patents

Procedes et systemes de navigation dans le reseau, au moyen d'un article de courrier Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001071517A1
WO2001071517A1 PCT/US2000/007313 US0007313W WO0171517A1 WO 2001071517 A1 WO2001071517 A1 WO 2001071517A1 US 0007313 W US0007313 W US 0007313W WO 0171517 A1 WO0171517 A1 WO 0171517A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
mail
article
electronic
electronic address
address
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2000/007313
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
William L. Reber
Cary D. Perttunen
Original Assignee
Motorola Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Motorola Inc. filed Critical Motorola Inc.
Priority to PCT/US2000/007313 priority Critical patent/WO2001071517A1/fr
Priority to AU2000240160A priority patent/AU2000240160A1/en
Publication of WO2001071517A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001071517A1/fr

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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
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to methods and systems for navigating an electronic network.
  • the World Wide Web uses an addressing system known as a URL
  • URLs are comprised of up to four parts: a protocol, a domain name, a path, and a filename. The combination of these four parts can produce a complex address for a resource. For example, the address for information on two-way pagers on the Motorola home page is: http://www.mot.com/MIMS/MSPG/ Products /Two-way/tango/desc . html .
  • Another part of the problem is m the rapid increase of the number of entities and the number of resources on the World Wide Web. Many entities are finding that domain names which they desire are already reserved. As a result, some entities have to purchase their desired domain name from another holder, or have to reserve a less than desirable domain name. Further, as the number of resources increases, newly-formed URLs become less intuitive and greater in length.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system for navigating an electronic network using an article of mail
  • FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a network navigation method using the article of mail
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram of records in a database for determining the electronic address
  • FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example of the data reader and the network access apparatus at the user location
  • FIG. 5 is an illustration of a first example of the article of mail
  • FIG. 6 is an illustration of a second example of the article of mail.
  • FIG. 7 is an illustration of a third example of the article of mail.
  • Embodiments of the present invention advantageously provide methods and systems for automatically navigating an electronic network to a destination associated with an article of mail.
  • An end user can navigate to the destination using the article of mail without necessarily knowing the electronic address for the destination.
  • the electronic address and the format for the electronic address become more transparent to the end user.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system for navigating an electronic network 10 using an article of mail 12.
  • the electronic network 10 includes an open, wide area network such as the Internet, the World Wide Web, or an online service.
  • the electronic network 10 include but are not limited to: an intranet, an extranet, a local area network, a telephone network such as a public switched telephone network, a cellular telephone network, a personal communication system (PCS) network, a television network such as a cable television system, a paging network such as a local paging network, a regional paging network, a national paging network, or a global paging network, and a wireless data network such as a satellite data network or a local wireless data network.
  • a telephone network such as a public switched telephone network, a cellular telephone network, a personal communication system (PCS) network
  • a television network such as a cable television system
  • a paging network such as a local paging network, a regional paging network, a national paging network, or a global paging network
  • a wireless data network such as a satellite data network or a local wireless data network.
  • Examples of the article of mail 12 include, but are not limited to post cards, letters, items within envelopes, publications, packages, and parcels.
  • the article of mail 12 can be physically delivered by a postal service such as tne United States Postal Service (USPS) , by a parcel service or courier service such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service, or by another delivery service.
  • a postal service such as tne United States Postal Service (USPS)
  • USPS United States Postal Service
  • a parcel service or courier service such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service
  • Another delivery service Associated with the article of mail 12 are machine-readable data 14, and optionally, a human- readable image 16.
  • the machine-readable data 14 is used to navigate to a destination of the electronic network 10 such as an electronic address 20.
  • the optional human-readable image 16 is associated with either the electronic address 20 or a means for navigating to the electronic address 20.
  • the electronic address 20 identifies the destination using at least a portion of a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) , a URN (Uniform Resource Name), an IP (Internet Protocol) address, or an electronic mail address.
  • a URL can include up to four parts: a protocol, a domain name, a path, and a filename.
  • URL protocols include: "file:” for accessing a file stored on a local storage medium; “ftp:” for accessing a file from an FTP (file transfer protocol) server; "http:” for accessing an HTML (hypertext marking language) document; “gopher:” for accessing a Gopher server; “mailto:” for sending an e- mail message; “news:” for linking to a Usenet newsgroup; “telnet”: for opening a telnet session; and “wais:” for accessing a WAIS server. Consequently, the article of mail 12 can be utilized for automatically initiating any of the above tasks.
  • the machine-readable data 14 includes data associated with the delivery of the article of mail 12.
  • the data can assist in the delivery of the article of mail 12, or can identify the article of mail 12, for example.
  • the machine-readable data 14 includes information-based indicia such as the information-based indicia proposed by the United States Postal Service.
  • the machine-readable data 14 includes a destination address, a return address, a registration number, a transaction identifier, and a postage license associated with the article of mail 12.
  • the aforementioned information is encoded using a printed code that includes a two- dimensional bar code.
  • U.S. Patent Nos. 5,510,992 and 5,606,507 to Kara which are hereby incorporated by reference into the disclosure of this application, disclose methods and systems for producing information-based indicia for the article of mail 12. Additionally, a commercially- available product from E-Stamp Corporation uses a desktop computer and a printer to print information- based indicia directly onto envelopes or labels for the article of mail 12. As an alternative to the aforementioned information-based indicia, the machine-readable data 14 can include a ZIP+4 Postnet Bar Code or a Delivery Point Bar Code (DPBC) associated with the article of mail 12. The ZIP+4 Bar Code or the Delivery Point Bar Code may be associated with either a destination address or a return address for the article of mail 12.
  • DPBC Delivery Point Bar Code
  • the machine-readable data 14 can include a one-dimensional or a two-dimensional bar code that identifies the article of mail 12. Examples of such bar codes include tracking codes used by United Parcel Service and Federal Express for delivering the article
  • the machine-readable data 14 can include navigation data for navigating the electronic network 10.
  • the machine-readable data 14 can include any combination of: an instruction for selecting a client routine (e.g. an Internet or intranet browser routine) to be executed by a network access apparatus 22, an instruction for directing a connection from the network access apparatus 22 to a service provider (e.g. an Internet service provider) to access the electronic network 10, and a navigation instruction for linking to a resource of the electronic network 10.
  • the navigation instruction can include either the electronic address 20 or an electronic address of a node 23 for determining the electronic address 20. Examples of these instructions are given m the above-listed patent applications incorporated by reference into this disclosure.
  • the machine-readable data 14 can include data to facilitate a transaction.
  • data to facilitate a transaction include, but are not limited to, data indicating an item in a transaction and data indicating a party of a transaction. Examples of these and other transaction data are described in the patent application entitled “Transaction Methods, Systems, and Devices" which is incorporated by reference into this disclosure.
  • the machine-readable data 14 preferably includes a printed code such as a one-dimensional or a two-dimensional bar code.
  • a printed code such as a one-dimensional or a two-dimensional bar code.
  • one-dimensional bar codes include, but are not limited to, 3 of 9, UPC-A, Code 128, Codabar, MSI, Extended 3 of 9, Code 93, Extended Code 93, Industrial 2 of 5, Standard 2 of 5, Code 11, and UCC/EAN-128.
  • Examples of two-dimensional bar codes include, but are not limited to, Data Matrix and PDF417.
  • the printed form of the machine- readable data 14 is not readily mterpretable or not readily discernible by an end user 24.
  • a human may be specially trained to mentally decode a bar code, such a code is practically indiscernible by most humans.
  • the machine- readable data 14 can be printed to be either visible or invisible to the end user 24.
  • the machine- readable data 14 can include magnetic data, electronic data, or optical data. If desired, the machme- readable data 14 can be selected to be readable by more than one type of data reader.
  • printed data can be printed with a magnetic substance, such as magnetic ink, so as to be readable by both an optical reader and a magnetic reader.
  • the optional human-readable image 16 can be indicative of one or more of: (I) a resource m the electronic network 10 associated with the article of mail 12; (n) a service which determines the electronic address 20 based upon the machine-readable data 14; (in) a client routine initiated by the machine- readable data 14; (iv) a service provider selected by the machine-readable data 14; and (v) an advertiser.
  • the human-readable image 16 can include textual information and/or graphical information.
  • the machine-readable data 14 and the human- readable image 16 can be associated with the article of mail 12 in a variety of ways. One way is to have the machine-readable data 14 and the human-readable image 16 supported by the article of mail 12.
  • the machine-readable data 14 and the human-readable image 16 can be either: (I) printed directly onto packaging for the article of mail 12 such as an envelope, a box, a diskette shipper, or a tube; (n) printed onto a substrate such as a mailing label for affixing or adhering to the packaging for the article of mail 12; or (111) printed to contents of the article of mail 12, such as a letter or other correspondence, which may or may not be externally viewable through the packaging.
  • Another way is to have the machine-readable data 14 and the human-readable image 16 supported by an article 26 detached or detachable from the article of mail 12.
  • the article 26 can include an address card, a routing slip, a shipping form, a direct mail card, or a like article associated with the article of mail 12.
  • a data reader 30 is used to read the machine- readable data 14 from the article of mail 12.
  • the form of the data reader 30 is dependent upon the form of the machine-readable data 14.
  • the data reader 30 can include an optical data reader such as a bar code reader, a scanning wand, a handheld scanner, a page scanner, a business card reader, a photograph reader, a fax machine, or generally, a linear CCD (charge coupled device) reader or a two-dimensional CCD reader.
  • the data reader 30 can include a magnetic read head.
  • the data reader 30 can include an electronic interface or a receiver. The data reader 30 communicates a signal representative of the machine-readable data 14 to the network access apparatus 22.
  • the network access apparatus 22 can execute any combination of: a predetermined client routine (e.g. a predetermined Internet browser routine) , a predetermined network provider access routine (e.g. to dial and log on to a predetermined service provider) , and navigation instructions for automatically linking the network access apparatus 22 either to the electronic address 20 or to the node 23 via the electronic network 10. Additionally, the network access apparatus 22 can initiate a transaction if the machine-readable data 14 include transaction data.
  • a predetermined client routine e.g. a predetermined Internet browser routine
  • a predetermined network provider access routine e.g. to dial and log on to a predetermined service provider
  • the network access apparatus 22 can have a variety of forms, including but not limited to, a general purpose computer, a network computer, a network television, an Internet television, an Internet telephone, a portable wireless device, a television receiver, a game player, a video recorder, and an audio component. Regardless of its form, the network access apparatus 22 typically includes a processor in communication with at least one input device, a memory, and at least one storage device.
  • the processor can include a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit, or another suitable integrated circuit.
  • the memory can include a read-only memory and/or a random access memory m communication with the processor.
  • the at least one input device can include a keyboard and/or a pointing device for receiving user- mitiated events from the end user 24.
  • the at least one storage device can include a floppy disk drive, a PC card storage device, an optical drive, a DVD drive, a CD-ROM drive, or a hard drive to store computer- readable data.
  • the network access apparatus 22 includes a modem, a network adapter, a wireless transceiver, a wireline transceiver, or another transceiver.
  • the network access apparatus 22 can communicate with the electronic network 10 via a line such as a telephone line, an ISDN line, a coaxial line, a cable television line, a fiber optic line, a computer network line, or the like.
  • the network access apparatus 22 can wirelessly communicate with the electronic network 10.
  • the network access apparatus 22 decodes the machine-readable data 14 to determine the electronic address 20. In this case, for example, the network access apparatus 22 can decode the machine- readable data 14 in accordance with a bar code standard. If the machine-readable data 14 does not directly encode the electronic address 20, the electronic address 20 is determined using a database.
  • the database can be local to the network access apparatus 22, such as a database 32, or can be accessible via the electronic network 10, such as a database 34 at the node 23. In these cases, the database 32 and/or the database 34 each includes a plurality of records associating data with electronic addresses. The database 32 and/or the database 34 determines the electronic address 20 by matching the machine-readable data 14 with one of the records.
  • Each database includes a storage device to store its data m a computer-readable form with a computer- readable storage medium.
  • the computer- readable storage medium include, but are not limited to, an optical storage medium such as a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) or a digital versatile disk (DVD) , a magnetic storage medium such as a hard disk or a floppy disk, and an electronic storage medium such as a memory.
  • the records in the database 34 are populated by either a sender terminal 36 or a delivery service terminal 38.
  • Each of the sender terminal 36 and the delivery service terminal 38 can include a computer running the aforementioned product from E- Stamp Corporation, systems n accordance with U.S. Patent Nos. 5,510,992 and 5,606,507 to Kara, or a computer running software from UPS including UPS OnLmeTM Office, UPS OnlineTM Professional and other UPS OnLmeTM Solutions software.
  • UPS UPS OnLmeTM Office
  • UPS OnlineTM Professional UPS OnLmeTM Solutions software
  • the delivery-based data and the electronic address can be communicated to the computer 40 specifically for the article of mail 12.
  • the delivery- based data and the electronic address can be communicated to the computer 40 upon printing the delivery-based data to the article of mail 12.
  • the delivery-based data and the electronic address can be applicable for a plurality of articles of mail either sent by the sender or delivered by the delivery service.
  • the electronic address can be communicated to the database 34 when registering to use information-based indicia.
  • the network access apparatus 22 communicates at least a portion of the machine-readable data 14 either locally to the database 32 or remotely to the database 34 via the electronic network 10.
  • the machine-readable data 14 includes an electronic address for linking to the node 23 to access the database 34.
  • the database 32 or the database 34 receives the data, matches the data to a record, and returns the electronic address 20.
  • Data representative of the electronic address 20 is communicated to the network access apparatus 22 via either a local connection or the electronic network 10.
  • the node 23 and the electronic address 20 have different URLs.
  • the node 23 can have a different domain name than the electronic address 20.
  • the node 23 and a node which provides the electronic address 20 can be geographically distant from each other (e.g. can be in different cities, different states or provinces, ⁇ r different countries).
  • the network access apparatus 22 can perform any combination of: linking to the electronic ad ⁇ ress 20, communicating a message to the electronic address 20, and receiving data from the electronic address 20.
  • the end user 24 can link to a Web page or an online document associated with either the content of the article of mail 12, the sender of the article of mail 12, the deliverer of the article of mail 12, or an advertiser associated with the article of mail 12, for example.
  • the end user 24 can acknowledge receipt of the article of mail 12 to either the sender or the deliverer of the article of mail 12, for example, or can electronically reply to the article of mail 12.
  • the end user 24 can receive either an electronic form of information printed m the article of mail 12, information that supplements or augments the information m the article of mail 12, or delivery information, for example.
  • the steps of linking, communicating a message, and/or receiving data can be performed to facilitate a transaction.
  • the end user 24 can purchase an item, pay a bill, pay taxes, vote in an election, renew a driver's license, renew an automobile registration, make ticket reservations, or purchase a sample of a video or a movie, upon receiving the article of mail 12.
  • a display device 44 such as a monitor, a television, or a liquid crystal display, is either coupled to or included with the network access apparatus 22 to display visual information received from the electronic address 20.
  • the visual information includes an image 46 similar to (or can be equivalent to) at least a portion of the human-readable image 16.
  • the node 23 can perform any of the functions of the nodes described in the patent application entitled “Methods and Systems for Providing a Resource in an Electronic Network” incorporated by reference into this disclosure. Examples of these functions include, but are not limited to, monitoring a usage parameter for electronic network navigation witn the article of mail 12, limiting electronic network navigation when the usage parameter attains a usage limit, and providing a proxy server for resources of the electronic network 10. Additionally, the node 23 can specify a level of service with which to provide a resource to the end user 24.
  • FIG. 2 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a network navigation method using the article of mail 12.
  • the method includes a step of reading the machine-readable data 14 from the article of mail 12.
  • the machine-readable data 14 is read using the data reader 30.
  • the step of reading the machine-readable data 14 includes reading a printed code associated with the article of mail 12. It is also preferred that the step of reading the machine- readable data 14 includes reading data associated with a sender of the article of mail 12.
  • the step of reading the machine-readable data 14 includes reading at least a portion of an information-based indicia associated with the article of mail 12.
  • the step of reading the machine-readable data 14 can include reading at least one of data associated with a return address for the article of mail 12, data associated with a destination address for the article of mail 12, data associated with a registration number for the article of mail 12, data associated with a transaction identifier for the article of mail 12, and data associated with a postage license number for the article of mail 12.
  • the step of reading the machine- readable data 14 can include reading a ZIP+4 Postnet Bar code or a Delivery Point Bar Code associated with either a destination address or a return address for the article of mail 12.
  • the step of reading the machine-readable data 14 can include reading a tracking code for the article of mail 12.
  • a step of executing a network access routine is performed.
  • the network access routine is executed by the network access apparatus 22. If desired, the network access routine can be automatically initiated upon reading the machine-readable data in block 50, or upon receiving another user-initiated action. Alternatively, the step of executing the network access routine can be executed prior to reading the machine-readable data 14 in block 50.
  • the step of executing the network access routine can include any of: (I) executing a routine to connect and/or to log on to a service provider (e.g. executing a dial-up routine or a wireless authentication routine to connect to a service provider); and (n) executing a client routine for subsequent user interaction via the electronic network 10 (e.g. executing a graphical user interface routine or a Web browsing routine) .
  • a service provider e.g. executing a dial-up routine or a wireless authentication routine to connect to a service provider
  • a client routine for subsequent user interaction via the electronic network 10 e.g. executing a graphical user interface routine or a Web browsing routine
  • the machine-readable data 14 includes instructions for directing the initiation of the network access routine, and for directing which network access routine is to be executed.
  • the network access apparatus 22 can perform these instructions upon reading the machine-readable data 14 m block 50.
  • a step of determining the electronic address 20 based upon the machine- readable data 14 is performed.
  • the step of determining the electronic address 20 can include determining at least a portion of, and optionally, an entire portion of a URL, a URN, an IP address, or an electronic mail address, for example, associated with the article of mail 12.
  • a step of decoding the machine-readable data 14 is performed to determine the electronic address 20.
  • the machine-readable data 14 can be decoded m accordance with a predetermined bar code standard to determine the electronic address 20.
  • an additional step of completing the electronic address can be performed. For example, if an IP address is received, the IP address can be prepended by "http://".
  • the step of determining the electronic address 20 includes retrieving the electronic address 20 from a database based upon at least a portion of the machine-readable data 14.
  • the electronic address 20 can be determined by a look-up operation using either the database 32 or the database 34.
  • the electronic address 20 can be determined based upon at least one of the return address, the destination address, the registration number, the transaction identifier, and the postage license.
  • the electronic address includes an electronic mail address, a uniform resource locator, a uniform resource name, or an internet protocol address associated with the sender of the article of mail 12.
  • the method includes a step of linking to the electronic address 20 via the electronic network 10.
  • This step can include transmitting data representative of the electronic address 20 to the electronic network 10 to establish a link to the electronic address 20.
  • the method optionally includes a step of communicating a message to the electronic address 20 via the electronic network 10.
  • the message can be included in an electronic mail message to the electronic address 20, or n data communicated upon linking to the electronic address 20 in block 56.
  • the message can reply to or acknowledge receipt of the article of mail 12, for example.
  • the method optionally includes a step of receiving data from the electronic address 20 via the electronic network 10.
  • the data can encode audible information and/or visual information, such as graphical information and/or textual information, from the electronic address 20.
  • Examples of data content include, but are not limited to, any combination of a file from a local hard drive, a file from a FTP server, an HTML document, content from a Gopher server, a message from a newsgroup, a transmission from a Telnet session, a transmission from a WAIS server, an animation file, a movie file, an audio file, downloadable software, and an electronic book file.
  • the data can also have the form of an Internet telephone call with an individual.
  • the individual can include the sender of the article of mail 12, the recipient of the article of mail 12, or a deliverer of the article of mail 12.
  • the human- readable image 16 can include a picture and/or a name of the individual
  • the machine-readable data 14 can include a telecommunication number or an electronic address for communicating with the individual.
  • the method includes a step of displaying visual information from the electronic address 20.
  • the visual information can be displayed by the display device 44 or a hard copy device such as a printer.
  • the visual information can include an image which corresponds to at least a portion of the human-readable image 16 of the article of mail 12.
  • An article of manufacture can be formed to direct the network access apparatus 22 to perform the above- described steps.
  • the article of manufacture can include a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable data stored therein which directs the network access apparatus 22 to perform the above- described steps.
  • Examples of the computer-readable storage medium include, but are not limited to, a logic circuit, a memory, a mass storage medium, an optical disk, a CD-ROM, a magnetic disk, a floppy disk, a hard disk, and a PCMCIA card.
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram of records in a database, such as databases 32 or 34, for determining the electronic address 20.
  • Each of the records includes an electronic address corresponding to delivery-based data for an article of mail.
  • each electronic address is associated with a corresponding USPS information-based indicia. It is noted, however, that the database can alternatively associate the electronic addresses with other data.
  • a first record 70 corresponds to a first article of mail sent to a first destination address 72 by a sender having a first return address 74.
  • a second record 76 corresponds to a second article of mail sent to a second destination address 80 by the sender having the first return address 74.
  • Associated with both the first article of mail and the second article of mail is an e-mail address 82. Consequently, recipients of tne first article of mail and the second article of mail can communicate with the sender using the same e-mail address 82.
  • a third record 84 corresponds to a third article of mail sent to a third destination address 86 by a sender having a second return address 88. Associate ⁇ with the third article of mail is a first URL 90.
  • a fourth record 92 corresponds to a fourth article of mail sent to a fourth destination address 94 by a sender having the second return address 88. Associated with the fourth article of mail is a second URL 96 tnat can differ from the first URL 90. In these cases, the recipient of the third article of mail and the recipient of the fourth article of mail communicate to the sender using different electronic addresses.
  • a fifth record 100 corresponds to a fifth article of mail sent to the first destination address 72 by a sender having a third return address 102. Associated with the fifth article of mail is a URN 104. In this case, the recipient of the fifth article of mail can download an online document at the URN 104.
  • FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example of the data reader 30 and the network access apparatus 22 at the user location.
  • the network access apparatus 22 comprises a personal computer 120, and at least one input device including a keyboard 122 and a mouse 124.
  • the display device 44 comprises a monitor connected to a video port of the personal computer 120.
  • the data reader 30 includes a two-dimensional bar code reader connected to a serial port of the personal computer 120.
  • the personal computer 120 includes a modem, a network adapter, or another transceiver for communicating with the electronic network 10.
  • FIG. 5 is an illustration of a first example of the article of mail 12.
  • the article of mail 12 includes an envelope 140 containing a letter or other correspondence.
  • the envelope 140 supports an information-based indicia 142.
  • the information-based indicia 142 encodes a destination address, a return address, a registration number, a transaction ID, a postage license number, and an amount of postage remaining in an account.
  • the end user 24 navigates to the electronic address 20 by reading the information- based indicia 142 using the data reader 30.
  • the electronic address 20 can link to a Web page or an electronic mail address associated with the sender of the article of ma l 12, for example.
  • the envelope 140 further supports the destination address m a human-readable form 144, and a logo 146 for the human-readable image 16.
  • the image 46 displayed by the display device 44 corresponds to the logo 146.
  • FIG. 6 is an illustration of a second example of the article of mail 12.
  • the article of mail 12 includes a package 150.
  • the package 150 supports a tracking code 152 used by a delivery service.
  • the end user 24 navigates to the electronic address 20 by reading the tracking code 152 with the data reader 30.
  • the electronic address 20 can include a Web page address or an electronic mail address associated with the sender of the package 150, for example.
  • FIG. 7 is an illustration of a third example of the article of mail 12.
  • the article of mail 12 includes a postcard 160.
  • the postcard 160 supports a bar code 162 that encodes the electronic address 20 m accordance with a bar code standard.
  • the postcard 160 also supports a stamp 164 to pay for its delivery.
  • Tne bar code 162 can encode a URL for a Web page of the sender or can encode an electronic mail address for the sender.
  • the electronic addresses of FIG. 5 to 7 can differ from one another.
  • the electronic addresses can include electronic mail addresses and URLs, and the URLs can have different domain names. Further, different domain names can be provided for articles of mail delivered by the same delivery service .
  • the article of mail 12 can be used to navigate to a telephone number (either wireless or wireline) , a fax number, a pager number, or a personal communication system (PCS) number.
  • the machine-readable data 14 can directly encode any of the aforementioned telecommunication codes.
  • the databases 32 and 34 can store records which associate a telecommunication code with the machine-readable data 14.
  • the end user 24 can automatically initiate a telephone call, a fax, a paging message, or a PCS call to an individual associated with the article of mail 12 (e.g. a sender, a deliverer, a recipient, an advertiser, or another individual) .
  • an individual associated with the article of mail 12 e.g. a sender, a deliverer, a recipient, an advertiser, or another individual
  • the telecommunication code stored by the database 34 is updated based upon the location and status of the individual.
  • the telecommunication code can include a telephone number for the office.
  • the telecommunication code can include a home telephone number.
  • the telecommunication code can include a paging number or a wireless telephone number.
  • the individual can be contacted using the article of mail 12 m a manner transparent to the -end user 24.

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Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé de navigation dans le réseau comprenant les étapes suivantes consistant à lire des données lisibles par une machine (14) et associées à un article de courrier (12), et à déterminer une adresse électronique (20) en fonction des données lisibles par machine (14). L'invention concerne également un système de navigation servant à l'exécution des étapes ci-dessus mentionnées.
PCT/US2000/007313 2000-03-17 2000-03-17 Procedes et systemes de navigation dans le reseau, au moyen d'un article de courrier WO2001071517A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

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PCT/US2000/007313 WO2001071517A1 (fr) 2000-03-17 2000-03-17 Procedes et systemes de navigation dans le reseau, au moyen d'un article de courrier
AU2000240160A AU2000240160A1 (en) 2000-03-17 2000-03-17 Network navigation methods and systems using an article of mail

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PCT/US2000/007313 WO2001071517A1 (fr) 2000-03-17 2000-03-17 Procedes et systemes de navigation dans le reseau, au moyen d'un article de courrier

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US6965683B2 (en) 2000-12-21 2005-11-15 Digimarc Corporation Routing networks for use with watermark systems
US7418111B2 (en) 1996-11-12 2008-08-26 Digimarc Corporation Methods and apparatus to process media
US20120191535A1 (en) * 2008-07-25 2012-07-26 Solar Communications, Inc. System and method for tracking commercial activity
US8488836B2 (en) 2000-12-21 2013-07-16 Digimarc Corporation Methods, apparatus and programs for generating and utilizing content signatures
US8594364B2 (en) 2000-11-02 2013-11-26 Digimarc Corporation Batch identifier registration and embedding in media signals

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US5703783A (en) * 1992-04-06 1997-12-30 Electrocom Automation, L.P. Apparatus for intercepting and forwarding incorrectly addressed postal mail
US5731574A (en) * 1996-09-30 1998-03-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. Digital postage indicia verification for inserting system
US5761665A (en) * 1995-10-31 1998-06-02 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method of automatic database field identification for postal coding

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US5703783A (en) * 1992-04-06 1997-12-30 Electrocom Automation, L.P. Apparatus for intercepting and forwarding incorrectly addressed postal mail
US5761665A (en) * 1995-10-31 1998-06-02 Pitney Bowes Inc. Method of automatic database field identification for postal coding
US5731574A (en) * 1996-09-30 1998-03-24 Pitney Bowes Inc. Digital postage indicia verification for inserting system

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7418111B2 (en) 1996-11-12 2008-08-26 Digimarc Corporation Methods and apparatus to process media
US8594364B2 (en) 2000-11-02 2013-11-26 Digimarc Corporation Batch identifier registration and embedding in media signals
US6965683B2 (en) 2000-12-21 2005-11-15 Digimarc Corporation Routing networks for use with watermark systems
US7369676B2 (en) 2000-12-21 2008-05-06 Digimarc Corporation Routing networks for use with content linking systems
US7747037B2 (en) 2000-12-21 2010-06-29 Digimarc Corporation Routing networks for use with content linking systems
US8045756B2 (en) 2000-12-21 2011-10-25 Digimarc Corporation Routing networks for use with content linking systems
US8488836B2 (en) 2000-12-21 2013-07-16 Digimarc Corporation Methods, apparatus and programs for generating and utilizing content signatures
US20120191535A1 (en) * 2008-07-25 2012-07-26 Solar Communications, Inc. System and method for tracking commercial activity

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