Method and apparatus for accessing a remote location by scanning an optical code

(54) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR

ACCESSING A REMOTE LOCATION BY
SCANNING AN OPTICAL CODE

(75) Inventors: Jeffry Jovan Philyaw, Dallas, TX
(US); David Kent Mathews,

Carrollton, TX (US)

(73) Assignee: Digital:Convergence Corporation,

Dallas, TX (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/378,221

(22) Filed: Aug. 19, 1999

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 09/151,530, filed on Sep. 11, 1998, now Pat. No. 6,098,106, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/151,471, filed on Sep. 11, 1998, now abandoned.

(51) Int. CI.7 G06F 15/16

(52) U.S. CI 709/217; 709/219; 709/227;

707/10

(58) Field of Search 709/204, 207,

709/208, 245, 217, 227, 238; 235/454; 707/4, 3, 10, 513, 2; 705/23, 26

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,668,312 A 6/1972 Yamamoto et al 178/6.8

4,002,886 A 1/1977 Sundelin 235/61.7 R

4,042,792 A 8/1977 Pakenham et al 179/90

4,365,148 A 12/1982 Whitney 235/383

4,471,218 A 9/1984 Culp

4,621,259 A 11/1986 Schepers et al 340/707

4,654,482 A 3/1987 DeAngelis 379/95

4,780,599 A 10/1988 Baus 235/383

4,785,296 A 11/1988 Tabata et al 340/731

4,816,904 A 3/1989 McKenna et al 358/84

4,817,136 A 3/1989 Rhoads 379/357

4,833,308 A 5/1989 Humble 235/383

4,841,132 A 6/1989 Kajitani et al 235/472

(List continued on next page.)

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

CA 2 250 450 4/1999

EP 0 837 406 A2 4/1998

(List continued on next page.)

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

"Group Decision Support System: Development and Application", Energy Systems, Westinghouse, Pittsburgh, PA.

(List continued on next page.)

Primary Examiner—Marc D. Thompson

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Howison & Arnott, L.L.P.

(57) ABSTRACT

A method for controlling a computer is disclosed wherein one or more remote locations disposed on a network are accessed in response to scanning an optical code. A first computer disposed on the network connects to a scanner for scanning the optical code of a product by a user. The scanner is uniquely identified with a scanner distributor by a scanner identification number. A second computer disposed on the network is accessed in response to the user scanning the optical code with the scanner, wherein a lookup operation is performed at the second computer to match the scanner identification number with the scanner 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.

19 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets

Page 2

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,845,634 A 7/1989 Vitek et al 364/468

4,894,789 A 1/1990 Yee 364/521

4,899,370 A 2/1990 Kameo et al 379/104

4,901,073 A 2/1990 Kibrick 341/13

4,905,094 A 2/1990 Pocock et al 358/342

4,907,264 A 3/1990 Seiler et al 379/355

4,916,293 A 4/1990 Cartlidge et al 235/375

4,937,853 A 6/1990 Brule et al 379/96

4,947,028 A 8/1990 Gorog 235/381

4.959.530 A 9/1990 O'Connor 235/383

4,975,948 A 12/1990 Andresen et al 379/355

4,984,155 A 1/1991 Geier et al 364/401

5,038,023 A 8/1991 Saliga 235/385

5,054,096 A 10/1991 Beizer 382/41

5,088,045 A 2/1992 Shimanaka et al 364/468

5,111,391 A 5/1992 Fields et al 364/401

5,115,326 A 5/1992 Burgess et al 358/440

5,128,752 A 7/1992 Von Kohorn 358/84

5,144,654 A 9/1992 Kelley et al 379/356

5,161,037 A 11/1992 Saito 358/468

5,161,214 A 11/1992 Addink et al 395/145

5,182,705 A 1/1993 Barr et al 364/401

5,189,630 A 2/1993 Barstow et al 364/514

5,191,525 A 3/1993 LeBrun et al 364/419

5,198,644 A 3/1993 Pfeiffer et al 235/383

5,235,654 A 8/1993 Anderson et al 382/61

5.241.402 A 8/1993 Aboujaoude et al 358/406

5.243.531 A 9/1993 DiPippo et al 364/468

5,247,347 A 9/1993 Litteral et al 358/85

5,262,860 A 11/1993 Fitzpatrick et al 358/142

5,285,278 A 2/1994 Holman 358/142

5,287,181 A 2/1994 Holman 348/473

5,288,976 A 2/1994 Citron et al 235/375

5,296,688 A 3/1994 Hamilton et al 235/375

5,304,786 A 4/1994 Pavlidis et al 235/462

5,305,195 A 4/1994 Murphy 364/401

5,319,454 A 6/1994 Schutte 348/5.5

5,324,922 A 6/1994 Roberts 235/375

5,331,547 A 7/1994 Laszlo 364/413.01

5,340,966 A 8/1994 Morimoto 235/376

5,349,678 A * 9/1994 Morris et al 709/203

5,357,276 A 10/1994 Banker et al 348/7

5,362.948 A 11/1994 Morimoto 235/376

5,382,779 A 1/1995 Gupta 235/383

5,386,298 A 1/1995 Bronnenberg et al 358/403

5,398,336 A 3/1995 Tantry et al 395/600

5,405,232 A 4/1995 Lloyd et al 414/280

5,418,713 A 5/1995 Allen 364/403

5.420.403 A 5/1995 Allum et al 235/375

5,420,943 A 5/1995 Mak 382/313

5,424,524 A 6/1995 Ruppert et al 235/462

5,438,355 A 8/1995 Palmer 348/1

5,446,490 A 8/1995 Blahut et al 348/7

5,446,919 A 8/1995 Wilkins 455/6.2

5,491,508 A 2/1996 Friedell et al 348/16

5,493,107 A 2/1996 Gupta et al 235/383

5,519,878 A 5/1996 Dolin, Jr. 395/800

5,530,852 A 6/1996 Meske, Jr. et al 396/600

5,570,295 A 10/1996 Isenberg et al 364/514

5,572,643 A 11/1996 Judson 395/793

5,592,551 A 1/1997 Lett et al 380/20

5,594,226 A 1/1997 Steger 235/379

5,602,377 A 2/1997 Beller et al 235/462

5,604,542 A 2/1997 Dedrick 348/552

5,640,193 A 6/1997 Wellner 348/7

5,649,186 A 7/1997 Ferguson 395/610

5,664,110 A 9/1997 Green et al 705/26

5,671,282 A 9/1997 Wolff et al 380/25

5,675,721 A 10/1997 Freedman et al 395/129

5,682,540 A 10/1997 Klotz, Jr. et al 395/766

5,694,163 A 12/1997 Harrison 348/13

5,708,780 A 1/1998 Levergood et al 395/200.12

5,710,887 A 1/1998 Chelliah et al 395/226

5,715,314 A 2/1998 Payne et al 380/24

5,724,424 A 3/1998 Gifford 380/24

5,745,681 A 4/1998 Levine et al 395/200.3

5,754,906 A 5/1998 Yoshida 396/448

5,757,917 A 5/1998 Rose et al 380/25

5,761,606 A 6/1998 Wolzien 455/6.2

5,764,906 A 6/1998 Edelstein et al 395/200.49

5,765,176 A 6/1998 Bloomberg 707/514

5.768.528 A 6/1998 Stumm 395/200.61

5.774.664 A 6/1998 Hidary et al 395/200

5,774,870 A 6/1998 Storey 705/14

5,778,367 A 7/1998 Wesinger, Jr. et al 707/10

5,790,793 A 8/1998 Higley 395/200.48

5,791,991 A 8/1998 Small 463/41

5,794,210 A 8/1998 Goldhaber et al 705/14

5,796,952 A 8/1998 Davis et al 305/200.54

5,804,803 A 9/1998 Cragun et al 235/375

5,815,776 A 9/1998 Nukada 399/174

5,832,223 A 11/1998 Hara et al 395/200.47

5,833,468 A 11/1998 Guy et al 434/350

5,848,202 A 12/1998 D'Eri et al 382/306

5.848,413 A 12/1998 Wolff 707/10

5,854,897 A 12/1998 Radziewicz et al 709/224

5,864,823 A 1/1999 Levitan 105/14

5,869,819 A 2/1999 Knowles et al 235/375

5,905,248 A 5/1999 Russell et al 235/462

5,905,251 A 5/1999 Knowles 235/472.01

5.905.665 A 5/1999 Rim 364/746

5,905,865 A 5/1999 Palmer et al 395/200.47

5,907,793 A 5/1999 Reams 455/3.1

5,913,210 A 6/1999 Call 707/4

5,915,090 A 6/1999 Joseph et al 709/202

5,918,214 A 6/1999 Perkowski 705/27

5,925,865 A 7/1999 Steger 235/379

5,929,850 A 7/1999 Broadwin et al 345/327

5,932,863 A 8/1999 Rathus et al 235/462.15

5,933,829 A 8/1999 Durst et al 707/10

5,948,061 A 9/1999 Merriman et al 709/219

5,957,695 A 9/1999 Redford et al 434/307 R

5,959,275 A * 9/1999 Hughes et al 235/375

5,960,411 A 9/1999 Hartman et al 705/26

5,961,603 A 10/1999 Kunkel et al 709/229

5.970.471 A 10/1999 Hill 705/26

5.970.472 A 10/1999 Allsop et al 705/26

5,971,277 A 10/1999 Cragun et al 235/462.01

5,974,443 A 10/1999 Jeske 709/202

5,974,451 A 10/1999 Simmons 709/218

5,976,833 A 11/1999 Furukawa et al 435/69.1

5,978,773 A 11/1999 Hudetz et al 709/219

5,991,739 A 11/1999 Cupps et al 705/26

5,992,752 A 11/1999 Wilz, Sr. et al 235/472.01

5,995,105 A 11/1999 Reber et al 345/356

6,002,394 A 12/1999 Schein et al 345/327

6,003,073 A 12/1999 Solvason 709/219

6.006,257 A 12/1999 Slezak 709/219

6,009,410 A 12/1999 LeMole et al 709/219

6,009,465 A 12/1999 Decker et al 709/219

6,012,102 A 1/2000 Shachar 710/5

6,018,764 A 1/2000 Field et al 709/217

6,032,195 A * 2/2000 Reber et al 246/220

6,049,539 A 4/2000 Lee et al 370/355

6,064,979 A 5/2000 Perkowski 705/26

6,108,656 A 8/2000 Durst et al 707/10

6,199,048 Bl * 3/2001 Hudetz et al 235/462.01

6,290,131 Bl * 9/2001 Kolis et al 235/462.01

6.442.529 Bl * 8/2002 Krishan et al 705/14

6,526,449 Bl * 2/2003 Philyaw et al 709/238

2001/0003178 Al * 1/2001 Chen et al 705/28 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

EP 0 961 250 A2 12/1999 G07F/19/00

JP 10188140 A 12/1996 G07G/1/12

WO WO 95/10813 10/1994 G06F/15/403

WO WO 96/07146 9/1995 G06F/17/00

WO WO 97/37319 2/1997 G06K/7/10

WO WO 98/09243 8/1997 G06F/19/00

WO WO 97 37319 10/1997

WO WO 98/03923 1/1998 G06F/15/163

WO WO 98/06055 2/1998 G06F/163/00

WO WO 98/19259 5/1998 G06F/17/60

WO WO 98 40823 9/1998

WO WO 99/63457 6/1999 G06F/17/30

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

"New Technologies in Credit Card Authentication", Pieter de Bryne, Institute for Communications Technology, Zurich, Switzerland.

"AVITAL, a Private Teaching System by Fax Communica-
tion", Atsusji Iizawa, Noriro Sugiki, Yukari Shitora and
Hideko Kunii, Software Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
"Document on Computer" USPS Technical Support Center,
Norman, OK.

"Development of a Commercially Successful Wearable Data
Collection System", Symbol Technologies, Inc.
What do forward looking companies consider in their plans
and developments?, A.G. Johnston, Nestle.

"The Automation Synergy", Neves and Noivo, Portugal. "Integration of Hand-Written Address Interpretation Technology into the United States Postal Service Remote Computer Reader System", Srihari (CEDAR, SUNY at Buffalo) and Kueberg (U.S. Postal Service, VA). "Paper Based Document Security—A Review", van Renesse, TNO Institute of Applied Physics, The Netherlands.

"IEEE Standard for Bar Coding for Distribution Transformers" Transformers Committee of the IEEE Power Engineering Society, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. NY.

"The StylusTM-Shopping from Home", STYLUS Innovation, MA.

"Distributing Uniform Resource Locators as Bar Code
Images", IBM Technical Disclosure Bulleting, Jan. 1996.
"Bar Code Method for Automating Catalog Orders", IBM
Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Sep. 1998.
"Bar-Code Recognition System Using Image Processing",
Kuroki, Yoneoka et al., Hitachi Research Laborator.
Kohda Y et al; "Ubiquitous Advertising on the WWW:
Merging Advertisement on the Browser," Computer Net-
works and ISDN Systems, May 1,1996, pp. 1493-1499, vol.
28, No. 11, North Holland Publishing, Amsterdam, NL.

* cited by examiner