Method and apparatus for directing an existing product code to a remote location

Abstract

A method for interfacing a user location on a network to a destination location on the network is disclosed. A bar code having product information contained therein relating to an associated product is first scanned with a scanner, which bar code has no network routing information contained therein. The product information contained within the bar code is then extracted. Routing information over the network from the user location to the destination location is then defined in response to the steps of scanning and extracting, which routing information defines the location of the destination location on the network. With the routing information, the user location is then connected to the destination location in accordance with the defined routing information.

1 . A method for interfacing a user location on a network to a destination location on the network, comprising the steps of: 
 imaging a bar code at the user location having product information contained therein relating to an associated product, which bar code has no network routing information contained therein or inherently associated therewith;    defining routing information over the network from the user location to the destination location in direct response to the steps of scanning and extracting, which routing information defines the location of the destination location on the network, the step of defining including the steps of: 
 accessing a relational database at a database location on the network different than the user location containing a relationship between product information and predefined destination locations on the network, which relational database is operable to determine the one of the predefined destination locations associated with the extracted product information from the user location;  
 transmitting to the relational database representative information of the imaged bar code indicative of the product information;  
 instructional code generated at the database location on the network defining an instruction to direct the user location to be connected to at least one predefined destination defined by the relationship stored in the relational database in association with the transmitted representative information;  
 receiving from the relational database the generated instructional code containing routing information associated with the representative information; and  
 interconnecting the user location to the destination location in accordance with the received instructional code containing the defined routing information, which step of interconnecting occurs in direct response to the steps of scanning, transmitting and defining after the step of imaging such that the operation thereof is controlled from the database location.  
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of receiving information from the destination location in response to interconnecting thereto and displaying the received information.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bar code is disposed on or in close association with the associated product.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the bar code comprises a ISBN bar code.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the bar code comprises an EAN bar code.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the bar code comprises a UPN bar code.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of defining routing information comprises defining a universal resource locator (URL) of the destination location over the network in direct response to the step of imaging.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of defining routing information comprises the step of determining the existence of predetermined association between the imaged bar code and routing information for the destination location on the network.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of determining the existence of predetermined association comprises the step of accessing a database of a plurality of predetermined associations between a plurality of bar codes and associated routing information and determining if there is a corresponding bar code in the database.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the step of accessing comprises the steps of: 
 transmitting the representative information to an intermediate location on the network;    providing an associative database at the intermediate location, which associative database has stored therein the plurality of bar codes and associated routing information;    comparing the representative information received at the intermediate location with the database; and    if there is a corresponding bar code in the database to the received representative information, returning the associated routing information to the user's location.    
     
     
         11 . A method for interfacing a user location on a network to a destination location on the network, comprising the steps of: 
 imaging a bar code at the user location having product information contained therein relating to an associated product with a scanner, which bar code has no network routing information contained therein or inherently associated therewith;    in direct response to the step of imaging, extracting a representation of product information contained within the bar code for conversion in an interface device to keyboard data input to a PC at the user location in combination with a scanner ID;    in direct response to the step of imaging, defining routing information over the network from the user location to the destination location in response to the steps of imaging and extracting, which routing information defines the location of the destination location on the network, the step of defining including the steps of: 
 accessing a relational database at a database location on the network different than the user location containing a relationship between the representation of product information and predefined destination locations on the network, which relational database is operable to determine the one of the predefined destination locations associated with the extracted representation of product information;  
 transmitting from the user location to the relational database the extracted representation of product information;  
 instructional code generated at the database location on the network defining an instruction to force the user location to be connected to at least one predefined destination defined by the relationship stored in the relational database in association with the transmitted extracted representation of product information;  
 receiving from the relational database the generated instructional code containing routing information associated with the extracted representation of product information; and  
   in direct response to the step of defining, interconnecting the user location to the destination location in accordance with the received instructional code containing the defined routing information such that the operation thereof is controlled from the database location.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of receiving information from the destination location in response to interconnecting thereto and displaying the received information.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bar code is disposed on or in close association with the associated product.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the bar code comprises a ISBN bar code.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the bar code comprises an EAN bar code.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the bar code comprises a UPN bar code.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of defining routing information comprises defining a universal resource locator (URL) of the destination location over the network in direct response to the step of scanning and extracting.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of defining routing information comprises the step of determining the existence of predetermined association between the imaged bar code and routing information for the destination location on the network.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of determining the existence of predetermined association comprises the step of accessing a database of a plurality of predetermined associations between a plurality of representations of product information and associated routing information and determining if there is a corresponding representation of product information in the database.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the step of accessing comprises the steps of: 
 transmitting representation of product information to an intermediate location on the network;    providing an associative database at the intermediate location, which associative database has stored therein the plurality of representations of product information and associated routing information;    comparing the representations of product information received at the intermediate location with the database; and    if there is a corresponding representation of product information in the database to the received representation of product information, returning the associated routing information to the user's location.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relational database is disposed on an intermediate node on the network.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the relational database is disposed on an intermediate node on the network.