Automatic access of a networked resource with a portable wireless device

Abstract

A camera-enabled cell phone that is adapted to image a machine readable code such as a bar code, decode the bar code, send the bar code data over the Internet to a resolution server that will return an associated URL that will link the camera phone to content on an information server. Thus, by taking a picture of a bar code symbol, the camera phone will automatically retrieve content from the Internet that has been linked to that bar code.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A portable wireless device for accessing content from a server computer on a computer network comprising:
 a. a wireless transceiver;   b. an image capture module;   c. a display screen; and   d. processing circuitry adapted to:
 i. cause the wireless transceiver to selectively communicate with a wireless network to transmit and receive wireless messages, and to communicate with server computers on a global computer network; 
 ii. capture, via the image capture module, an image of a machine-readable code; 
 iii. process the captured image to decode the machine-readable code into a file identifier; 
 iv. form a data request message comprising the file identifier; 
 v. transmit, via the wireless transceiver, the data request message to a server computer on the global computer network; 
 vi. receive content via the global computer network as a function of the data message request; and 
 vii. perform a function with respect to the received content. 
   
     
     
         32 . The portable wireless device of  claim 31  in which the processing circuitry processes the captured image to decode the machine-readable code into a file identifier by decoding a bar code symbol which is the machine readable code. 
     
     
         33 . The portable wireless device of  claim 31  in which the data request message additionally comprises a device identifier. 
     
     
         34 . The portable wireless device of  claim 33  in which the device identifier comprises information that identifies operating characteristics of the portable wireless device. 
     
     
         35 . The portable wireless device of  claim 31  in which the image capture module is a camera. 
     
     
         36 . The portable wireless device of  claim 31  in which the wireless transceiver is a cellular telephone transceiver. 
     
     
         37 . The portable wireless device of  claim 31  in which the received content is displayed on the display screen with a web browser. 
     
     
         38 . The portable wireless device of  claim 31  in which the data request message comprises a URL. 
     
     
         39 . A method for accessing content from a server computer on a computer network comprising the steps of:
 a. capturing an image of a machine-readable code with a portable wireless device;   b. processing, on the portable wireless device, the captured image to decode the machine-readable code into a file identifier;   c. forming, on the portable wireless device, a data request message comprising the file identifier;   d. transmitting, from the portable wireless device via an associated wireless communications network, the data request message to a server computer on the computer network that is interoperable with the wireless communications network; and   e. returning content to the portable wireless device as a function of the data request message;   f. performing a function with respect to the received content.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  in which the machine-readable code is a bar code symbol. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  in which the bar code symbol is associated with an object. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  in which the content returned to the portable wireless device is associated with the object. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39  in which the computer network is a global computer network, and in which the portable wireless device communicates over a cellular network with the global computer network. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 39  in which the data request message additionally comprises a device identifier. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  in which the content is determined as a function of the device identifier. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44  in which the device identifier comprises information that identifies operating characteristics of the portable wireless device. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 39  in which the image is captured with a camera on the portable wireless device. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 39  in which the data request message is transmitted with a cellular telephone transceiver on the portable wireless device. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 39  in which the function performed with respect to the received content comprises the step of displaying at least part of the returned content on the portable wireless device. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49  in which the content displayed on the portable wireless device is displayed with a web browser. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 39  in which the data request message comprises a URL.