System and method for using an ordinary article of commerce to access a remote computer

Abstract

A system and method for using identification codes found on ordinary articles of commerce to access remote computers on a network. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a computer is provided having a database that relates Uniform Product Code (“UPC”) numbers to Internet network addresses (or “URLs”). To access an Internet resource relating to a particular product, a user enters the product's UPC symbol manually, by swiping a bar code reader over the UPC symbol, or via other suitable input means. The database retrieves the URL corresponding to the UPC code. This location information is then used to access the desired resource.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a remote server computer comprising:
 the remote server computer receiving over a network from a user computing device an index obtained by the user computing device reading a data carrier modulated with the index;   the remote server computer accessing a database in the remote server computer with the index, the database comprising a plurality of records comprising predetermined relationships that link an index to a pointer that identifies a remote information computer on the network;   the remote server computer extracting a pointer from the database as a function of the index; and   the remote server computer returning the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein index is obtained by scanning a bar code symbol encoded with the index. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pointer comprises at least one of a network address, a Uniform Resource Locator, a name of the remote information computer, or an IP address. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the remote server computer returns the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to automatically establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the remote server computer returns the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby by returning to the user computing device a hypertext link that is manually selectable by the user computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the network is the Internet. 
     
     
         7 . A remote server computer comprising:
 means for receiving over a network from a user computing device an index obtained by the user computing device reading a data carrier modulated with the index;   a database comprising a plurality of records comprising predetermined relationships that link an index to a pointer that identifies a remote information computer on the network;   means for accessing the database computer with the index to extract a pointer from the database as a function of the index; and   means for returning the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby.   
     
     
         8 . The remote server computer of  claim 7  wherein the index is obtained by scanning a bar code symbol encoded with the index. 
     
     
         9 . The remote server computer of  claim 7  wherein the pointer comprises at least one of a network address, a Uniform Resource Locator, a name of the remote information computer, or an IP address. 
     
     
         10 . The remote server computer of  claim 7  wherein the means for returning the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby comprises means for returning the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to automatically establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby. 
     
     
         11 . The remote server computer of  claim 7  wherein the means for returning the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby comprises means for returning the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to manually establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby by selecting a hypertext link returned to the user computing device by the remote server computer. 
     
     
         12 . The remote server computer of  claim 7  wherein the network is the Internet. 
     
     
         13 . A remote server computer comprising:
 a telecommunications interface configured to receive over a network from a user computing device an index obtained by the user computing device reading a data carrier modulated with the index;   a database comprising a plurality of records comprising predetermined relationships that link an index to a pointer that identifies a remote information computer on the network; and   database management software configured to
 access the database computer with the index to extract a pointer from the database as a function of the index, and 
 return the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby. 
   
     
     
         14 . The remote server computer of  claim 13  wherein the index is obtained by scanning a bar code symbol encoded with the index. 
     
     
         15 . The remote server computer of  claim 13  wherein the pointer comprises at least one of a network address, a Uniform Resource Locator, a name of the remote information computer, or an IP address. 
     
     
         16 . The remote server computer of  claim 13  wherein the database management software is configured to return the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby by returning the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to automatically establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby. 
     
     
         17 . The remote server computer of  claim 13  wherein the database management software is configured to return the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby by returning the pointer to the user computing device over the network to enable the user computing device to use the pointer to manually establish communication directly via the network with the remote information computer identified thereby by selecting a hypertext link returned to the user computing device by the remote server computer. 
     
     
         18 . The remote server computer of  claim 13  wherein the network is the Internet. 
     
     
         19 . A method of using a user computing device comprising:
 the user computing device reading a data carrier modulated with an index;   the user computing device transmitting the index over a network to a remote server computer;   the user computing device receiving from the remote server computer a pointer that was retrieved from a database by the remote server computer as a function of the index, the database comprising a plurality of records comprising predetermined relationships that link an index to a pointer that identifies a remote information computer; and   the user computing device using the pointer received from the remote server computer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the pointer.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the step of the user computing device reading a data carrier modulated with an index comprises scanning a bar code symbol encoded with the index. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the pointer comprises at least one of a network address, a Uniform Resource Locator, a name of the remote information computer, or an IP address. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the step of the user computing device using the pointer received from the remote server computer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the pointer comprises the user computing device using the pointer received from the remote server computer to automatically establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the pointer. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the step of the user computing device using the pointer received from the remote server computer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the pointer comprises the user computing device using a user-selected hypertext link returned to the user computing device by the remote server computer to establish communication via the network with the remote information computer identified by the pointer. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the network is the Internet.