System and method for composing menus of URL-encoded bar code symbols while ...

United States Patent [w]

Knowles

US006068188A [ii] Patent Number: 6,068,188 [45] Date of Patent: May 30,2000

[54] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPOSING MENUS OF URL-ENCODED BAR CODE SYMBOLS WHILE USING INTERNET BROWSER PROGRAM

[75] Inventor: C. Harry Knowles, Morristown, N.J.

[73] Assignee: Metrologic Instruments, Inc., Blackwood, N.J.

[21] Appl. No.: 08/820,540

[22] Filed: Mar. 19, 1997

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation-in-part of application No. 08/753,367, Nov. 25, 1996, abandoned, application No. 08/645,331, May 13, 1996, Pat. No. 5,844,227, application No. 08/615,054, Mar. 12, 1996, application No. 08/573,949, Dec. 18, 1995, abandoned, application No. 08/292,237, Aug. 17, 1994, Pat. No. 5,808,285, application No. 08/365,193, Dec. 28, 1994, Pat. No. 5,557,093, application No. 08/293,493, Aug. 19, 1994, Pat. No. 5,525,789, application No. 08/561,479, Nov. 20, 1995, Pat. No. 5,661,292, application No. 08/278,109, Nov. 24, 1993, Pat. No. 5,484,992, application No. 08/489,305, Jun. 9,1995, abandoned, application No. 08/476,069, Jun. 7, 1995, Pat. No. 5,591,953, and application No. 08/584,135, Jan. 11, 1996, Pat. No. 5,616,908.

[51] Int. C I. G06K 7/10

[52] U.S. CI 235/462.01; 235/472.01

[58] Field of Search 235/462, 472,

235/454, 375, 436, 462.01, 472.01, 472.02, 462.15, 462.46; 348/12, 13

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

A computer-based system is provided for composing menus of URL-encoded bar code symbols specifying the location of Internet-based information resources on the Internet. In the illustrative embodiment, the system comprises a computer system operably connectable to the Internet and including a visual display screen, a keyboard, and printer. The system also includes a GUI-based Internet browser program and a URL-menu composition program supported by the computer system. The function of the GUI-based Internet browser program is to enable a user to access and display Internet-based information resources stored on an Internet information server at a location specified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). The function of the URL-menu composition program is to enable the user to compose a menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols while using the GUI-based Internet browser program. After the menu of URL-encoded bar code symbols has been composed, it may be edited and then printed on a selected print medium. By virtue of the present invention, any Internet-based information resource can be automatically accessed and displayed by reading its URL-encoded bar code symbol from the printed menu using a bar code symbol reader operably connected to an Internet-enabled computer system supporting a bar code driven Internet browser program.

0 744 856 A2 11/1996 European Pat. Off.

16 Claims, 9 Drawing Sheets

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

"ZooWorks' Automatic Catalogs Enable Easy URL Sharing," by Gess Shankar, Infoworld, Apr. 21, 1997, p. 64H. IRIS IRISPen, a review of scanners published in MacUser, pp. 54-55, published Jul. 1998.

Press Release "AllPen Software Announces NetHopper at PC Expo," by S & S Public Relations, published Jun. 18, 1998.

Product Bruchure for NetHopper 2.0 WWW Browser Program for the Newton 2.0 Operating System, by AllPen Software, Inc., 2 pages, published circa Jan. 1997.

"Bookmarks," Web-Guide Magazine, Premiere Jan. 1997, pp. 33-35.

Magazine Guides That Help the Surfers, article from New York Times, P. D-7, published Nov. 25, 1996.

International Search Report in International Application No. PCT/US97/21975, Jun. 4, 1998.

International Search Report in International Application No. PCT/US97/21443, Jun. 4, 1998.

International Search Report in International Application No. PCT/US97/21970, Jun. 4, 1998.