Prior art

Based on a technical analysis of US patent 7,765,126 and the prior art cited during its examination by the USPTO, the following references are identified as most relevant. These references describe technologies that existed before the patent's priority date of June 20, 1995, and disclose systems and methods similar to those claimed in the '126 patent.

An anticipatory prior art reference under 35 U.S.C. § 102 must disclose every element of a patent claim, either explicitly or inherently. The analysis below outlines how each cited reference potentially anticipates the independent claims (1, 7, and 11) of the '126 patent.

Most Relevant Prior Art

1. EP 0 744 856 A3 (AT&T Corp)

• Full Citation: European Patent Application EP0744856A3, "Apparatus for and method of utilizing product identifier codes to establish communication connections." Filed on May 26, 1995.
• Brief Description: This patent application discloses a system where a user can scan a product identifier, such as a UPC barcode on a product, using a scanning device. This identifier is then sent to a remote service that contains a database. The database maps the product identifier to a corresponding communication address, such as a telephone number or a network address. The system then uses this address to establish a communication link, for instance, to connect to a vendor for that product.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims 1, 7, and 11:
  This European patent application, with a filing date that predates the priority date of the '126 patent, is particularly strong prior art.
  • It discloses scanning a barcode to get an "index" (the product identifier), as required by Claim 1(a).
  • It describes transmitting this identifier to a remote service/server over a network, aligning with Claim 1(b).
  • The remote service uses a database to look up a communication/network address based on the identifier, which corresponds to the database and URL lookup steps in Claim 1(c) and 1(d).
  • Finally, it describes establishing a communication connection based on the looked-up address, which is the functional result of the final step in Claim 1(f) where the user's device connects to the remote computer. The process described is functionally equivalent to the system, method, and device claimed in the '126 patent.

2. US 5,918,214 A (Perkowski)

• Full Citation: US Patent 5,918,214, "System and method for finding product and service related information on the internet." Filed on October 25, 1996.
• Brief Description: The Perkowski '214 patent details a system that allows users to find product information on the internet by using a product's identification number (e.g., UPC). A user inputs the number into their computer, which sends it to a server. The server holds a database linking these product numbers to specific URLs. The server finds the matching URL and sends it back to the user's computer, which can then connect to the relevant web page.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims 1, 7, and 11:
  Although filed after the '126 patent's priority date, this patent is cited as relevant art and describes a very similar system. It clearly teaches all the core elements of the independent claims:
  • Claims 1, 7, 11: Perkowski describes the exact workflow claimed in the '126 patent: a user device sending a product identifier (an "index") to a remote server, the server using a database to resolve this identifier into a URL, the server returning the URL to the user device, and the user device using that URL to establish a connection. While the patent doesn't explicitly require the initial input to be from a barcode scanner, using a product identification number like a UPC inherently suggests it, and barcode scanning was a well-known method for inputting UPCs at the time.

3. US 6,064,979 A (Perkowski)

• Full Citation: US Patent 6,064,979, "Method of and system for finding and serving consumer product related information over the internet using manufacturer identification numbers." Filed on October 25, 1996.
• Brief Description: This patent, related to the Perkowski '214 patent, focuses on a similar system but emphasizes using the manufacturer-specific portion of a product code. A user can input a manufacturer's ID, and a remote server's database will return a URL for that manufacturer, such as their main website.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims 1, 5, 7, and 11:
  This reference reinforces the disclosure of the '214 patent. It explicitly anticipates Claim 5, which specifies that the "index" can be "at least a portion of a Universal Product Code." The system's architecture and data flow—transmitting an identifier to a server for URL resolution and return—is identical to the process described in the independent claims of the '126 patent.

4. US 6,164,534 A (Rathus)

• Full Citation: US Patent 6,164,534, "Method and apparatus for accessing electronic data via a familiar printed medium." Filed on April 4, 1996.
• Brief Description: The Rathus patent describes linking printed materials, like books, to electronic data. A user scans a barcode in the book, and a computer retrieves an associated data file. The patent specifies that this data file can be retrieved from either a local storage device (like a CD-ROM) or a "remote server."
• Potential Anticipation of Claims 1, 7, and 11:
  Rathus discloses the fundamental concept of scanning a barcode to trigger the retrieval of electronic information. The key elements are present: a barcode scan provides a code (Claim 1(a)), and this code is used by a computing device to retrieve data. The disclosure that the data can come from a "remote server" implies a network connection and a lookup mechanism. While it doesn't detail the intermediate step of returning a URL as explicitly as Perkowski, the function of using a scanned code to access a specific remote network resource is clearly taught. This provides a strong basis for an anticipation argument against the broader claims of the '126 patent.