US 8131597

A technical analysis of U.S. Patent 8,131,597 reveals a system for linking physical objects to online resources, a foundational concept in the landscape of the Internet of Things and QR code functionality. The patent, which has been the subject of extensive litigation, outlines a method for accessing a remote computer by using a product's existing identification code.

Patent Details:

• Title: System and method for using an ordinary article of commerce to access a remote computer
• Assignee: The most recent assignee on record is NM LLC. The original assignee was Neomedia Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Frank C. Hudetz, Peter R. Hudetz
• Filing Date: June 30, 2010
• Issue Date: March 6, 2012
• Abstract: The patent describes a system and method for utilizing identification codes, such as Uniform Product Codes (UPCs), found on everyday items to access remote computers on a network. A user can input the product's UPC, for instance by scanning the barcode, into a computer system. A database then relates this UPC to a specific network address (URL), which is then used to access the desired online resource.

Independent Claims Overview:

This patent includes four independent claims that form the core of its intellectual property protection.

• Claim 1: Describes a method for a user's computing system to communicate with a remote information computer. The process involves the user's system "machine-reading" a data carrier (like a barcode) to get an "index." This index is sent to a remote server, which uses a database to find a corresponding "pointer" (like a URL). The pointer is sent back to the user's system, which then directly connects to the remote information computer identified by that pointer.

• Claim 12: Details a user computing system designed for this process. It includes an input device (like a barcode scanner) to read an index from a data carrier. The system is programmed to send this index to a remote server, receive a pointer back from the server's database, and then use that pointer to connect with a remote information computer over a network.

• Claim 22: Focuses on the remote server's role. It outlines a method where the server receives an index from a user's device that has machine-read a data carrier. The server then uses this index to look up a corresponding pointer in its database, which links indices to pointers for various remote information computers. Finally, the server sends this pointer back to the user's device over the network.

• Claim 27: Describes the remote server itself. The server contains a database that links indices to pointers. It is programmed to receive an index from a user's system, use that index to retrieve the related pointer from its database, and then transmit that pointer back to the user's system, enabling the user to connect to the specified remote information computer.

A search of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for 2026 did not yield any specific results for U.S. Patent 8,131,597. However, historical records indicate that this patent and its family have been involved in numerous litigation cases in various district courts prior to the current date.