US 8805728

As a senior US patent analyst, I have reviewed the provided information for US Patent 8,805,728. Below is a concise summary based on the full patent text.

Summary of U.S. Patent 8,805,728

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

Assignee: The final recorded assignee for this patent is Nm LLC. The original assignee was Neomedia Technologies Inc.

Inventors: Frank C. Hudetz, Peter R. Hudetz

Filing Date: December 13, 2011

Issue Date: August 12, 2014

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.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

Independent Claim 1:
This claim outlines a method for a user's device, which includes a scanner and a computer, to connect to a specific remote computer over a network. The process involves:

1. Scanning a bar code on a commercial product to read an index number.
2. The user's device sends this index number over the network to a central server.
3. This central server looks up the index in a database to find a corresponding "pointer" (like a web address or URL) that identifies a specific remote information computer.
4. The server sends this pointer back to the user's device.
5. Finally, the user's device uses this pointer to directly connect to the identified remote information computer over the network.

At the time of this analysis on April 28, 2026, a search of the CAFC dockets for 2026 did not yield any public records of litigation involving US Patent 8,805,728. However, it should be noted that the patent's legal status is listed as "Expired - Fee Related," which typically indicates that the patent is no longer in force due to failure to pay required maintenance fees.