US US5978773

Concise Summary of U.S. Patent No. 5,978,773

A detailed analysis of U.S. Patent No. 5,978,773 reveals a system and method for utilizing identification codes on commercial products to access information on remote computers. This technology allows a user to scan a product's existing barcode, such as a UPC, to automatically access a related network resource, like a website.

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

Assignee: The patent was initially assigned to Neomedia Technologies, Inc. However, ownership has been reassigned multiple times, with the current assignee on record as NM LLC.

Inventors: Frank C. Hudetz, Peter R. Hudetz

Filing Date: October 3, 1995

Issue Date: November 2, 1999

Abstract:
The patent describes a system and method that uses identification codes, such as Uniform Product Codes (UPCs), found on everyday commercial items to access remote computers over a network. In one embodiment, a database links these UPC numbers to specific Internet network addresses (URLs). A user can enter the UPC information, for example by scanning the barcode, and the system retrieves the corresponding URL. This allows the user to easily access an online resource related to the product without manual data entry.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

The independent claims of a patent define the core of the invention. Below is a simplified explanation of each independent claim in U.S. Patent No. 5,978,773.

Claim 1: This claim outlines an apparatus for accessing a remote computer using a commercial product. The key components are:

• A machine-readable code (like a barcode) on a product that represents a standardized identification number (like a UPC).
• An input device (like a barcode scanner) that reads this code and generates a signal.
• A database that links these identification numbers to network addresses (like URLs).
• This database, upon receiving the signal from the input device, provides the corresponding network address.
• A local computer connected to a network that can then use this address to communicate with a specific computer on that network.

Claim 12: This claim describes a similar apparatus with a focus on generating a network address. It includes:

• A means for creating a signal from a product's standardized identification number.
• A database that associates these identification numbers with network addresses.
• A control system that takes the signal and retrieves the correct network address from the database.
• A local computer that receives this address and can then communicate with the corresponding computer on the network.

Claim 22: This claim details a method for generating a network address. The steps involve:

• Electronically associating a product's standardized identification number with a network address in a computer's memory.
• Providing a product that has this identification number encoded on it.
• Reading the identification number from the product.
• Using the read number to retrieve the associated network address from the computer's memory.

Claim 33: This claim describes an apparatus that is a slight variation of the one in Claim 1. It emphasizes:

• A machine-readable code on a product with a standard ID number.
• An input device to read the code.
• A database linking the ID numbers to network addresses.
• A local computer that receives the network address from the database and uses it to communicate with a specific computer on a network.

Claim 35: This claim introduces a "server" into the apparatus described in earlier claims. The key elements are:

• A machine-readable code on a product with a standard ID number.
• An input device to read the code.
• A database that connects these ID numbers to network addresses.
• A local computer connected to the input device.
• A server that is connected to the local computer and the database.
• This server uses the retrieved network address to communicate with a specific computer on a network.

Claim 36: This claim presents another variation of the apparatus for generating a network address, specifying:

• A means to generate a signal from a product's standard identification number.
• A database that links these identification numbers with network addresses.
• A control system that uses the signal to get the correct network address from the database.
• A network with multiple computers, each with a network address.
• A local computer that communicates with the network and the control system to connect to the computer at the retrieved address.

A search of the dockets for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for 2026 did not yield any results for cases specifically involving U.S. Patent No. 5,978,773.