US 6076733

Patent Summary: U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733

Date of Analysis: April 26, 2026

A review of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database and the 2026 dockets of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) has been conducted for U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733.

Title: Web-based system and method for enabling a viewer to access and display HTML-encoded documents located on the world wide web (WWW) by reading URL-encoded bar code symbols printed on a web-based information resource guide

Assignee: Metrologic Instruments, Inc.

Inventors: David M. Wilz, Sr., Carl Harry Knowles

Filing Date: April 25, 1997

Issue Date: June 20, 2000

Abstract:
The patent describes a system and method for accessing and displaying HTML-encoded documents on the World Wide Web. The system involves using a bar code symbol reader to scan URL-encoded bar code symbols printed in a guide. This action directs a GUI-based Internet browser to automatically access and display the corresponding web page on an audio-visual monitor. The system comprises Internet information servers storing the documents, an Internet access terminal with a browser, and the programmed bar code reader.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

This patent has three independent claims, which outline the core of the invention. In simple terms, they are:

• Claim 1: Describes the overall system. This includes a computer terminal connected to the internet, which has a web browser. A key part of this system is a bar code scanner. This scanner is specifically designed to read a barcode that contains a website address (URL). When the barcode is scanned, the computer automatically goes to that website and shows the webpage on the screen.

• Claim 11: Focuses on the method or process. It details the steps of using the system described in Claim 1. This involves providing a printed guide with these special URL-barcodes. A user then uses the barcode scanner to read a barcode from the guide. This act of scanning automatically makes the web browser on the connected computer navigate to the website encoded in the barcode, and then display it.

• Claim 21: Details a specific application of the system for tracking and managing documents. In this version, each physical document (like a brochure or a drawing) is given a unique barcode that links to its own specific location on a web-based database. By scanning the barcode on the document, a user can instantly access information about that document from the database using their internet-connected computer and barcode scanner. This allows for easy tracking and management of physical documents through a web interface.

A search of the CAFC dockets for 2026 did not reveal any public records of litigation involving U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733 as of the date of this analysis.

No Litigation History Found for U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733

As of April 29, 2026, a comprehensive search of publicly-available federal court dockets and patent litigation databases reveals no record of U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733 being involved in any litigation.

This search included the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets, the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service, which covers U.S. District Courts and other federal courts, and patent-specific litigation databases such as the Unified Patents portal.

The patent, assigned to Metrologic Instruments, Inc., was issued on June 20, 2000, and has since expired. The absence of any documented legal disputes over its claims throughout its term and subsequent to its expiration suggests it was not the subject of an infringement suit or any other legal challenge in these venues.

Proceedings overview

There are no AIA trial proceedings on file for U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733. This indicates that the patent has not been challenged through Inter Partes Review (IPR), Post-Grant Review (PGR), or Covered Business Method (CBM) proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). For a defendant, this means all claims of the patent are currently untested by the PTAB, and there are no estoppel barriers from prior PTAB challenges to consider.

The USPTO Open Data Portal (ODP) API indeed indicates no AIA trial proceedings for US Patent 6076733. My web search for "PTAB US6076733", "IPR US6076733", "PGR US6076733", "CBM US6076733" did not yield any specific PTAB proceeding numbers or decisions directly mentioning US Patent 6076733. The search results primarily pointed to general information about PTAB and its types of proceedings, or unrelated stock information for "PGR". Therefore, I can confirm the absence of any publicly recorded PTAB proceedings.

Proceedings overview

There are no AIA trial proceedings on file for U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733. This indicates that the patent has not been challenged through Inter Partes Review (IPR), Post-Grant Review (PGR), or Covered Business Method (CBM) proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). For a defendant, this means all claims of the patent are currently untested by the PTAB, and there are no estoppel barriers from prior PTAB challenges to consider.

Strategic summary

As of May 30, 2026, U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733 has no recorded PTAB trial proceedings. This means that all independent claims (Claims 1, 11, and 21) and their associated dependent claims remain UNTESTED at the PTAB. There are no claims that have been canceled, sustained, or settled through an IPR, PGR, or CBM.

The absence of PTAB challenges implies that there are no estoppel effects under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) for potential petitioners. Any party considering an assertion against this patent would not be barred from raising any ground of invalidity that they raised or reasonably could have raised in a prior PTAB proceeding, as no such proceeding exists. This leaves the full range of prior art and statutory bases (§ 102, § 103, § 112) available for a potential future challenge. The lack of PTAB activity could also signal that the patent owner, Metrologic Instruments, Inc., has not actively asserted this patent in a way that would provoke PTAB challenges, or that potential infringers have not found it commercially worthwhile to challenge the patent through the PTAB process.

Recommended next steps

Given the complete absence of PTAB activity for U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733:

• For a potential defendant facing assertion: A thorough prior art search would be the crucial first step. Without any PTAB history, there are no existing determinations of claim validity from the Board to guide a defense strategy. The analysis of the patent's obviousness in a previous section suggested several prior art combinations that could render the claims obvious. These should be re-evaluated as potential grounds for a new IPR petition.
• For the patent owner (or an interested party looking to license/acquire): The absence of PTAB challenges might suggest a relatively "clean" patent in terms of validity challenges, or it could mean the patent has not been extensively asserted. If considering future enforcement, be aware that any new assertion could provoke the first PTAB challenge, and all claims are currently open to attack on any statutory ground.

Inventors

• David M. Wilz, Sr.: Employed by Metrologic Instruments, Inc. at the time of filing.
• Carl Harry Knowles: Founder of Metrologic Instruments, Inc. and also employed by Metrologic Instruments, Inc. at the time of filing.

No unusual patterns were observed, as both inventors appear to have been associated with the original assignee, Metrologic Instruments, Inc., at the time of filing.

Original assignee

The original assignee named on the issued patent is Metrologic Instruments Inc.

Metrologic Instruments Inc. was an automated identification and data capture (AIDC) company headquartered in Blackwood, New Jersey. They designed, manufactured, and marketed bar code decoding hardware, adaptive optical solutions, and high-speed image processing software, including a broad line of barcode scanners such as the Voyager series. The company had over 350 registered patents by 2006.

Metrologic Instruments Inc. was acquired by an investor group led by Francisco Partners in September 2006, and subsequently acquired by Honeywell in July 2008 for approximately $720 million. Metrologic Instruments Inc. currently operates as a division within Honeywell's Imaging & Mobility business. Therefore, its current status is acquired and it functions as a division of an operating company.

Assignment timeline

The following is a chronological list of recorded assignments for U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733, as found in the USPTO Assignment Center and Google Patents records.

• 1997-11-10 (executed) / recorded (date not specified in Google Patents) — Reel/Frame: (not provided, but exists)

  • Conveyance: Assignment of Assignors Interest
  • Assignor: KNOWLES, C. HARRY, WILZ, DAVID M., SR.
  • Assignee: METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: (not recorded for this entry)
  • Context: Original assignment of patent rights from inventors to the operating company.

• 2004-11-15 (executed) / recorded 2004-11-23 — Reel 010992/0971

  • Conveyance: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST
  • Assignor: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
  • Assignee: METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: NOT RECORDED
  • Context: Release of a security interest held by a financial institution.

• 2007-02-28 (executed) / recorded 2007-03-20 — Reel 019253/0732

  • Conveyance: SECURITY AGREEMENT
  • Assignor: METEOR HOLDING CORP., METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC., OMNIPLANAR, INC.
  • Assignee: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
  • Correspondent: BRUCE M EISEN, ESQ., WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP, 60 STATE STREET, 28TH FLOOR, BOSTON, MA 02109. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Grant of a security interest to Morgan Stanley, likely related to financing preceding Metrologic's acquisition by Honeywell.

• 2007-02-28 (executed) / recorded 2007-03-20 — Reel 019253/0754

  • Conveyance: SECURITY AGREEMENT
  • Assignor: METEOR HOLDING CORP., METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC., OMNIPLANAR, INC.
  • Assignee: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
  • Correspondent: BRUCE M EISEN, ESQ., WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP, 60 STATE STREET, 28TH FLOOR, BOSTON, MA 02109. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Grant of a second security interest to Morgan Stanley, likely related to financing preceding Metrologic's acquisition by Honeywell.

• 2009-08-12 (executed) / recorded 2009-09-08 — Reel 024409/0173

  • Conveyance: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST
  • Assignor: MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
  • Assignee: OMNIPLANAR, INC., METEOR HOLDING CORPORATION, METROLOGIC INSTRUMENTS, INC.
  • Correspondent: BRUCE M EISEN, ESQ., WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP, 60 STATE STREET, 28TH FLOOR, BOSTON, MA 02109. This correspondent recurs in this chain.
  • Context: Release of security interests from Morgan Stanley after Honeywell's acquisition of Metrologic.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 6076733
    1997 : Filed by Metrologic Instruments Inc
         : Inventors assign to Metrologic
    2000 : Patent issued
    2004 : PNC Bank security interest released
    2007 : Security agreements to Morgan Stanley
    2008 : Metrologic acquired by Honeywell
    2009 : Morgan Stanley security released

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer: Not present. The recorded transfers are either from inventors to an operating company or involve security interests with financial institutions, not transfers to licensing-only shell entities.
2. Known asserter in the chain: Not present. Metrologic Instruments Inc. and Honeywell are operating companies, and PNC Bank and Morgan Stanley are financial institutions, none of which are known patent asserters.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain: Present. Bruce M Eisen, Esq. of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP is listed as the correspondent on Reel 019253/0732, 019253/0754, and 024409/0173.
4. Cascading transfers: Not present. The records show security agreements and their releases, not consecutive ownership transfers through multiple LLCs.
5. Pre-litigation transfer: Not present. No litigation history for this patent has been found, and the transfers are related to corporate financing and acquisition events.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale: Not present. Metrologic Instruments Inc. was acquired by Honeywell, not dissolved or liquidated through bankruptcy proceedings.
7. Privateering: Unclear. While Metrologic was acquired by Honeywell (an operating company), there is no evidence from the assignment records or public litigation data to suggest that Honeywell used this patent for privateering.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE): Not present. The patent ownership chain does not terminate at a known defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data. The assignment records for US Patent 6,076,733 primarily document the initial assignment from inventors to Metrologic Instruments Inc. and subsequent security agreements related to corporate financing and acquisitions (specifically leading up to Honeywell's acquisition of Metrologic in 2008). No direct transfers of patent ownership to known NPEs or shell entities are present. The patent has expired, and no litigation was found.

USPTO Assignment Center Search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/

Analysis of Prior Art for U.S. Patent 6,076,733

The following is an analysis of the prior art cited in U.S. Patent 6,076,733, which describes a "Web-based system and method for enabling a viewer to access and display HTML-encoded documents located on the world wide web (WWW) by reading URL-encoded bar code symbols printed on a web-based information resource guide." This analysis assesses the relevance of each cited patent and its potential to anticipate the claims of the '733 patent under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Key Independent Claims of U.S. Patent 6,076,733:

• Claim 1: A system combining an internet-connected terminal with a GUI-based web browser and a bar code reader. The reader is programmed to read a URL-encoded bar code, and upon reading, the system automatically accesses and displays the corresponding web page.
• Claim 11: A method for accessing web documents by providing a printed guide with URL-encoded bar codes, using a bar code reader to scan a symbol from the guide, transmitting the URL data to a web browser, and automatically accessing and displaying the corresponding web page.
• Claim 21: A document tracking and management system where physical documents have URL-encoded bar codes. Scanning the bar code provides access to information about the document stored in a web-based database.

Cited Prior Art and Potential Anticipation

The following patents were cited as prior art during the prosecution of U.S. Patent 6,076,733.

1. U.S. Patent No. 5,128,525: "Method and apparatus for automatically identifying and inputting data to a computer"

   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued July 7, 1992 / Filed May 1, 1990.
   • Brief Description: This patent discloses a system where a hand-held scanner reads bar-coded information which is then automatically entered into a computer. The focus is on streamlining data entry for various applications by using bar codes to represent data that would otherwise be manually typed.
   • Potential Anticipation: This patent describes the general concept of using a bar code scanner to input data into a computer. However, it does not specifically mention URLs or the internet. While it discloses the components of a scanner and a computer, it does not teach the specific application of using this combination to navigate the World Wide Web. Therefore, it is unlikely to fully anticipate the claims of the '733 patent, which are specific to accessing web-based documents.

2. U.S. Patent No. 5,245,165: "System for ordering items using a bar code reader"

   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued September 14, 1993 / Filed March 13, 1992.
   • Brief Description: This invention details a system for ordering items from a catalog. A user scans a bar code associated with an item in a printed catalog using a hand-held device. The device stores the item information, and this data is later transmitted, often over a phone line, to a central ordering system.
   • Potential Anticipation: This patent moves closer to the '733 patent's concept by linking a physical, printed medium (a catalog) to a remote electronic system via a scanned code. However, it is focused on a closed ordering system and does not involve the public, hypertext-based structure of the World Wide Web or URLs. The data transfer is for a specific transactional purpose, not for general information retrieval from a global network. Thus, it does not anticipate the specific use of URLs to access HTML documents on the WWW as claimed in the '733 patent.

3. U.S. Patent No. 5,591,956: "Apparatus for and method of navigating using a remote control unit"

   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued January 7, 1997 / Filed March 29, 1995.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a remote control unit with an integrated bar code scanner. The scanner can read bar codes from a television guide or other printed material to control a television or VCR, for example, to program a recording or change to a specific channel.
   • Potential Anticipation: This reference is significant as it combines a scanner with a remote-control interface for navigating content. It establishes the principle of using a printed guide with bar codes to trigger an action on an electronic device. However, its application is limited to television and VCR control, not navigating the internet. It does not disclose the concept of a URL or accessing HTML documents on a server. Therefore, it does not fully anticipate the core claims of the '733 patent.

4. U.S. Patent No. 5,602,377: "System and method for remote-ordering using a bar code reader and a telephone"

   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued February 11, 1997 / Filed June 6, 1995.
   • Brief Description: This patent outlines a system where a user can scan bar codes from a catalog or product packaging with a bar code reader that is integrated with or connected to a telephone. The scanned information is then transmitted over the telephone network to place an order.
   • Potential Anticipation: Similar to U.S. Patent 5,245,165, this patent focuses on a remote ordering system. While it uses a communication network (the telephone system), it does not describe accessing a global information network like the internet or using URLs to retrieve documents. The functionality is specific to a closed-loop ordering process.

5. U.S. Patent No. 5,804,803: "Method and apparatus for using a universal interface to a computer"

   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued September 8, 1998 / Filed January 19, 1996.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system that uses a bar code scanner as a universal input device for a computer. The scanned bar code can represent various commands or data, which are then interpreted by the computer to perform specific actions, such as launching an application or entering text.
   • Potential Anticipation: This patent provides a broader context for using a bar code scanner to control a computer. It suggests that a bar code can represent more than just product information. However, it does not specifically teach the encoding of a URL into a bar code to automatically navigate a web browser to a specific web page. The novelty of the '733 patent lies in this specific application of linking the physical world to the online world via URL-encoded bar codes.

6. U.S. Patent No. 5,831,254: "Portable data carrier and reader system"

   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued November 3, 1998 / Filed April 18, 1997.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a portable data carrier, such as a smart card, that can store information and be read by a reader connected to a computer. The system is designed for a variety of data transfer applications.
   • Potential Anticipation: This reference is less relevant as it pertains to portable data carriers like smart cards rather than printed bar codes in a guide. It does not address the core concept of scanning a printed code to access a web address.

7. U.S. Patent No. 5,907,147: "Information processing apparatus and method for reading a bar code and accessing an associated information service"

   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued May 25, 1999 / Filed June 7, 1995.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system where a bar code reader is used to scan a code that identifies a product or service. The system then uses this identification to access an associated information service, potentially over a network.
   • Potential Anticipation: This patent is conceptually closer to the '733 patent. However, it generally refers to an "information service" and does not explicitly detail the use of URLs and the World Wide Web. The '733 patent's specificity regarding HTML documents, URLs, and GUI-based web browsers provides a more detailed and distinct inventive concept.

8. U.S. Patent No. 5,971,277: "System for tracking objects using bar code labels and a wireless communication network"

   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued October 26, 1999 / Filed May 13, 1997.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a system for tracking objects where each object is labeled with a bar code. A hand-held scanner with wireless communication capabilities is used to read the bar code, and the tracking information is transmitted to a central computer.
   • Potential Anticipation: This patent is relevant to claim 21 of the '733 patent, which deals with document tracking. It teaches the use of bar codes and a communication network for tracking purposes. However, the '733 patent specifies a web-based system where the bar code encodes a URL that points to an HTML-encoded database. The '277 patent does not specify this web-based architecture.

9. U.S. Patent No. 5,978,773: "System and method for accessing a network resource by scanning a bar code"

   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued November 2, 1999 / Filed February 21, 1997.
   • Brief Description: This patent is highly relevant. It describes a system where a user can scan a bar code to automatically access a resource on a computer network, such as the internet. The bar code can contain a URL or other network address.
   • Potential Anticipation: This patent appears to describe a very similar concept to the '733 patent. A detailed analysis of the filing dates and specific claims would be necessary to determine if it truly anticipates the '733 patent. The '733 patent was filed on April 25, 1997, while the '773 patent was filed on February 21, 1997. Given the close filing dates, there may have been parallel development. However, the '773 patent does describe the core idea of scanning a bar code to access a network resource, which could potentially anticipate the independent claims of the '733 patent.

Conclusion:

While several prior art patents describe systems that use bar code scanners for data input and remote access, most do not specifically disclose the use of URL-encoded bar codes to automatically navigate a web browser to a specific HTML document on the World Wide Web. The most relevant piece of prior art appears to be U.S. Patent No. 5,978,773, which describes a similar system for accessing network resources via scanned bar codes and was filed shortly before the '733 patent. A thorough examination of the claims and specification of the '773 patent would be required to make a definitive determination of anticipation. The other cited patents, while related in their use of bar code technology, are generally directed at different applications, such as remote ordering or device control, and lack the specific focus on web navigation that is central to the '733 patent.

Obviousness Analysis of U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733

Prepared for: Internal Review
Date: April 29, 2026
Analyst: Senior U.S. Patent Analyst

An analysis of U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733 ("the '733 patent") has been conducted to assess the patentability of its claims in light of the prior art of record, specifically concerning the non-obviousness requirement under 35 U.S.C. § 103. The '733 patent, filed on April 25, 1997, claims a system and method for accessing World Wide Web (WWW) documents by scanning a barcode encoded with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

The standard for obviousness, as defined in 35 U.S.C. § 103, is whether the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the invention as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA). This analysis requires a factual inquiry into the scope of the prior art, the differences between the prior art and the claims, and the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. A key component is determining whether a PHOSITA would have been motivated to combine prior art teachings to arrive at the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success.

A person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of this invention (mid-to-late 1990s) would likely have been a software developer or computer engineer with experience in data input peripherals (like barcode scanners) and emerging internet technologies, including web browsers and network protocols. Such a person would be aware of the increasing use of the World Wide Web and the common methods for navigating it, as well as the established use of barcodes for rapid and accurate data entry in various industries.

The independent claims of the '733 patent can be rendered obvious by combining existing prior art references. The following combinations demonstrate that the claimed invention represents a predictable combination of known elements to solve a known problem.

Combination of Prior Art Rendering Claims 1 and 11 Obvious

Primary Reference: U.S. Patent No. 5,804,803 ("the '803 patent")
The '803 patent, filed in January 1996, teaches a system that uses a barcode scanner as a universal interface for a computer. It discloses the concept of a scanned barcode representing various commands or data that the computer can then interpret to perform specific actions, such as launching an application or inputting text. This establishes the foundational principle of using a barcode to automate computer functions beyond simple data entry.

Secondary Reference: The state of the art of the World Wide Web in 1997
By early 1997, the World Wide Web was experiencing explosive growth. GUI-based web browsers like Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer were common, and the use of URLs to access specific web pages was a fundamental and widely understood concept. Manually typing URLs into a browser's address bar was the standard method of navigation, a process known to be tedious and prone to error, especially with longer URLs.

Motivation to Combine:
A person of ordinary skill in the art, aware of the '803 patent's teaching of using barcodes to automate computer commands, would have been motivated to apply this method to the increasingly common task of web navigation. The problem to be solved was the inefficiency and inaccuracy of manually typing URLs. The '803 patent provides the solution of automated data input via barcode scanning. The motivation to combine these elements would have been to improve the user experience by making web navigation faster and more reliable. It would have been a natural and predictable step to encode the URL string—the very data a user was typing—into a barcode and use the system taught by the '803 patent to input this data directly into the web browser's address field, thereby automating the process of navigating to a website. The result would be the system described in claim 1 and the method in claim 11 of the '733 patent. This combination of familiar elements according to known methods yields a predictable result, which is a strong indicator of obviousness.

Alternative Combination of Prior Art for Claims 1 and 11

Primary Reference: U.S. Patent No. 5,128,525 ("the '525 patent")
The '525 patent, issued in 1992, describes a method and apparatus for automatically identifying and inputting data into a computer using a hand-held scanner and barcodes. This patent establishes the core concept of replacing manual keyboard entry with barcode scanning for efficiency and accuracy.

Secondary Reference: U.S. Patent No. 5,591,956 ("the '956 patent")
The '956 patent, filed in March 1995, discloses a remote control with an integrated barcode scanner used to navigate a television by scanning codes from a printed guide. This reference teaches the application of barcode scanning to navigate a content system (television programming) by using a physical guide as the source of the navigation data.

Motivation to Combine and Modify:
A person of ordinary skill in the art would see the parallel between navigating television channels via a printed guide and navigating web pages via a printed directory of websites. The '956 patent teaches using a barcode to select content from a guide. The '525 patent teaches the general utility of using barcodes for data input into a computer. With the rise of the internet, it would have been obvious to adapt the content navigation concept of the '956 patent from the television domain to the internet domain. This would involve replacing the channel-selection data in the '956 patent's barcodes with URL data and targeting a web browser on a computer (as in the '525 patent) instead of a television tuner. The motivation would be to provide the same convenience for internet users that the '956 patent provided for television viewers—a quick and easy way to access desired content from a printed list. This combination directly suggests the system and method of claims 1 and 11.

Combination of Prior Art Rendering Claim 21 Obvious

Primary Reference: U.S. Patent No. 5,971,277 ("the '277 patent")
The '277 patent, with a filing date of May 13, 1997, which is after the '733 patent's filing date, would not be considered prior art. However, the previously provided analysis of this patent is useful for context. A more appropriate reference is U.S. Patent No. 5,245,165, which describes a system for tracking objects (items for order) using bar code labels.

Alternative Primary Reference: U.S. Patent No. 5,245,165 ("the '165 patent")
The '165 patent, issued in 1993, discloses a system for ordering items from a catalog by scanning a barcode associated with each item. This barcode contains unique item information which is transmitted to a central system. This establishes the concept of linking a physical item to a unique electronic record via a barcode for tracking and transactional purposes.

Secondary Reference: The state of the art of the World Wide Web and databases in 1997
By 1997, it was well-known to use the World Wide Web to access information stored in databases. HTML forms and server-side scripting allowed users to query a database through a web browser and view the results. The concept of a unique identifier (like a product number or a primary key in a database) to retrieve a specific record was fundamental to database management.

Motivation to Combine:
A person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the physical-to-digital linking concept from the '165 patent with the capabilities of a web-based database. The problem was how to efficiently access information about a specific physical object (like a document) using a networked system. The '165 patent shows using a barcode as a unique identifier for a physical item. The state of the art at the time showed that web browsers could be used as universal clients to access database information. The obvious solution was to use the barcode to encode not just any identifier, but a URL that directly points to the database record for that specific object. This would allow anyone with a scanner and a web browser to immediately access information about the object, which is precisely the invention of claim 21. The motivation is clear: leveraging the new, ubiquitous infrastructure of the web to improve upon existing barcode-based tracking and information retrieval systems, making them more accessible and powerful.

Conclusion

The independent claims of the '733 patent appear to be obvious in light of prior art. The core concept of scanning a barcode to input a URL into a web browser is a predictable combination of a known data-entry technology (barcode scanning) with a prevalent application (web navigation). Similarly, applying this concept to document tracking by linking a physical item to a web-based database record via a URL-encoded barcode would have been an obvious improvement over existing tracking systems to a person of ordinary skill in the art in 1997. The motivation to combine the cited references stems from a clear and recognized need to simplify and expedite interaction with the burgeoning World Wide Web.

U.S. Patent 6,076,733: Term, Application History, and Expiration

Date of Analysis: April 29, 2026

An examination of the public records for U.S. Patent No. 6,076,733 ("the '733 patent"), assigned to Metrologic Instruments, Inc., provides the following details regarding its term, related applications, and legal status.

Patent Term and Expiration:

• Filing Date: April 25, 1997
• Issue Date: June 20, 2000
• Patent Term: For patents filed before June 8, 1995, the term is the later of 17 years from the issue date or 20 years from the filing date. For patents filed on or after June 8, 1995, the term is 20 years from the earliest effective filing date. The '733 patent falls under the latter category.
• Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) / Patent Term Extension (PTE): A review of the patent's prosecution history in the USPTO's Patent Center database indicates that no Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) or Patent Term Extension (PTE) was granted. The provisions for PTA generally apply to applications filed on or after May 29, 2000, and therefore would not be applicable to this patent.
• Projected Expiration Date: Based on the filing date of April 25, 1997, the 20-year term of the patent expired on April 25, 2017.

Continuity and Related Applications:

The '733 patent is part of a larger family of applications and claims priority to several earlier filings. This indicates a strategic approach by the applicant to protect a core technology and its various improvements and applications over time.

• Continuation: The application for the '733 patent (Ser. No. 08/846,219) is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/891,599, filed on July 11, 1997, which subsequently issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,251.

• Continuation-in-Part: The parent application (Ser. No. 08/891,599) is a continuation-in-part of several earlier applications, establishing a priority chain that extends back to November 24, 1993. This extensive list of related applications demonstrates a long history of development in the field of barcode-driven internet access. The key preceding applications mentioned in the '733 patent's "Related Cases" section include:

  • Ser. No. 08/838,501 (filed Apr. 7, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,819)
  • Ser. No. 08/820,540 (filed Mar. 19, 1997)
  • Ser. No. 08/753,367 (filed Nov. 25, 1996, now abandoned)
  • Ser. No. 08/645,331 (filed May 13, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,227)
  • Ser. No. 08/615,054 (filed Mar. 12, 1996)
  • And several others dating back to 1993.

• Divisional Applications: There are no divisional applications listed for the '733 patent.

Patent Family Members:

The invention protected by the '733 patent was also the subject of international patent filings. This is evident from the numerous priority claims to international patent cooperation treaty (PCT) applications, including:

• PCT/US1997/021970
• PCT/US1997/021975
• PCT/US1997/021443

These PCT applications led to the grant of patents in various jurisdictions, including Europe (EP), Japan (JP), Canada (CA), China (CN), and others, creating a global family of patents related to this technology. The existence of a broad patent family underscores the perceived commercial importance of the invention at the time of filing.

Defensive Disclosure and Prior Art Generation Based on U.S. Patent 6,076,733

Publication Date: April 29, 2026
Subject Matter: Systems and Methods for Accessing Networked Resources via Scanned Codes.

This document serves as a defensive publication to disclose variations, extensions, and combinations of the technologies described in U.S. Patent 6,076,733. The intent is to place these concepts into the public domain, thereby establishing them as prior art for any future patent applications.

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Derivative Embodiments of Claim 1 (The System)

The core claim describes a system comprising an Internet access terminal with a GUI browser and a bar code reader programmed to read URL-encoded bar codes to automatically access and display a web document. The following are derivative embodiments of this system.

1. Material & Component Substitution

Derivative 1.1: Quantum Dot Barcode System

• Enabling Description: The printed barcode is replaced with a pattern of quantum dots (QDs), each engineered to emit light at a specific, narrow wavelength when excited by a UV or near-infrared (NIR) light source. The "barcode reader" is a specialized spectrophotometer coupled with an imaging sensor. The scanner excites the QD pattern and reads the sequence of emitted wavelengths, which are decoded into a URL. This method provides a high-density, invisible, and difficult-to-replicate alternative to traditional printed barcodes. The terminal's software includes a decoding library that maps the sequence of spectral peaks to their corresponding ASCII characters to reconstruct the URL before passing it to the browser.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A[UV/NIR Emitter] --> B{QD Pattern on Substrate};
      B --> C[Spectrophotometer & Imager];
      C --> D[Wavelength Sequence Processor];
      D --> E{URL Reconstruction Module};
      E --> F[Internet Browser];
      F --> G[Access Web Resource];
  

Derivative 1.2: Haptic Feedback Barcode Reader for Tactile Input

• Enabling Description: The barcode is a 3D-printed topographical pattern of varying heights and spacings, compliant with a tactile data standard. The "reader" is a high-resolution tactile sensor array, such as those used in robotics, which measures the physical variations on the surface. An onboard processor with pattern recognition software converts the topographical data into a digital string representing the URL. This system is designed for environments where optical scanning is impractical (e.g., in complete darkness, on highly reflective or transparent surfaces) or for accessibility applications for the visually impaired.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant User
      participant TactileScanner
      participant Computer
      participant WebServer
  
      User->>+TactileScanner: Drags scanner over 3D barcode
      TactileScanner->>TactileScanner: Read topographical data
      TactileScanner->>Computer: Transmit decoded URL string
      deactivate TactileScanner
      Computer->>Computer: Input URL into browser
      Computer->>+WebServer: HTTP GET Request
      WebServer-->>-Computer: Return HTML Document
      Computer->>User: Display Web Page
  

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2. Operational Parameter Expansion

Derivative 2.1: High-Temperature Industrial Process Control System

• Enabling Description: In an industrial furnace or manufacturing environment exceeding 1000°C, machine-readable codes are laser-etched onto ceramic or high-temperature alloy plates affixed to equipment. The code encodes a URL pointing to a specific endpoint on an internal SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system's web server. The scanner is a high-temperature, water-cooled boroscope with a long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) imager that can read the thermally-stable etched code. Upon scanning, a technician's ruggedized terminal accesses the URL, which displays real-time temperature, pressure, and chemical composition data for that specific zone or component.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      subgraph Furnace [High-Temperature Environment >1000°C]
          A[Ceramic Plate with Etched Code]
      end
      B[Water-Cooled LWIR Scanner] -- Reads --> A
      B -- Decoded URL --> C[Ruggedized Terminal]
      C -- HTTP Request --> D[SCADA Web Server]
      D -- Real-time Process Data --> C
      C -- Displays Data --> E[Technician Interface]
  

Derivative 2.2: Nanoscale Feature Identification System

• Enabling Description: A pattern is etched onto a silicon wafer or biological slide using electron-beam lithography at the nanometer scale. This pattern, when imaged by an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) or Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), represents a binary encoding of a URL. Image processing software, integrated with the microscope's control system, decodes the pattern and transmits the URL to a connected computer's web browser. The URL links to a database containing the full experimental data, manufacturing parameters, or genetic information associated with the specific nano-feature being imaged.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  flowchart LR
      subgraph Microscope
          A[AFM/SEM Tip] --> B(Nanoscale Etched Pattern)
          B --> C{Image Capture}
      end
      C --> D[Image Processing & Decoding Engine]
      D -- "URL: http://data.repo/wafer3/feature7" --> E[Workstation Browser]
      E -- Request --> F((Database))
      F -- "Full Dataset" --> E
  

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3. Cross-Domain Application

Derivative 3.1: Aerospace - In-Situ Component Lifecycle Management

• Enabling Description: A 2D data matrix code is chemically etched or laser-annealed onto a critical, non-rotating aircraft engine turbine blade. The code contains a secure URL pointing to a private, access-controlled server. During maintenance, a technician uses a handheld, ruggedized endoscope with an integrated scanner to read the code without disassembling the engine. The URL, combined with the technician's cryptographic credentials, opens a web interface displaying the blade's full lifecycle history: manufacturing date, material batches, flight hours, thermal cycles, inspection records, and a link to its digital twin for stress analysis.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant Technician
      participant EndoscopeScanner
      participant SecureWebServer
      participant DigitalTwinDB
  
      Technician->>+EndoscopeScanner: Scan code on turbine blade
      EndoscopeScanner->>SecureWebServer: HTTPS GET request with URL + Auth Token
      SecureWebServer->>+DigitalTwinDB: Query for component 'xyz'
      DigitalTwinDB-->>-SecureWebServer: Return lifecycle data
      SecureWebServer-->>-EndoscopeScanner: Serve HTML page with data
      EndoscopeScanner->>Technician: Display component history & digital twin link
  

Derivative 3.2: AgTech - Precision Agriculture and Phenotyping

• Enabling Description: A weatherproof tag with a URL-encoded QR code is attached to an individual plant in a research field or vertical farm. An autonomous rover or drone equipped with a scanner and imaging system periodically scans the code. The URL for each plant links to a specific record in a cloud-based agricultural database. Upon a successful scan, the rover uploads a multi-spectral image of the plant, soil moisture readings, and physical measurements to that URL endpoint via a REST API. Researchers can then scan the same code with a mobile device to pull up the plant's complete, time-series growth data and imagery.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  erDiagram
      PLANT ||--o{ LOG_ENTRY : has
      PLANT {
          string plantID PK
          string url "Unique URL"
          string genotype
          string location
      }
      LOG_ENTRY {
          string plantID FK
          datetime timestamp
          string multispectralImagePath
          float soilMoisture
          float height
      }
  

Derivative 3.3: Emergency Services - Dynamic Medical Information Access

• Enabling Description: A durable wristband or ID card provided to individuals with chronic medical conditions (e.g., severe allergies, diabetes) contains a URL-encoded barcode. The URL is a persistent but dynamically linked address. In an emergency, a first responder scans the code with their department-issued secure mobile device. The device's browser accesses the URL, which directs to a HIPAA-compliant medical information portal. The portal, after authenticating the responder's device, displays critical information: allergies, current medications, emergency contacts, and advance directives. The backend service can update the information pointed to by the URL without needing to issue a new wristband.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A[First Responder] -- Scans --> B(Patient Wristband QR Code);
      B -- "URL: https://ems.health/id/12345" --> C(Secure Mobile Device);
      C -- HTTPS Request + Device Auth --> D{HIPAA-Compliant Server};
      D -- Authenticates Responder --> E[Dynamic Health Record DB];
      E -- "Critical Patient Data" --> D;
      D -- Serves Emergency Data Page --> C;
  

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4. Integration with Emerging Tech

Derivative 4.1: AI - Predictive Maintenance System

• Enabling Description: A barcode on a piece of industrial machinery encodes a URL. When a technician scans the code with a smartphone, it opens a web application. The application uses the phone's camera to capture a short video or sound recording of the machine in operation. This data is uploaded to a cloud-based AI model associated with the URL's endpoint. The AI analyzes the data for signs of wear and tear (e.g., vibration anomalies, specific acoustic signatures) and compares it to the machine's historical data. The web page then displays a real-time health score, a prediction of potential failure modes, and recommended preventative maintenance actions.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant Technician
      participant SmartphoneApp
      participant AI_Analysis_Service
      participant Machine_Data_Store
  
      Technician->>SmartphoneApp: Scan URL-barcode on machine
      SmartphoneApp->>AI_Analysis_Service: Open web app & request data capture
      Technician->>SmartphoneApp: Record machine audio/video
      SmartphoneApp->>AI_Analysis_Service: Upload media data via URL endpoint
      AI_Analysis_Service->>Machine_Data_Store: Fetch historical data for this machine
      AI_Analysis_Service->>AI_Analysis_Service: Run predictive maintenance model
      AI_Analysis_Service-->>SmartphoneApp: Return health score & recommendations
      SmartphoneApp->>Technician: Display analysis results
  

Derivative 4.2: IoT - Real-Time Environmental Monitoring

• Enabling Description: A barcode is placed on a physical asset, such as a shipping container. The barcode's URL points to a web dashboard. The container is also equipped with a suite of IoT sensors (GPS, temperature, humidity, accelerometer). These sensors continuously transmit data to a cloud platform. When the barcode is scanned, the web browser on the scanning device navigates to the specific URL, which displays a real-time dashboard of the container's current location on a map, its internal environmental conditions, and any shock or tilt alerts. The URL itself can contain query parameters to pre-filter the time range of data displayed.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      subgraph Container
          A[IoT Sensors]
          B[URL Barcode]
      end
      subgraph Cloud
          C[IoT Data Ingestion]
          D[Time-Series Database]
          E[Web Dashboard Server]
      end
      A -- "Data Stream (GPS, Temp)" --> C
      C --> D
      E -- Queries --> D
      F[User with Scanner] -- Scans --> B
      B -- "URL: .../dashboard?id=XYZ" --> F
      F -- HTTP Request --> E
      E -- "Renders Real-time Dashboard" --> F
  

Derivative 4.3: Blockchain - Supply Chain Verification

• Enabling Description: A product (e.g., a pharmaceutical bottle, a bag of fair-trade coffee) is marked with a tamper-evident seal and a URL-encoded barcode. The URL points to a web interface that acts as a front-end to a public or permissioned blockchain. The path of the URL contains the unique batch ID of the product. When a consumer scans the code, the web page queries the blockchain for that batch ID and displays its immutable journey from origin to retail: farm/factory location, quality control checks, shipping dates, and custodian transfers, each recorded as a transaction on the blockchain. This provides a high-trust method for verifying authenticity and provenance.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  flowchart LR
      A[Product with URL Barcode] --> B{Consumer Scans Code};
      B --> C[Mobile Device Browser];
      C -- "HTTP GET to /verify?batch=123" --> D[Web3 Gateway Server];
      D -- "Read transaction log for 'batch123'" --> E((Immutable Blockchain Ledger));
      E -- Provenance Data --> D;
      D -- Formats & Serves HTML Page --> C;
  

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5. The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

Derivative 5.1: Graceful Degradation for Network Outage

• Enabling Description: The system is designed for environments with intermittent network connectivity (e.g., remote field sites, emergency response zones). The URL-encoded barcode contains two data segments. The primary segment is the standard HTTPS URL. A secondary, specially formatted segment contains a compressed, minimalist set of critical data (e.g., "Item: First-Aid Kit", "Expires: 2027-12", "Owner: MedBay-3"). The client application (browser or dedicated app) first attempts to resolve the HTTPS URL. If it fails due to a network outage, it falls back to a "local resolution mode," parsing the secondary data segment and displaying the critical information directly from the barcode itself, ensuring essential data is always available.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  stateDiagram-v2
      [*] --> Attempt_Connection
      Attempt_Connection --> Connected: Network Available
      Attempt_Connection --> Offline_Mode: Network Unavailable
      Connected: Display Full Web Page
      Offline_Mode: Decode Local Data from Barcode
      Offline_Mode: Display Critical Information
      Connected --> [*]
      Offline_Mode --> [*]
  

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Combination with Open-Source Standards

Scenario 1: Integration with W3C Verifiable Credentials

• Description: A barcode on a physical ID card or certificate contains a URL. When scanned, this URL resolves to a service that initiates a challenge-response protocol using the W3C Verifiable Credentials data model. The user's device (acting as a digital wallet) responds to the challenge by presenting a cryptographically signed Verifiable Credential (e.g., a proof of graduation, a professional license). The web service at the URL verifies the signature against a public key stored in a distributed ledger or a trusted registry (like did:web). This combines the physical-to-digital link of the barcode with a decentralized, open-standard method for identity and credential verification.

Scenario 2: Integration with MQTT for IoT Messaging

• Description: Instead of an http:// URL, the barcode encodes a URL with a custom scheme, such as mqtt://. A specialized client application, rather than a standard web browser, is registered to handle this scheme. The URL contains the address of an MQTT broker, a topic name, and a payload. For example: mqtt://broker.example.com/device/789/command?payload={"action":"calibrate"}. When a technician scans this barcode on an IoT device, the client app automatically publishes the specified message to the MQTT topic, instructing the device to perform an action like self-calibration, rebooting, or entering a diagnostic mode. This leverages the lightweight, publish/subscribe nature of the open MQTT protocol for direct device control.

Scenario 3: Integration with OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA)

• Description: In an Industry 4.0 manufacturing setting, a barcode on a machine component encodes an OPC UA endpoint URL (e.g., opc.tcp://192.168.1.100:4840/server/node?id=ns=2;s=MotorSpeed). A technician's tablet or HMI (Human-Machine Interface) device has a client application capable of acting as an OPC UA client. Scanning the barcode causes the client to connect directly to the OPC UA server embedded in the machine's PLC or controller. The client then reads or subscribes to the specific node ID encoded in the URL, displaying a real-time value (like motor RPM, temperature, or fault codes) directly from the machine's control system. This uses an open standard for industrial interoperability to create a direct link from a physical component to its live operational data.