HK1038968A - Method and apparatus for storing reference codes in a writing instrument and for retrieving information identified by the reference codes - Google Patents

Description

Method and apparatus for storing a reference code in a writing instrument and retrieving information identified with the reference code

Related application of the invention

The priority claim for this application is from application number 60/089,891 filed on 19.6.1998 and is a continuation-in-part application number 08/994,684 filed on 19.12.1997, both of which are assigned to the applicant (assignee) of the present application, namely a.t. cross Company of Lincoln, Rhode Island, and both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for reading and storing a reference code and subsequently retrieving information identified by the reference code, and more particularly to a system for reading, storing and subsequently transmitting a reference code to a computer system (which may be connected to a wide area computer network such as the internet) that retrieves information identified by the reference code using a tool that integrates an electronic reading, storing and transmitting device.

Background of the invention

Readers of newspapers and other periodicals often encounter situations where the subject of a described article or advertisement is interested in obtaining additional information. These articles in periodicals are often limited in the amount of information that can be delivered due to space constraints and the need to communicate information in a concise manner to a large number of readers, most of which are limited to being interested in the subject matter of certain specific articles.

While the use of compact articles attracts a large number of readers, readers desiring more information about the subject matter of the articles are often plagued by the limited content provided in the form of such compact articles. These troubled readers often read multiple publications multiple times or use the internet's online news and information services to obtain the information they need. When using online news and information services, users often spend a great deal of time searching to obtain the information they need. Therefore, there is a need to obtain additional information related to articles of interest in an easy manner.

In addition, the increase in the number of catalogs used per day by the sales personnel at home, at work, and at the company, the user must write down or record the catalog number and price of the selected item or items they wish to purchase or order. This is quite time consuming and often results in errors when recording the appropriate item number or sending the correct number to the company or cataloging the store. These errors can have a variety of consequences, including delivery of the undesirable items to the user, wrong price, and requiring returns.

After visiting the customer or client, the salesperson must often fill out a long form of orders ordered by the customer in connection with these products or services, while these orders are forwarded (often by mail or fax) to the headquarters or the company's office so that the orders can be processed. Information related to the pay-mode may be additionally transmitted, and shipping authorization related to the pay-mode may likewise cause delays and confusion.

In addition, when a client of a particular security, such as a consumer or prospective purchaser of the security, stock, or other securities, wishes to buy or sell the security, the user may contact their broker or trader via telephone or fax or in a manner such as the internet, type or record the particular stock or security, and the quantity of the stock or security. This may lead to some errors, such as the stock's code being incorrectly transcribed, the incorrect number of stocks bought or sold being transcribed, or the order to be "bought" being misread as a "sold" order. Accordingly, there is a need for a trading method that provides for catalog ordering or stock trading with a simplified and reduced error rate.

U.S. patent No. 5,496,071 to Walsh, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, describes a prior art method of allowing a publication article to be subsequently referenced and/or indexed using a reference code by inserting the code into the article. However, the Walsh patent does not provide a system that enables the reader containing the reference code to easily obtain additional information about the subject matter of the article. Again, in the method disclosed by Walsh, these reference codes typically require an electronic device to read the code. Publications are typically read on trains, cars or planes, where the reader often does not have access to conventional code reading devices to allow the reader to record or store the reference code for future use.

U.S. patent No. 5,640,193 to Wellner, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method by which a user can scan a printed bar code or alphanumeric identification code to retrieve that information via transmission over a communications medium, such as the internet, to obtain information on the subject matter to which the bar code or identification code relates.

U.S. patent No. 5,764,906 to Edelstein et al, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an electronic resource annotation/identification, request and transmission system that allows a user to find out information needed on a computer network or system (e.g., the internet) without the user knowing the information, such as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), of the needed resource.

U.S. patent No. 5,804,803 to cragunn, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an information retrieval device designed to obtain data information on an article that may be related to the subject matter being encoded.

U.S. patent No. 5,812,776 to Gifford, which is incorporated herein by reference, relates to various methods of handling a service request from a user to a service provider over a network that accomplish identification of searched information without the use of URL descriptors.

PCT publication No. WO98/24036 published 6/4 of 1998 (incorporated herein by reference) describes a data retrieval system that, in conjunction with a bar code reader, accesses information resources contained on the internet.

PCT publication number WO97/01137 published on 9/1/1997 (incorporated herein by reference) describes a system and method for accessing a resource on the internet associated with an item using an identification code on the item.

PCT publication No. WO98/03923, published on 29/1/1998, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a bar code scanner and computer program for obtaining information from the internet relating to information printed on newspapers, books, periodicals, catalogs, or other printed materials.

PCT publication WO98/06055 (incorporated herein by reference) describes a computer connected to a bar code reader for accessing information over the internet or an intranet.

Summary of the invention

Embodiments of the present invention overcome the deficiencies in the publications mentioned above and provide a method and apparatus that allows a reader to easily store a reference code associated with a periodical, article, or advertisement using a portable writing instrument. The writing instrument includes an electronic data reading, storage, and transmission device. In addition, embodiments of the present invention facilitate catalog shopping for consumers and sellers. Embodiments of the present invention further facilitate trading of securities. Embodiments of the present invention generate fewer errors than occur in manually operated systems that require printing, or other copying, numbering, and encoding.

Previously used approaches, such as a reader of a newspaper or periodical wanting to record a particular index of an interconnected web site, required a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the web site to be recorded in a corner of the newspaper, and then the reader sought the newspaper, turned to face the computer, and typed the URL address into a web browser.

The system and method of the present invention saves time by allowing a user to simplify the task or transaction of scanning code printed on an object, which may correspond to a wide variety of information, such as a URL address. Various embodiments of the present invention provide such a system: it may automatically communicate the detected reference code to a computer system that may use an internet browser to find an internet site on the world wide web that contains relevant article, advertisement, catalog title or security information associated with the detected reference code.

One embodiment of the present invention includes a writing instrument comprising a writing end and a data transfer end at an opposite end of the writing end, the data transfer end reading a reference code associated with a coded article and subsequently placing the data transfer end into a data socket that is in communication with a computer or other electronic device via a cable. Alternatively, the data jack may communicate with the computer via wireless communication techniques. In another embodiment, the writing instrument may communicate directly with the computer using wireless communication techniques, which may include infrared or radio frequency links. Once the writing instrument transmits a signal representative of the scanned code to the computer, the computer sends a request that takes the computer user to the Internet site or other location indexed by the scanned code. Alternatively, when a user logs onto their computer and connects to the Internet, one or more connections are provided in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention that are associated with the scanned code or codes. The connection may be related to a preferred portal of the user.

Thus, a user may retrieve information related to a newspaper or other periodical, a consumer may order an item from a catalog, and a customer may also conduct a trade of stocks or other securities. All of these actions can be achieved with high efficiency and low error rate. The invention improves the ability of the user to retrieve information on the internet or other wide area computer-based communication networks using the alternative form of conventional portable writing instruments,

brief description of the drawings

For a better understanding of the present invention, the following drawings are incorporated herein by reference, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a publication article with a bar code therein;

FIGS. 2(A) to 2(E) show an electronic pen according to one embodiment of the present invention for reading the bar code of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3(A) through 3(E) illustrate the interaction between components of the electronic pen with the pen socket coupled to the computer system as shown in FIG. 2, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system for storing and retrieving information in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a system for storing and retrieving information in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 6(A) and (B) are perspective views of the pen of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and respective partially exploded perspective views;

FIGS. 6(C) and (D) are side and cross-sectional views of a pen corresponding to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6(A) and (B);

FIG. 7 is a block schematic diagram of an embodiment of signal processing with the electronic pen shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 9 shows a graphical user interface including connections associated with the code shown in FIG. 1 that a user has scanned with the tool shown in FIG. 2.

Detailed description of the invention

In embodiments of the invention, the barcode is placed near the beginning, middle or end of an article or advertisement, for example in a publication. Also, the term "publication" as used in this specification should be understood to include other forms of printed matter, such as newspapers, magazines, books, recipes, labels on products, and the like.

A reader interested in obtaining additional information about an article or advertisement reads and stores a specific code identifying the article using a tool contained in, for example, a pen, and then loads the pen into a data socket designed to accept the specific code from the pen and transmit the code to a computer system.

Alternatively, the pen may communicate directly with the computer system. In other words, no physical connection is required, e.g., no data jack. But rather uses wireless communication means such as an infrared connection or other electromagnetic connection to allow the wand to communicate directly with the computer.

According to one embodiment of the computer system of the present invention, the transmission of code or other information may also be made via a data jack or directly from the computer to the pen for later use by the reader. The computer system may include a database of codes and a global wide area network address corresponding to the codes. The computer system may then access the internet site at the corresponding address associated with the particular code to provide the user with further information on the subject matter associated with the article or advertisement. Alternatively, the computer system may not have such a code database, but should have the capability to communicate with a location external to the computer system, which may have a code database associated with an internet address.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be further described with reference to figures 1 to 8. FIG. 1 shows a publication 10 with a first column for text 12 and a second column for text 13, the publication 10 further including a bar code 14 at the bottom of the second column. As described above, the bar code may contain a specific identification code to identify the article. The bar code may be implemented in one of those code formats known to us, or may be a specific code designed specifically for the various embodiments of the present invention. Further, the code may be located elsewhere in the article than at the bottom, such as at the top of the article or at the margin of an adjacent article. In addition, the bar code can be contained in an index or catalog of publications adjacent to the title of the article. Although the term bar code is used herein to describe embodiments of the invention, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of use of bar codes, but rather may use any mechanical device-readable code (such as an alphanumeric code) or the like that may be scanned or read by a tool such as a pen of the invention.

Reference numeral 10 in figure 1 refers to a publication 10 at the bottom of the second column containing a bar code 14, it being understood that the article 10 may be in an order format, such as that found in a family catalog, and is also a very popular way of shopping today. Thus, columns 12 and 13 may constitute a graphic or other article description, each of which may begin or end with an appropriate bar code 14.

Fig. 2A shows an embodiment of the present invention comprising an electronic pen 16 with a writing section 18 and a data transfer section 20. The user may use data transfer terminal 20 of writing instrument 16 to order an option with an associated code in the following steps. The user scans code 14 and inserts data transfer end 20 of writing instrument 16 into data jack 26 as shown in fig. 3(a) and 3(D), and after data transfer end 20 of writing instrument 16 is inserted, a signal representing the scanned code is transmitted to computer 28 via cable 30.

Alternatively, as described further below, data reader 16 may communicate directly with the personal computer via wireless communication techniques, such as a Radio Frequency (RF) link, infrared link, or other electromagnetic link. In other words, the circuitry in the data reading device may read a code associated with an article and communicate with a personal computer or other electronic device.

After transmitting the signal representative of the scanned code to the computer 28, the computer 28 requests access to the company's address corresponding to the scanned code over a wide area network (e.g., the internet). Additionally, the scanned code may include an indication that a particular good or goods is required to be ordered from the company.

In addition to the customer ordering goods using a catalog, the present invention may be adapted to travel salespersons who may order any one of the items in their own catalog or order form by scanning the bar code 14 associated with the selected item and transmitting a signal representative of the scanned code to the computer 28, and upon receipt of the transmitted signal, the computer 28 sends an order request to the headquarters over a wide area network (e.g., the internet).

In addition to the above-described applications, a user or a stockbroker can securely buy and sell stocks or other securities by adopting the following measures, for example, via the internet. The user scans the code corresponding to a particular stock or other portfolio, and the user may also scan the code representing a buy, sell or other transaction. In addition, the user scans another code for the number of stock shares of the securities to be traded. Obviously, the description of all three sets of information described above can also be implemented with one code.

Fig. 2(a) to 2(E) show one embodiment of an electronic pen 16 for reading and storing a barcode 14. As mentioned above, the electronic pen includes two sections, a writing section 18 and a data transfer section 20, and also includes a power source, such as a battery 34.

The writing section comprises a conventional pen with ink dispensed from the writing tip 22. The writing segment 18 includes a replacement cartridge 58, the cartridge 58 having an extraction slot 52 selected proximate the distal or writing end of the replacement cartridge, the user inserting the cartridge 58 into the extraction tool 50 so that the extraction slot 52 on the cartridge may be mated with the slot 51 on the extraction tool 50, and thereafter, the user may pull the pen away from the extraction tool 50 along the longitudinal axis of the writing instrument 16 to extract the replacement cartridge 58. Thus, a user may simply insert a replacement cartridge. As shown in fig. 2(a), the writing section 18 includes a pen barrel 19 and a rotary end section 27. The end section 27 rotates relative to the barrel, causing (not shown) mechanical movement of the writing tip 22 to extend and retract within the interior.

The data transfer section 20 includes a scan head 24 that reads the code as it moves across the barcode 14. The scan head 24 may include a polycarbonate window and sapphire beads, which are preferably transparent. The data transfer section includes a data transfer assembly 64 including an analog printed circuit board (PBC) assembly 38 and a digital printed circuit board assembly, the data transfer assembly further including a sensor and/or transmitter 56 for detecting the code 14 associated with the article 10 and transmitting a signal representative of the code to the information processing interface.

The data transmission section further includes a base 66, light emitting diodes 68, and a speaker 72. The base 66 allows the user to initiate the scanning and transmission functions of the transmission segment. The led 68 and speaker 72 provide the user with an audible and visual signal as to whether a particular scanning and transmission activity was successfully completed. One version of the electronic pen 16 is disclosed in application No. 08/994,684 entitled "data/pen socket," filed on 19/12/1997, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference.

Fig. 3(a) shows one embodiment implemented in accordance with the present invention, in which the electronic pen 16 is placed in a data jack 26, which is connected to a computer 28 by a cable 30. Fig. 3(B) to 3(E) show a series of views in which the electronic pen is inserted into the data jack 26. After one or more codes have been stored in the electronic pen, the electronic pen is placed in a data socket 26, to which the pen transmits the codes in a known manner. The data jack 26 transmits a signal representative of the scanned code to the computer, in turn, via cable 30.

In one embodiment of the invention, both ends of the pen 16 may be inserted into the data jack 26. If the writing section 16 is inserted into the receptacle 26, the writing section 16 is fixed in the shutter 19, as shown in fig. 3 (E). However, if the data transmission section 20 is inserted into the socket 26, the clip 17 of the pen 16 comes into contact with the shutter 19, causing the shutter 19 to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow a in fig. 3 (C). Once the data transfer section 20 is fully inserted into the data socket 26, the shutter 19 is rotated away from the direction of the pen while the data transfer head is brought into operative proximity with the data reading device 70, as shown in fig. 3 (D). The data jack 26 may then download the stored information from the pen 16.

The data jack may be implemented using a product manufactured by a.t. cross company, located in Lincoln, rhode island, which was previously mentioned as a patent application entitled "data/pen jack" with serial number 08/994,684 filed on 19/12/1997. In some embodiments of the invention, the data jack may include a battery charger to charge one or more batteries in the electronic pen.

In fig. 3(a), data jack 26 is shown connected to computer 28 by cable 30. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the data jack may alternatively be connected to the computer by other known connection techniques, such as a Radio Frequency (RF) connection by wireless connection, an infrared connection or other electromagnetic connection, such as the component referenced 31 in figure 3. In other embodiments, the data jack may be fully computer integrated, for example in a personal computer a data jack may be established for receiving the data reading device 16.

In another embodiment, data reader 16 may communicate directly with a personal computer via a wireless communication device, such as a Radio Frequency (RF), infrared, or other electromagnetic connection as noted above. In other words, the circuitry in the data reading device can both read the code associated with the article and communicate with a personal computer or other electronic device.

To facilitate such wireless communication, the data transfer tip 24 of the data reading device (e.g., the electronic pen 16) may include a sapphire ball 32, as shown in fig. 6(a) to 6(D), the sapphire ball 32 allowing at least a certain frequency of electromagnetic waves (e.g., visible light) to pass through the data transfer tip 24, and the sapphire ball 32 may be formed as a ball similar to a ball of a ball-point pen.

Further, the data reading device may include pressure sensitive switch assemblies 38, 40, 42, and 44 that may activate a scanning assembly in the data reading device when pressure is applied to the data transfer head, the pressure switch assembly including a ball/optical assembly 44 for operating the scanning function of the data transfer head switch. The pressure switch assembly further includes an analog Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly 38, and a switch contact 42 proximate to the contact spring 40. The contact spring 40 is compressed when pressure is applied to the ball 32 and the pressure switch is activated when the contact spring 40 is compressed beyond a certain pressure value.

Thus, in operation, a user moves the sapphire ball 32 in the data transfer head 24 across the code 14 associated with the article 10 as if it were a line drawn across the code in order to scan the code into the data reading device. Alternatively, the electronic pen may include a proximity sensor for sending a signal to the processing circuit 60 of fig. 7 when the ball 32 is positioned in proximity to the code 14.

The data reading device, such as a pen, shown in fig. 7, may include a signal processing circuit 60, according to which the code reading device 64 sends a signal to a code detection circuit 76, which in turn sends the detected signal to an analog-to-digital converter 80. Likewise, the pressure sensor 74, including the sapphire ball 32, the ball/optical assembly 44, the contact spring 40, and the switch contact 42, sends a signal to a pressure sensing circuit 78, which in turn sends a pressure sensing signal to an analog-to-digital converter 80.

Under appropriate conditions, such as when signals are received from both the code detection circuit 76 and the pressure detection circuit 78, the converter 80 sends a code detection signal to the recorder 82. Under appropriate conditions, such as when the pen 16 is accessed in and out of the data jack, the recorder 82 sends the recorded signals to the data transfer circuit 84, the data transfer circuit 84 transmits the recorded signals to the interface 86, and receives input signals from the interface 86. The interface 86 interfaces with the computer 28, which has logged onto a translation database 90 for translating the recorded code signals into another information format, such as a uniform resource locator address.

In one embodiment, the data reading device 16 comprises a bar code reading type device, which may be from Symbol Technologies, inc (Holtsville, new york). However, alternative embodiments are other types of scanning devices, such as laser-based scanners, that may be included in the data transfer section of the electronic pen 16. These alternative scanning devices are capable of reading alphanumeric symbols or other labels in addition to, or instead of, bar codes.

According to one method embodiment of the present invention, including the steps, as shown in fig. 8, first, a user scans 92 the coded information located proximate to an item (e.g., article), the system determines 94 whether the coded information has been detected, and if so, the data reading device stores 96 the coded information. The data reading device then transmits the code information to an information interface, which may be a computer or other electronic device, that displays and utilizes 120 the information, as will be further described below. The information interface also transmits 122 information, such as a URL address, to the network. The system then determines if additional information is needed 124. If more information is needed, the appropriate requirements can be displayed on the information interface; otherwise, the requested information is returned to the information interface.

In one embodiment of the invention, the bar code is implemented using a bar code with 6 to 12 digit characters that can be as small as unobtrusively located in a publication or advertisement, but should be as large as clearly readable by a data reading device (e.g., an electronic pen). For articles or advertisements in newspapers, slightly larger bar codes are needed because newspapers typically use relatively poor quality printing. In one embodiment, the barcode comprises a design of X₁X₂X₃X₄Y₁Y₂Y₃Y₄The X value is usually assigned to one of 10,000 journals, while the Y value is often assigned to one of approximately 10,000 articles associated with the journal. Likewise, the X and Y values may be used to label a particular directory and entries in the directory, or particular stocks and quantities of stocks, or other securities.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the computer 28 is programmed to receive the code from the data jack and, upon receipt of the code, access a database contained on the computer or at a remote location (e.g., at the Internet). In one embodiment, for example, a remote database is accessed by a computer through an internet server using one of the well-known web browsers, the database providing an internet home page URL address corresponding to the first four characters of the string, while the computer system connects to the internet site corresponding to the URL address using the web browser. At the internet site, the last four characters of the numeric string are used to determine the home page address corresponding to the code scanned by the reading device for the particular article, advertisement, product, or stock.

In embodiments of the invention, the home page corresponding to each article or advertisement may be retained by a publisher, such as a newspaper or magazine, while the database of such publications is retained by the service institution reserved by the reader and publisher. In a further embodiment of the invention described above, the catalog company may maintain a home page to a catalog that enables catalog consumers to place orders for one or more items in the company's catalog. Likewise, the salesperson's headquarters may save a home page or other internet site to which the orders may be forwarded to the salesperson's customers. Finally, a stockbroker or other company may maintain a home page or other internet site address so that their customers or users may trade stocks and other securities over the internet by scanning the code of the corresponding particular stock and the stock quantity code, as well as the code of whether to buy, sell or otherwise trade the particular stock.

The manufacturer or seller of the electronic pen may provide different types of computer services to electronic pen users through its own or other mechanisms. In one embodiment, the manufacturer or vendor may provide the user of his electronic pen with efficient organization and navigation services, whereby gateways to other services, web sites and other databases are connected to each other via the server of the manufacturer or vendor. The information collected by these servers may be retained by the manufacturer or vendor for demographic purposes or subsequently sold to others.

Unlike the first embodiment, which is an intermediary, in the second embodiment, the manufacturer and vendor may themselves provide the information services represented by the codes discussed above, or may store a supply from such information. Further, the company may provide such services to users: for enabling retrieval on an internet web site or other database to find information that a user desires but is not provided on their server and to charge a fee for such access and services. It is obvious that in the above embodiments the provision of these services may be some entity other than the manufacturer or distributor of the electronic pen, for example a service bureau or publisher of a newspaper or the like.

Fig. 4 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 illustrates a method by which we implement in a well-known industrialization a "hard portal" defined (for the purpose of the present invention only) as a server or a set of servers that are in communication with a client terminal, without concern for where the consumer or user is on the internet. An example of providing such a service is american Online, inc. A hard portal service is preferably provided by installing an appropriate application on the client/consumer/user's machine and allowing it to run in the background of the browser in accordance with well-known techniques, in such a way that the request remains in contact with the portal server while the browser can prepare the required content anywhere on the internet.

Figure 4 illustrates, in flow diagram form, a process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention by which a user may retrieve information starting with a scan of a bar code or other alphanumeric symbol. In a first step 100, a user scans a bar code 102 using the tool of the present invention, which converts the scanned bar code 102 into a signal representative of the bar code 102, and the system then transmits the signal representative of the scanned bar code to the customer's Personal Computer (PC) 104.

Software on the client PC receives the signal representing the scanned bar code and runs a browser installed on the client PC 104, which software uses the browser and the signal representing the scanned bar code to connect to the connection server 108 over the internet 106.

In one embodiment, the bar code uses 128 codes, and further, the bar code can support a sufficient number of characters to encode the type of request (relevant publication, catalog purchase, securities transaction, etc.) for the address of the relevant business, company, or other entity, and the relevant product.

The bar code can be divided into two regions: static and dynamic zones. The static section may determine The type of request (e.g., related publications) and its company or other entity (e.g., Washington Post, The Washington Post). The dynamic zone may be used to specify a particular product in the content database. The connection server 108 acts as an agent to the client PC where the static area in the bar code is associated with a content provider (e.g., news periodicals or washington post, catalog, or a particular stock broker). In other words, the connection server 108 filters out the information of the static zone and based on the information in the static zone, will make a request directly to the particular news agent server 110.

The news proxy server 110 implements a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) process to dynamically map between the filtered barcodes and corresponding Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). The URL points to a particular product in the content databases 114, 116, and 118. Multiple URLs may be associated with a single barcode. The connection server 108 then transmits the URLs from the news company web server 110 to the client's PC 104 via the internet 106.

One method of providing bar codes to the internet is an indirect method disclosed in PCT application published under international publication number WO97/01137, assigned to Solar Communications, Naperville, IL, the text of which is incorporated herein by reference. The PCT application relates, among other things, to a database that associates existing Uniform Product Code (UPC) numbers, which are found on products such as soap and soda, with URLs on the internet. However, the Solar Communications applications teaches only an input device, such as a UPC bar code reader attached to a computer, and it does not teach a free and independent data reading device that can be used in various environments, such as trains, planes, etc., and then interfaced with a computer to download information obtained by the data reading device.

Fig. 5 illustrates, in flow diagram form, a process in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which a user utilizes tool 16 to begin retrieving information associated with scanned code 102 or other alphanumeric characters. As mentioned above, the code may include a plurality of regions. These areas may identify a particular application, a particular database, or content provider, and a particular item in a particular database. The scanning tool 16 converts the scanned code 102 into a signal representative of the code 102.

In step 200, the system transmits a signal representative of the scanned code to the customer's Personal Computer (PC) 104. In one embodiment, the system may transmit the signal in the form of an ASCII string. Further, the client's PC receives this signal through port 202, which may be any of a variety of ports, such as a serial, infrared, or radio frequency port.

Application 201 on client PC 104 receives the signal representing the scanned code and runs browser 206, and application 201 filters out the signal and/or connects to remote nodes 210, 212 via internet 106 and portal server 208 to determine the URL and other information associated with the scanned bar code. In step 203, application 201 sends the relevant URL and other information to browser 206. The browser then displays the information, such as the link, as shown in FIG. 9. According to one embodiment of the system of the present invention, links associated with scanned codes may be integrated into a user's favorite search engine or portal.

The user may then select one of the various links provided based on the previously scanned code. The browser 206 activated by the selected link connects to the content provider 214 or 216 through the internet 106 and the cross-link portal server 208 and to a particular article in a database supported by the content provider 214 or 216. In addition, the barcode mapping software 222 may map barcodes to articles in a database 220 supported by the content provider 214.

In the above described embodiments of the invention the code reading means is incorporated into the pen. In another embodiment, the code reading device may also be incorporated into another writing instrument, or into some other, preferably portable device such as a watch, cell phone, etc. In yet other embodiments, the code reading device may be a stand alone portable device designed to be easily carried in a pocket or simple case, and may also be incorporated into a laser pointer shaped device that can be hung from a user's key fob.

In another embodiment of the invention, used in place of the bar code are standard characters used on articles or advertisements as identification codes, while the electronic pen includes an electronic scanning device capable of reading such characters. For this embodiment, the computer system includes character recognition software to recognize characters that are read by the electronic scanning device.

While the invention as described can be used in the related print, catalog and securities industries, it can also be used in a number of other industries and applications. Applications include, for example, the following: connecting the user to further information using a bar code or other code in the encyclopedia; for code use in yellow pages or other directories; code usage for electronic commercial banking, where a user may scan, for example, an electronic utility bill code and pay the bill over the internet. Other examples include foreign language translation, where scanning a code on an item may connect a user to a foreign language translation source on the internet. Yet another example is the possibility of interactive shopping, where a user may scan the number of a certain household product or food and order such item through an internet site connected to a supermarket. A further example is the use of a ballot collector who can scan a particular code of a selected person or voter.

In a still further example, the invention is used for standard testing purposes in which a student or other user's selections are scanned and once a test sequence is completed, the electronic pen may be used to connect the answer to an authoritative internet site, facilitating immediate feedback, reducing invalid hits due to accurate bar code marketing techniques and an immediate statistical analysis of accumulated experience with a multitude of user test scanning devices, as compared to current pencil marking techniques.

In another embodiment, the flute portion also has a sound recording module in place of the bar code reading device that allows the user to record the URL address in the recording module. In this embodiment, the pen socket includes circuitry for audibly or electronically receiving a URL address from the electronic pen and transmitting the URL address to the computer system. For this embodiment, the computer system includes a voice recognition engine programmed to receive the URL address and, upon receipt, enable the web browser to access the interconnected web site having the URL address.

As yet another embodiment, the Electronic pen having an accelerometer capable of deleting or recording characters in an Electronic format written by the pen is described in U.S. patent No. 5,434,371 (entitled "Hand-held Electronic Writing Tool"), incorporated herein by reference, and assigned to a.t. cross company (a.t. cross company, of Lincoln, Rhode Island). In this embodiment, the user may track the URL address on an advertisement or article, or write the URL address on paper, so that the URL address (or some other code) is recorded in the pen. The URL address may then be transmitted to the computer in a manner similar to other embodiments of the invention described above.

In the embodiments of the invention discussed above, the data jack is used to transfer stored information from the electronic pen to the computer system. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, other information transfer means may be used in place of the data jack, or alternatively, the electronic pen may be plugged directly into a jack on the computer, the jack being designed to receive stored information from the pen. In addition, the pen can also communicate with the computer through infrared or radio frequency connection.

There are also some modifications to the various embodiments of the invention discussed above. First, service agents, using embodiments of the present invention, may provide reader population statistics to publishers to help publishers target advertisements to specific reader populations; secondly, the reader can easily obtain additional information about the content of the articles or advertisements in these periodicals; third, because advertisements that include barcodes have the potential to convey additional information to the reader, publishers will be able to derive additional revenue from these advertisements. Although it is known for these advertisements to include a URL address in an internet site so that the reader can obtain additional information therefrom, prior to the present invention, readers often lost or forgotten the URL address before accessing the internet site.

Having schematically described at least one embodiment of the invention, various alternatives, modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended as limiting.

Claims (23)

1. An interactive data transmission system comprising:

an arithmetic device;

a data socket for interfacing with an elongated tool, the elongated tool having a data transfer end with a data transfer head, the data socket having a housing with an opening for receiving the data transfer head of the elongated tool, the data socket having a communication port for articulating with the computing device to provide data to the computing device, the data socket further having a data communication device disposed in the housing for interfacing with the data transfer head when the data transfer end of the elongated tool is received at the opening;

wherein the computing device is programmed to receive data from the data socket, the received data including data representative of at least one address on the global communications network, and the computer device is programmed to, upon receiving the at least one address, send a request to retrieve information associated with the at least one address on the global communications network and transmit the information to the computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the global communications network is the internet.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said computing device comprises a display device to display information retrieved over the internet.

4. The system of claim 3, in combination with an elongate tool.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the elongated implement is a writing implement and further comprising a writing tip located at a second end opposite the data transfer end of the writing implement.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the data transfer head of the writing instrument is constructed and arranged to: so as to scan the bar code and store information related to the bar code at the data transmission end of the writing instrument.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data socket is included in the computing device.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the data transmission head of the elongate tool is constructed and arranged to: to scan a bar code and store information associated with the bar code in the data transmission end of the elongate tool.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data socket is included in the computing device.

10. A method for retrieving information from a global communication network, comprising the steps of:

scanning the bar code with a data transfer head of the elongate tool;

decoding the bar code to obtain a data representation of at least one address on a global communications network;

inserting the elongate tool into a data socket, the elongate tool being operatively connected to a computing device;

sending a request in the computer device to retrieve information associated with the at least one address from the global communication network; and

information retrieved from the network is received at the computing device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of scanning the barcode comprises: the bar code on the newspaper is scanned.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the retrieving step comprises: information related to information contained on the newspaper is received.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of scanning the barcode comprises: the barcode on the catalog page is scanned.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: ordering at least one product described in the catalog over a global communications network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of scanning comprises: a barcode associated with a particular security is scanned.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the scanning step occurs only when a data transfer head of the elongate tool is in proximity to the bar code.

17. An electronic pen for retrieving information from a global communications network, the electronic pen comprising:

a writing tip disposed at a first end of the pen;

a data transfer head disposed at a second end of the pen opposite the first end, the data transfer head constructed and arranged to: in order to scan the bar code and at the same time store the information related to the bar code, said data transmission head comprising communication circuitry in order to allow the electronic pen to communicate with a computing device, said computing device having been connected to a global communication network.

18. The electronic pen of claim 17, wherein said data transfer tip comprises a sapphire ball to allow light to pass through said data transfer tip.

19. The electronic pen of claim 18, wherein said electronic pen further comprises communication means for wireless communication with a computing device.

20. The electronic pen of claim 17, wherein said data transfer head further comprises a proximity device to allow said data transfer head to scan said bar code only when said data transfer head is in proximity to said bar code.

21. A data jack for retrieving information from a global communications network, the data jack comprising:

a housing with an opening to receive a data transmission head of an elongate tool;

a first data communication interface constructed and arranged to receive data from the elongate tool;

a second data communication interface constructed and arranged to transmit data to a computing device coupled to the global communication network.

22. A computing device for an interactive data transmission system, the computing device comprising:

a communication device for communicating with an elongate tool having a data transmission end with a data transmission head, the communication device having a receiving assembly for receiving data from the data transmission head of the elongate tool;

wherein the computing device is programmed to receive data from the communication means, the received data including data representative of at least one address on the global communication network, and the computer device is programmed to, upon receiving the at least one address, send a request to retrieve information relating to the at least one address from the global communication network and transmit the information to the computing device.

23. The computing device of claim 22, wherein said communication means comprises a wireless communication link selected from the group consisting of an infrared link and a radio frequency link.