US 5,905,248 AGranted

System and method for carrying out information-related transactions using web documents embodying transaction enabling applets automatically launched and executed in response to reading URL-encoded symbols pointing thereto

AssigneeMetrologic Instruments, Inc.

InventorsGarrett Russell, David M. Wilz, Sr., Carl Harry Knowles

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A novel transaction-enabling method and system are disclosed, wherein a transaction-enabling Java-Applet is embedded within an HTML-encoded document stored in an HTTP server at predetermined URL. When a code symbol (e.g., magstripe or bar code) encoded with the URL is read using a code symbol reader interfaced with a Java-enabled Internet terminal, the corresponding HTTP document is automatically accessed and displayed at the terminal, and the transaction-enabling Java-Applet initiated for execution so that the customer, consumer or client desiring the transaction can simply and conveniently conduct the information-related transaction over the Internet. The transaction-enabling Internet terminal can be in the form of an Internet kiosk installed in a public location, in the manner as conventional ATMs. By virtue of the present invention, universal transaction machine (UTMs) can be easily deployed for use by the mass population so that they can easily conduct various types of transaction over the Internet.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An Internet-based system for enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, comprising:

an HTTP information server connected to the Internet, for storing an HTML-encoded document having a location on the Internet specified by a predetermined URL, said HTTP-encoded document embodying a transaction-enabling Applet which, when executed, enables a user to conduct an information-related transaction over the Internet;
and
a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for requesting said HTML-encoded document and executing said transaction-enabling Applet embedded therein, said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including
an Internet browser program for executing Applets, including said transaction-enabling Applet, embedded within said HTML-encoded document,
a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded documents,
a data entry means for entering data into said Internet browser program, and
a symbol reader, operably connected to said Internet browser program, for scanning a URL-encoded symbol encoded with said predetermined URL, decoding said scanned URL-encoded symbol, producing symbol character data representative of said predetermined URL, and providing said predetermined URL to said Internet browser program for accessing said HTML-encoded document whose location is specified by said predetermined URL,
wherein, when said URL-encoded symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character data representative thereof is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program,
whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server in order to execute said transaction-enabling Applet embedded therein and thereby enable the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

6 more elements

An Internet-based system for enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, comprising:

an HTTP information server connected to the Internet, for storing an HTML-encoded document having a location on the Internet specified by a predetermined URL, said HTTP-encoded document embodying a transaction-enabling Java-Applet which, when executed, enables a user to conduct an information-related transaction over the Internet;
and
a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for requesting said HTML-encoded document and executing said transaction-enabling Java-Applet embedded therein, said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including
a Java-enabled browser program for executing Java-Applets, including said transaction-enabling Java-Applet, embedded within said HTML-encoded document,
a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded documents,
a data entry means for entering data into said Java-enabled browser program, and
a symbol reader, operably connected to said Java-enabled browser program, for scanning a URL-encoded symbol encoded with said predetermined URL, decoding said scanned URL-encoded symbol, producing symbol character data representative of said predetermined URL, and providing said predetermined URL to said Java-enabled browser program for accessing said HTML-encoded document whose location is specified by said predetermined URL,
wherein, when said URL-encoded symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character data representative thereof is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program,
whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server in order to execute said transaction-enabling Java-Applet embedded therein and thereby enable the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

6 more elements

A method of enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing in an HTTP information server connected to the Internet, an HTML-encoded document having a location on the Internet specified by a predetermined URL, said HTTP-encoded document embodying a transaction-enabling Applet which, when executed, enables a user to conduct an information-related transaction over the Internet;
(b) providing a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for accessing said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server and executing said transaction-enabling Applet embedded therein, said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including
an Internet browser program for executing Applets, including said transaction-enabling Applet, embedded within said HTML-encoded document,
a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded documents,
a data entry means for entering data into said Internet browser program, and
a symbol reader, operably connected to said Internet browser program, for scanning a URL-encoded symbol encoded with said predetermined URL, decoding said scanned URL-encoded symbol, producing symbol character data representative of said predetermined URL, and providing said predetermined URL to said Internet browser program for accessing said HTML-encoded document whose location is specified by said predetermined URLl;
(c) reading said URL-encoded symbol using said code symbol reader, whereupon symbol character data representative of said URL-encoded symbol is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program, and said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server in order to execute said transaction-enabling Applet embedded therein and thereby enable the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/916,694Filed 22 Aug 1997 · continuation in part
Priority: 11 Sep 1990
Granted: 18 May 1999
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

G06F 16/9554
Using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]: by using bar codes
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Serial580,740Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Sep 1990
Serial583,421Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Sep 1990
Serial821,917Parent of this continuation · filed 16 Jan 1992
Serial278,109Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Nov 1993
Serial292,237Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Aug 1994
Serial293,493Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Aug 1994
Serial365,193Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Dec 1994
Serial476,069Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Jun 1995
Serial489,305Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Jun 1995
Serial489,305Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Jun 1995
Serial561,479Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Nov 1995
Serial573,949Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Dec 1995
Serial584,135Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Jan 1996
Serial615,054Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Mar 1996
Serial651,951Parent of this continuation · filed 21 May 1996
Serial645,331Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 24 Sep 1996
Serial753,367Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Nov 1996
Serial820,540Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Mar 1997
Serial838,501Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Apr 1997
Serial846,219Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Apr 1997
Serial869,164Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Jun 1997
Serial905,903Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Aug 1997
5767499Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,557,093 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,525,789 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,661,292 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,484,992 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,591,953 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,616,908 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,260,553 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,905,248 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.