System and method for delivering consumer product related information to consumers within retail environments using internet-based information servers and sales agents

A system for collecting and transmitting product related information on the Internet, said system comprising:

• a database management subsystem including
• URL/UPN information storage means for storing product-related information representative of (i) a plurality of universal product numbers (UPNs) assigned to a plurality of products, and (ii) a plurality of URLs symbolically linked to said plurality of UPNs, each said URL specifying the location of an information resource located on the Internet related to a particular one of said products;
• and
• a database server connected to the Internet and said database management subsystem and including
• product-related information receiving and storage means for receiving and storing said product-related information transmitted from said database management subsystem.

An information collection system for collecting consumer product related information from manufacturers over the Internet and transmitting said consumer product related information to an Internet-based consumer product information finding and serving system, said information collection system comprising:

• an information collecting server connected to the Internet and including
• (1) message transmitting means for transmitting a message over the Internet to a client system associated with a manufacturer, requesting that consumer product related information associated with each product of a manufacturer to be registered with said Internet-based consumer product information finding and serving system, be transmitted over the Internet to said information collecting server, said consumer product related information being representative of (i) a plurality of universal product numbers (UPNs) assigned to a plurality of consumer products, and (ii) a plurality of URLs symbolically linked to said plurality of UPNs, each said URL specifying the location of an information resource located on the Internet related to a particular one of said consumer products, and
• (2) information storage means for storing said consumer product related information;
• and
• (3) information transmission means for transmitting said consumer product related information to said Internet-based consumer product information finding and serving system for subsequent storage therein.