Patent ID: 6386453
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
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 HTML-encoded document embodying one or more Applet tags representing one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets which, when executed, enable 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 one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets symbolically embedded therein, said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including a Java-enabled browser program for executing Java-Applets, including said one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets, 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 symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character data representative of said predetermined URL is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program, whereupon said Java-enabled browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server, displays said HTML-encoded document on said display screen, and executes said one or more transaction-enabling Java-Applets so as to thereby enable the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.