Patent ID: 6631357
Filing Date: 2003-10-07
Classification: G06F,G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
A method of finding information pertaining to a particular consumer product on the Internet, said method comprising the steps:(a) storing in a relational database, information elements representative of (1) a plurality of universal product numbers (UPNs) assigned to a plurality of consumer products associated with one or more manufacturers and registered with said relational database, and (2A) a trademark (TM) symbolically linked to each said UPN, (2B) a product description (PD) symbolically linked to each said UPN, and (2C) a plurality of uniform resource locators (URLs) symbolically linked to each said UPN, wherein each said URL specifies the location of an information resource located on the Internet and related to a particular consumer product, and wherein a UPN/TM/PD/URL data link is created and maintained in said relational database for each consumer product registered with said relational database; (b) operably connecting an Internet information server to the infrastructure of the Internet and said relational database server, so as to enable said Internet information server to service a request made by an Internet-enabled client system, for information on the Internet about one of said plurality of consumer products registered with said relational database; (c) operably connecting a plurality of Internet-based product information servers, to the infrastructure of Internet, in which information resources related to one or more of said plurality of consumer products and are stored at said plurality of URLs; (d) operably connecting an Internet-enabled client system to the infrastructure of the Internet so as to enable a consumer to transmit a request for consumer product information on the Internet about a consumer product registered with said relational database, wherein each said request may include either the UPN, TM and/or PD symbolically linked to the UPN assigned to a registered consumer product on which consumer product information on the Internet is being sought by a consumer using said Internet-enabled client system; and (e) automatically receiving at said Internet information server, the request transmitted by said Internet-enabled client system, and recovering the UPN, TM and/or PD contained in said request so as to enable said Internet information server to access said plurality of URLs symbolically linked to the UPN, TM, and/or PD and stored in said relational database, and then transmit said accessed plurality of URLs to said Internet-enabled client computer for use in accessing information resources stored in said Internet-based product information servers, at said plurality of URLs; (f) automatically analyzing said request received at said Internet information server during step (e) to determine whether the consumer product assigned to the recovered UPN or its associated TM and/or PD is registered with said relational database; and (g) automatically contacting the manufacturer of said consumer product and soliciting said manufacturer to register said consumer product with said relational database if the analysis conducted during step (f) determines that said consumer product is not registered with said relational database.