Abstract:
A device having a data capture arrangement to capture data included in a data identifier, the data identifier being separate from the device and a processor to receive the data and perform an operation, the processor using at least a portion of the data to perform the operation. A method for capturing data from a data identifier and performing an operation, the operation using at least a portion of the captured data.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Users utilize mobile devices to accomplish a wide variety of tasks. Those tasks may include phone dialing, sending emails, or accessing web pages. Additional functionality provided by a mobile device may make the device more valuable to the user. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A device having a data capture arrangement to capture data included in a data identifier, the data identifier being separate from the device and a processor to receive the data and perform an operation, the processor using at least a portion of the data to perform the operation. 
         [0003]    A method for capturing data from a data identifier and performing an operation, the operation using at least a portion of the captured data. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the present invention. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  shows another exemplary embodiment of a system according to the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  shows another exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems and methods for providing data to a mobile device. The data may be provided to the device as a result of a data request regarding a particular item. The data obtained may be used immediately or may be stored for a later purpose, or both. Although the exemplary embodiments will be described with respect to automatic phone number dialing, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be applied to any functionality that may be desired by the user of a mobile device, e.g., pre-filling email fields, launching applications, accessing web pages, etc. 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a system  5  according to the present invention. The system  5  may include a communications network  10  (e.g., a wireless telephone network, a WLAN, etc.), which is accessible by a mobile device  20 . The mobile device  20  may be any portable electronic device including, but not limited to, a mobile phone, a laser/image-based scanner, an RFID reader/tag, a PDA, a tablet computer, etc. The mobile device  20  may include a data capture arrangement  25 , which may be, but is not limited to, a laser- and/or imager-based scanner, a digital camera, or an RFID reader. The mobile device  20  may also include a display (e.g., an LCD)  30  and a memory  35 . The mobile device  20  may also include additional hardware (e.g., a processor) and software (e.g., applications) to provide the user with various types of functionality. For example, as will be described in more detail below, the mobile device  20  may include hardware and/or software for providing phone functionality to the user (e.g., VoIP, CDMA, GSM, etc.). 
         [0010]    A user may utilize the mobile device  20  to obtain data from a target object. For example, the mobile device  20  may scan a barcode  40  on an object  45  to obtain barcode data. In this exemplary embodiment, the barcode  40  is included as part of a contact list object  45 . Thus, the data included in the barcode  40  may include name data, title data, company data, address data, phone number data, fax number data, email address data, web page data, etc., for individuals and/or entities on the contact list. Thus, when the mobile device  20  reads the barcode  40 , the data associated with the corresponding entry in the contact list will be transferred to the mobile device  20 . The mobile device  20  may then, for example, display the information from the barcode  40  on the display  30 , automatically dial the phone number included with the data, and store the information obtained in memory  35 . Thus, by merely scanning the barcode  40 , different functions of the mobile device  20  may be implemented. 
         [0011]    According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the barcode  40  may be located on various objects  45 . Object  45  may be, but is not limited to, a contact list, an address book, a business card, a letter, a document containing information or advertising about a product, or a computer screen displaying the barcode  40 . In another exemplary use, the barcode  40  may be placed on a product or a product display by a manufacturer. 
         [0012]    Those skilled in the art will understand that the data to be captured is not limited to being stored in barcodes, but may be stored in any other type of data identifier. For example, the data capture arrangement  25  may include an RFID reader. In such a case, the object  45  may include an RFID tag that includes the data which is to be collected by the mobile device  20 . Alternately, data capture arrangement  25  may include an image-based scanner. In this case, the object  45  may include a non-barcode picture as a data identifier which includes the data which is to be collected by the mobile device  20 . 
         [0013]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary embodiment of a method  100  for providing data to a mobile device according to the present invention. The method  100  will be described with reference to the system  5  of  FIG. 1 . In step  110 , the mobile device  20  scans a barcode. In step  120 , the mobile device decodes the barcode. In step  130 , it is determined what type or types of data the barcode contains. In the context of step  130 , relevant data may include any data that is readable and decodable by the mobile device  20 . Thus, if the mobile device cannot read or decode the data included in the barcode  40 , the data is not relevant. Relevant data may also refer to the functionality that corresponds to the data in the barcode. For example, if the barcode  40  includes phone number data, but the mobile device  20  does not include phone functionality, the data is not relevant to the mobile device  20 . Thus, the determination of relevance of the data may include a variety of factors. If no relevant data was found in step  130 , the method proceeds to step  180 , where an error message is displayed by the device, and the method  100  ends. The error message may be, for example, “data not readable,” “unsupported function,” etc. 
         [0014]    It should be noted that the barcode  40  (or other data object) may include data as described above, but it may also include executable code or other codes for launching an application. For example, the barcode  40  may include the phone number as described above, but it may also include executable code (e.g., an applet) that indicates to the phone application in the mobile device  20  that the phone number included in the scanned barcode  40  should be dialed. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the barcode  40  may include a code such as a binary number, etc., that indicates to the phone application that the corresponding number should be dialed (e.g., when the phone application receives a number along with a specified code, the phone application automatically dials the number). In a further exemplary embodiment, the phone application may be programmed to automatically dial the phone number whenever it is received or to provide a prompt to the user when it is received. Thus, the functionality of the mobile device  20  that is triggered when the barcode  40  is read may be based on the information included in the barcode  40  itself, or in combination with information included in the application on the mobile device  20 . 
         [0015]    If the barcode contains relevant data, the method proceeds to step  140 , where a telephone number included in the barcode data is displayed by the mobile device  20 . In step  150 , the telephone number is dialed by the mobile device  20 . In step  160 , the user is given a choice whether to store the telephone number and other data contained by the barcode  40 . If the user elects to do so, in step  170  the data is stored in a memory  35  of the mobile device  20 . Following step  160  or step  170 , the method  100  ends. 
         [0016]    Those skilled in the art will understand that automatically dialing a phone number is only exemplary. Other exemplary functions may include, for example, automatically sending an email. In such an example, a product display may include a barcode and the scanning of the barcode may cause an email application of the mobile device  20  to open a new email, pre-fill the “To:” field and the “Subject” field or “Body” field for the user to request the specifications of the product being displayed. In another embodiment, the scanning of the barcode  40  may cause a URL to be inserted into a web browser application of the mobile device  20 , such that a corresponding web page is displayed to the user. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  shows another exemplary embodiment of a system  205  according to the present invention. The system  205  may include a communications network  210  (e.g., a wireless telephone network, a WLAN, etc.), which is accessible by a mobile device  220 . The mobile device  220  may be any portable electronic device including, but not limited to, a mobile phone, a laser/image-based scanner, an RFID reader/tag, a PDA and a tablet. The mobile device  220  may include a data capture arrangement  225 , which may be, but is not limited to, a laser- and/or imager-based scanner, a digital camera, or an RFID reader. The mobile device  220  may also include a display (e.g., an LCD)  230  and a memory  235 . The system  205  may also include a data server  240  which is accessible by the mobile device  220  via access point  245 . 
         [0018]    A user may utilize the mobile device  220  to obtain data from a target object. For example, the mobile device  220  may scan a barcode  250  on an object  255  to obtain barcode data. The mobile device may transmit the barcode data to a data server  240  via the access point  245 . The data server  240  may determine whether it contains any data about the barcode  250 . The barcode data may contain information about an entry on the contact list  45  (e.g., a telephone number or an address). The data server may transmit any such data back to the mobile device  220  via the access point  245 , or if no data is found, may transmit an error message reflecting this fact. The mobile device  220  may then display transmitted information on the display  230 , automatically dial the phone number by accessing communications network  210 , and store the information obtained in memory  235 . As stated above for the exemplary embodiment presented in  FIG. 1 , those of skill in the art will understand that the phone dialing process described here is only exemplary, and that other functions, such as sending an email or accessing a web page, may be accomplished using the same concepts. Further, while the exemplary embodiment described above describes communication between the mobile device  220  and the data server  240 , those of skill in the art will understand that the data server  240  may be replaced by any object located external to the mobile device  220 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows an exemplary embodiment of a method  300  for providing data to a wireless device according to the present invention. The method  300  will be described with reference to the system  205  of  FIG. 3 . In step  305 , the mobile device  220  scans a barcode using data capture arrangement  225 . In step  310 , the mobile device generates a data request including barcode data from the barcode scan in step  301 . In step  320 , the mobile device  220  contacts the access point  245 . To do this, the mobile device  220  and the access point  245  may utilize a predetermined wireless communications protocol (e.g., IEEE 802.1x protocol) for conducting wireless communications. In step  330 , the data request generated in step  310  is transmitted to the server  240  via access point  245 . 
         [0020]    In step  340 , the data server  240  determines whether the barcode data corresponds to a data record stored on the data server  240 . As described above, the data to be searched for may be, but is not limited to, a telephone number or an address. If a corresponding data record is found, the method proceeds to step  350 . If no corresponding data record is found, the method proceeds to step  390 . In step  390 , the data server  240  returns an error message to mobile device  220  via access point  245 . In step  395 , the mobile device  220  displays the error message to the user through the use of display  230 , and the method  300  ends. The error message displayed in step  395  may be, but is not limited to, one of the messages described above in step  180  of method  100 . 
         [0021]    In step  350  the data is returned to mobile device  220 . In step  360 , the mobile device  220  displays the resulting data using display  230 . In step  370 , the mobile device  220  dials a telephone number corresponding to the barcode  250  using telecommunications network  210 . In step  380 , the user is given the option to store a telephone number corresponding to barcode  250 . If the user elects to do so, the method proceeds to step  385 . If the user elects not to do so, the method  300  is complete. In step  385 , the mobile device  220  stores the phone number in memory  235 . Following step  385 , the method  300  is complete. As described above for method  100 , the principles described for this exemplary embodiment may be employed to provide other functionalities to the user, including, but not limited to, sending an email or accessing a web page. 
         [0022]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the structure and the methodology of the present invention, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.