Patent ID: 8826340

Claim:
A network for processing and managing information related to graphical bar code data that generates graphical bar codes in video images, wherein the graphical bar codes are QR codes or one dimensional bar codes, and wherein the graphical bar codes can be acquired and decoded optically by a mobile device from a monitor that displays the graphical bar codes in the video images, the graphical bar code data located and decoded by receivers under control of at least one control element, the network including: a receiver coupled to a monitor that displays video images to a subscriber, the receiver receiving input from the subscriber as to at least one area of interest as to which the subscriber desires to obtain information, and the receiver including: one or more graphical bar code data locators, wherein each graphical bar code data locater is coupled to a video source and parses video signals from the video source to locate the graphical bar code data in the video signals; one or more graphical bar code data decoders, each graphical bar code data decoder coupled to a graphical bar code data locater to decode the graphical bar code data; wherein the locating and decoding of the graphical bar code data is accomplished without optically acquiring or decoding the graphical bar codes in video images generated by the graphical bar code data; one or more graphical bar code data processors, each graphical bar code data processor coupled to a graphical bar code data locater; and at least one client element coupled to at least one of the graphical bar code data processors, wherein the at least one client element: connects via an external network to at least one control element to receive instructions from the at least one control element as to particular video signals and areas of interest that should be monitored by the receiver that includes the client element; instructs one or more of the graphical bar code data processors to automatically monitor the particular video signals and areas of interest as to which the client element has received instructions from the control element, in order to locate and decode the graphical bar code data in the video signals; and reports via an external network at least some information relating to the located and decoded graphical bar code data to the at least one control element.