Patent ID: 8469270

Claim:
A system for indicating an existence of a link to information pertaining to an article of commerce, the system comprising: a mobile phone comprising a portable handheld housing and a communication interface configured to enable the mobile phone to communicate with a communication network, the mobile phone further comprising a signal processing device and a visual input device, the visual input device affixed within the portable handheld housing; a local database associated with the mobile phone, the local database configured to store data for use by the mobile phone; a server in communication with the communication network, the server comprising a server database configured to store a look-up table that includes at least a plurality of Universal Product Code (UPC) numbers associated with a plurality of articles of commerce, the look-up table also storing a plurality of information link indicators, each information link indicator associated with a respective UPC number and article of commerce, and each information link indicator being configured as a status signal indicating the existence or absence of a link to information pertaining to a respective article of commerce, the link being made to the information via the communication network; wherein the mobile phone is configured to download the look-up table from the server database during a time when the mobile phone is not being used for voice communication and store the look-up table in the local database; wherein the visual input device is configured to scan a UPC symbol from an article of commerce and decode the UPC symbol to obtain a UPC number; wherein, in response to receiving the UPC number, the signal processing device is configured to look up the UPC number in the look-up table stored in the local database to determine from a respective information link indicator whether or not a link exists for accessing information pertaining to an article of commerce associated with the UPC number via the communication network, wherein the signal processing device determines whether or not the link exists without accessing the communication network.