Patent ID: 8296440

Claim:
An apparatus for accessing a remote location on a network comprising: an optical reader including: an optical scanning system; a memory system; an output circuit for interfacing to a first computer disposed on the network; a user controlled switching device for switching between a scan mode, a record mode and a playback mode; a transmitter for transmitting code information representative of a code to the first computer; the code information being indicative, when the optical reader is in the scan mode, of information representative of an encoded indicia just scanned by the optical scanning system such that the encoded indicia just scanned is immediately transmitted to the first computer such that there is no other scanned encoded indicia transmitted therebetween; the code information being indicative, when the optical reader is placed in the playback mode by a user, of information retrieved from a user-selectable memory in the memory system, in which the information was previously stored in the user-selectable memory relating to a prior scan of the encoded indicia when the optical reader was placed in the record mode by the switching device, in which playback of information under control of a user occurs in time after recording of the played back information and in response to a user initiating the playback mode with the switching device, and wherein other scanned indicia are transmitted in response to scanning in the scan mode, recording in the record mode and playback in the playback mode; and wherein the code information is configured to, upon being received by the first computer, cause the first computer to determine routing information to the remote location from the received code information, and access the remote location on the network in accordance with the determined routing information; and wherein the optical reader is a self-contained unit.