Patent ID: 7774285

Claim:
A server-based, Internet-enabled computer system comprising: at least one computer device programmed to: provide a set of executable computer program instructions to a browser software program executing on a remote user computer device accessing the server-based, Internet-enabled computer system using the browser software program, the set of executable computer program instructions configured for automatic installation via the browser software on the remote user computer device, the set of executable computer program instructions configured to: 1) access information in a computer-accessible memory of the remote user computer device and automatically determine from said information, for a weighing device configured for communication with the remote user computer device, a set of weighing device configuration information comprising: (A) a make of the weighing device, (B) a model of the model of the weighing device, and (C) a type of communications port through which the weighing device communicates with the remote user computer device, 2) open a communications port of the remote user computer device, according to the type of communications port, that corresponds to the weighing device, 3) send to the weighing device through the communications port, an at least one weight measurement instruction according to the set of weighing device configuration information for instructing the weighing device to measure a weight of an item, 4) interpret a return data stream from the weighing device according to the set of weighing device configuration information to determine the weight of the item, and 5) provide the weight of the item to the browser software program for communication to the server-based, Internet-enabled computer system; and receive the weight of the item.