System and method for carrying out information-related transactions using web documents embodying transaction enabling applets automatically launched and executed in response to reading URL-encoded symbols pointing thereto

Claim 2

An Internet-based system for enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, comprising: an HTTP information server connected to the Internet, for storing an HTML-encoded document having a location on the Internet specified by a predetermined URL, said HTTP-encoded document embodying a transaction-enabling Applet which, when executed, enables a user to conduct an information-related transaction over the Internet; and a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for requesting said HTML-encoded document and executing said transaction-enabling Applet embedded therein, said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including an Internet browser program for executing Applets, including said transaction-enabling Applet, embedded within said HTML-encoded document, a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded documents, a data entry means for entering data into said Internet browser program, and a symbol reader, operably connected to said Internet browser program, for scanning a URL-encoded symbol encoded with said predetermined URL, decoding said scanned URL-encoded symbol, producing symbol character data representative of said predetermined URL, and providing said predetermined URL to said Internet browser program for accessing said HTML-encoded document whose location is specified by said predetermined URL, wherein, when said URL-encoded symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character data representative thereof is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program, whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server in order to execute said transaction-enabling Applet embedded therein and thereby enable the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

Claim 3

The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said URL-encoded symbol a URL-encoded magstripe encoded with said predetermined URL, and said symbol reader is a magstripe reader for reading said URL-encoded magstripe.

Claim 4

The Internet-based system of claim 2, wherein said URL-encoded magstripe is applied to a transaction card associated with said information-related transaction.

Claim 5

The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said URL-encoded symbol is a URL-encoded bar code symbol, and said symbol reader is a bar code symbol reader for reading said URL-encoded bar code symbol.

Claim 6

The Internet-based system of claim 4, wherein said bar code symbol reader is selected from the group consisting of: a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD-type bar code symbol, and a Wand-type bar code symbol reader.

Claim 7

The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a hand-supportable data terminal with an integrated bar code symbol reader.

Claim 8

The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a kiosk-type device having a bar code symbol reader for reading URL-encoded bar code symbols, or a magstripe reader for reading URL-encoded magstripes.

Claim 9

The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a body-wearable computer system.

Claim 10

The Internet-based system of claim 1, wherein, when said URL-encoded symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character data representative thereof is automatically produced and provided to said Internet browser program, whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server and initiates execution of said transaction-enabling Applet embedded therein, thereby enabling the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

Claim 11

An Internet-based system for enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, comprising: an HTTP information server connected to the Internet, for storing an HTML-encoded document having a location on the Internet specified by a predetermined URL, said HTTP-encoded document embodying a transaction-enabling Java-Applet which, when executed, enables a user to conduct an information-related transaction over the Internet; and a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for requesting said HTML-encoded document and executing said transaction-enabling Java-Applet embedded therein, said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including a Java-enabled browser program for executing Java-Applets, including said transaction-enabling Java-Applet, embedded within said HTML-encoded document, a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded documents, a data entry means for entering data into said Java-enabled browser program, and a symbol reader, operably connected to said Java-enabled browser program, for scanning a URL-encoded symbol encoded with said predetermined URL, decoding said scanned URL-encoded symbol, producing symbol character data representative of said predetermined URL, and providing said predetermined URL to said Java-enabled browser program for accessing said HTML-encoded document whose location is specified by said predetermined URL, wherein, when said URL-encoded symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character data representative thereof is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program, whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server in order to execute said transaction-enabling Java-Applet embedded therein and thereby enable the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

Claim 12

An Internet-based system for enabling information-related transactions over the Internet, comprising: an HTTP information server connected to the Internet, for storing an HTML-encoded document having a location on the Internet specified by a predetermined URL, said HTTP-encoded document embodying a transaction-enabling Java-Applet which, when executed, enables a user to conduct an information-related transaction over the Internet; and a transaction-enabling Internet terminal for requesting said HTML-encoded document and executing said transaction-enabling Java-Applet embedded therein, said transaction-enabling Internet terminal including a Java-enabled browser program for executing Java-Applets, including said transaction-enabling Java-Applet, embedded within said HTML-encoded document, a display screen for visually displaying said HTML-encoded documents, a data entry means for entering data into said Java-enabled browser program, and a symbol reader, operably connected to said Java-enabled browser program, for scanning a URL-encoded symbol encoded with said predetermined URL, decoding said scanned URL-encoded symbol, producing symbol character data representative of said predetermined URL, and providing said predetermined URL to said Java-enabled browser program for accessing said HTML-encoded document whose location is specified by said predetermined URL, wherein, when said URL-encoded symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character data representative thereof is automatically produced and provided to said Java-enabled browser program, whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server in order to execute said transaction-enabling Java-Applet embedded therein and thereby enable the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

Claim 13

The Internet-based system of claim 10, wherein said URL-encoded symbol a URL-encoded magstripe encoded with said predetermined URL, and said symbol reader is a magstripe reader for reading said URL-encoded magstripe.

Claim 14

The Internet-based system of claim 11, wherein said URL-encoded magstripe is applied to a transaction card associated with said information-related transaction.

Claim 15

The Internet-based system of claim 10, wherein said URL-encoded symbol is a URL-encoded bar code symbol, and said symbol reader is a bar code symbol reader for reading said URL-encoded bar code symbol.

Claim 16

The Internet-based system of claim 13, wherein said bar code symbol reader is selected from the group consisting of: a laser scanning bar code symbol reader, a CCD-type bar code symbol, and a Wand-type bar code symbol reader.

Claim 17

The Internet-based system of claim 10, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a hand-supportable data terminal with an integrated bar code symbol reader.

Claim 18

The Internet-based system of claim 10, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a kiosk-type device having a bar code symbol reader for reading URL-encoded bar code symbols, or a magstripe reader for reading URL-encoded magstripes.

Claim 19

The Internet-based system of claim 10, wherein said transaction-enabling Internet terminal comprises a body-wearable computer system.

Claim 20

The Internet-based system of claim 10, wherein, when said URL-encoded symbol is scanned by said code symbol reader, said scanned URL-encoded symbol is automatically decoded, symbol character data representative thereof is automatically produced and provided to said Internet browser program, whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server and initiates execution of said transaction-enabling Java-Applet embedded therein, thereby enabling the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.

Claim 23

The method of claim 19, wherein said URL-encoded symbol is a URL-encoded magstripe encoded with said predetermined URL and said code symbol reader is a magstripe reader, and step (c) comprises reading said URL-encoded magstripe using said magstripe reader.

Claim 24

The method of claim 20, wherein said URL-encoded symbol is a URL-encoded bar code symbol and said code symbol reader is a bar code symbol reader, and step (c) comprises reading said URL-encoded bar code symbol using said bar code symbol reader.

Claim 25

The method of claim 19, wherein step (c) further comprises reading said URL-encoded symbol, whereupon said Internet browser program automatically accesses said HTML-encoded document from said HTTP information server and initiates execution of said transaction-enabling Applet embedded therein, thereby enabling the user to conduct said information-related transaction over the Internet at said transaction-enabling Internet terminal.