IMAGE-BASED CONTEXTUAL ADVERTISEMENT METHOD AND BRANDED BARCODES
Content media having images associated with remotely stored information are provided with barcodes marked with indicia to indicate a source of the information. In this manner, a user, having, for example, a camera phone, will become aware that the particular content medium has images that can be scanned to retrieve additional information (from the remote information store) via their camera phone.
1 . A method, comprising:
generating a non-electronic content medium with at least one image, including:
determining whether the at least one image is associated with information stored in a remote system, and
providing on the content medium a barcode scannable by an image capture device, wherein the barcode is marked with indicia designating a source of the information.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the image capture device comprises a mobile phone.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicia comprises at least one of a brand, a name, an identity marking, a mark, and a logo.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicia comprises an indication of a search engine system adapted to receive the at least one image scanned by the image capture device.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the barcode on the content medium comprises:
positioning the indicia to the right of the barcode.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the barcode on the content medium comprises:
positioning the indicia to the left of the barcode.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the barcode on the content medium comprises:
positioning the indicia above the barcode.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the barcode on the content medium comprises:
positioning the indicia below the barcode.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content medium is a printed document.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content medium is product packaging.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content medium is a surface of an article of manufacture.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one image comprises text.
13 . A printed content medium, comprising
at least one image associated with externally stored information; and
a barcode marked with indicia to indicate a source of the information,
wherein the at least one image is scannable by an image capture device to retrieve the information from the source.
14 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the content medium comprises one of a printed publication and print media.
15 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least one image comprises text.
16 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the image capture device comprises a camera phone.
17 . The content medium of claim 16 , wherein the information is externally stored in the camera phone.
18 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the indicia comprises at least one of a brand, a name, an identity marking, a mark, and a logo.
19 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the indicia is positioned to the right of the barcode.
20 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the indicia is positioned to the left of the barcode.
21 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the indicia is positioned above the barcode.
22 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the indicia is positioned below the barcode.
23 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the content medium is product packaging.
24 . The content medium of claim 13 , wherein the content medium is a surface of an article of manufacture.