Method for accessing content from a computer network via a mobile phone

1. A method for accessing content from a computer network via a handheld device equipped with mobile telephony and an optical image sensor, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) interacting with a substrate containing a printed hyperlink and machine-readable coded data, and capturing an image of the machine-readable coded data using the optical image sensor;

(b) processing, on the device, the captured image to decode the machine-readable coded data into a first identifier;

(c) forming on the device, a request based on the first identifier;

(d) transmitting, from the device via an associated mobile phone network, the request to a first server on the computer network, said computer network being interoperable with the mobile phone network;

(e) receiving content associated with the first identifier in the device, said content included a hyperlink corresponding to the printed hyperlink;

(f) displaying, on a touch-sensitive display screen, display information based on said received content, said display information including a displayed hyperlink corresponding to the printed hyperlink;

(g) interacting with the displayed hyperlink via said touch-sensitive display screen;

(h) retrieving hyperlinked information corresponding to said hyperlink; and

(i) displaying said hyperlinked information on said screen.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the machine-readable coded data is associated with a physical surface.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the content received by the device is associated with the physical surface.

4. A handheld device for accessing content from a computer network, said device comprising:

a. a mobile phone transceiver;

b. an optical image sensor;

c. a touch-sensitive display screen; and

d. processing circuitry adapted to:

i. cause the mobile phone transceiver to communicate with the mobile phone network, and thereby to communicate with a server interoperable with the mobile phone network;

ii. capture, via the optical image sensor, an image of machine-readable code;

iii. process the captured image to decode the machine-readable code into a first identifier;

iv. form a request based on the first identifier;

v. transmit, via the mobile phone network, the request to the server on the computer network;

vi. receive content associated with the first identifier, said content included a hyperlink corresponding to the printed hyperlink;

vii. display the hyperlink on the touch-sensitive display screen;

viii. interpret user interactions with the displayed hyperlink via said touch-sensitive display screen;

ix. retrieve hyperlinked information corresponding to said hyperlink; and

x. display said hyperlinked information on said screen.

5. The handheld device of claim 4 in which the machine-readable coded data is associated with an object.

6. The handheld device of claim 5 in which the content received by the handheld device is associated with the physical surface.