System and method of enhancing consumer ability to obtain information via bar codes
View Patent ↗Systems and methods of a portable communications device and a product exchanging direct commands or requests via bar codes to address a condition of the product are provided. Some methods can include the portable communications device scanning a bar code displayed on the product and generating and displaying a bar code to be scanned by the product, wherein the bar codes represent direct commands or requests to be executed by the portable communications device or the product to address the condition of the product. Additionally or alternatively, some methods can include the product scanning a bar code displayed on the portable communications device and generating and displaying a bar code to be scanned by the portable communications device, wherein the bar codes represent direct commands or requests to be executed by the product or the portable communications device to address the condition of the product.
1. A method comprising:
a portable communications device scanning a first bar code displayed on a product device, a display screen of the product device, or a sticker or a tag affixed to the product device, the first bar code representing a first direct command or a first request to be executed by the portable communications device to address a condition of the product device; and
the portable communications device generating and displaying a second bar code to be scanned by the product device, the second bar code representing a second direct command or a second request to be executed by the product device to address the condition of the product device.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a camera of the portable communications device scanning the first bar code displayed on the product device.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying text associated with the first direct command or the first request on the portable communications device.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first direct command or the first request includes the portable communications device connecting to a website or downloading or displaying one or more pages, one or more videos, or relevant information from the website.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
the portable communications device executing the first direct command or the first request; and
responsive to the portable communications device executing the first direct command or the first request, the portable communications device generating and displaying the second bar code.
6. A method comprising:
a product device scanning a first bar code displayed on a portable communications device, the first bar code representing a first direct command or a first request to be executed by the product device to address a condition of the product device; and
the product device generating and displaying a second bar code to be scanned by the portable communications device, the second bar code representing a second direct command or a second request to be executed by the portable communications device to address the condition of the product device.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising a camera of the product device scanning the first bar code displayed on the portable communications device.
8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the product device displaying the second bar code on a display screen of the product device.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising displaying text associated with the first direct command or the first request on the display screen of the product device.
10. The method of claim 6 wherein the first direct command or the first request includes the product device connecting to a website or downloading or displaying one or more pages, one or more videos, or relevant information from the website.
11. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
the product device executing the first direct command or the first request; and
responsive to the product device executing the first direct command or the first request, the product device generating and displaying the second bar code.
12. A portable communications device comprising:
a camera;
a user interface device;
a programmable processor; and
executable control software stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium,
wherein the camera scans a first bar code displayed on a product device, a display screen of the product device, or a sticker or a tag affixed to the product device,
wherein the first bar code represents a first direct command or a first request to be executed by the programmable processor and the executable control software to address a condition of the product device,
wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software generate a second bar code and cause the second bar code to be displayed on the user interface device for scanning by the product device, and
wherein the second bar code represents a second direct command or a second request to be executed by the product device to address the condition of the product device.
13. The portable communications device of claim 12 wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software cause text associated with the first direct command or the first request to be displayed on the user interface device.
14. The portable communications device of claim 12 further comprising:
a transceiver device,
wherein, responsive to the first direct command or the first request, the programmable processor and the executable control software cause the transceiver device to connect to a website and download, via the transceiver device, one or more pages, one or more videos, or relevant information from the website and cause the one or more pages, the one or more videos, or the relevant information to be displayed on the user interface device.
15. The portable communications device of claim 12 wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software execute the first direct command or the first request, and wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software generate the second bar code responsive to executing the first direct command or the first request.
16. A product device comprising:
a camera;
a user interface device;
a programmable processor; and
executable control software stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium,
wherein the camera scans a first bar code displayed on a portable communications device,
wherein the first bar code represents a first direct command or a first request to be executed by the programmable processor and the executable control software to address a condition of the product device,
wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software generate a second bar code and cause the second bar code to be displayed on the user interface device for scanning by the portable communications device, and
wherein the second bar code represents a second direct command or a second request to be executed by the portable communications device to address the condition of the product device.
17. The product device of claim 16 wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software cause text associated with the first direct command or the first request to be displayed on the user interface device.
18. The product device of claim 16 further comprising:
a transceiver device;
wherein, responsive to the first direct command or the first request, the programmable processor and the executable control software cause the transceiver device to connect to a website and download, via the transceiver device, one or more pages, one or more videos, or relevant information from the website and cause the one or more pages, the one or more videos, or the relevant information to be displayed on the user interface device.
19. The product device of claim 16 wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software execute the first direct command or the first request, and wherein the programmable processor and the executable control software generate the second bar code responsive to executing the first direct command or the first request.