Printed matter

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a system for browsing a file arranged in information on a computer network, and more particularly to a file browsing system in which a target file can be easily accessed by a barcode.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

The Internet, which is a worldwide computer network, constitutes a data transmission path between computers in remote locations, and is rapidly being used by public institutions, companies, and personal computers in the home today. .. In particular, the WWW (World Wide Web), which is a part of the Internet, transfers files containing information such as texts, images, and sounds between computers with almost no dependence on the computer model or OS (Operating System). Therefore, it is popular to set up a so-called homepage that stores a file containing various information on a server placed on the WWW and publishes it. For example, public institutions have come to be used as an effective advertising space that incorporates visual elements for companies as a public relations medium that replaces conventional public relations magazines.

【0003】

By the way, on the Internet, each computer has a unique IP address (Internet Protocol Address), and when accessing or communicating with another computer, the computer network is based on this IP address. The location is identified and access and communication are processed. This IP address is represented by connecting four numbers (8-bit length each) expressed only by numbers, such as 123.234.2.3.

【0004】

In addition, on the WWW, various information can be accessed by URL (Uniform Resource Locator). This URL is represented by a character string such as http://www.abc.co.jp. Of these, http represents the protocol name, and www.abc.co.jp represents the host (server) name (domain name). The host name (domain name) is converted into an IP address by the DNS (Domain Name System) built on the Internet.

【0005】

As mentioned above, the IP address is just a sequence of numbers and is difficult for the user to remember, so the URL is the domain name indicated by the character string (character string that includes not only numbers but also alphabets) as shown in the example. It is generally used for.

【0006】

In this specification, the URL form using the domain name such as http://www.abc.co.jp is called the URL for specifying the domain name, and the IP address is directly referred to as http://123.234.2.3. The URL form used will be called the URL specified by the IP address.

【0007】

By the way, even if a user can connect to the Internet and access the WWW homepage with a browser, in order to display the desired homepage, the URL indicating the location of the homepage on the WWW is specified by the browser. Must be entered in the field. For example, if you enter the URL http://www.abc.co.jp as the URL for specifying the domain name, this URL will have the minimum number of digits to indicate the WWW server installed in Japan. However, you still have to enter a total of 20 characters, and when calling a file stored on a WWW server, for example, when using a URL with a domain name, http://www.abc.co Since it becomes .jp / abc.htm and it is necessary to input 28 characters, extremely complicated work is required. Furthermore, as a matter of course, even if the user mistypes the URL by one character, the desired homepage cannot be called.

【0008】

Therefore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-171758, a unique identification code assigned in response to a URL is represented by a barcode, and the barcode is read and input by a barcode reader to input the URL from the keyboard. It is unnecessary.

【0009】

This system includes a system server connected to the WWW via a communication line, an identification code database attached to the system server, an identification code assigning means for assigning an identification code, and a communication line to the system server. It is configured to include a client computer connected to the system, and the system server constitutes an identification code storage means together with an identification code database.

【0010】

The identification code assigning means is a means for determining and assigning an identification code corresponding to one-to-one with the URL of the file on the WWW selected to be viewable by this system so as not to overlap. Specifically, the file that stores the assigned identification code (8-digit number from 00000000 to 99999999) and the identification code that is stored in the file, that is, the identification code that has already been assigned corresponding to a specific URL, are duplicated. It is configured to be provided with an input discriminating unit for assigning a new identification code so as not to prevent it.

【0011】

The identification code database is a database that stores a specific URL and the identification code assigned by the identification code assigning means to the URL in association with each other. This database returns the URL corresponding to the identification code to the system server in response to the inquiry from the system server using the identification code.

【0012】

The system server is a server computer including a database management system that manages the identification code database. The basic function is to query the identification code database for the identification code transferred from the client computer via the communication line, replace the URL returned from the database with the identification code in response to the inquiry, and send it to the WWW. is there.

【0013】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in the proposed system, the client computer accesses a given access provider and then logs in to the system server to access the desired homepage on the WWW, in which case to obtain the URL from the identification code. A system server is required, and it is necessary to provide an identification code assigning means, an identification code database, and the like on the system server. In addition, such a system is used for so-called product catalogs that can access files stored in the WWW server of each company showing product details by reading the barcode printed with the product name with a barcode reader. In this case, each company needs to rewrite the information on the system server every time the information is updated, and it is necessary to consider not to duplicate the identification code between the companies, which makes the operation extremely complicated.

【0014】

In addition, if the system server also serves as an access provider, it is necessary to prepare as many identification code assigning means and identification code databases as the required number of access providers, which is complicated to update. , Its operation becomes extremely complicated.

【0015】

[Means for solving problems]

Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention presents the URL of the WWW server 4 and the URL of the WWW server 4 on the WWW server 4 in order to browse the file stored in the WWW server 4 to which the unique URL is assigned on the Internet. Provided is a printed matter in which a barcode B in which the directory information in which the identification code conversion table provided in the file is stored and the identification code corresponding to the URL of the file are coded is described.

【0016】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an example of a file browsing system using a printed matter on which a barcode according to the present invention is described. The file viewing system in this embodiment includes a client computer 1 that can connect to the Internet, a remote controller (remote control device) 2 that transmits various instruction signals to the client computer 1, a bar code reader 3 provided on the remote controller 2, and a WWW server. It is composed of 4,5.

【0017】

The barcode B printed on a printed matter such as a product catalog indicates the access destination of the file on the WWW server of the company that sells the product on WWW. In this embodiment, it is assumed that individual barcodes are given to each product described in the product catalog.

【0018】

Here, the coding of the barcode B will be described. If the URL, which is the access destination information indicating the access destination of the WWW server 4, is, for example, http://www.abc.co.jp, this may be encoded as the URL information of the WWW server as it is. However, if you want to delete the number of digits of the barcode in the URL information part of the WWW server, code and use only the number part of the IP address of the URL specified by the IP address. When the URL for specifying the IP address indicating WWW server 4 is http://123.234.2.3, only the number part (123 234 2 3) of the IP address in the entire character string is coded and used. In this embodiment, it is assumed that a method of encoding only the number part of the IP address is adopted.

【0019】

Then, the directory information is encoded following the number part of the IP address. The directory information may be alphabets or the like, but numbers are used in this embodiment in order to omit the number of digits of the barcode. This directory information allows access to the identification code conversion table on the WWW server 5. For example, if the directory information is 99, the URL for specifying the IP address will be http://123.234.2.3/99. In this embodiment, "/" is inserted between the IP address information and the directory information, but any method may be used as long as the IP address information and the directory information can be distinguished.

【0020】

Next, following the directory information, an identification code indicating an individual product is encoded. Although the identification code may be an alphabet or the like, an 8-digit number is used in this embodiment in order to omit the number of digits of the barcode. Then, in the above-mentioned identification code conversion table, it is possible to convert from this identification code to the URL of the file on the WWW in which the information of the product having this identification code is described. For example, if the product information file for a certain product A is the URL http://www.abc.co.jp/a.htm and the corresponding identification code is 00001234, the barcode information will be 1232340020039900001234. Analyzing this, it becomes http://123.234.2.3/99/00001234. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the barcode B according to the present invention is a barcode of each information of the protocol name (optional), the domain name, the directory information, and the identification code.

【0021】

It should be noted that this barcode B is printed on the side of the product photo of the product catalog or magazine advertisement, or is pasted on the product itself as the printed barcode level, and the description location is various.

【0022】

Next, the operation of reading the barcode B described above will be described with reference to FIG. Read the barcode B with the barcode reader 3 provided on the remote controller 2. The data including the numerical information of the read IP address and the data including the directory information are transmitted from the remote controller 2 to the client computer 1. The numerical information and directory information of the IP address received by the client computer 1 is the URL obtained by adding the directory information to the URL specified by the IP address in the address conversion circuit (not shown) in the client computer 1 (example http: 123.234.2.3). Converted to / 99). Based on this converted URL, the client computer 1 accesses the identification code conversion table in the WWW server 4 on the WWW. The WWW server 4 returns the identification code conversion table to the client computer 1. Upon receiving the identification code conversion table, the client computer 1 identifies the URL (file name) corresponding to the identification code read from the barcode B based on the identification code conversion table and completes the URL (http://123.234). .2.3 / a.htm or http://www.abc.co.jp/a.htm). Then access that URL.

【0023】

As described above, the file browsing system in this embodiment reads the URL information from the barcode B in which the numerical information of the IP address, the directory information, and the identification code are encoded as the URL information of the WWW server. Therefore, the amount of information to be read can be reduced compared to reading the URL information from a barcode that encodes all the relatively long character strings of the URL that specifies up to the file name, so the reading accuracy of the URL information can be improved and the bar can be read. The code reader can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. Of course, since this information processing device inputs the URL information from the barcode, the user does not have to input the URL character by character, and can easily and quickly access the desired information.

【0024】

In addition, since the amount of information about the URL held as a code is smaller in the barcode 11 than in the barcode in which all the character strings of the URL are encoded, the number of digits of the barcode is reduced and the graphic pattern of the barcode is simplified. Can be planned. Therefore, in the printed matter on which the barcode 11 is described, the URL information (access destination information) can be recognized more accurately on the device side, the barcode itself can be miniaturized, and the printing process can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. ..

【0025】

Furthermore, since it is not necessary to prepare a system server for converting the URL from the identification code, capital investment is not required, and information needs only be updated on the WWW server and product catalog of each company. Information can be easily updated.

【0026】

Furthermore, since the identification code conversion table for each WWW server is ordered once the WWW server is accessed, the identification code of the product on the WWW server 4 of one company and the identification code of the product on the WWW server 5 of another company are obtained. The identification code of the product may be duplicated, and the identification code can be freely assigned.

【0027】

In the above-described embodiment, in order to operate the identification code conversion table on the client computer 1, various methods such as preparing a dedicated application or using a browser plug-in can be considered.

【0028】

[Effect of the invention]

As described in detail above, according to the file browsing system using the printed matter describing the barcode according to the present invention, the URL information of the WWW server and the directory in which the identification code conversion table is stored are shown as access destination information. and directory information, at least WWW server URL information and directory information from the bar code only the identification code is encoded receive Therefore the WWW server identification code conversion table in the client computer, access destination information from the identification code by identification code conversion table Therefore, the system can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. Of course, since the access destination information is input from the barcode, the user does not have to input the access destination information character by character, and can easily and quickly access the desired information. In addition, duplication of identification codes can be easily avoided, and information can be easily updated.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a figure which shows an example of the file browsing system using the printed matter which concerns on this invention.

[Figure 2]

It is a figure which shows the information of the bar code described in the printed matter which concerns on this invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

B barcode 1 client computer 2 Remote control (remote control device) 3 barcode reader 4,5 WWW server