Network of tags

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating product or service information to a potential purchaser. An embodiment of the method scans to obtain a product or service code that provides the product or service information of the product or service, using a smartphone of a first user; combines the product or service code with information from the smartphone associated with the product or service to generate a digital code; and communicates the digital code to a communication device of a second user that is the potential purchaser using a network. After the potential purchaser makes a purchase, the first user is compensated by the vendor/retailer and/or manufacturer according to the monetary incentive specified in an advertisement promotion code associated with the product or service.

1 . A method for communicating product or service information to a potential purchaser, comprising:
 scanning to obtain a product or service code that provides product or service information of a product or service, using a smartphone of a first user;   combining the product or service code with information from the smartphone associated with the product or service to generate a digital code; and   communicating the digital code to a communication device of a second user that is the potential purchaser of the product or service using a network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the scanning step comprises scanning a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the scanning step further comprises using an near field communication (NFC) interface on the smartphone to access information on the product or service. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising filtering, using a filtering mechanism, unselecting products or services by the first user so that the first user is only notified when selected products or services are nearby. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the filtering step includes blocking transmissions from RFID tags of products or services the first user has not selected. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising showing messages from the unselected products or services in a different color or shade until the first user actively selects the messages from the unselected products or services. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the scanning step comprises scanning a barcode or QR code. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising capturing a photo or digital image of the product or service, using an imaging device on the smartphone. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the information from the smartphone includes one or more of the time the product or service was seen, the location of the product or service, and the digital image of the product or service. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communicating step comprises posting the digital code on a social networking website. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communicating step comprises sending the digital code using communication channels including one or more of an email, voice, text, and chat. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product or service code provides the product or service information by including one or more universal resource locator (URL) links that provide the product or service information. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product or service code is a product code, and wherein the product or service information includes one or more of a price, manufacturer, date of manufacture, technical information, marketing information, vendor information, vendor return policies, technical support phone numbers and/or websites, vendor price comparisons, and comparable products comparisons. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product or service code is a service code that provides information on services available and includes one or more of menu items of a restaurant, cost of the menu items, food preparation information, nutrition information for each item on the menu, reservation information, seating information, hours of operation, and directions to the restaurant. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the digital code further includes an advertisement promotion code that describes an incentive for communicating information about the product or service, and one or more advertiser codes that identify one or more advertisers that forwarded the information about the product or service to the potential purchaser, wherein the first user is one of the one or more advertisers. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , the method further comprising communicating the digital code to a point of sale device or terminal using the communication device, wherein the point of sale device
 receives the digital code from a purchaser, wherein the purchaser is the second user,   decodes the digital code into the product or service code, the advertisement promotion code, and the advertiser codes, and   compensates the one or more advertisers according to the incentive described in the advertisement promotion code, after the purchaser makes a purchase.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the compensating step includes sending the one or more advertisers one or more emails attaching one or more credit vouchers or coupons for future purchases. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the compensating step includes storing a credit for each of the one or more advertisers in a database of a vendor/retailer or manufacturer for future purchases. 
     
     
         19 . A system for communicating product or service information to a potential purchaser, comprising:
 a smartphone of a first user that
 scans a product or item describing a product to obtain a product or service code that provides product or service information of a product or service; 
 combines the product or service code with information from the smartphone associated with the product or service to generate a digital code; and 
 communicates the digital code to a communication device of a second user that is the potential purchaser of the product or service using a network. 
   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory and tangible computer-readable storage medium whose contents include a program with instructions being executed on a processor so as to perform a method for communicating product or service information to a potential purchaser, the method comprising:
 providing a system, wherein the system comprises one or more distinct software modules, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a scanning module, a combining module, and a communication module;   scanning to obtain a product or service code that provides product or service information of a product or service, using the scanning module of a smartphone of a first user;   combining the product or service code with information from the smartphone associated with the product or service to generate a digital code, using the combining module; and   communicating the digital code to a communication device of a second user that is the potential purchaser of the product or service using the communication module.