Method of and system for delivering consumer product related information
to consumers over the Internet. The system and method involves creating
an UPN-encoded Consumer Product Information (CPIR) enabling Serviet for
each consumer product registered within a manufacturer-managed UPN/URL
database management subsystem. Each CPIR-enabling Serviet is encapsulated
within an executable file and then stored in the UPN/URL database
management system. Each CPIR-enabling Serviet is searchable and
downloadable by, for example, (1) retailers purchasing products from an
electronic-commerce enabled product catalog, (2) advertisers desiring to
link consumer product information to Web-based product advertisements, or
(3) anyone having a legitimate purpose of disseminating such information
within the stream of electronic commerce. After downloading and
extraction from its encapsulating file, the CPIR-enabling Servlet is
embedded within an HTML-encoded document associated with, for example, an
EC-enabled store, on-line auction site, product advertisement, Internet
search engine or directory, and the like. Upon encountering such a
Servlet-encoded HTML document on the WWW, the consumer need only perform
a single mouse-clicking operation to automatically execute its underlying
CPIR-enabling Servlet, causing a UPN-directed search to be performed
against the manufacturer-defined UPN/URL database management subsystem,
and the results thereof displayed in an independent Java GUI, without
disturbing the consumer's point of presence on the WWW. Preferably, the
CPIR-enabling Servlets are realized using Java.TM. technology, although
it is understood that alternative technologies can be used to practice
the system and methods of the present invention.