SqueezeNet's UniSymbol
Technology
UniSymbols:
Navigation Technology to Access Web Resources
Associated with Traditional Forms of Media and Advertisement
UniSymbols are a
simpler and more robust way to navigate to any type of resource located
on the Internet. With
UniSymbols, companies can offer consumers a simple and inexpensive
method to access information associated with any product or service that
they offer.
Utilizing SqueezeNet's
patent pending navigation technology, consumers can utilize UniSymbols
to access any resource on the Internet by entering as few as three or
four characters into a web browser that supports the UniSymbol™
technology.
Instead of using
complex URLs or other long identifiers, UniSymbol-based browsers only
require simple symbols to be entered.
These simple symbols can be associated with any type of
informational or commerce-related resource imaginable.
The UniSymbol
technology has been specially developed to take advantage of newer forms
of information access. Whether
the browsing device is a web-enable phone, wireless PDA, Network
Appliance, Desktop PC, Auto-based PC, Web-enabled Exercise Equipment, or
any of hundreds of other devices with Internet access, UniSymbols will
dramatically change how people access resources on the web.
In addition to entering
simple symbols comprised of a few letters, UniSymbols also allow
multi-dimensional versions of a company's name, product or brand.
This means that companies are no longer limited to a
one-dimensional association between a brand name and a web resource.
With UniSymbols, a
multi-dimensional implementation of the brand name is achieved by
utilizing SqueezeNet's proprietary technology to extract activity-based
information from the user's environment.
By doing this, SqueezeNet is able to extend the meaning of the
brand name that was entered to determine the exact resource that is most
closely related to the user's current activity.
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The UniSymbol Decoding Process |
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1. The web appliance
has multiple buttons that allow the user to manually set current context
information. In this case,
the appliance has been set to operate in a "Watching TV"
activity context. For
devices without context setting capabilities, the functionality may be
built into the web browser. In
the future, devices such as the TV will automatically transmit context
information to the web appliance without any user intervention. 2. While watching TV,
the consumer comes across a commercial with a UniSymbol that allows
immediate access to related information on the web.
The consumer grabs the "Always On, Always Connected"
web appliance to get more information about the product. 3. Since in this case,
the UniSymbol is a short acronym of the advertiser's slogan, the
consumer is able to easily enter the UniSymbol into the Web Appliance. Even though the person usually finds it difficult to write in
text that is recognized by the device, writing in a few characters is
relatively easy. 4. After hitting
"Enter", the UniSymbol and context information is sent to the
UniSymbol Decoding Server. The
UniSymbol-enabled browser that the Web Appliance utilizes is smart
enough to route the request to the closest UniSymbol Decoding Server
that has a high amount of available capacity.
5. The combination of
the UniSymbol and context information is used to look up the
corresponding URL. If a
match is not found, the system will automatically go into a Search mode
and look for resources that correspond to the UniSymbol submitted.
6. If the UniSymbol
Decoding Server finds a match in the UniSymbol Registry, the matching
URL is used to access the appropriate content server. 7. Once the web
resource is identified, it is automatically retrieved and sent back to
the consumer's Web Appliance for immediate viewing. |
Technology
SqueezeNet utilizes a
sophisticated system of high performance hardware and software to
implement the UniSymbol technology.
At the heart of the system is a UniSymbol Decoder Server that
quickly and efficiently translates UniSymbols into standard URL
identifiers. Once a URL associated with the resource has been identified,
the resulting resource is seamlessly returned to the originating
browsing device.
Another aspect of the
UniSymbol system is a means to capture and communicate the user's local
and remote context information. The
context information can represent information such as the user's current
activity (i.e. watching TV, reading a magazine, driving a car, shopping,
etc.), the time of day, the proximity to a certain object,
location-based information, or any of a hundred other types of variables
that may contain context-based information.
By utilizing the
combination of UniSymbols and context information, SqueezeNet's
navigation system is able to retrieve the exact information that a
consumer may desire. All of
this is accomplished while still adhering to the standards and
guidelines set for the Internet.
The technology may
either be integrated into today's browsers and search engines, or
specialized versions of applications and browsers may be developed to
leverage the use of UniSymbol-based technologies.
Passing UniSymbol and Context Information to the UniSymbol Decoding Engine
Illustration
As an illustration to
the benefits of the UniSymbol technology, assume that a major auto
company has several advertising campaigns that are associated with one
of its products. For
example, the automobile company Audi* might create both television and
magazine advertisements targeting its Audi A8 automobile.
Normally, the ads
associated with the Audi A8 might provide either the company's web site
address (i.e. www.audiusa.com) or a specific web page (i.e.
www.audiusa.com/dr/scenicview) so that an interested person could obtain
additional information.
Traditionally, a person
could enter the address information provided by the ads with relative
ease if a standard desktop PC is being utilized.
However, if the person is utilizing a wireless device such as the
Palm or Pocket PC with a connection to the Internet (ideally through a
home PC with wireless transmitting capabilities), the input methods of
the device are such that a previously simple task is made somewhat
complex.
Therefore, instead of
making the interested consumer write the lengthy address "www.audiusa.com/dr/scenicview"
to access the web information, SqueezeNet's UniSymbol technology allows
the user to enter in "A8" to access exactly the same
information resource. Not
only that, but depending on the user's current activity (i.e. watching TV vs.
reading a magazine), the consumer can be directed to two completely
different web page that have been customized to match the exact
advertising being utilized on either the TV advertising campaign or the
magazine advertising campaign.
Another aspect of
UniSymbols is that since they are dynamic in nature, rather than static
in nature, Audi only needs to register the UniSymbol "A8" for
as long as the advertising campaign is running.
This is because the UniSymbol is meant to be a temporary
association with a particular web resource, given information about the
user's current activity. Therefore,
given the current context, the UniSymbol "A8" could very well
stand for a particular brand. However,
in a different context, the UniSymbol "A8" may not represent a
brand at all. This is what
makes the usage of UniSymbols so powerful.
The illustration of
UniSymbols that has been given is a simple usage of the technology
assuming utilization of technology that is currently available.
However, SqueezeNet will extend its UniSymbol technology by
working with manufacturers of various hardware platforms (television,
appliances, scanning devices, infrared transmitting devices, etc) to
enable seamless device-to-device transmission of activity-related
information. Therefore, a
much richer form of UniSymbols will be enabled to allow much more
activity-related information to be combined with UniSymbols.
What We Offer
SqueezeNet provides the
technology and platform that supports the implementation of UniSymbols.
Companies can utilize UniSymbols to optimize promotional efforts
and to make it easier for current or potential customers to access a
variety of Internet resources.
Technology companies
can utilize the UniSymbol technology to create navigation-enhanced
versions of their products and services.
The UniSymbol technology is flexible enough to be seamlessly
integrated into almost any product or service that offers navigation
and/or search features.
SqueezeNet will work
with infrastructure and services companies to optimize the
implementation of the UniSymbol technology.
The system implemented will have flexible scalability to handle
millions of resource requests per second.
To facilitate
transparent device-to-device communication of UniSymbol information
(context data and UniSymbol codes), SqueezeNet will work with
manufacturers to incorporate UniSymbol technologies into TVs, VCRs,
Video Recorders, web appliances, PDAs, ATMs, Service Station Pumps, and
hundreds of other devices that can interact with UniSymbol technologies.
SqueezeNet will offer
consulting services to determine how a given type of business can
maximize the benefits of utilizing UniSymbol technologies to give
current and potential consumers instant gratification in the retrieval
of context related information.
Contact unisymbol@squeezenet.com
to determine how a mutually beneficial relationship may be established.
FAQ
Is the UniSymbol
technology currently available for companies to use?
SqueezeNet is in the
process of identifying alliance partners to help deliver and support the
infrastructure that is required to enable the functionality of the
UniSymbol technology. Potential UniSymbol customers will also be
identified to help beta test the implementation of the technology.
In the meantime, key portions of SqueezeNet's proprietary
technology will be licensed to other technology companies.
Once this process has been completed, an entire package of
customizable UniSymbol solutions will be offered to companies.
The UniSymbol
technology seems to have limited benefits, given how people currently
use their PCs. Why should I
start using it now?
The UniSymbol™ technology was developed to create benefits that will become more obvious as newer forms of technology are introduced. For example, since most of today's Internet access occurs at a desktop PC, the benefits of the UniSymbol technology won't have as much of an impact.
However, as the number of Internet interactions occurring away from the desk increases, the need for UniSymbol technologies will become apparent. We are only now starting to see people access the Internet while doing things away from the desk, such as watching TV, driving a car, shopping at a store, working out, etc.
In the near future, it will become absolutely crucial to enable people to enter short symbols instead of long URLs. This is especially true if a person is in an active mode of seeking our information based on external stimuli, as opposed to being in a passive mode of reacting to content and links presented to them on a web browser.
Also, the number of people that utilize their computers while conducting some other type of activity (i.e. watching television) is starting to become very large. Even with access to a keyboard, people will find it much easier and more flexible to utilize UniSymbol technologies.
Is your technology in compliance with W3C's standards, or will I have a problem using current browser technologies?
SqueezeNet's UniSymbol
technology is 100% compatible with the W3C's standards and guidelines.
A browser with UniSymbol capabilities will function the same way
as any other browser when a W3C compatible URL is submitted.
For example, if the URL squeezenet.com is submitted to a
UniSymbol enabled browser, the UniSymbol decoding server will be
completely bypassed and the person will be taken directly to the address
submitted. If, on the other
hand, the UniSymbol "sq" is submitted, the UniSymbol
technology is smart enough to know that the information should be
processed through the UniSymbol decoding server.
Aren't there other
technologies out there that basically offer the same things that the
UniSymbol technology is trying to accomplish?
There are technologies
currently available that utilize bar codes and information hidden in
graphics that accomplish some of what SqueezeNet's UniSymbol technology
offers. The bar code and
coded-graphics technology requires the use of external hardware devices
(i.e. bar code scanner, video camera).
UniSymbol technology, on the other hand, does not require any
type of external hardware device other than the device running the
browser (i.e. Web Appliance, Palm, Pocket PC, web-enabled phone, etc.).
In addition, the bar
code and coded-graphics technologies require that an object with the
imprinted information must be accessible to the consumer. This can make it difficult or impossible to obtain
information from television, billboards, radio, etc.
UniSymbols, however, can be seen, heard, felt, etc. in a manner
that allows the person to quickly and easily access the desired
information.
Another major benefit
of UniSymbol technology is that none of the advertising material
actually needs to have the UniSymbol imprinted or displayed.
This is possible with UniSymbol technology because an entire
resource can be made UniSymbol Enabled™.
For example, a magazine that is AdSymbol
Enabled™ means that every brand or company name located in an ad in
the magazine can be entered as a UniSymbol. Additionally, if a magazine
is PageSymbol Enabled™,
entering the acronym of an article's title as the UniSymbol will
immediately retrieve that particular article.
Therefore, no special printing process must be conducted in order
to realize the benefits of UniSymbols.
How does UniSymbol
technology affect other SqueezeNet technologies such as the
WebSqueezer engine, the SqueezeNet wireless portal, etc.?
The UniSymbol
technology will be integrated into every aspect of SqueezeNet's current
products and services. Additionally,
SqueezeNet will develop specialized wireless browsers for PDAs,
web-enabled phones, web appliances, etc.
They will all incorporate WebSqueezer technology, UniSymbol
technology, and additional technologies that have not been disclosed
yet.
I already use cookie
information, user profile data, or location-based data to get to a
customized version of a web page. I
guess I don't need to use UniSymbols, right?
Although all of that
information may be used by the web site to create a customized version
of the web page, there is still a problem of how to get to the web site
in the first place without entering a complex and long URL or other
resource identifier. Although
UniSymbol technology will still allow you to pass extra information to
create customized versions of a web page after a site is accessed, it
has the additional benefit of making "getting there" a lot
easier.
Instead
of typing something like this:
"www.LongaAddressName.com/cgi/app.cgi?zipcodelocation=92433"
You
can type this instead:
"LAN".
What specific
services do you plan on introducing first?
SqueezeNet will
introduce two special high impact services that involve using UniSymbols
to facilitate the promotion of products and services through television,
magazines, newspapers, radio, billboards and in-store displays.
- AdSymbol™
– customized to function in highly dynamic informational
transactions, such as television and radio.
- PageSymbol™
– customized to function in various forms of print media, such as
magazines and newspapers.
What exact
technologies will you use to implement UniSymbols?
We are currently examining many different hardware, operating system, and software technologies to determine the most appropriate mix that will optimize UniSymbol technological benefits. The final system will have to be one of the most robust and dynamic architectures currently implemented, since the system will have to ultimately handle millions of requests per second on a continuous basis.