Object Hyperlinking - System Components

System Components

Linking an object or a location to the Internet is a more involved process than linking two web pages. An object hyperlinking system requires seven components -

1. A virtual or physical object tag to identify objects and locations. Some tagging systems are described below. To allow the object tags to be located they must be physically embedded in visual markers. For example, the Yellow arrow scheme prints SMS tags on large adhesive yellow arrows, which can then be stuck on buildings etc.
2. A means of reading physical tags, or locating virtual tags.
3. A mobile device such as a mobile telephone, a PDA or a portable computer.
4. Additional software for the mobile device.
5. A commonly open wireless network, such as the existing 2G and 3G networks, for communication between the portable device and the server containing the information linked to the tagged object.
6. Information on each linked object. This information could be in existing WWW pages, existing databases of price information etc., or have been specially created.
7. A display to view the information on the linked object. At the present time this is most likely to be the screen of a mobile telephone.