System and method for household grocery management

• US 20020120534A1
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howard, Dale S., Messer, Jennifer R., Delamore, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US10/094,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120534A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A system for household grocery management is provided. The system includes a bar code scanner (22) operable to scan a bar code on a grocery item and to provide bar code data obtained thereby. The system also includes a computer system (20) coupled to receive the bar code data provided by the bar code scanner (22). The computer system (20) has a fixed data storage storing a grocery inventory (26) and a processor executing a grocery management application (24). The grocery management application (24) operates to process the bar code data to identify a scanned grocery item, to maintain the grocery inventory (26), and to generate a replenishment list (32) of grocery items based upon differences between current grocery inventory (26) and defined full levels for the household (10).

Claims

1. A system for household grocery management, comprising:

a bar code scanner operable to scan a bar code on a grocery item and to provide bar code data obtained thereby; and

a computer system coupled to receive the bar code data provided by the bar code scanner, the computer system comprising;

a fixed data storage storing a grocery inventory; and

a processor executing a grocery management application, the grocery management application operating;

to process the bar code data to identify a scanned grocery item;

to maintain the grocery inventory; and

to generate a replenishment list of grocery items based upon differences between current grocery inventory and defined full levels for the household.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the grocery inventory further includes information cross referencing bar codes to grocery items.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the grocery inventory further includes information defining full levels for grocery items in the household.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the grocery management application further operates to communicate the replenishment list to a grocery store across a communications network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the grocery management application further operates to communicate the replenishment list to a grocery clearing house across a communications network, the grocery clearing house providing service to a plurality of grocery stores.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the grocery management application further operates:

to add the scanned grocery item to the grocery inventory if the scanned grocery item is new;

to delete the scanned grocery item from the grocery inventory if the scanned grocery item is used.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the bar code scanner is further operable to provide data indicating whether a scanned grocery item is new or used; and

the grocery management application uses the indicating data to determine whether to add or delete the scanned grocery item from the grocery inventory.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the bar code scanner has a first mode and a second mode selectable by a user, and wherein the bar code scanner indicates that a scanned grocery item is new when the bar code scanner is in the first mode, and the bar code scanner indicates that a scanned grocery item is used when the bar code scanner is in the second mode.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a bar code scanner is further operable to scan a bar code on a coupon and to provide coupon data obtained thereby, the coupon data including a discounted grocery item and an expiration date;

the fixed data storage further stores a coupon list, the coupon list representing coupons; and

the grocery management application further operates to process the coupon data, to add a scanned coupon to the coupon list, and to delete expired coupons from the coupon list.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the grocery management application further operates to suggest grocery items to be included in the replenishment list based upon coupons in the coupon list.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the fixed data storage further stores a recipe book, the recipe book including a plurality of recipes for making meals; and

the grocery management application further operates to process a selected recipe and to add grocery items to the replenishment list if needed as ingredients for the selected recipe.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending the replenishment list to a grocery store across a communications network.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending the replenishment list to a grocery clearing house across a communications network, the grocery clearing house servicing a plurality of grocery stores.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining additional grocery items needed as ingredients for selected recipes from a recipe book; and

adding the additional grocery items to the replenishment list.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

maintaining a coupon list of currently valid coupons;

suggesting grocery items to be added to the replenishment list based upon expiring coupons; and

allowing modifications to be made to the replenishment list.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

obtaining meal parameters from the user if a recipe is not selected;

analyzing recipes in the recipe book together with the current grocery inventory and meal parameters; and

displaying a suggested recipe to the user based upon the current grocery inventory and meal parameters.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the meal parameters obtained comprise a type of meal and a number of people to be served.

12. A method for household grocery management, comprising:

maintaining a grocery inventory for a household using a bar code scanner to scan new and used grocery items;

determining shortages based upon current grocery inventory and defined full inventory levels; and

generating a replenishment list based upon the determined shortages.

17. A method for household grocery management, comprising:

allowing a user to select a recipe from a recipe book;

determining unavailable ingredients based upon current grocery inventory;

identifying substitutes from the current grocery inventory for the unavailable ingredients; and

displaying the recipe including the substitutes identified for the user to use in preparing a meal.