Establishing a local wireless intranet for retail customers

• US 20020168967A1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Clapper, Edward O.
• Application Number:
  US09/854,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20020168967A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A wireless retail customer intranet may be established within a retail facility. Customers may use personal digital assistants with wireless transceivers to communicate with a server operated by the retail facility visited by the customers. The server may provide communications to the customers based on the customer'"'"'s current location or otherwise. In addition, the customers may use the store-based intranet to communicate with other customers. Those communications may be in the form of text or audio messages in some cases. Through the use of the wireless digital device, greater interactivity between store operators and retail customers may be achieved.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

wirelessly linking a plurality of customers within a retail facility through a local area network based in the retail facility; and

enabling customers to exchange information through said network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein wirelessly linking includes providing wireless access to a server by a plurality of customers within a retail facility.

3. The method of claim 1 including providing a processor-based device to retail customers that wirelessly communicates with said server.

4. The method of claim 3 including enabling users to activate said device by swiping a credit card through a slot in said device.

5. The method of claim 1 including receiving audible communications from said customers.

6. The method of claim 1 including enabling customers to communicate via text messages with one another over said network.

7. The method of claim 1 including pushing electronic files to customers.

8. The method of claim 1 including providing information about the current location of a processor-based device associated with a customer.

9. The method of claim 8 including providing information about the customer'"'"'s location to the server.

10. The method of claim 9 including pushing information to the customer depending on the customer'"'"'s current location.

11. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to:

wirelessly link a plurality of customers within a retail facility through a local area network based in the retail facility; and

enable customers to exchange information through said network.

12. An article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to be accessed wirelessly by a plurality of customers within a retail facility.

13. The article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to recognize a processor-based device used by a customer in response to a credit card swipe through a slot in said device.

14. The article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to receive audible communications from said customers.

15. The article of claim 14 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to broadcast audio files to said customers.

16. The article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to enable customers to communicate via text messages with one another over said network.

17. The article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to push electronic files to customers.

18. The article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to provide information about the current location of a processor-based device associated with a customer.

20. The article of claim 19 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to push information to a customer depending on the customer'"'"'s current location.

19. The article of 18 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to determine the customer'"'"'s location.

21. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage coupled to said processor to wirelessly link a plurality of customers within a retail facility through a local area network based in the retail facility and enable customers to exchange information through said network.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said system is a server.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said server is coupled to a wireless interface.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein said system maintains a network of wireless, processor-based devices used by customers.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said system recognizes said processor-based device in response to the detection of a credit card swipe through a slot in one of said devices.