Transmitting a file to a customer possessing a hand held computer by a point of sale terminal

• US 20030065576A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Harris, Richard Hunter, Prorock, Thomas Joseph
• Application Number:
  US09/970,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065576A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for transmitting customized URL'"'"'s to a customer in a point of sale system. A point of sale terminal may transmit customized URL(s) to a hand held computer possessed by the customer that may be determined to be of interest to the customer. The URL(s) that may be of interest to the customer may be determined at least in part based on past or present customer transactions, profile of the customer, responses to previously transmitted URL(s) and items to promote. The customized URL(s) transmitted to the customer may then be tracked. Based on tracking the effectiveness of the URL(s), a marketing/advertising strategy may be developed, a profile of the customer may be edited, and a negotiation may occur with an entity to distribute one or more URL(s) identifying that identity to the customer.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting customized Uniform Resource Locator'"'"'s (URL'"'"'s) to a customer in a point of sale system comprising the steps of:

receiving input from a customer identification card;

receiving a profile on a customer associated with said customer identification card;

reading said profile on said customer;

determining one or more customized URL'"'"'s to include in a file; and

transmitting said file to a hand held computer possessed by said customer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determination step is based on one or more of the following:

transactions of said customer, said profile on said customer, response to previously transmitted one or more customized URL'"'"'s and items to promote.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

retrieving information from said profile on said customer; and

establishing a connection with said hand held computer possessed by said computer in response to said retrieved information.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

receiving a request with an appropriate identifier to establish a connection with said hand held computer possessed by said customer.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said appropriate identifier specifies a particular point of sale terminal, wherein said appropriate identifier comprises a port number and a terminal number.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

tracking an effectiveness of said one or more customized URL'"'"'s.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising the step of:

formulating a marketing strategy in response to said tracking step.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising the step of:

negotiating to distribute one or more URL'"'"'s to said customer in response to said tracking step.

9. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising the step of:

editing said profile of said customer in response to said tracking step.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said one or more customized URL'"'"'s comprise an identification of said customer.

11. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for transmitting customized Uniform Resource Locator'"'"'s (URL'"'"'s) to a customer in a point of sale system comprising the steps of:

programming operable for receiving input from a customer identification card;

programming operable for receiving a profile on a customer associated with said customer identification card;

programming operable for reading said profile on said customer;

programming operable for determining one or more customized URL'"'"'s to include in a file; and

programming operable for transmitting said file to a hand held computer possessed by said customer.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, wherein said determination step is based on one or more of the following:

transactions of said customer, said profile on said customer, response to previously transmitted one or more customized URL'"'"'s and items to promote.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 11 further comprises:

programming operable for retrieving information from said profile on said customer; and

programming operable for establishing a connection with said hand held computer possessed by said computer in response to said retrieved information.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 11 further comprises:

programming operable for receiving a request with an appropriate identifier to establish a connection with said hand held computer possessed by said customer.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein said appropriate identifier specifies a particular point of sale terminal, wherein said appropriate identifier comprises a port number and a terminal number.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 11 further comprises:

programming operable for tracking an effectiveness of said one or more customized URL'"'"'s.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 16 further comprises:

programming operable for editing said profile of said customer in response to said tracking step.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, wherein said one or more customized URL'"'"'s comprise an identification of said customer.

19. A system, comprising:

a server configured to manage a database storing a plurality of profiles on a plurality of customers; and

a point of sale terminal coupled to said server, wherein said point of sale terminal comprises;

a processor; and

a memory unit coupled to said processor, wherein said memory unit is operable for storing a computer program operable for transmitting customized Uniform Resource Locator'"'"'s (URL'"'"'s) to a customer in a point of sale system, wherein the computer program is operable for performing the following programming steps;

receiving input from a customer identification card;

receiving a profile on a customer associated with said customer identification card;

reading said profile on said customer;

determining one or more customized URL'"'"'s to include in a file; and

transmitting said file to a hand held computer possessed by said customer.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein said programming step of determining said one or more customized URL'"'"'s is based on one or more of the following:

transactions of said customer, said profile on said customer, response to previously transmitted one or more customized URL'"'"'s and items to promote.

21. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer program is further operable for performing the following programming steps:

retrieving information from said profile on said customer; and

establishing a connection with said hand held computer possessed by said computer in response to said retrieved information.

22. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer program is further operable for performing the following programming step:

receiving a request with an appropriate identifier to establish a connection with said hand held computer possessed by said customer.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein said appropriate identifier specifies a particular point of sale terminal, wherein said appropriate identifier comprises a port number and a terminal number.

24. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein said server comprises:

a processor; and

a memory unit coupled to said processor, wherein said memory unit is operable for storing a computer program operable for tracking an effectiveness of said one or more customized URL'"'"'s.

25. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein the computer program of said server is further operable for performing the following programming step:

editing said profile of said customer in response to said tracking step

26. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein said one or more customized URL'"'"'s comprise an identification of said customer.

27. A system, comprising:

a server configured to manage a database storing a plurality of profiles on a plurality of customers; and

a point of sale terminal coupled to said server, wherein said point of sale terminal comprises;

a processor; and

a memory unit coupled to said processor, wherein said memory unit is operable for storing a computer program operable for transmitting customized Uniform Resource Locator'"'"'s (URL'"'"'s) to a customer in a point of sale system, wherein the computer program is operable for performing the following programming steps;

receiving input from a customer identification card;

receiving a profile on a customer associated with said customer identification card; and

reading said profile on said customer;

wherein said server comprises;

a processor; and

a memory unit coupled to said processor, wherein said memory unit is operable for storing a computer program operable for;

determining one or more customized URL'"'"'s to include in a file; and

transmitting said file to said point of sale terminal;

wherein the computer program of said point of sale terminal is further operable for performing the following programming step;

transmitting said file to a hand held computer possessed by said customer.