Tag processing terminal for facilitating competitive internet bid transactions

• US 20030088496A1
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Piotrowski, Daniel J.
• Application Number:
  US10/003,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088496A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

An Internet enabled remote tag-processing terminal is disclosed for facilitating commercial transactions using competitive information. A remote terminal reads/scans product tags or labels, and their content is transmitted to a service node to conduct an on-line search for competitive information on similar products. The service node then sends an information response to the remote terminal, which allow a user (1) to determine whether to complete a commercial transaction while in a retailer location, (2) complete an on-line commercial transaction in response to the received competitive information or (3) adjust the scanned tag or search parameters to conduct a new search.

Claims

1. A wireless remote terminal apparatus comprising:

a label reader capable of reading information from a label, wherein the label is associated with a first product;

a communication unit capable of communicating information to one or more service nodes; and

a controller, coupled the label reader, the communication unit, arranged to receive information from the label reader, send a request to one or more of the service nodes through the communication unit, receive at least one competitive bid from an on-line retailer in response to the request from the service node, wherein the competitive bid relates to an on-line retailer'"'"'s product similar to the first product and wherein the request and the competitive bid are formatted as documents capable of being exchanged in a distributed, decentralized environment.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, responsive to the received competitive bid, the controller is further arranged to allow a user to adjust the received competitive bid and send a counter offer to one or more of the service nodes.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, responsive to the received competitive bid, the controller is further arranged to allow profile information to be accessed by a service node to accept a selected competitive bid and engage in an on-line transaction.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus and the service node communicate in a client/server network.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the documents comprise XML documents.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the XML documents are expressed as SOAP messages.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a context sensor coupled to the controller.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more service nodes are responsive to a profile associated with a user contained within the request from the apparatus.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the label reader comprises an RFID reader or a barcode reader.

10. An wireless remote terminal apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operative to read an item'"'"'s tag information, communicate the tag information to a service node, receive a competitive bid from the service node, and responsive to the received response, to allow profile information to be accessed by a service node to engage into a commercial transaction, and where the request and the response are formatted as documents capable of being exchanged in a distributed, decentralized environment.

12. A method for allowing a remote user to receive competitive bids for products similar to that of a first product, the method comprising the steps of:

reading label information from a first product, the product located at a retailer location, using a remote terminal;

communicating the information to one or more service nodes using the remote terminal;

searching, using the label information from the first product, one or more other retailers'"'"' information for similar products;

forming a competitive bid proposal for the similar products by at least one other retailers; and

transmitting the competitive bid proposal to the wireless remote terminal.

11. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the tag comprises an RFID or barcode tag.

13. The method according to claim 12, further including accepting the competitive bid proposal.

14. The method according to claim 12, further including transmitting, by the remote terminal, a counter offer in response to at least one competitive bid proposal to the service node.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the one or more service nodes are responsive to a profile associated with a user contained within the information from the remote terminal.