RF-based electronic system and method for automatic cross-marketing promotional offers and check-outs
First Claim
1. A system for providing cross-marketing promotional offers to a customer, said system comprising:
- at least one product inventory location for holding distinct products and displaying said distinct products to customers wherein at least one said distinct product is associated with at least one electronic tag, and wherein said at least one electronic tag is configured to convey product information;
at least one electronic tag reading device configured to retrieve information from the at least one electronic tag;
an electronic computing device in communication with said at least one electronic tag reading device and configured to accept, process, store and output said product information;
said electronic computing device further configured to;
(a) use said at least one electronic tag reading device to retrieve product information from an electronic tag associated with a hot-product wherein said hot-product is at least one of (i) a product being examined by a customer; and
(ii) a product in a customer-storage-area;
(b) use said product information to determine if a cross-marketing promotional offer is associated with said hot-product;
(c) to notify said customer of a cross-marketing promotional offer determined to be associated with said hot-product; and
wherein said promotional offer is one of a real time promotional offer and a near real time promotional offer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing cross-marketing and promotional offers to a customer using an electronic tag product identification system is disclosed. The disclosed technology also allows for presenting promotional offers in an automatic check-out process. RFID smart tags are associated with products in a place of purchase or a place of selection of such products. Each distinct product is associated with at least one smart tag, the smart tags containing identification information regarding their respective products. RFID smart tag readers are used to retrieve product information including information concerning promotional offers, purchase prices and expected product weights. Such promotional offers are presented to the customer and may be real-time promotional offers, near real-time promotional offers or generic promotional offers.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system for providing cross-marketing promotional offers to a customer, said system comprising:
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at least one product inventory location for holding distinct products and displaying said distinct products to customers wherein at least one said distinct product is associated with at least one electronic tag, and wherein said at least one electronic tag is configured to convey product information;
at least one electronic tag reading device configured to retrieve information from the at least one electronic tag;
an electronic computing device in communication with said at least one electronic tag reading device and configured to accept, process, store and output said product information;
said electronic computing device further configured to;
(a) use said at least one electronic tag reading device to retrieve product information from an electronic tag associated with a hot-product wherein said hot-product is at least one of (i) a product being examined by a customer; and
(ii) a product in a customer-storage-area;
(b) use said product information to determine if a cross-marketing promotional offer is associated with said hot-product;
(c) to notify said customer of a cross-marketing promotional offer determined to be associated with said hot-product; and
wherein said promotional offer is one of a real time promotional offer and a near real time promotional offer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A smart cart comprising:
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a customer-storage-area associated with said smart-cart and used by a customer to store products while shopping, wherein said customer-storage-area comprises an item-evaluator;
at least one electronic tag reading device configured to retrieve product information from electronic tags associated with products;
a smart cart computer in communication with said at least one electronic tag reading device and configured to retrieve product information from at least one electronic tag associated with a hot-product wherein said hot-product is at least one of;
(a) a product being examined by a customer; and
(b) a product in said customer-storage-area;
wherein said smart cart computer is in communication with said item-evaluator;
wherein said smart cart computer is further configured to use said item-evaluator to measure a physical parameter of said hot-product placed in said customer-storage area;
wherein said smart cart computer is further configured to communicate with a remote computer and retrieve supplemental-product-information associated with said hot-product using at least part of said product information; and
wherein said smart cart computer is further configured to present to said customer at least one member from the group consisting of;
(a) at least part of said product information;
(b) at least part of said supplemental-product-information; and
(c) measured hot-product physical parameter information. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A network enabled smart cart comprising:
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a customer storage area comprising a scale;
a customer interface;
at least one electronic tag scanning device associated with said customer interface and configured to receive electronic tag transmissions from electronic tags associated with hot-products. a first computer associated with said customer interface;
wherein said first computer is in communication with said at least one electronic tag scanning device and configured to retrieve product information stored in the electronic tags associated with said hot-products;
a first network operating in accordance with a predetermined protocol;
a second network comprising a plurality of said customer interfaces;
a gateway operatively coupled to said first network and to said second network; and
an HTTP server embedded in one of said gateway and said plurality of customer interfaces. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for notifying a customer of a cross-marketing promotional offer comprising the steps of:
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(a) associating at least one electronic tag with products;
(b) retrieving product information from said at least one electronic tag associated with a hot-product wherein said hot-product is a hot-product being view by a customer;
(c) determining if a cross-marketing promotional offer is associated with the purchase of said hot-product wherein said cross-marketing promotional offer relates to the purchase of a second-product;
(d) automatically notifying said customer of a cross-marketing promotional offer associated with the purchase of said hot-product;
(e) detecting when said customer accepts said cross-marketing promotional offer and automatically making the appropriate check-out adjustments. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of performing an automatic check-out comprising the steps of:
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(a) associating electronic smart tags with products, wherein each distinct product is associated with at least one said smart tag, said smart tags containing product-information regarding their respective product;
(b) generating at least one electronic tag trigger signal of sufficient strength to trigger electronic tag transmissions associated with hot-products located at a point of sale wherein said hot-products are products a customer desires to purchase;
(c) detecting electronic tag transmissions generated by electronic tags associated with said hot-products and retrieving at least part of said product-information contained in said electronic tag transmissions;
(d) using said product information to determine the expected weight of said hot-products and the price of said hot-products;
(e) determining a measured-weight of said hot-products;
(f) notify said customer of a valid check-out by verifying that said measured-weight of said hot-products is within a predefined weight-tolerance for the expected weight of said hot-products. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification