Handheld scanner device with display location database

• US 20060031148A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: Caldwell, David E., Ferrell, Daniel R., O'Dell, Gregory S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A method of managing inventory may include using a handheld scanning device to locate one or more inventory items on a retail display. The method may further include scanning the identification symbols of inventory items on a retail display to determine the type of the scanned item. An associated apparatus may include a communication interface to receive information from a remote database and to send information to a remote server. The received information may include predetermined information about proper locations for individual inventory items on the retail display, thereby reducing the need to manually determine the proper locations of multiple inventory items, which may be, for example, greeting cards on a retail store display.

Claims

1. A handheld scanning system for managing inventory, the system comprising:

a scanner to read identification symbols on a product;

a communication interface to receive information from a remote information repository;

a processor coupled to the scanner and to the communication interface;

a display device coupled to the processor; and

a memory containing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

identify a retail display location corresponding to the scanned product based on the identification symbols and information received from the remote database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication interface sends information to a remote server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to display information that indicates the retail display location for the product.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to i) access product information corresponding to a plurality of scanned identification symbols, and ii) determine a product inventory level corresponding to the accessed production information.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing that encloses the processor, the memory, the interface, and the display.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the scanner is external to the housing.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication interface transmits information on a communication channel using an Internet protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification symbols comprise Universal Product Code (UPC) symbols.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the scanner reads the identification symbols on a product by optically scanning the product.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the scanner is an optical scanner.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to send and receive messages over the communication interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the messages comprise scheduled task reminders.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the messages comprise an item selected from the group consisting of travel schedules, sale information, promotion information, inventory information, and store audit information.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the messages are posted on a secure Internet website.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the messages comprises an electronic mail message.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the messages comprises an electronic instant message exchanged between the system and one or more other selected processor-enabled devices, the system and each selected device being operably connected to a network as a client device, each selected client device being configured to exchange messages with the other selected client devices using predetermined network address information associated with each selected client device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to monitor the amount of time a system user has worked and to send the monitored time to a remote server.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to determine re-order quantities for one or more product types based on inventories of each product type.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a request to re-order one or more types of products, wherein the number of each type of product in the request is based on the determined re-order quantities for each product type.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to queue the re-order request for transmission by the communication interface automatically upon the detection of predetermined inventory levels.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to update inventory information in response to a signal indicative of a product return.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to send for display on the display device information related to product shipment or delivery status, said information being received from a remote server.

23. A handheld scanning system for managing inventory, the system comprising:

a scanner to read identification symbols on a product;

a communication interface to receive information from a remote information repository;

a processor coupled to the scanner and to the communication interface;

a display device coupled to the processor; and

a memory containing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising;

receive information that represents identification symbols of inventory items that have been scanned;

receive information that indicates in which of a plurality of locations on a retail display each scanned inventory item is stored;

determine the number and type of scanned items stored in each location on the retail display;

retrieve from a data storage device a predetermined minimum inventory level for each type of scanned item; and

generate a command to transmit a message representing a request to re-order one or more types of products, wherein the request is based on the determined number of each type of product and the corresponding predetermined minimum inventory level.

24. A handheld scanning system for managing inventory, the system comprising:

a scanner to read identification symbols on a product;

a communication interface to receive information from a remote information repository;

a processor coupled to the scanner and to the communication interface;

a display device coupled to the processor; and

a memory containing program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations to manage inventory of products on a retail display, the operations comprising;

send and receive messages over the communication interface;

identify a retail display location corresponding to the product based on the identification symbols read by the scanner and information received from the remote database; and

cause the communication interface to transmit information on a communication channel using an Internet protocol.