Method and system to ensure maintenance of individual government benefits in a retail environment

• US 20060143077A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Prorock, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,290,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.250
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule

Abstract

Aspects to ensure maintenance of individual government benefits in a retail environment include identifying of an individual shopper with an associated level of available benefits during a shopping session. Purchases relative to predetermined criteria, including the associated level of available benefits, are tracked. Scheduling a next appointment during the shopping session for the individual shopper with an agency providing the government benefits based on the tracking occurs, wherein a potential lapse in benefits is avoided.

Claims

1. A method to ensure maintenance of individual government benefits in a retail environment, the method comprising:

identifying an individual shopper with an associated level of available benefits during a shopping session;

tracking purchases relative to predetermined criteria, including the associated level of available benefits; and

scheduling a next appointment during the shopping session for the individual shopper with an agency providing the government benefits based on the tracking, wherein a potential lapse in benefits is avoided.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying further comprises identifying through a smart card.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein tracking further comprises determining a history of a rate of purchase for the identified shopper, an amount of the available benefits left, and a lead time required to make an appointment with a particular agency as the predetermined criteria.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein scheduling further comprises scheduling via a personal shopper device in use by the shopper.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein scheduling further comprises providing available time slots for the next appointment when an immediate need for scheduling the next appointment exists based on the tracking during the shopping session.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing a reminder of a selected time slot for the next appointment.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing a notice of an expected date when the next appointment may be needed if an immediate need does not exist based on the tracking during the shopping session.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising utilizing SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) components of publish, find, and bind during the performance of the identifying, tracking, and scheduling.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein utilizing the SOA component of publish further comprises publishing services by the particular agency, the services including a service to query for the lead time for the particular agency, a service to return a list of open time slots for appointments, and a service to book an appointment.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein utilizing the SOA components of find and bind further comprises finding with the personal shopper device a published service for scheduling, and binding to the published service to make calls to APIs in the published service.

11. A system to ensure maintenance of individual government benefits, the system comprising:

a retail shopping environment;

an individual shopper participating in a government benefit program and identified with an associated level of available benefits during a shopping session in the retail shopping environment; and

a personal shopper device for use by the individual shopper and for use in tracking purchases relative to predetermined criteria, including the associated level of available benefits, the point of sale device scheduling a next appointment during the shopping session for the individual shopper with an agency providing the individual government benefits based on the tracking, wherein a potential lapse in benefits is avoided.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a smart card for use by the individual shopper and storing identifying data for the individual shopper.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the retail shopping environment further comprises computer systems for interacting with the personal shopper device and determining a history of a rate of purchase for the identified shopper, an amount of the available benefits left, and a lead time required to make an appointment with a particular agency as the predetermined criteria.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the personal shopper device further provides available time slots for the next appointment when an immediate need for scheduling the next appointment exists based on the tracking during the shopping session.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the personal shopper device further provides a reminder of a selected time slot for the next appointment.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the personal shopper device further provides a notice of an expected date when the next appointment may be needed if an immediate need does not exist based on the tracking during the shopping session.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the retail shopping environment supports SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) components of publish, find, and bind.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the SOA component of publish further comprises publishing services by the particular agency, the services including a service to query for the lead time for the particular agency, a service to return a list of open time slots for appointments, and a service to book an appointment.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the SOA components of find and bind further comprises finding with the personal shopper device a published service for scheduling, and binding to the published service to make calls to APIs in the published service.

20. A method for ensuring maintenance of individual government benefits in a retail environment, the method comprising:

notifying an individual shopper during a shopping session of a need to make an appointment for obtaining further government benefits; and

scheduling the appointment during the shopping session with an agency providing the government benefits.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising utilizing a business rules determination for the notifying based on a rate of purchase in a history for the individual shopper, an amount of benefits remaining for the individual shopper, and an amount of lead time to make an appointment with the agency.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising utilizing SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) components of publish, find, and bind during the performance of the notifying and scheduling.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the government benefits further comprise benefits for a WIC-EBT (Women, Infant, and Children-Electronic Balance Transfer) program provided by a WIC agency.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein scheduling further comprises providing available time slots for the appointment by considering agency availability along with personal criteria input by the individual shopper regarding appointment time preferences.