Integration of WIC items and transactions into personal shopping devices

• US 20060149626A1
• Filed: 12/30/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Waddell, Raymond Lee Jr., Prorock, Thomas J., Johnson, David L., Demick, Robert James, Bennett, David Lawrence, Yates, Long-Kim Vo
• Application Number:
  US11/026,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20060149626A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for providing access to government benefits is disclosed. The method comprises positioning a short-range transmitter in a predetermined product area in a store, and storing one or more marketing messages in the short-range transmitter, wherein the one or more marketing messages are associated with one or more specific products located in the predetermined product area. The one or more marketing messages are transmitted to a wireless computer, and a user is identified as a participant in a government benefits scheme. Available under a subsidy program are communicated to a user and upon purchase of an item, an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program is provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

positioning a short-range transmitter in a predetermined product area in a store;

storing one or more marketing messages in the short-range transmitter, wherein the one or more marketing messages are associated with one or more specific products located in the predetermined product area;

transmitting the one or more marketing messages to a computer;

identifying a user as a participant in a government benefits scheme; and

communicating benefits available under a subsidy program to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

upon purchase of an item, providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program to a user further comprises ascertaining the value of a government benefit to the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program further comprises informing a user of the out-of-pocket cost of an item with a government benefit and the out-of-pocket cost of an item without a government benefit.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing behavior modification instructions to a user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of providing behavior modification instructions to a user further comprises providing nutrition instructions to a user.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of providing a analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program further comprises providing the user with the option to claim or refuse to claim a benefit with respect to an individual item

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program further comprises providing the user with notice of a comparable product that is available to said user at a lower effective price.

9. A system comprising:

a short-range transmitter in a predetermined product area in a store;

a storage device for storing one or more marketing messages in the short-range transmitter, wherein the one or more marketing messages are associated with one or more specific products located in the predetermined product area;

a transmitting device for transmitting the one or more marketing messages to a wireless computer;

a card reader for identifying a user as a participant in a government benefits scheme; and

a display device for communicating benefits available under a subsidy program to a user.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a graphical interface for, upon purchase of an item, providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said graphical interface for providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program to a user further comprises graphical interface constructs for ascertaining the value of a government benefit to the user.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said graphical interface for providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program further comprises graphical interface constructs for informing a user of the out-of-pocket cost of an item with a government benefit and the out-of-pocket cost of an item without a government benefit.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising graphical interface for providing behavior modification instructions to a user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for providing behavior modification instructions to a user further comprises graphical interface for providing nutrition instructions to a user.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said graphical interface for providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program further comprises graphical interface constructs for providing the user with the option to claim or refuse to claim a benefit with respect to an individual item

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said graphical interface for providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program further comprises graphical interface constructs for providing the user with notice of a comparable product that is available to said user at a lower effective price.

17. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium comprising:

a computer-readable medium;

instructions on the computer-readable medium for positioning a short-range transmitter in a predetermined product area in a store;

instructions on the computer-readable medium for storing one or more marketing messages in the short-range transmitter, wherein the one or more marketing messages are associated with one or more specific products located in the predetermined product area;

instructions on the computer-readable medium for transmitting the one or more marketing messages to a wireless computer;

instructions on the computer-readable medium for identifying a user as a participant in a government benefits scheme; and

instructions on the computer-readable medium for communicating benefits available under a subsidy program to a user.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising instructions, upon purchase of an item, providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said instructions for providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program to a user further comprises instructions on the computer-readable medium for ascertaining the value of a government benefit to the user.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said instructions for providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program further comprises instructions on the computer-readable medium for informing a user of the out-of-pocket cost of an item with a government benefit and the out-of-pocket cost of an item without a government benefit.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising instructions on the computer-readable medium for providing behavior modification instructions to a user.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the instructions for providing behavior modification instructions to a user further comprises instructions on the computer-readable medium for providing nutrition instructions to a user.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said instructions for providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program further comprises instructions on the computer-readable medium for providing the user with the option to claim or refuse to claim a benefit with respect to an individual item

24. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said instructions for providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program further comprises instructions on the computer-readable medium for providing the user with notice of a comparable product that is available to said user at a lower effective price.