System and method for facilitating in-store customer service, product marketing and inventory management

• US 20060237532A1
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Style and Form Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Style and Form Incorporated Incorporation Delaware
• Inventors: Leikach, Benjamin, Scott-Leikach, Sherry L.
• Application Number:
  US11/111,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20060237532A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method, includes receiving a customer in a retail establishment; providing a mobile device to the customer; enabling the customer to use the mobile device to selectively enter product identifiers of products in the retail establishment; and enabling the customer to request an associated service in the retail establishment, the associated service using the product identifier. The associated service may be an email service, a point-of-sale service, a design assistant service, a product information service, or a storage service. The product identifier may be a bar code or other wireless protocol.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

products for sale in a retail establishment, each product having a product identifier; and

a mobile device controlled by a customer of the retail establishment, the mobile device for receiving one of the product identifiers and for presenting product information corresponding to the received product identifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the product identifier is a bar code and the mobile device includes a bar code scanner for receiving the product identifier.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a PDA provided to the customer from the retail establishment.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a server capable of accessing a product information database storing the product information corresponding to the received product identifier and including a mobile device communication engine for communicating the product information to the mobile device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a database storing the product information corresponding to the received product identifier.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving a product identifier of a product for sale in a retail establishment by a mobile device, the mobile device being controlled by a customer of the retail establishment;

obtaining product information corresponding to the received product identifier; and

presenting the product information on the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving includes scanning a bar code.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the mobile device is a PDA provided to the customer from the retail establishment.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the obtaining includes receiving the product information from a server.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving includes accessing a product information database on the mobile device.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a customer in a retail establishment;

providing a mobile device to the customer;

enabling the customer to use the mobile device to selectively enter product identifiers of products in the retail establishment; and

enabling the customer to request an associated service in the retail establishment, the associated service using the product identifier.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the associated service is an email service.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the associated service is a point-of-sale service.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the associated service is a design assistant service.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the associated service is a product information service.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the associated service is storage service.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a product identifier of a product for sale in a retail establishment by a mobile device, the mobile device being controlled by a customer of the retail establishment;

receiving a request to purchase the product corresponding to the product identifier from the customer;

informing a sales associate of the request.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of initiating the purchase of the product.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of initiating retrieval of the product so that the product is waiting at a more convenient location in the retail establishment.