Systems and methods for providing a product description at a point-of-sale

• US 20070027924A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Hopkins, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US11/491,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027924A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system for providing a product description, for example at a point of sale, has a database storing a product description, a contact means related to the product description within the database, and a transmission means for transmitting the product description. A method of providing a product description, for example to a customer at a point of sale, has steps of displaying a contacting means relating to a product, receiving a communication employing the contacting means, retrieving a product description from a database in response to receiving the communication and transmitting the product description.

Claims

1. A system for providing product descriptions comprising:

a database storing a product description;

a contacting means related to the product description within the database; and

a transmission means for transmitting the product description.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying the contacting means, whereby in use a user employs the contacting means displayed to access the product description stored on the database.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the contacting means includes at least one of a telephone number, a fax number and an email address.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the contacting means and product description are uniquely paired.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the contacting means includes a general telephone number and a product identification code.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the product description includes at least one of text, pre-recorded audio messages, still-pictures, video, video coupled with audio, each in an electronic format, and/or any combination thereof.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the product description for a particular product is provided in multiple languages, text and character formats.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission means includes at least one of elements of and/or connections to a public and/or private communication network such a cellular network, a wireless Local Area Network (LAN), the Internet, an intranet, a virtual private network, portions of a Publicly Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Ethernet connections, Universal Serial Bus Connections (USB), and the like.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the database further includes a listing of a plurality of contacting means and a listing of corresponding product descriptions related to the plurality of contacting means.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the display includes at least one of a billboard, a poster, a sticker, a price tag and an engraving on a product offering.

11. A method of providing a product description comprising:

receiving a communication employing the contacting means;

retrieving a product description from a database in response to receiving the communication; and

transmitting the product description.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising parsing the communication to determine a language preference;

and wherein the product description retrieved and transmitted is in the language preference.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising displaying a contacting means for a product.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the contacting means is one of a telephone/fax number, an email address and a telephone number in combination with a product identification code.