System and method for determining packaging preference

• US 20070045413A1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patrick, Kyle
• Granted Patent: US 7,407,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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

Abstract

There is disclosed a method and system for determining packaging preference of a customer by identifying the customer using a customer identifier, and retrieving available packaging preference information using the customer identifier. In an embodiment, the customer'"'"'s packaging preference information for a particular identified item is retrieved and graphically communicated. In another embodiment, customer packaging preference information based on a quantity of items is retrieved and graphically communicated. Customer packaging preference information based on both the identified items and the quantity of items may also be retrieved and graphically communicated.

Claims

1. A method of determining a customer'"'"'s packaging preference, comprising the steps of:

identifying the customer using a customer identifier; and

retrieving available packaging preference information using the customer identifier for the identified customer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an indicator on the customer identifier to indicate packaging preference information for the identified customer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating the retrieved packaging preference information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the communicating step is performed graphically.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of communicating the retrieved packaging preference information by one of an auditory signal and a visual alert signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the retrieving step, storing in a non-volatile memory the packaging preference information for the identified customer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of identifying a particular item to be packaged, and retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular item to be packaged.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining a quantity of items to be packaged, and retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the quantity of items to be packaged.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a quantity of the particular items to be packaged, and retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular items including quantity of the particular items to be packaged.

10. A system for determining a customer'"'"'s packaging preference, comprising:

a customer identifier for identifying the customer; and

means for retrieving available packaging preference information for the identified customer using the customer identifier.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an indicator provided on the customer identifier to indicate packaging preference information for the identified customer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicator is a graphic design.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicator is a sticker affixable to the customer identifier.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising communications means for communicating the retrieved packaging preference information to an individual who will perform the packaging for the customer.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the communications means comprises a display for graphically displaying the packaging preference information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the communications means comprises one of an auditory signal means and a visual alert signal means associated with the packaging preference information.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising storage means for storing in a non-volatile memory the packaging preference information for the identified customer.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising identification means for identifying a particular item to be packaged, and retrieval means for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular item to be packaged.

19. The system of claim 10, further comprising count means for determining a quantity of items to be packaged, and retrieval means for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the quantity of items to be packaged.

20. The system of claim 10, further comprising count means for determining a quantity of the particular items to be packaged, and retrieval means for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular items including the quantity of the particular items to be packaged.

21. A data processor readable medium storing data processor code that, when loaded into a data processing device, adapts the device to determine a customer'"'"'s packaging preference, the data processor readable medium including:

code for identifying the customer using a customer identifier; and

code for retrieving available packaging preference information using the customer identifier for the identified customer.

22. The data processor readable medium of claim 21, further including code for communicating the retrieved packaging preference information.

23. The data processor readable medium of claim 21, further including code for graphically communicating the retrieved packaging preference information.

24. The data processor readable medium of claim 21, further including code for identifying a particular item to be packaged, and code for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular item to be packaged.

25. The data processor readable medium of claim 21, further including code for determining a quantity of items to be packaged, and code for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the quantity of items to be packaged.

26. The data processor readable medium of claim 21, further including code for determining a quantity of the particular items to be packaged, and code for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular items including the quantity of the particular items to be packaged.