INTEGRATION OF WIC ITEMS AND TRANSACTIONS INTO PERSONAL SHOPPING DEVICES

• US 20080243621A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Prorock, Thomas J., Bennett, David Lawrence, Johnson, David L., Waddell, Raymond Lee, Demick, Robert James, Yates, Long-Kim Vo
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• 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 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.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a graphical interface for, upon purchase of an item, providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program.

3. The system of claim 2, 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.

4. The system of claim 2, 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.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising graphical interface for providing behavior modification instructions to a user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for providing behavior modification instructions to a user further comprises graphical interface for providing nutrition instructions to a user.

7. The system of claim 2, 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

8. The system of claim 2, 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

9. 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.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising instructions, upon purchase of an item, providing an analysis of benefits available under a subsidy program.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, 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.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, 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.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising instructions on the computer-readable medium for providing behavior modification instructions to a user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, 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.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, 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

16. The computer program product of claim 10, 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.