USER-REQUIREMENT DRIVEN SHOPPING ASSISTANT

• US 20080308630A1
• Filed: 06/18/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Angela Richards, Seacat, Lisa Anne, Bhogal, Kulvir Singh, Peterson, Robert Ross
• Application Number:
  US11/764,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20080308630A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

Device, method and system for providing shopping assistance information to customers using RFID tagged items in a store equipped with on-board or hand-held shopping cart RFID readers and display devices modified to have a personal product specification criteria data input interface.

Claims

1. A shopper'"'"'s assistance device comprising:

a communications interface supporting wireless communications with a store'"'"'s central processing system,

a tag reader for reading information from an item bearing a data-bearing tag;

a personal shopping criteria data entry interface; and

a processor for controlling the communications interface and the tag reader.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the tag reader is an RFID tag reader for automatically reading the content of any RFID-tagged items placed in sufficient proximity thereto.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is a magnetic data media reader.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is a magnetic data media reader.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is an USB port to said processor.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is an USB port to said processor.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is a wireless data link from a portable wireless communications device carried by the shopper to the shopping assistance device.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is a wireless data link from a portable wireless communications device carried by the shopper to the shopping assistance device.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying information obtained by said tag reader to said user.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said processor compares the information obtained by said tag reader to said personal shopping criteria and displays the result thereof to said user via said display means.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is a magnetic data media reader.

11. A system for providing shopping assistance to a user, comprising a personal shopping assistance device, including:

a communications interface capable of wireless communications with a store'"'"'s central processing system and to any portable wireless communications equipment carried by a user;

a tag reader for automatically reading item information from any tagged item placed into the user'"'"'s shopping cart;

a processing unit for controlling said communications interface and said tag reader and communications to a store'"'"'s central processing system; and

a personal shopping criteria data entry interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said tag reader is an RFID tag reader for automatically reading the content of any RFID-tagged items placed in sufficient proximity thereto.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is a magnetic data media reader.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is an USB port to said processor.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is an USB port to said processor.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is a wireless data link from a portable wireless communications device carried by the shopper to the shopping assistance device.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said personal shopping criteria data entry interface is a wireless data link from a portable wireless communications device carried by the shopper to the shopping assistance device.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a display means for displaying information obtained by said tag reader to said user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said processor compares the information obtained by said tag reader to said personal shopping criteria and displays the result thereof to said user via said display means.

21. A method of assisting a shopper in selection of items meeting personally defined criteria by using an RFID scanner and reader device comprising steps of:

entering said shopper'"'"'s defined shopping criteria into said RFID scanner and reader device;

automatically detecting and reading information from RFID tags on items in proximity to said RFID scanner and reader device;

comparing the characteristics of items whose tag information is read by said device to said shopper'"'"'s defined shopping criteria; and

displaying product information associated with said items to said shopper.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said step of automatically detecting and reading information from RFID tags on items further includes steps of communicating with a central processor having access to a product information database and retrieving product information from said database for display to said shopper.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said displaying step is performed by wirelessly communicating said retrieved product information to a wireless communication device held by said shopper and displaying said product information thereon.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising a step of alerting said shopper via said displayed information that said product information as to whether said product conforms to said shopper'"'"'s personal selection criteria.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising a step of alerting said shopper via displayed information that alternative products which are in conformance to said shopper'"'"'s personal product selection criteria are available.

26. A computer program product embodied as computer executable program steps readable from a computer readable medium in association with a computer system associated with a shopper'"'"'s assistance device, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for:

controlling entry of said shopper'"'"'s personal product selection criteria into computer readable memory associated with said computer system;

controlling automatic detection of RFID tagged items in proximity to said shopper'"'"'s assistance device;

controlling automatic reading of information from the RFID tags on said items; and

providing product information associated with said items to said shopper.

27. A computer program product as described in claim 26, further comprising computer executable instructions for:

retrieving product information from a product information database associated with said computer system;

comparing said product information with said shopper'"'"'s personal product selection criteria entered into said computer readable memory; and

communicating the results of said comparison to said shopper.

28. A computer program product as described in claim 26, further comprising computer executable steps for displaying on a display means in association with said shopper'"'"'s assistance device the results of said comparison.

29. A computer program product as described in claim 28, wherein said displaying step includes steps of displaying information to said shopper that alternative products in compliance with said shopper'"'"'s personal product selection criteria are available.