METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LABELING AND MANAGING THE SALE OF MANUFACTURED CONCRETE BLOCKS

• US 20090319384A1
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pro Shop Plans Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pro Shop Plans Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoffman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/508,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20090319384A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 23/0031 with product identification means, e.g. labels on test products or integrated circuit tags inside products RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

In a method for identifying manufactured concrete or masonry blocks and managing the sale thereof to a customer in a retail establishment, the retail establishment having a computer system configured to monitor inventory, a database operatively coupled to the computer system, and a plurality of point of sale (POS) terminals operatively coupled to the computer system. The method includes a) applying a releasably secured label to the concrete block or a layer of concrete blocks contained on a pallet, where the label has UPC information affixed thereon and is releasable from the concrete block or layer of concrete blocks on the pallet, b) selecting for purchase by the customer, a number of concrete blocks from a selected pallet, c) removing the label from the concrete block or the layer of concrete blocks on the pallet, d) presenting the label at the POS terminal, e) scanning the label via the POS terminal to process the UPC information, and entering the number of concrete blocks intended for purchase, f) transmitting data encoded in the UPC information to the computer system along with an indication of the number of concrete blocks purchased to effect maintenance of the inventory of concrete blocks, and g) issuing a receipt to the purchaser evidencing purchase of the concrete blocks.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method of labeling different type of concrete and masonry blocks distributed by retail building material establishments with point-of-sale (POS) terminals, the method comprising:

designating a plurality of each type of block to be stacked on a pallet;

providing a plurality of differently shaped labels, each label including a Universal Product Code (UPC) indicator;

applying a label to a plurality of the blocks on each pallet, each label being configured and adapted for physical cooperation with the structure of each type of block on each pallet and each label being releasable from the block;

transporting the blocks to the retail building material establishment;

placing the pallets of blocks for sale within the environment of the main building of the retail establishment;

enabling selection of one or more blocks whereby a plurality of releasably labeled blocks are included in each pallet for continuous availability to all potential customers;

presenting the resealably labeled blocks at a point-of-sale terminal in the retail establishment; and

entering the UPC indicator into the terminal to facilitate the sale of each type of the concrete or masonry block.

30. The method according to claim 27 wherein said blocks are placed peripherally to the environment of the main building of the retail establishment such that purchase is made releasing the label from one or more of each type of blocks and presenting the released label at the point-of-sale terminal in lieu of the block products.

31. The method according to claim 27 wherein the label is tubular in shape.

32. The method according to claim 27 wherein the label is in the form of a continuous closed shape configured to circumscribe a perimeter of a portion of the block so as to be releasably retained on the block.

33. The method according to claim 27 wherein the blocks are wrapped with plastic material releasably attached to the block, and wherein the releasable labels are located between the blocks and the plastic material.

34. The method according to claim 27 wherein the blocks are wrapped with plastic material releasably attached to the blocks, and wherein the labels are placed on the plastic material.

35. The method according to claim 27 wherein labels are releasable when adhesively or mechanically secured to one or more blocks.

36. The method according to claim 27 wherein the labels are suspended on a filament material and releasably applied to a block.

37. The method according to claim 27 wherein a plurality of like labels are partially connected in a sheet and one or more sheets are disposed within or about the pallet, each sheet being configured and adapted for physical cooperation with features of the pallet blocks.

28-29. -29. (canceled)