Home merchandise ordering telecommunications terminal
First Claim
1. A terminal for ordering merchandise through a direct distance dial telephone network from any one of a plurality of merchants each having an order receiving apparatus that can be accessed through said direct distance dial telephone network, the merchandise being identified by individual printed merchandise codes in a catalog of printed merchandise codes and the order receiving apparatus of each merchant requiring its own set of recognition data to accept an order from the terminal, said terminal comprising:
- A. code reader means for producing electrical merchandise code signals in response to the code reader means recognizing a selected printed merchandise code;
B. modem means adapted to be connected to said direct distance dial telephone network for establishing a telephone communication link with a desired one of said merchant order receiving apparatus;
C. storage means containing at least one set of recognition data for each said desired one merchant order receiving apparatus; and
D control means for conveying said electrical merchandise code signals to said desired one merchant order receiving apparatus over said telephone communication link in conjunction with said at least one set of recognition data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A terminal provides for ordering merchandise from any one of a plurality of merchants over the direct distance dial telephone network while remaining at home. Printed merchandise codes are electronically read by a wand of a bar code reader that is passed thereacross, automating data entry. Separate or integral memory cartridges carry a set of recognition data for each merchant order receiving device, the recognition data being required to validate the entry of an order in an order receiving device. A liquid crystal character display, indicator lights and user actuated switches provided for guiding a user through the ordering sequence for each merchant.
541 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A terminal for ordering merchandise through a direct distance dial telephone network from any one of a plurality of merchants each having an order receiving apparatus that can be accessed through said direct distance dial telephone network, the merchandise being identified by individual printed merchandise codes in a catalog of printed merchandise codes and the order receiving apparatus of each merchant requiring its own set of recognition data to accept an order from the terminal, said terminal comprising:
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A. code reader means for producing electrical merchandise code signals in response to the code reader means recognizing a selected printed merchandise code; B. modem means adapted to be connected to said direct distance dial telephone network for establishing a telephone communication link with a desired one of said merchant order receiving apparatus; C. storage means containing at least one set of recognition data for each said desired one merchant order receiving apparatus; and D control means for conveying said electrical merchandise code signals to said desired one merchant order receiving apparatus over said telephone communication link in conjunction with said at least one set of recognition data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A process for ordering merchandise from a terminal through a direct distance dial telephone network from any one of a plurality of merchants each having an order receiving apparatus that can be accessed through said direct distance dial telephone neetwork, the merchandise being identified by individual printed merchandise codes from a catalog of printed merchandise codes and the order receiving apparatus of each merchant requiring its own set of recognition data to validate an order from the terminal, said process comprising:
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A. producing electrical merchandise code signals in response to a code reader being passed across a selected printed merchandise code; B. establishing a telephone communication line with a desired one of said merchant order receiving apparatus through said direct distance dial telephone network; C. storing at least one set of recognition data for each said desired one merchant order receiving apparatus; and D. conveying said electrical merchandise code signals to said desired one merchant order receiving apparatus over said telephone communication line in conjuction with said at least one set of recognition data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification