System and method for displaying product information in a retail system

• US 5,890,135 A
• Filed: 02/20/1996
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sterling Global Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Softcard Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Powell, Ken R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/603,483
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/383, 235/385, 364/400, 395/200.3, 395/200.31, 395/200.43, 395/200.6, 705/10, 705/14, 705/20, 705/23, 705/24, 705/400
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• 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 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A system for displaying, and redeeming electronic discount coupons in a store. The system includes a "smart card", product stations adjacent to selected products in the store, a display kiosk, and a checkout station in the checkout area. The customer may comes to the store with the card loaded with electronic coupons. At any time, the customer may insert the card in a display kiosk to view the coupons stored on the card. The display kiosk both displays a video image for each coupon on the card or prints a shopping list for items in the store corresponding to coupons on the card. Upon completion of shopping, the customer redeems the electronic coupons at the checkout area, by inserting the card into the checkout station. During checkout, when UPC data matches coupons stored on the card, the customer is credited with the value of the corresponding coupon.

Claims

1. In a system including a communication device and a plurality of portable cards each having a memory, a method of operating the system comprising the steps of:

reading a first signal from the memory of a card in the plurality of cards, in response to a person presenting the card at the communication device, the first signal corresponding to a product;

generating, responsive to the first signal, a second signal containing an image of the product; and

displaying the second signal.

2. The method of claim 1 further including

receiving a third signal corresponding to a product;

and

determining a price for the product depending on whether the first signal corresponds to the third signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the system includes a cathode ray tube (CRT), and displaying step includes

displaying the second signal on the CRT.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the system includes a printer for printing on a substrate, and wherein the displaying step includes

printing, using the printer, the second signal on the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reading step includes reading a first signal corresponding to pricing information for a product.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the system further includes an electronic display, and the displaying step includes

displaying the second signal on the electronic display.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying step includes displaying other information about the product with the image of the product.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying step includes displaying a verbal description of the product with the image of the product.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying step includes displaying a location of the product with the image of the product.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying step includes displaying pricing information for the product with the image of the product.

11. A retail system comprising:

a plurality of portable cards each having a card memory;

a communication device;

first memory for storing a signal containing an image of a product;

a reader that reads a first signal from the card memory of a card in the plurality of cards, in response to a person presenting the card at the communication device, the first signal corresponding to a product;

a generator for accessing the first memory, using the first signal, to generate a second signal; and

a display for displaying the second signal.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein each portable card includes a card memory for storing a first signal corresponding to pricing information for a product.

13. The system of claim 11 further including

a receiver means for receiving a third signal corresponding to a product;

and

a determiner means for determining a price for the product depending on whether the first signal corresponds to the third signal.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the display includes an electronic display.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the display includes a cathode ray tube.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the display includes a printer.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the generator includes circuitry that generates a second signal containing the image of the product and other information about the product.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the generator includes circuitry that generates a second signal containing the image of the product and a verbal description of the product.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the generator includes circuitry that generates a second signal containing the image of the product and a location of the product.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the generator includes circuitry that generates a second signal containing the image of the product and pricing information for the product.

21. In a system including a plurality of portable cards each having a memory, a first communication device, and a checkout area having a second communication device, a method of operating the system comprising the steps of:

a first reading step of reading a first signal from the memory of a card in the plurality of cards, in response to a person presenting the card at the communication device, the first signal corresponding to a product;

generating, responsive to the first signal, a second signal containing an image of the product;

displaying the second signal;

a second reading step of reading the first signal from the memory of the card, in response to a person presenting the card at the second communication device;

receiving a third signal corresponding to a product; and

determining a price for the product depending on whether the first signal, read in the second reading step, corresponds to the third signal.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the system includes a cathode ray tube (CRT), and displaying step includes

displaying the second signal on the CRT.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the system includes a printer for printing on a substrate, and wherein the method includes

printing, using the printer, the second signal on the substrate.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the second reading step includes reading a first signal corresponding to pricing information for a product.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the system further includes an electronic display, and the displaying step includes

displaying the second signal on the electronic display.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the displaying step includes displaying other information about the product with the image of the product.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the displaying step includes displaying a verbal description of the product with the image of the product.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the displaying step includes displaying a location of the product with the image of the product.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the displaying step includes displaying pricing information for the product with the image of the product.

30. In a system including a plurality of product areas, a plurality of portable cards each having a memory, a first communication device, and a checkout area having a second communication device, a method of operating the system comprising the steps of:

reading a first signal from the memory of a card in the plurality of cards, in response to a person presenting the card at the first communication device, the first signal corresponding to a product in one of the product areas;

displaying, responsive to the first signal, an image of the product;

removing the product from one of the product areas; and

reading the first signal from the memory of the card, in response to a person presenting the card at the second communication device.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the reading step includes reading a first signal corresponding to pricing information for a product.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the system further includes an electronic display, and the displaying step includes

displaying on the electronic display.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the system further includes a cathode ray tube (CRT), and displaying step includes

displaying on the CRT.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the system further includes a printer for printing on a substrate, and wherein the displaying step includes

using the printer to display on the substrate.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the displaying step includes displaying other information about the product with thc image of the product.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein the displaying step includes displaying a verbal description of the product with the image of the product.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein the displaying step includes displaying a location of the product with the image of the product.

38. The method of claim 30 wherein the displaying step includes displaying pricing information for the product with the image of the product.