Automated synchronous product pricing and advertising system
DCFirst Claim
1. An automated product pricing system, comprising:
- product pricing unit means for displaying a first product location price indicative of the unit price of a product such that the first product location price is perceivable by a first shopper when the first shopper is selecting the product for purchase;
means for electronically changing the first product location price to a second product location price following the first shopper selecting the product for purchase, the second product location price being different than the first product location price, the second product location price being perceivable by a second shopper when the second shopper is selecting the product for purchase; and
means for requesting from the first shopper a first product checkout/order price for the purchase of the product and from the second shopper a second product checkout/order price for the purchase of the product, the first and second product checkout/order prices not exceeding the respective first and second product location prices perceivable by the first and second shoppers when the first and second shoppers were selecting the product for purchase.
2 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated product pricing system including a physical store system, a virtual store system, and a control system. The physical and virtual store systems are capable of transmitting sales data indicative of the number of sales of identified respective products. The control system is adapted to receive the sales data from the physical store system and the virtual store system. In response thereto, the control system generates price change data including a changed price of an identified product based on the sales data received from at least one of the physical and virtual store systems. The price change data is then transmitted by the control system to at least one of the physical and virtual store systems to thereby change the price of the identified product.
195 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. An automated product pricing system, comprising:
-
product pricing unit means for displaying a first product location price indicative of the unit price of a product such that the first product location price is perceivable by a first shopper when the first shopper is selecting the product for purchase; means for electronically changing the first product location price to a second product location price following the first shopper selecting the product for purchase, the second product location price being different than the first product location price, the second product location price being perceivable by a second shopper when the second shopper is selecting the product for purchase; and means for requesting from the first shopper a first product checkout/order price for the purchase of the product and from the second shopper a second product checkout/order price for the purchase of the product, the first and second product checkout/order prices not exceeding the respective first and second product location prices perceivable by the first and second shoppers when the first and second shoppers were selecting the product for purchase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
4. An automated product pricing system, wherein the second mentioned means includes means for storing the first product checkout/order price and also includes a means for changing the first product checkout/order price to the second product checkout/order price, and wherein the store product advertising media unit outputs the advertising message about simultaneously with the changing of the first product checkout/order price to the second product checkout/order price when the second product checkout/order price is less than the first product checkout/order price.
-
8. An automated product pricing system, comprising:
-
a physical store system capable of transmitting sales data indicative of the number of sales of identified respective products; a virtual store system capable of transmitting sales data indicative of the number of sales of identified respective products; a control system including; means for receiving the sales data from the physical store system and the virtual store system; means for generating price change data including a changed price of an identified product based on the sales data received from at least one of the physical and virtual store systems; and means for transmitting the price change data to at least one of the physical and virtual store systems to thereby change the price of the identified product. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. An automated product pricing system, comprising:
-
a physical store system capable of transmitting sales and inventory data indicative of the number of sales and remaining inventory of an identified product; a virtual store system capable of transmitting sales data indicative of the number of sales and remaining inventory of the identified respective product; a product supplier system capable of transmitting data indicative of the supply of the identified product; and a control system including; means for receiving the sales and inventory data from at least one of the physical store system and the virtual store system, and the data from the product supplier system; means for generating price data including a changed price of an identified product based on the sales and inventory data received from the at least one of the physical and virtual store systems, and the data from the product supplier system; means for transmitting the price data to at least one of the physical and virtual store systems to thereby change the price of the identified product; and means for outputting an order signal based on the sales and inventory data so as to automatically order at least one product. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. An automated product pricing system, comprising:
a plurality of physical store systems, each of the physical store systems comprising; a product pricing unit constructed to display a product location price indicating the unit price of a product; a store checkout station constructed to request from a shopper a product checkout price for the purchase of the product; a store system computer constructed to communicate with the product pricing unit and the store checkout station so as to automatically change the product location price and the product checkout price; a control system computer adapted to selectively communicate price change codes indicate of different prices for the same product to the store system computer of each of the physical store systems whereby the price changes at the physical store systems for the product are capable of being individualized at each physical store system. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
31. An automated product pricing system, comprising:
-
a plurality of store systems, each of the store systems comprising; a store product advertising media unit constructed to selectively output at least one advertising message in a format perceivable by a shopper, the advertising message identifying a product and including at least one of a price and a price discount for the purchase of the product; and a control system computer adapted to selectively communicate advertising price change codes indicative of different advertised prices for the same product to the store product advertising media unit of respective store systems whereby the advertising message at the store systems for the product are capable of being individualized at each store system. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. An automated product pricing system, comprising:
a plurality of store systems, each of the store systems comprising; a product pricing unit constructed to display a product location price indicating the unit price of a first product; means for requesting from a shopper a product checkout/order price for the purchase of the first product; a store system computer constructed to communicate with the product pricing unit and the means for requesting so as to automatically change the product location price and the product checkout/order price; a competition pricing information system adapted to output competition pricing data indicative of the price at which at least one predetermined competitor requests from a shopper for the purchase of the first product; a control system computer adapted to receive the competition pricing data from the competition pricing information system and to automatically output a price change code to the store system computer.
Specification