Intranet scanning terminal system

• US 6,084,528 A
• Filed: 12/20/1996
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Beach, Robert, Klein, John, Roslak, Thomas K., Tracy, William X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asongwed, Anthony A.
• Application Number:
  US08/780,023
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/385, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/462.01, 235/462.09, 235/462.1, 235/462.45, 235/462.46, 235/462.49, 707/10, 395/200.48, 395/200.47, 395/200.49, 340/825.72, 379/93.05, 379/93.12, 379/93.23, 379/93.25, 379/106.01, 455/566, 455/95, 375/200, 370/310, 370/912, 370/913, 1/1
• US Class Current: 340/5.9
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

An improved portable terminal system is described employing linked data files to present related information on a configurable display device. The portable terminal uses a machine coded reader to read machine coded data on an item and to register such information in a corresponding collection file. The system retrieves associated data files and presents such files in the form of a link if such information is determined to be non-essential. Thus, non-essential data may be presented as optional available data which may be accessed with a simple election command.

Claims

1. A portable shopping system for selecting a set of items for purchase in a retail facility wherein each of said set of items includes a machine coded data file having a product information address, said portable shopping system comprising:

a plurality of portable terminals having a machine code reader for reading the product information address from the machine coded data file, a spread-spectrum radio for communicating the product information address over a wireless communication network, and a display; and

a central controller having a spread-spectrum access point for communicating data over the wireless communication network and a central database including a set of product data corresponding to product information address, said set of product data including a price data portion and a product identifier, wherein at least a portion of the set of product data is transmitted to the portable terminal by the central controller in response to communication of said product information address from said portable terminal and the product information address is a uniform resource locator for a file stored on the central controller in a predetermined location.

2. A portable shopping system for selecting a set of items for purchase in a retail facility wherein each of said set of items includes a machine coded data file having a product information address, said portable shopping system comprising:

a plurality of portable terminals having a machine code reader for reading the product information address from the machine coded data file, a radio for communicating the product information address over a wireless communication network, and a display; and

a central controller having an access point for communicating data over the wireless communication network and a central database including a set of product data corresponding to product information address, said set of product data including a price data portion and a product identifier, wherein a least a portion of the set of product data is transmitted to the portable terminal by the central controller in response to communication of said product information address from said portable terminal and the product information address is a uniform resource locator for a file stored on the central controller in a predetermined location.