Retail store configured for bidirectional communication between a plurality of product shelf areas and a plurality of portable cards
First Claim
1. A method for a system including a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, and a store includinga plurality of areas each including a shelf, a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product, the system further includinga plurality of interfaces, each including an interface junction from which signals exit the interface, the method comprising the steps, performed for each interface, of:
- storing a respective first signal, in the interface;
detecting, in the interface, a card in the plurality of cards, the detecting step being performed after the storing step, at time when the interface is supported by a shelf in a respective one of the plurality of areas and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units; and
sending the stored first signal through the interface junction to the card detected in the previous step, at a time when the interface is supported the shelf and the respective first signal corresponds to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface, the sending step being performed for multiple cards per performance of the storing step.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for creating, dispensing, and redeeming electronic discount coupons in a store. The system includes a “smart card”, product stations adjacent to selected products in the store, and a checkout station in the checkout area. To create an electronic coupon, the customer inserts the card into the product station adjacent to an product the customer wishes to purchase, and the product station then writes an electronic coupon onto the card. The customer thus shops throughout the store collecting electronic coupons for products of interest. 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 data stored on the card, the customer is credited with the value of the corresponding coupon. Periodically, the electronic coupon data is transferred to a remote clearing house.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. A method for a system including a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, and a store including
a plurality of areas each including a shelf, a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product, the system further including a plurality of interfaces, each including an interface junction from which signals exit the interface, the method comprising the steps, performed for each interface, of: -
storing a respective first signal, in the interface;
detecting, in the interface, a card in the plurality of cards, the detecting step being performed after the storing step, at time when the interface is supported by a shelf in a respective one of the plurality of areas and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units; and
sending the stored first signal through the interface junction to the card detected in the previous step, at a time when the interface is supported the shelf and the respective first signal corresponds to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface, the sending step being performed for multiple cards per performance of the storing step. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for operating with a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, and a store having a plurality of areas each including a shelf, a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product, the system comprising:
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a plurality of interfaces, each interface including an interface junction from which signals exit the interface, a storage device for storing a respective first signal, a detector that detects a card in the plurality of cards, at a time when the respective first signal is in the storage device and the interface is supported by a shelf of one of the areas in the store and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, and a sender that sends a signal through the interface junction to a card detected by the detector, at a time when the interface is supported by a shelf and the first signal corresponds to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface; and
a programmer that programs the storage device of an interface with the respective first signal, wherein the sender of the interface is activated for multiple cards per activation of the programmer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for operating with a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, and a store having a plurality of first areas each including a shelf, a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product, and a checkout area, spatially removed from the plurality of first areas, the system comprising:
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a plurality of interfaces, each interface including an interface junction from which signals exit the interface, a storage device for storing a respective first signal, a detector that detects a card in the plurality of cards, at a time when the respective first signal is in the storage device and the interface is supported by a shelf of one of the first areas in the store and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, and a sender that sends a signal through the interface junction to a card detected by the detector, at a time when the interface is supported by a shelf and the first signal corresponds to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface;
a programmer that programs the storage device of an interface with the respective first signal, wherein the sender of the interface is activated for multiple cards per activation of the programmer; and
the following elements, located in the checkout area; a receiver for receiving signals corresponding to pricing information from the memory of the card, in the plurality of cards;
an electromagnetic detector for generating a second signal corresponding to a product;
a receiver for receiving the second signal; and
a price determiner for determining a price depending on whether the second signal corresponds to one of the received signals corresponding to pricing information. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
a reader for reading a third signal identifying a person; and
a generator for generating a fourth signal by processing the first, second, and third signals.
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39. A system for operating with a store and a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, the store including
a plurality of areas each including a shelf, a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product, the system comprising: -
a plurality of interfaces, each including an interface junction from which signals exit the interface, means for holding a respective first signal, means for detecting a card in the plurality of cards, at time when the respective first signal is in the holding means and the interface is supported by a shelf in one of the plurality of areas and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, and means for sending the stored first signal through the interface junction to the card detected in the previous step, at a time when the interface is supported the shelf and the respective first signal corresponds to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface;
means for programming the holding means of an interface with the respective first signal, wherein the sending means of the interface is activated for multiple cards per activation of the programming means. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A system of operating with a store and a plurality of portable cards transported by consumers, each card including a flat substrate, and a memory for storing a plurality of signals corresponding to pricing information for a plurality of products, the store including
a plurality of first areas each including a shelf, a plurality of units of a respective product, the plurality of units being on the shelf, the plurality of units having a common symbol different than a symbol of units of another product, a checkout area including an electromagnetic detector, spatially removed from the plurality of first areas, the system comprising: -
a plurality of interfaces, each including an interface junction from which signals exit the interface, means for holding a respective first signal, means for detecting a card in the plurality of cards, at time when the respective first signal is in the holding means and the interface is supported by a shelf in one of the plurality of areas and located adjacent to the plurality of units of the respective product such that no units of another product are between the interface and the plurality of units, and means for sending the stored first signal through the interface junction to the card detected in the previous step, at a time when the interface is supported the shelf and the respective first signal corresponds to pricing information for the product represented by the units adjacent to the interface;
means for programming the holding means of an interface with the respective first signal, wherein the sending means of the interface is activated for multiple cards per activation of the programming means, means for receiving, in a computer, signals corresponding to pricing information from the memory of the card, in the plurality of cards, carried to the checkout area;
means for generating, in the electromagnetic detector, a second signal corresponding to a product;
means for receiving, in the computer, the second signal; and
a price determiner for determining a price depending on whether the second signal corresponds to one of the received signals corresponding to pricing information. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification