Method and system for presenting item information using a portable data terminal

• US 6,199,753 B1
• Filed: 11/04/1999
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• 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, Roslak, Thomas K., Sandler, Robert, Riso, Francis, Murrah, Judith, Tracy, William X.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/435,883
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/382, 235/472.01, 235/385, 705/27, 705/708, 705/410, 705/16
• US Class Current: 235/375
• 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

The present invention relates to an improved portable shopping system. The system is provided with improved data presentation system for presenting customer desired data on a portable terminal. The portable terminal includes audio as well as video presentation means which are used to provide customer specific marketing files to promote the sale of identified items.

Claims

1. A method for delivering to a user a shopping list of items for selection by the user at a shopping facility, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a list of desired items at a location remote from said shopping facility;

(b) storing said list in a user data file on a first computer;

(c) retrieving said list at the shopping facility from the user data file using a kiosk which communicates with the first computer;

(d) delivering said list to the user at the shopping facility in a user perceptible format;

(e) delivering marketing messages to the user on said list delivered in the user perceptible format;

(f) recording the marketing messages delivered to the user; and

(g) recording the marketing messages which influenced the user'"'"'s shopping decision,

wherein the marketing messages are selected from the group comprising a discount coupon and competitive product availability.

2. A method for updating a customer data file generated by a customer in a self-scanning system employing portable self-scanning terminals, said method comprising:

generating the customer data file with a portable terminal having a machine code reader and a radio for communicating the customer data file contents over a wireless network;

downloading the customer data file to a point-of-sale terminal from a data collection controller which transmits the customer data file from the portable terminal received over the wireless network; and

updating the customer data file at the point-of-sale terminal to add items on the customer data file which were not included in the customer data file contents transmitted by the portable terminal to the data collection controller.