Escorted shopper system

• US 6,732,934 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Hosmer, Christopher, Macgregor, Shane, Hamilton, Alistair
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US09/759,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20020092912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.46, 235/378, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/462.44, 235/462.45, 235/462.47
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A sales system having a plurality of wearable portable terminals each having an optical code reader and a wireless transceiver, a plurality of stationary terminals each having a wireless transceiver and a central database having information relating to goods to be sold by the system. A wireless network interconnects the portable terminals, stationary terminals and the central database.

Claims

1. A sales system for use by a shopper escort comprising:

a plurality of wearable portable terminals each having an optical code reader and a wireless transceiver and configured to have a transaction mode of operation allowing customer transaction to be performed from the terminal and an inventory mode of operation allowing updating of an inventory database;

a plurality of stationary terminals each having a wireless transceiver;

a central database having information relating to goods to be sold by the system; and

a wireless network interconnecting the portable terminals, stationary terminals and the central database.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wearable portable terminals further comprise a display.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wearable portable terminals further comprise a magnetic stripe reader.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optical code reader of the wearable portable terminals comprises a laser bar code scanner.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wearable portable terminals comprises a C-shaped housing.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the C-shaped housing is configured to be worn on the wrist.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the C-shaped housing has first and second opposing sides and is configured to be clipped on a pocket by inserting the first side into the pocket.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the C-shaped housing is configured to be hung from a necklace.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stationary terminals further comprise a display.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stationary terminals further comprise a printer.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stationary terminals further comprise a magnetic stripe reader.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stationary terminals further comprise an optical code reader.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the stationary terminals further comprise a hangar rack and a bag rack.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wearable portable terminals are each further configured to have a sales mode of operation providing at least one of policy and customer service information.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the network provides voice over IP functionality and the plurality of wearable portable terminals are each further configured to provide voice communication between a first portable terminal and a second portable terminal.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wearable portable terminals each have a paging function, wherein the paging function allows an operator of a first portable terminal to page an operation of a second portable terminal.

17. A wearable portable terminal comprising:

a C-shaped housing having a central portion and two opposing end portions connected thereto, the central portion of the housing comprising resiliently bendable material which is bendable to move the end portions of the C-shaped housing away from each other and which tends to bias the end portions towards each other;

a wireless transceiver disposed in the housing; and

an optical code reader disposed in the housing and having a window on the housing.

18. The terminal according to claim 17, wherein the C-shaped housing is resiliently bendable to move the two opposing end portions away from each other.

19. The terminal according to claim 17, wherein the end portions are biased towards each other to be adjacent without touching.

20. The terminal according to claim 17, wherein further comprising a display disposed on an outer surface of one of the end portions.

21. The terminal according to claim 17, wherein the window is disposed at one end of one of the end portions.

22. The terminal according to claim 17, further comprising a magnetic stripe reader in the housing and having a sensing surface on an inner surface of one of the end portions.