Arrangement for and method of expediting transactions based on a customer's proximity to the transactions

• US 6,937,998 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: McGlynn, Daniel R., Swartz, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/695,649
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: G06/F00.7/60, G06/F01.7/60, 705 26- 27, 705/16, 705/21, 705/22, 705 28- 29, 370/310.1, 370/310.2, 370/912, 370/913, 370/328, 370/338, 370/343, 370/345, 455/456.1, 455/457, 342/358, 342/465
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• 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: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1016 Motor control or optical moving unit control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10633 by oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10871 randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/109 adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

A portable terminal carried by a user and in wireless communication with a local area network for displaying data based on the physical location of the user. A plurality of network nodes is distributed throughout a venue, such as a shopping mall or a store, in which products are offered for sale. The location of the user is determined by the location of the access node in communication with the terminal. The data may include a recommendation to purchase the product.

Claims

1. A method of recommending transactions to potential customers traveling through a venue in which the transactions are offered, comprising the steps of:

a) enabling each customer to carry a portable terminal having a wireless transceiver and a display;

b) positioning a plurality of access nodes of a local area network at fixed, spaced-apart locations throughout the venue, each access node being in proximity with a different supplier of the transactions being offered at the venue, each access node having a wireless transceiver in wireless communication with the transceiver on the terminal when the customer is in proximity with the respective supplier proximally located to the respective access node;

c) accessing a database for the respective supplier and retrieving a recommendation relating to the transactions being offered by the respective supplier; and

d) displaying the recommendation on the display of the terminal for viewing by the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step includes the step of displaying different categories of products being offered by the respective supplier.

3. The method of claim 1, and the accessing step includes accessing a customer database in which shopping profiles are stored, and wherein the retrieving step includes retrieving selected transactions based on the shopping profile of the respective customer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling step uniquely identifies the respective terminal with the respective customer.

5. The method of claim 1, and positioning a master access node of the network at a general location in the venue, the master access node having a wireless transceiver in wireless communication with the transceiver on the terminal when the customer is in proximity with the general location, and the step of displaying general information on the display for viewing by the customer.