Apparatus and method for providing products location information to customers in a store
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A system for providing product location information within a store, the system comprising:
- a first user interface positioned within the store in a substantially stationary manner, the first user interface configured to receive an input signal from a user related to a product that may be available within the store, to process the input signal and to provide a product inquiry signal in response to the input signal, the first user interface further configured to receive an information signal, and to provide an output signal in response to the information signal, andan inventory information unit coupled to the first user interface and comprising a database containing product location information and additional product-related information including product availability information, the inventory information unit configured to provide the information signal to the first user interface after receiving the product inquiry signal from the first user interface,wherein the information signal provided by the inventory information unit at least sometimes includes a first portion of the product location information, andwherein the information signal provided by the inventory information unit depends at least sometimes upon a first portion of the product availability information,whereby, when the input signal is indicative of a product location inquiry and the inventory information unit determines based upon the product availability information that the product is unavailable at a location, the inventory information unit configures the information signal so that the output signal provided by the user interface does not provide an indication that the product is available at the location.
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Abstract
A system and method are disclosed for providing product location information within a store. The system comprises a first user interface fixed within the store and an inventory information unit coupled to the first user interface. The first user interface is configured to receive an input signal from a user related to the identity of a product within the store, to process the input signal and to provide a product inquiry signal in response to the input signal. The first user interface is further configured to receive a location information signal, and to provide an output signal in response to the location information signal. The inventory information unit comprises a database containing product location information and is configured to provide the location information signal to the first user interface after receiving the product inquiry signal from the first user interface.
128 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A system for providing product location information within a store, the system comprising:
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a first user interface positioned within the store in a substantially stationary manner, the first user interface configured to receive an input signal from a user related to a product that may be available within the store, to process the input signal and to provide a product inquiry signal in response to the input signal, the first user interface further configured to receive an information signal, and to provide an output signal in response to the information signal, and an inventory information unit coupled to the first user interface and comprising a database containing product location information and additional product-related information including product availability information, the inventory information unit configured to provide the information signal to the first user interface after receiving the product inquiry signal from the first user interface, wherein the information signal provided by the inventory information unit at least sometimes includes a first portion of the product location information, and wherein the information signal provided by the inventory information unit depends at least sometimes upon a first portion of the product availability information, whereby, when the input signal is indicative of a product location inquiry and the inventory information unit determines based upon the product availability information that the product is unavailable at a location, the inventory information unit configures the information signal so that the output signal provided by the user interface does not provide an indication that the product is available at the location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for providing product location information within a store, the system comprising:
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an input means for receiving an input signal; a signal processing means for processing the input signal to generate a product inquiry signal, the signal processing means being coupled to the input means; a data storage means for storing product location information and providing a product location information signal to the signal processing means in response to the product inquiry signal, the data storage means being coupled to the signal processing means; an output means for providing an output signal, the output means also being coupled to the signal processing means, wherein the output means generates the output signal in response to a command signal from the signal processing means, which generates the command signals in response to the product location information signal; and an updating means for modifying at least a portion of the product location information to reflect changes in inventory occurring within the store, wherein the input means and the output means are positioned within the store in a substantially stationary manner, and whereby due at least in part to the updating means the output signal provided by the output means is configured to avoid an indication that a product is at a first location within the store when the product is no longer available at the first location. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An inventory information system for implementation within a store, the inventory information system comprising:
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a first user interface configured to be positioned in a substantially stationary manner at a first position within the store, wherein the first user interface includes first input means for receiving first input signals from first users and first output means for providing first output signals to the first users; a second user interface configured to be positioned in a substantially stationary manner at a second position within the store, wherein the second user interface includes second input means for receiving second input signals from second users and second output means for providing second output signals to the second users, the first position being different from the second position; at least one database coupled at least indirectly to the first and second user interfaces, wherein the at least one database stores product-related information concerning a plurality of products, wherein the product-related information includes product location information concerning respective locations of the plurality of products, and product availability information concerning respective availabilities of the plurality of products, and wherein at least some of the product-related information is communicated to the first and second user interfaces to be provided at least indirectly as the first and second output signals in a manner responsive to product-related inquiries represented by the first and second input signals; and purchase-related interface means for providing purchase-related information to the at least one database indicative of purchasing of at least some of the products, wherein the at least one database is capable of recording the purchase-related information and further capable of comparing first data related to the purchase-related information to second data related to at least one of the first and second input signals, whereby third data indicative of at least one of customer behavior and customer preferences can be derived from the comparing of the first data and the second data. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for providing product location information within a store, the system comprising:
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an information unit including processing circuitry and a database containing product location information and additional product-related information including product availability information, the information unit configured to receive and input signal, to process the input signal, to obtain at least a first portion of the product location information and at least a first portion of the product availability information from the database in response to the processed input signal, and to provide an output signal that is determined based upon at least the first portions of the product location information and product availability information, and an input/output device that is positioned at a location within the store in a substantially stationary manner, the input/output device configured to receive a user input concerning a product location inquiry and to provide the input signal to the information unit in response to the user input, and to receive the output signal from the information unit and to communicate a user output in response to the output signal, wherein at least some of the product location information and some of the additional product-related information is updated over time to reflect changes in inventory occurring within the store, whereby, when the information unit determines based upon the product availability information that a product is unavailable at a location, the information unit configures the output signal so that the user output provided by the input/output device does not provide an indication that the product is available at the location. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A system for providing product-related information within a store, the system comprising:
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a product information database that stores product-related information, wherein the product-related information includes product location information, product availability information, and product promotion information; and a terminal, coupled to the database, that receives product location inquiries from users and outputs, in response to the inquiries, at least a first portion of the product location information and a first portion of the product promotion information, wherein the terminal is positioned within the store in a substantially stationary manner at a first location, and wherein at least one of the first portion of the product location information and the first portion of the product promotion information relates to at least one of a first product about which a first product location inquiry was made, a second product that is similar in type to the first product, and a third product that is located near a location of the first product, whereby when the product availability information within the database indicates that the first product is unavailable at a location, the terminal avoids providing an indication that the first product is available at the location as the first portion of the product location information. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. An inventory information system for implementation within a store, the inventory information system comprising:
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a first user interface configured to be positioned in a substantially stationary manner at a first position within the store, wherein the first user interface includes first input means for receiving first input signals from first users and first output means for providing first output signals to the first users; a second user interface configured to be positioned in a substantially stationary manner at a second position within the store, wherein the second user interface includes second input means for receiving second input signals from second users and second output means for providing second output signals to the second users, the first position being different from the second position; at least one database coupled at least indirectly to the first and second user interfaces, wherein the at least one database stores product-related information concerning a plurality of products, wherein the product-related information includes product location information concerning respective locations of the plurality of products, and product availability information concerning respective availabilities of the plurality of products, and wherein at least some of the product-related information is communicated to the first and second user interfaces to be provided at least indirectly as the first and second output signals in a manner responsive to product-related inquiries represented by the first and second input signals, wherein the at least one database further records inquiry information concerning the product-related inquiries represented by the first and second input signals; and means for analyzing the inquiry information to determine additional information concerning at least one of customer preferences and customer behavior. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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Specification