System and method for determining packaging preference

• US 7,461,786 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Patrick, Kyle N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Savusdiphol; Paultep
• Application Number:
  US12/140,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20080245853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 175 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/383
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

There is disclosed a method and system for determining packaging preference of a customer by identifying the customer using a customer identifier, and retrieving available packaging preference information using the customer identifier. In an embodiment, the customer'"'"'s packaging preference information for a particular identified item is retrieved and graphically communicated. In another embodiment, customer packaging preference information based on a quantity of items is retrieved and graphically communicated. Customer packaging preference information based on both the identified items and the quantity of items may also be retrieved and graphically communicated.

Claims

1. A system for determining a customer'"'"'s packaging preference in a conventional point-of-sale retail location, wherein the point-of-sale retail location includes a person who performs the packaging of items purchased in the point-of-sale retail location for the customer, comprising:

a customer identifier for identifying the customer; and

means for retrieving available container packaging preference information for the purchased items for the identified customer using the customer identifier.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an indicator provided on the customer identifier to indicate container packaging preference information to the person who performs the packaging in the point-of-sale retail location for the identified customer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the indicator is a graphic design.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the indicator is a sticker affixable to the customer identifier.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising communications means for communicating the retrieved container packaging preference information to the person who performs the packaging for the customer in the point-of-sale retail location.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the communications means comprises a display for graphically displaying the container packaging preference information to the person who performs the packaging in the point-of-sale retail location.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the communications means comprises one of an auditory signal means and a visual alert signal means associated with the packaging preference information.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing in a non-volatile memory the packaging preference information for the identified customer.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising identification means for identifying a particular item to be packaged, and retrieval means for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular item to be packaged.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising count means for determining a quantity of items to be packaged, and retrieval means for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the quantity of items to be packaged.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising count means for determining a quantity of the particular items to be packaged, and retrieval means for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular items including the quantity of the particular items to be packaged.

12. A data processor readable medium storing data processor code that, when loaded into a data processing device, adapts the device to determine a customer'"'"'s packaging preference in a conventional point-of-sale retail location wherein the point-of-sale retail location includes a person who performs the packaging of items purchased in the point-of-sale retail location for the customer, the data processor readable medium including:

code for identifying the customer using a customer identifier; and

code for retrieving available container packaging preference information for the purchased items using the customer identifier for the identified customer.

13. The data processor readable medium of claim 12, further including code for communicating the retrieved container packaging preference information to the person who performs the packaging in the point-of-sale retail location.

14. The data processor readable medium of claim 12, further including code for graphically communicating the retrieved container packaging preference information to the person who performs the packaging in the point-of-sale retail location.

15. The data processor readable medium of claim 12, further including code for identifying a particular item to be packaged, and code for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular item to be packaged.

16. The data processor readable medium of claim 12, further including code for determining a quantity of items to be packaged, and code for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the quantity of items to be packaged.

17. The data processor readable medium of claim 12, further including code for determining a quantity of the particular items to be packaged, and code for retrieving available packaging preference information specific to the particular items including the quantity of the particular items to be packaged.