Systems and methods for price searching and customer self-checkout using a mobile device

• US 7,680,702 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Oakes, Charles Lee III
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian; Mila
• Application Number:
  US12/042,665
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Price searching and customer self-checkout on a mobile device is provided. A system for purchasing products comprises at least one subsystem that receives from a mobile device at least price and seller identification data of a product, (at least the price of said product having been electronically read by the mobile device), and at least one subsystem that charges a user for the product based upon the received price and identification data.

Claims

1. A system for purchasing a product comprising:

at least one computer processor;

at least one memory coupled to said at least one computer processor;

at least one subsystem controlled by said at least one computer processor that receives from a mobile device at least price and seller identification data of a product wherein at least the price of said product having been electronically read by the mobile device;

at least one subsystem controlled by said at least one computer processor that receives from the mobile device, product identification data of the product;

at least one subsystem controlled by said at least one computer processor that compares price information of products determined to be similar;

at least one subsystem controlled by said at least one computer processor that communicates results of the comparing price information of products to the user of the mobile device;

at least one subsystem controlled by said at least one computer processor that charges a user of the mobile for the product if an authorization indication is received from the mobile device of the user after the transmitting the results of the comparing of price information;

at least one subsystem controlled by said at least one computer processor that places an automatic individual purchase for an item if based on the results of the comparing of price information, the product is less expensive than a product whose price was electronically read by the mobile device; and

at least one subsystem controlled by said at least one computer processor that automatically places products in a list on the mobile device for future purchase in one transaction with other products whose price was electronically read by the mobile device at a same store, if said products from the same store had prices less than or equal to that of compared products based upon the results of the comparing of price information.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one subsystem that provides an option for the user of the mobile device to automatically place products in a list on the mobile device based upon the communicated results of the comparing of price information.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the authorization indication is a single indication for a plurality of products to be charged to the user in one transaction.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising at least one subsystem that communicates information received from the mobile device of the user regarding prices of products read at a particular store by the mobile device of the user to a third party.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one subsystem that scans a price tag of the product using an optical scanning device of the mobile device; and

at least one subsystem that electronically communicates the scanned product and price information to a storage module of the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one subsystem that reads a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag using an RFID reader of the mobile device.

7. A method for purchasing a product comprising:

receiving from a mobile device at least price and seller identification data of a product wherein at least the price of said product having been electronically read by the mobile device;

receiving from the mobile device, product identification data of the product;

a computer processor comparing price information of products determined to be similar;

a computer processor communicating results of the comparing price information of products to the user of the mobile device;

charging a user of the mobile for the product if an authorization indication is received from the mobile device of the user after the transmitting the results of the comparing of price information;

a computer processor placing an automatic individual purchase for an item if based on the results of the comparing of price information, the product is less expensive than a product whose price was electronically read by the mobile device; and

a computer processor automatically placing products in a list on the mobile device for future purchase in one transaction with other products whose price was electronically read by the mobile device at a same store, if said products from the same store had prices less than or equal to that of compared products based upon the results of the comparing of price information.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing an option for the user of the mobile device to automatically place products in a list on the mobile device based upon the communicated results of the comparing of price information.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the authorization indication is a single indication for a plurality of products to be charged to the user in one transaction.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising communicating information received from the mobile device of the user regarding prices of products read at a particular store by the mobile device of the user to a third party.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the price having been electronically read comprises:

scanning a price tag of the product using an optical scanning device of the mobile device; and

electronically communicating the scanned product and price information to a storage module of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the price having been electronically read comprises:

reading a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag using an RFID reader of the mobile device.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions for purchasing a product, said computer-readable instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving from a mobile device at least price and seller identification data of a product wherein at least the price of said product having been electronically read by the mobile device;

receiving from the mobile device, product identification data of the product;

comparing price information of products determined to be similar; and

communicating results of the comparing price information of products to the user of the mobile device;

charging a user of the mobile for the product if an authorization indication is received from the mobile device of the user after the transmitting the results of the comparing of price information; and

placing an automatic individual purchase for an item if based on the results of the comparing of price information, the product is less expensive than a product whose price was electronically read by the mobile device; and

automatically place products in a list on the mobile device for future purchase in one transaction with other products whose price was electronically read by the mobile device at a same store, if said products from the same store had prices less than or equal to that of compared products based upon the results of the comparing of price information.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions for providing an option for the user of the mobile device to automatically place products in a list on the mobile device based upon the communicated results of the comparing of price information.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the authorization indication is a single indication for a plurality of products to be charged to the user in one transaction.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 further comprising instructions for communicating information received from the mobile device of the user regarding prices of products read at a particular store by the mobile device of the user to a third party.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions for:

scanning a price tag of the product using an optical scanning device of the mobile device; and

electronically communicating the scanned product and price information to a storage module of the mobile device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 further comprising instructions for:

reading a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag using an RFID reader of the mobile device.