Multi-channel purchase transaction

• US 7,793,838 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: He, Chang-Ren, Mathai, Shiju, Appleyard, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/278,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20070235527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/382, 235/380, 235/375, 235/382.5, 705/26
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A method for conducting a sales transaction. The method can include receiving at a terminal within a store a first identifier generated for a first item of merchandise selected by a customer while the customer is located within the store. The method also can include receiving from a virtual shopping cart a second identifier generated for a second item of merchandise. The first identifier and the second identifier can be processed in the sales transaction.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a sales transaction comprising:

receiving at a terminal within a store a first identifier generated for a first item of merchandise selected by a customer while the customer is physically located within the store;

responsive to identifying the user within the store, requesting from a virtual shopping cart associated with the user a list comprising at least a second identifier specifying a second item of merchandise previously selected by the user for purchase online;

receiving from the virtual shopping cart the list comprising the at least a second identifier specifying the second item of merchandise; and

processing the first item of merchandise and the second item of merchandise in a single sales transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a client at least one item selection; and

adding the item selection to the virtual shopping cart;

wherein the second identifier corresponds to the item selection.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the item selection from the client, adjusting an available inventory of the second item of merchandise.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a customer identifier at the terminal, the customer identifier associating the customer with the second item of merchandise.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the second identifier comprises accessing a virtual shopping cart retrieval service via a communications network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to the single sales transaction conducted within the store, removing each identifier for an item of merchandise involved in the single sales transaction from the virtual shopping cart.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving at the terminal the first identifier comprises scanning a bar code of the first item of merchandise with a mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the customer via the communications network an appointment request; and

scheduling an appointment in accordance with the appointment request.

9. A system for conducting a sales transaction within a store, the system comprising a terminal that receives a first identifier generated for a first item of merchandise selected by a customer while the customer is physically located within the store, responsive to identifying the user within the store, requests from a virtual shopping cart associated with the user a list comprising at least a second identifier specifying a second item of merchandise previously selected by the user for purchase online, receives from the virtual shopping cart the list comprising the at least a second identifier specifying the second item of merchandise, and processes the first item of merchandise and the second item of merchandise in a single sales transaction.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a server that receives from a client at least one item selection and adds the item selection to the virtual shopping cart, wherein the second identifier corresponds to the item selection.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an inventory control application that, responsive to receiving the item selection from the client, adjusts an available inventory of the second item of merchandise.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the terminal receives a customer identifier that associates the customer with the second item of merchandise.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a virtual shopping cart retrieval service that is accessed by the terminal via a communications network.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the terminal comprises a scanner that scans a bar code of the first item of merchandise.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the terminal, responsive to the single sales transaction conducted within the store, removes each of identifier for an item of merchandise involved in the single sales transaction from the virtual shopping cart.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising an appointment scheduling application that receives from the customer via the communications network an appointment request and schedules an appointment in accordance with the appointment request.

17. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections comprising:

code for receiving at a terminal within a store a first identifier generated for a first item of merchandise selected by a customer while the customer is physically located within the store;

code for, responsive to identifying the user within the store, requesting from a virtual shopping cart associated with the user a list comprising at least a second identifier specifying a second item of merchandise previously selected by the user for purchase online;

code for receiving from the virtual shopping cart the list comprising the at least a second identifier specifying the second item of merchandise; and

code for processing the first item of merchandise and the second item of merchandise in a single sales transaction.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 17, further comprising:

code for receiving from a client at least one item selection; and

code for adding the item selection to the virtual shopping cart;

wherein the second identifier corresponds to the item selection.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 17, further comprising code for receiving a customer identifier at the terminal, the customer identifier associating the customer with the second item of merchandise.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the code for receiving the second identifier comprises code for accessing a virtual shopping cart retrieval service via a communications network.