Method for shopping in a store

• US 7,848,964 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Bonner, Brett Bracewell, Hjelm, Christopher Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUKANOVICH, BRANDY A
• Application Number:
  US12/688,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20100136918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 370/406
• US Class Current: 370/493
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for shopping in a store is provided using a multi-network for communication in a store and a wireless end device that may be held approximate to a shopper as a shopper moves about a store and whereby a shopper uses the wireless end device to send and receive information to the store though the multi-network.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a shopper to shop in a store having purchasable items, comprising:

A) Providing

1) Scan readable media approximate to said purchasable items;

2) A wireless end device;

3) A central computer; and

4) A communications multi-network having

a) A mesh communication network for tracking a location of said wireless end device throughout a store; and

b) A star communication network for transfer of data from said central computer to said wireless end device and from said wireless end device to said central computer;

B) Connecting said central computer operatively to said communications multi-network;

C) Positioning said wireless end device in close proximity to said shopper, said wireless end device being positioned to travel with said shopper through said store;

D) Scanning said readable media on said purchasable items, said scanning producing scanning data;

E) Transmitting said scanning data through said star communication network of said communications multi-network to said central computer;

F) Updating said location of said wireless end device through said mesh communication network to said central computer, said updating producing location tracking data; and

G) Transmitting said location tracking data through said mesh communication network of said communications multi-network to said central computer, said central computer operating to continually update said shopper'"'"'s position based on said location tracking data received by said central computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one mesh communications network of said communications multi-network operates within a beacon enabled or a non-beacon network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one mesh communications network of said communications multi-network operates within a beacon enabled network or a non-beacon enabled network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said communications multi-network comprises two or more star communication networks.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless end device is a reduced function device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said wireless end device is a full function device.