Method and system for labeling and managing the sale of manufactured concrete blocks

• US 8,600,820 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pro Shop Plans Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pro Shop Plans Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoffman, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARIKH, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US12/508,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/23
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 23/0031 with product identification means, e.g. labels on test products or integrated circuit tags inside products RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

In a method for identifying manufactured concrete or masonry blocks and managing the sale thereof to a customer in a retail establishment, the retail establishment having a computer system configured to monitor inventory, a database operatively coupled to the computer system, and a plurality of point of sale (POS) terminals operatively coupled to the computer system. The method includes a) applying a releasably secured label to the concrete block or a layer of concrete blocks contained on a pallet, where the label has UPC information affixed thereon and is releasable from the concrete block or layer of concrete blocks on the pallet, b) selecting for purchase by the customer, a number of concrete blocks from a selected pallet, c) removing the label from the concrete block or the layer of concrete blocks on the pallet, d) presenting the label at the POS terminal, e) scanning the label via the POS terminal to process the UPC information, and entering the number of concrete blocks intended for purchase, f) transmitting data encoded in the UPC information to the computer system along with an indication of the number of concrete blocks purchased to effect maintenance of the inventory of concrete blocks, and g) issuing a receipt to the purchaser evidencing purchase of the concrete blocks.

Claims

1. A method of identifying and selling concrete or masonry blocks and managing the sale thereof to a customer at a retail establishment, the method comprising:

providing a computing processor and computer memory, said computing processor and computer memory connected to a sales terminal;

providing unlabeled concrete or masonry blocks with irregular surfaces arranged in bulk layers;

preparing a plurality of identical labels on a sheet, each label of said identical labels having a product indicia thereon to associate the label with a product identity of said concrete or masonry blocks;

wherein said product indicia is electronically scannable to relate said product identity of said concrete or masonry block to said computing processor and said computer memory;

applying the sheet of said labels between the layers of concrete and masonry blocks during the arrangement of said concrete or masonry blocks in the layers so as to protect said sheet of labels and said product indicia;

said sheet of labels directly contacting a surface of an individual concrete or masonry block;

said irregular surfaces of said concrete or masonry blocks cooperating with said label to secure an individual label to the individual concrete or masonry block;

wherein said labels are removable from said sheet and said labels are removable from said concrete or masonry blocks;

placing said labeled concrete or masonry blocks for sale at said retail establishment;

allowing the customer at the retail establishment to remove one or more labels from said sheet of labels and to remove one or more concrete or masonry blocks from said layers;

presenting said removed labels and said removed blocks at the sales terminal for purchase, said product indicia on said label identifying said concrete or masonry blocks for said purchase;

initiating a sales transaction with said computing processor and said computer memory;

scanning said product indicia on said label to read the product indicia;

entering the quantity of said concrete or masonry blocks for said purchase into said sales terminal;

transmitting said scanned data and said quantity of blocks for said purchase to said computing processor and said computer memories to provide the cost of the purchase; and

completing said sales transaction and issuing the customer a receipt for the purchase of the concrete or masonry blocks.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of labels includes printed indicia selected from the group consisting of a barcode, product code identifier, product identification.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sheet of labels has perforations between adjacent individual labels.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sheet of labels includes cut-out portions configured to an upper portion of the blocks when layered in a bulk quantity.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the plurality of labels are separated along the perforations to remove the labels when blocks are presented for purchase.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sheet of labels further includes one or more folds configured to protect printed indicia on the label from abrasion by the blocks.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sheet of labels is draped over the blocks.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sheet of labels partially encompass the perimeter of the blocks.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the blocks include one or more recesses and one or more sheets of labels removably secured within the recesses.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the blocks include peripheral surfaces and one or more sheets of labels are removably secured to the peripheral surfaces.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the product indicia information may also be manually entered into the point of sale terminal.