Wearable mobile scanner system with mobile tablet having a mobile POS and enterprise resource planning application for POS customer order fulfillment and in store inventory management for retail establishment

• US 8,972,283 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Retail Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Retail Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Hicks, Bruce J., McWhirter, Brian K., McArthur, DeVan, Williams, Bromley
• Primary Examiner(s): Zare, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masud, Rokib
• Application Number:
  US13/783,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/440, 705/16, 705/36, 705/17
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10396 the interrogation device being wearable, e.g. as a glove, bracelet, or ring wearable aerials in general H01Q1/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10891 the scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A wearable mobile scanner system processes a retail store purchase in a convenient, time efficient and reliable manner. The wearable mobile scanner system includes a forearm portion and a hand portion. The forearm portion comprises a main body member and at least one strap member and is adapted to secure the forearm portion upon a user'"'"'s forearm. The hand portion comprises a central forehand member, a palm member, and a forefinger aperture, wherein the hand portion is aligned with the forearm portion and wherein the hand portion is adapted to receive a hand of the user. A trigger member is located on the forefinger aperture in communication with a USB scanner input device mounted on the central forehand member of the hand portion. A system integrated therein enables store level real-time inventory management and a fully functioning mobile POS for selling merchandise throughout the store and beyond its walls.

Claims

1. A wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store point of sale (POS) transaction, comprising:

a) a forearm portion and a hand portion;

b) said forearm portion comprising a main body member and at least one strap member having a first segment and a second segment on opposing sides of side forearm portion adapted to secure said forearm portion upon a user'"'"'s forearm;

c) said hand portion comprising a central forehand member, a palm member, and a forefinger aperture, wherein said hand portion is aligned with said forearm portion and wherein said hand portion is adapted to receive a hand of said user;

d) a trigger member located on said forefinger portion;

e) a Universal Serial Bus (USB) scanner input device mounted on said central forehand member of said hand portion, said scanner having two drivers, including

     1) a native device input driver and

     2) a keyboard input driver, said scanner device being in communication with said trigger for initiating a scan of a barcode;

f) a USB Magnetic Strip Reader (MSR) input device for carrying out and processing sales transactions being located on an upper receiver of a mobile tablet device, said MSR being end to end encrypted to a bank card authorization processor for Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance requirements;

g) said main body member of said forearm portion having an attachment means comprising a base mount universal receiver with rotational coupling adapted to interchangeably mount the mobile tablet device through a specialized universal serial bus wiring harness and communicate with the mobile tablet device, the mobile tablet device having a system integrated therein that enables store level real-time inventory management and a fully functioning POS capability for selling merchandise in a retail sales environment, said universal receiver and specialized universal serial bus wiring harness with the mobile tablet device being removable from said main body member of said forearm portion and adapted to be readily docked in different base housings including portable housings and fixed docked workstation housings thereby providing portability and interchangeability;

h) said base mount universal receiver with rotational coupling means including a rotating member for conversion of said mobile tablet device from portrait mode to landscape mode without operational delay of said system.

2. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1 comprising a previously programmed Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) controlling all actions of said USB scanner input device and said trigger for activating a scan operation of an item of interest to a customer by an employee of a retail establishment, wherein:

(1) said scan operation is adapted to cause said EEPROM of a Main Printed Circuit Board (PCB) to communicate with said mobile tablet device, launching said application software to ready said mobile tablet device for receiving a scanned barcode;

(2) said mobile applications communicates with a corporate Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or POS store systems server to obtain and process detailed information for real-time daily store level inventory management purposes for tasks including physical inventory, cycle counting, inventory receiving, store to store transfers, return to vendor and product re-ticketing;

(3) said EEPROM'"'"'s previously programmed instruction set present within said Main PCB being integrated with said mobile tablet device and processes commands issued by mobile applications to command either said barcode scanner or said MSR to acquire required data;

whereby the customer purchases a product from any retail store employee having said wearable mobile scanner system receiving full product details, price, promotions, electronic and physical coupons, customer loyalty data and rewards available and charges the purchase in a friendly, efficient, informative atmosphere without having the need to bring the product to a central checkout station and waiting in queue to check out.

3. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 2, wherein a wireless communication may be in the form of Wi-Fi through a plurality of links located within the retail establishment or wireless cellular through a data contract with a standard cellular carrier.

4. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 2, wherein said application includes a StoreMobileRF application wherein real-time daily store level inventory management is inputted and accessed directly on the corporate enterprise resource planning (ERP), system for managing store level inventory from a mobile tablet device in any location.

5. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 2, wherein said application includes a StoreMS Mobile application, for operation throughout the store and beyond its walls, for processing POS customer sales check-out of said merchandise, whereas sales transactions are inputted, processed and stored through the POS store systems server.

6. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 5, wherein said StoreMS Mobile application provides access to store loyalty promotions, gift cards, and end to end encrypted payment card processing to PCI certified bank card processors.

7. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1, wherein said rotating member comprises a spring plunger assembly, indicated generally at including detents used for interval rotational positioning and friction plates to assist in rotational stability and overall durability.

8. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase and managing store level inventory management as recited by claim 1, wherein said mobile tablet is a mobile tablet device having a display and wherein said mobile tablet device is attached and mounted to said wearable base housing through said base mount universal receiver with rotational coupling and communicates through a specialized universal serial bus wiring harness for system operation of said USB devices including a barcode scanner and MSR to a mobile tablet device for processing customer sales transaction through a mobile POS application and managing daily real-time store level inventory management directly to the corporate ERP system.

9. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1, wherein said mobile tablet device is capable of being removed from the wearable mobile scanner system and attached to other mobile scanner systems such as a mobile scanner gun system, a handheld scanner system, and a docked on fixed POS workstation that are constructed and programmed to operate under said operating system.

10. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1, wherein said means to secure the wearable base housing to said mobile tablet device comprises a sliding mechanism via tongue and groove mating between said mobile tablet device and said base of said wearable mobile scanner system.

11. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1, wherein said mobile tablet device is constructed having a rubberized frame.

12. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1 comprising a rubberized frame for housing said mobile tablet device.

13. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 12, wherein said rubberized frame for housing said mobile tablet device is smooth and rugged to protect said mobile tablet device in a hostile store or warehouse operation and provide optimal wear and usage as it is appointed to be used throughout the day on a sales floor.

14. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1, wherein said mobile device is a mobile tablet device having an integrated case or unit to enable mounting upon said wearable housing base.

15. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1 comprising an integrated backup battery.

16. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1, wherein said mobile tablet device has installed software secured and rendered useless outside said retail enterprise to deter theft.

17. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1 comprising radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag is imbedded in the wearable mobile scanner system to sound alarm if stolen.

18. The wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store purchase as recited by claim 1, wherein said specialized universal serial bus wiring harness is used for charging a battery system.

19. A wearable mobile scanner system for processing a retail store point of sale (POS) transaction, comprising:

a) a forearm portion and a hand portion;

b) said forearm portion comprising a main body member and at least one strap member having a first segment and a second segment on opposing sides of side forearm portion adapted to secure said forearm portion upon a user'"'"'s forearm;

c) said hand portion comprising a central forehand member, a palm member, and a forefinger aperture, wherein said hand portion is aligned with said forearm portion and wherein said hand portion is adapted to receive a hand of said user;

d) a trigger member located on said forefinger portion;

e) a Universal Serial Bus (USB) scanner input device mounted on said central forehand member of said hand portion, said scanner having two drivers, including

     1) a native device input driver and

     2) a keyboard input driver, said scanner device being in communication with said trigger for initiating a scan of a barcode;

f) a USB Magnetic Strip Reader (MSR) input device for carrying out and processing sales transactions is located on an upper receiver of a mobile tablet device, said MSR being end to end encrypted to a bank card authorization processor for Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance requirements;

g) said main body member of said forearm portion having an attachment means comprising a base mount universal receiver with coupling adapted to interchangeably mount the mobile tablet device through a specialized universal serial bus wiring harness and communicate with the mobile tablet device, the mobile tablet device having a system integrated therein that enables store level real-time inventory management and a fully functioning POS capability for selling merchandise in a retail sales environment, said universal receiver and specialized universal serial bus wiring harness with the mobile tablet device being removable from said main body member of said forearm portion and adapted to be readily docked in different base housings including portable housings and fixed docked workstation housings thereby providing portability and interchangeability.