Managing retailer product disbursement

• US 20030195808A1
• Filed: 05/09/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini, Michael Wayne Brown
• Original Assignee: Kelvin Roderick Lawrence, Michael A. Paolini, Michael Wayne Brown
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Lawrence, Kelvin Roderick
• Application Number:
  US10/435,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195808A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.58
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

In accordance with the method, system and program of the present invention, multiple broadcasts of products are detected in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system associated with a particular user from multiple retailer server systems when the portable computer system is within a particular proximity of multiple diverse store locations each respectively associated with one of the multiple retailer server systems. The broadcasts of products are analyzed at the portable computer system according to consumer preferences for the particular user. Output of a selection of products from among the multiple broadcasts of products is controlled to an output interface controlled by the portable computer system, in response to the analysis, such that a portable computer system may manage product selections from multiple diverse store locations for a particular user according to the consumer preferences for the particular user.

Claims

1. A method for electronically managing shopping, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a plurality of broadcasts of products in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system associated with a particular user from a plurality of retailer server systems when said portable computer system is within a particular proximity of a plurality of diverse store locations each respectively associated with one of said plurality of retailer server systems;

analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user; and

controlling output of a selection of products from among said plurality of broadcasts of products to an output interface controlled by said portable computer system, in response to said analysis, such that said portable computer system manages product selections from said plurality of diverse store locations for said particular user according to said consumer preferences for said particular user.

2. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said step of detecting a plurality of broadcasts of products in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system, further comprising the step of:

detecting said plurality of broadcasts of products in an extensible mark-up language data format.

3. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said step of analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user, further comprising the step of:

analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products in view of an electronic schedule of events stored on said portable computer system in association with said particular user.

4. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said step of analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user, further comprising the step of:

analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products in view of previously received product databases received at said portable computer system.

5. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said step of analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user, further comprising the step of:

analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products in view of travel distance from a current location to each of said plurality of diverse store locations.

6. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said step of analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user, further comprising the step of:

analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products according to a shopping robot application that searches said plurality of broadcasts of products and a plurality of network accessible web sites to return selections of a particular type of product to said particular user.

7. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said step of controlling output of a selection of products from among said plurality of broadcasts of products to an output interface controlled by said portable computer system, further comprising the step of:

controlling output of said selection of products to said output interface according to output preferences designated by said user on said portable computer system.

8. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

broadcasting a location of said portable computer system, in response to a user designation to broadcast said location, such that any of said plurality of retailer server systems within a particular proximity is enabled to detect said location of said portable computer system.

9. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

encrypting transmission of a location of said portable computer system, in response to a user designation to selectively transmit said location, such that only those server systems with a decryption key are enabled to detect said location of said portable computer system.

10. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user request at said portable computer system for assistance in locating a particular venue-related item from among a plurality of venue-related items associated with a particular store location from among said plurality of diverse store locations;

searching said plurality of broadcasts of products received at said portable computer system for a location of said particular venue-related item;

comparing said location of said particular venue-related item with a current location of said portable computer system, in response to determining said location of said particular venue-related item; and

adjusting output of a graphical representation of directions for said user to reach said location of said particular venue-related item from said current location of said portable computer system.

11. The method for electronically managing shopping according to claim 1, said method further comprising the step of:

receiving said consumer preferences at said portable computer system from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user.

12. A system for electronically managing shopping, said system comprising:

means for detecting a plurality of broadcasts of products in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system associated with a particular user from a plurality of retailer server systems when said portable computer system is within a particular proximity of a plurality of diverse store locations each respectively associated with one of said plurality of retailer server systems;

means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user; and

means for controlling output of a selection of products from among said plurality of broadcasts of products to an output interface controlled by said portable computer system, in response to said analysis, such that said portable computer system manages product selections from said plurality of diverse store locations for said particular user according to said consumer preferences for said particular user.

13. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said means for detecting a plurality of broadcasts of products in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system, further comprising:

means for detecting said plurality of broadcasts of products in an extensible mark-up language data format.

14. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user, further comprising:

means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products in view of an electronic schedule of events stored on said portable computer system in association with said particular user.

15. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user, further comprising:

means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products in view of previously received product databases received at said portable computer system.

16. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user, further comprising:

means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products in view of travel distance from a current location to each of said plurality of diverse store locations.

17. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user, further comprising:

means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products according to a shopping robot application that searches said plurality of broadcasts of products and a plurality of network accessible web sites to return selections of a particular type of product to said particular user.

18. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said means for controlling output of a selection of products from among said plurality of broadcasts of products to an output interface controlled by said portable computer system, further comprising:

means for controlling output of said selection of products to said output interface according to output preferences designated by said user on said portable computer system.

19. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said system further comprising:

means for broadcasting a location of said portable computer system, in response to a user designation to broadcast said location, such that any of said plurality of retailer server systems within a particular proximity is enabled to detect said location of said portable computer system.

20. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said system further comprising:

means for encrypting transmission of a location of said portable computer system, in response to a user designation to selectively transmit said location, such that only those server systems with a decryption key are enabled to detect said location of said portable computer system.

21. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said system further comprising:

means for receiving a user request at said portable computer system for assistance in locating a particular venue-related item from among a plurality of venue-related items associated with a particular store location from among said plurality of diverse store locations;

means for searching said plurality of broadcasts of products received at said portable computer system for a location of said particular venue-related item;

means for comparing said location of said particular venue-related item with a current location of said portable computer system, in response to determining said location of said particular venue-related item; and

means for adjusting output of a graphical representation of directions for said user to reach said location of said particular venue-related item from said current location of said portable computer system.

22. The system for electronically managing shopping according to claim 12, said system further comprising:

means for receiving said consumer preferences at said portable computer system from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user.

23. A program for electronically managing shopping, residing on a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means, said program comprising:

means for detecting a plurality of broadcasts of products in a common transmittable data format at a portable computer system associated with a particular user from a plurality of retailer server systems when said portable computer system is within a particular proximity of a plurality of diverse store locations each respectively associated with one of said plurality of retailer server systems;

means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products at said portable computer system according to consumer preferences for said particular user; and

means for controlling output of a selection of products from among said plurality of broadcasts of products to an output interface controlled by said portable computer system, in response to said analysis, such that said portable computer system manages product selections from said plurality of diverse store locations for said particular user according to said consumer preferences for said particular user.

24. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising means for detecting said plurality of broadcasts of products in an extensible mark-up language data format.

25. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products in view of an electronic schedule of events stored on said portable computer system in association with said particular user.

26. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products in view of previously received product databases received at said portable computer system.

27. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products in view of travel distance from a current location to each of said plurality of diverse store locations.

28. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising means for analyzing said plurality of broadcasts of products according to a shopping robot application that searches said plurality of broadcasts of products and a plurality of network accessible web sites to return selections of a particular type of product to said particular user.

29. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising means for controlling output of said selection of products to said output interface according to output preferences designated by said user on said portable computer system.

30. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising:

means for broadcasting a location of said portable computer system, in response to a user designation to broadcast said location, such that any of said plurality of retailer server systems within a particular proximity is enabled to detect said location of said portable computer system.

31. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising:

means for encrypting transmission of a location of said portable computer system, in response to a user designation to selectively transmit said location, such that only those server systems with a decryption key are enabled to detect said location of said portable computer system.

32. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising:

means for receiving a user request at said portable computer system for assistance in locating a particular venue-related item from among a plurality of venue-related items associated with a particular store location from among said plurality of diverse store locations;

means for searching said plurality of broadcasts of products received at said portable computer system for a location of said particular venue-related item;

means for comparing said location of said particular venue-related item with a current location of said portable computer system, in response to determining said location of said particular venue-related item; and

means for adjusting output of a graphical representation of directions for said user to reach said location of said particular venue-related item from said current location of said portable computer system.

33. The program for electronically managing shopping according to claim 23, said program further comprising:

means for receiving said consumer preferences at said portable computer system from a personal storage device proffered by said particular user.

34. A method for managing product disbursement from a retailer, said method comprising the steps of:

filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer; and

broadcasting said filtered database of products in a particular transmittable data format across a particular range, wherein a portable computer system within said particular range is able to retrieve said filtered database of products.

35. The method for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 34, said step of filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer, further comprising the step of:

filtering a plurality of positions associated with each of a plurality of products within said database of products according to said security preferences.

36. The method for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 34, said step of filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer, further comprising the step of:

filtering a plurality of positions associated with a plurality of staff within said database of products according to said security preferences.

37. The method for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 34, said step of filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a location and registration indicator broadcast from said portable computer system;

comparing said registration indicator with a registration database; and

filtering said database of products available from a particular retailer according to whether or not said registration indicator is matched in said registration database.

38. The method for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 34, said step of filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer, further comprising the steps of:

detecting the transmission of the location of a plurality of global positioning system transceivers each associated with one of a plurality of venue-related items; and

updating said database of products with a plurality of detected locations of venue-related items according to said detected transmissions from said plurality of global positioning system transceivers.

39. The method for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 38, said step of detecting the transmission of the location of a plurality of global positioning system transceivers further comprising the steps of:

detecting the transmission of encrypted locations of a plurality of global positioning system transceivers each associated with one of a plurality of venue-related items; and

decrypting said encrypted locations according to a particular decryption key at said server system.

40. The method for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 34, said step of broadcasting said filtered database of products in a particular transmittable data format across a particular range, wherein a portable computer system within said particular range is able to retrieve said filtered database of products, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting said filtered database of products in said particular transmittable data format from said server system to a transceiver that broadcasts said filtered database of products within a particular range of said particular retailer associated with said filtered database of products.

41. A system for managing product disbursement from a retailer, said system comprising:

means for filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer; and

means for broadcasting said filtered database of products in a particular transmittable data format across a particular range, wherein a portable computer system within said particular range is able to retrieve said filtered database of products.

42. The system for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 41, said means for filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer, further comprising:

means for filtering a plurality of positions associated with each of a plurality of products within said database of products according to said security preferences.

43. The system for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 41, said means for filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer, further comprising:

means for filtering a plurality of positions associated with a plurality of staff within said database of products according to said security preferences.

44. The system for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 41, said means for filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer, further comprising:

means for detecting a location and registration indicator broadcast from said portable computer system;

means for comparing said registration indicator with a registration database; and

means for filtering said database of products available from a particular retailer according to whether or not said registration indicator is matched in said registration database.

45. The system for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 41, said means for filtering a database of products available from a particular retailer according to security preferences designated at a server system associated with said particular retailer, further comprising:

means for detecting the transmission of the location of a plurality of global positioning system transceivers each associated with one of a plurality of venue-related items; and

means for updating said database of products with a plurality of detected locations of venue-related items according to said detected transmissions from said plurality of global positioning system transceivers.

46. The system for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 45, said means for detecting the transmission of the location of a plurality of global positioning system transceivers further comprising:

means for detecting the transmission of encrypted locations of a plurality of global positioning system transceivers each associated with one of a plurality of venue-related items; and

means for decrypting said encrypted locations according to a particular decryption key at said server system.

47. The system for managing product disbursement from a retailer according to claim 41, said means for broadcasting said filtered database of products in a particular transmittable data format across a particular range, wherein a portable computer system within said particular range is able to retrieve said filtered database of products, further comprising:

means for transmitting said filtered database of products in said particular transmittable data format from said server system to a transceiver that broadcasts said filtered database of products within a particular range of said particular retailer associated with said filtered database of products.