Personal shopping system

• US 7,010,501 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2000
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Jenkins, Ian, Roslak, Thomas K., Petrovich, Adam, Swartz, Jerome, Pellaumail, John
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/490,529
• Time in Patent Office: 2,233 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705/14, 710/7, 710/101, 235/462.01, 235/462.45, 235/472.01, 235/454, 235/439, 235/383, 235/385, 341/26, D14/348, D14/453, D14/435, D14/436, D14/470, D14/461, D14/462.01, 358504-514, 359/196, 348/143
• US Class Current: 705/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

The present invention relates to a personal shopping system for combined use in both the home of a user and a shopping establishment. The system includes a host computer which is coupled to a host modem and, optionally, to at least one wireless multi-access point. The portable terminal can be used in both the shopping establishment and the home of the user. It is configured to read bar codes associated with items related to shopping, and includes a memory, a bar code reader, a wireless transceiver, and a data interface. The data interface of the terminal communicates with a data interface of the shopping establishment kiosk cradle or directly with the shopping establishment'"'"'s communications network.

Claims

1. A personal shopping system for servicing customers at shopping establishment and remote locations over at least one communications network, the shopping system comprising:

at least one point-of-sale (POS) system located in the shopping establishment;

at least one establishment or remotely located portable shopping terminal that acquires shopping related data;

one or more proximity sensors that monitor customer activity in product sales areas in the shopping establishment; and

a centrally located controller that communicates with the POS system, the at least one shopping terminal and the proximity sensors via the at least one network, processes the shopping related data, and controls shopping transactions engaged in by the customers, the at least one shopping terminal is a bar code storage device that reads bar codes from a hardcopy source, stores the bar codes, and transfers the bar codes to the controller over the at least one network, the controller including at least one computer executable instruction that generates a theft condition upon expiration of a time period that starts after receipt of a signal from the proximity sensor, the controller further comprises a means for processing transactions related to the shopping establishment including start of day processing, normal store processing, end of day processing and overnight processing.

2. The shopping system according to claim 1, the portable terminal comprising an elongated pen-shaped housing having an end with an optically transparent passage there through that enables bar codes to be read.

3. The shopping system according to claim 1, the portable terminal comprising:

a housing having a generally elongated rectangular design which fits into user'"'"'s hand, the housing having a front surface, a back surface, a top surface, a bottom surface and two side surfaces;

a touch sensitive display disposed on the front surface;

a plurality of buttons disposed on the front surface wherein each of the buttons is associated with at least one user function or application upon activation;

a bar code reader that reads bar codes, the bar code reader including a visible light source that displays the area of reading for the bar code reader upon activation of a bar code reading function on the portable terminal, the bar code reader being configured to transmit the visible light away from the top surface of the portable terminal'"'"'s housing such that the light is visible to the user holding the portable terminal; and

at least two bar code activation buttons located on the two side surfaces of the housing such that the user'"'"'s hand supports the portable terminal from the bottom and side surfaces of the portable terminal upon activation of the bar code reader with either of the bar code activation buttons, the user can view the display and the visible light source upon activation of either of the bar code activation buttons.

4. The shopping system according to claim 3, the portable terminal further comprises a touch sensitive area within the touch sensitive display that receives data inputs from a stylus pen.

5. The shopping system according to claim 3, the portable terminal further comprises an information key that allows a user to display product information.

6. The shopping system according to claim 1, the controller comprises inference means for deriving a shopping profile for the customer.

7. The shopping system according to claim 1, the at least one shopping terminal comprises means for converting any currency amount to and from a corresponding Euro amount.

8. The shopping system according to claim 1, the at least one shopping terminal is coupled to a telephone line and the shopping terminal comprises means for providing secure and silent communications to transmit data to and from the shopping terminal without notifying or disturbing a user.

9. The shopping system according to claim 1, the shopping terminal comprises means for fingerprint identification.

10. The shopping system according to claim 1, the bar code storage device comprises:

an egg-shaped housing;

a bar code reader that reads bar codes from a hardcopy source, the bar code reader including a visible light indicator that indicates the scanning status of the bar code reader and at least one bar code activation button located on the top surface of the bar code storage device that activates the bar code reader;

memory storage mean coupled to the bar code reader for storing the bar codes; and

communication means for transferring the bar codes to the controller over the at least one network.

11. The shopping system according to claim 1, the at least one shopping terminal comprises a scanning system comprising a wearable computer processor and a wearable scanning device in communication with the computer processor.

12. The shopping system according to claim 11, the scanning system further comprises a headset having a speaker and a miniature display device that provides audio, graphical and video information.

13. The system of claim 1, the controller activates one of an alarm and a camera upon receipt of a theft condition.

14. The shopping system according to claim 1, the controller means for controlling the transaction processing and the operation of the POS system and the at least one shopping terminal comprises:

means for communicating with at least one shopping terminal located within the shopping establishment;

means for communicating with at least one remotely located shopping terminal outside the shopping establishment via a telephone;

means for communicating voice data between the controlling means and the at least one remotely located shopping terminal;

means for remotely ordering goods to be gathered by store personnel at the shopping establishment; and

means for communicating with the at least one remotely located shopping terminal over the Internet.

15. The shopping system according to claim 14, the controlling means comprises:

means for starting and restarting the operation of the shopping system;

means for terminating the operation of the shopping system;

means for displaying the operational status of the shopping system;

means for controlling the day-to-day operations and maintenance tasks of the shopping system;

means for displaying the status of communications related to the shopping system;

means for preparing the shopping system to accept an upcoming day'"'"'s transactions;

means for transferring price data files from the POS system to the controller; and

means for allowing a system operator to disable checking on transactions by the controller so as to speed up checkout processing during busy periods.

16. The shopping system according to claim 14, the means for remotely ordering goods is used to generate a picking list from a home computing terminal having access to the Internet.

17. The shopping system according to claim 1, the shopping terminal is a portable terminal, the portable terminal comprising means for freely associating with a corresponding communications network.

18. The system of claim 1, the proximity sensors are affixed to at least one self in a product area and are activated upon removal of a product from the self.

19. The system of claim 18, activation of a proximity sensor triggers a status identifier that signifies that the system anticipates a product to be scanned by the portable shopping terminal.

20. The system of claim 19, the theft condition is triggered after failure to detect a product scan within a predetermined period of time after activation of one or more sensors.

21. A personal shopping system that services customers at one or more shopping establishments and remote locations over at least one communications network, the shopping system comprising:

at least one point-of-sale (POS) system located in the shopping establishment;

at least one establishment or remotely located portable shopping terminal that acquires shopping related data; and

a centrally located controller that communicates with the POS system and the at least one shopping terminal via the at least one network, processes the shopping related data, and controls shopping transactions engaged in by the customers, the controller including at least one computer executable instruction that generates a theft condition upon expiration of a time period that starts after receipt of a signal from the proximity sensor, the controller comprising;

means for starting and restarting operation of the shopping system;

means for terminating operation of the shopping system;

means for displaying operational status of the shopping system;

means for controlling the day-to-day operations and maintenance tasks of the shopping system;

means for displaying the status of communications related to the shopping system;

means for preparing the shopping system to accept an upcoming day'"'"'s transactions;

means for transferring price data files from the POS system to the controller; and

means for allowing a system operator to disable checking on transactions by the controller so as to speed up checkout processing during busy periods.