Purchasing aid logistics appliance and method for use

• US 7,200,567 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Caci, Joseph Claude, Scanlon, Gregory D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MISIASZEK, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/037,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20030130909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 705/1, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/472.03, 235/383
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A purchasing aid logistics appliance that assists a purchaser with a shopping list generation, in-store product location, automated checkout, and financial management. The PAL is in the form of a battery operated PAL with touch screen display and multimedia input/output. The PAL functions as a fiduciary aid and two-way communications device secure for managing money and processing perishable data. The PAL can function as a stand-alone device or synchronized with a user'"'"'s personal computer via a RF or IR 1ink.

Claims

1. A handheld portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance (PAL), comprising:

an optical reader subsystem and optical scan assembly configured to scan high density bar codes into said PAL as scanned information, said optical reader subsystem and optical scan assembly configured to extract from said scanned information numerical codes related to a web page representation and provide said scanned information as input data;

encrypted random access memory (RAM) configured to store said input data including encryption keys, financial data, and PAL owner name in said PAL, said encrypted RAM having secure and disabled modes;

voice analog circuitry having a speaker and a microphone, and configured to receive voice samples as said input data;

a central processor coupled to said optical reader subsystem and optical scan assembly, said encrypted RAM, and said voice analog circuitry;

a secure trusted monitor program executable by said central processor and configured to store said voice samples for biometric voice recognition;

a decoder executable by said central processor and configured to decode the numerical codes according to merchant-specific rules and provide the decoded numerical codes to a parser that creates web page software to build said web page representation;

a browser configured to receive said web page software and create a display from said web page software;

a magnetic stripe reader coupled to said central processor and configured to receive said financial data as said input data;

a smart card reader coupled to said central processor and configured to receive said encryption keys as said input data;

a remote ear piece coupled to said central processor and configured to provide output data;

a front panel including keys, switches and indicators coupled to said central processor and configured to provide 2-way communication and receive said input data;

a micro video display controller having a micro video display coupled to said central processor and configured to provide said 2-way communications and receive said input data;

a touch screen display having a touch screen interface controller coupled to said central processor and configured to receive said input data;

a weight-measuring device coupled to said central processor and configured to receive said input data;

a radio link controller and radio subsystem configured to provide secure communication coupled to said central processor and configured to provide 2-way communication and receive said input data; and

a primary battery set and a backup battery set, said primary battery set supplying power to said PAL until said primary battery set is depleted, said PAL automatically switching to said backup battery set when said primary batter set is depleted;

wherein said central processor processes said input data, creates shopping lists from said numerical codes, and provides said shopping lists and said web page representation on said touch screen display for manipulation by the user through said front panel and said micro video display;

wherein said radio link controller and radio subsystem provide said shopping lists to a merchant computer.

2. The portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance according to claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of antennas configured to enable non-interfering and secure communications between the PAL and said merchant computer for a plurality of simultaneous signals, said merchant computer configured to enable each of said plurality of antennas independently based on the location of said PAL with respect to said plurality of antennas,

wherein said radio link controller and radio subsystem are configured to receive signals based on the location of said radio link controller with respect to said plurality of antennas, from a radio transmitter coupled to said merchant computer through said plurality of antennas, wherein said merchant computer transmits product information in response to one of said plurality of signals by said PAL for said product information.

3. The portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance according to claim 1 further comprising:

an internet port connectable to a personal computer linked to a merchant web site, said merchant web site downloads product information to said internet port in response to one of said plurality of signals by said personal computer for said product information.

4. The portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance according to claim 1 wherein said optical reader subsystem and optical scan assembly scans print media bar codes having product information and generates bar code signals to said central processor for further processing.

5. The portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance according to claim 4 wherein said central processor compares said shopping list to said bar code signals to determine whether product is a new product to add to said shopping list or an existing product, whereby said central processor tracks a total cost of said products scanned, the said products remaining to be scanned, and available funds remaining in a budget.

6. The portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance according to claim 4 wherein said central processor includes executable software to convert said bar code signals into said web page representation to be displayed on said display.

7. The portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance according to claim 6 wherein said decoder comprises at least one decode table, said decoder configured to interpret, according to said at least one decode table, said bar code in one of a plurality of computer languages.

8. The portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance according to claim 1 wherein said radio link controller and radio subsystem controls signal strength to communicate with a merchant sales register to minimize the possibility of transmission interception during a purchase transaction.

9. The portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance according to claim 1 wherein said central processor further includes executable software to compare smart card information and user personal identification number to data stored in a smart card and said central processor to prevent unauthorized use of said portable 2-way secure PAL, wherein said data stored on the smart card is read from said smart card reader integrated with said PAL.

10. The portable 2-way secure purchasing aid logistics appliance according to claim 1 wherein said encrypted RAM comprises:

an address decoder;

means for misaligning an address of a memory, location by a random number incorporated into said address decoder to encrypt the address; and

means for accessing said memory location by said address decoder by using said random number when a secure address range is accessed when said encrypted RAM is in said secure mode.

11. A method for using a purchasing aid logistics appliance, comprising the steps of:

downloading product data from a web site;

creating a shopping list from the product data;

monitoring beacon channels from a barker beacon at a threshold of a merchant facility;

receiving into the purchasing aid logistics appliance a channel indication of a first wireless channel from the beacon channels;

determining a location of the purchasing aid logistics appliance when the purchasing aid logistics appliance is in the threshold the merchant facility;

causing the purchasing aid logistics appliance to wirelessly upload the shopping list to a merchant computer from the purchasing aid logistics appliance through the first wireless channel when the purchasing aid logistics appliance is in the threshold, the first wireless channel directly connecting the merchant computer with the purchasing aid logistics appliance;

receiving the product data, a full duplex channel, and personal data into the purchasing aid logistics appliance from the merchant computer through the first wireless channel while traversing the threshold into the merchant facility;

receiving a customer-specific merchant in-store identification and merchant-specific database identification into the purchasing aid logistics appliance from the merchant computer, the merchant-specific database identification being used in the purchasing aid logistics appliance to retrieve a merchant database pointer to be provided to the merchant computer to set customer treatment rules and retrieve merchant-specific product prices specific to the merchant facility;

continually exchanging performance and error information between the purchasing aid logistics appliance and the merchant computer to enable the purchasing aid logistics appliance to increase transmit power if necessary;

releasing the first wireless channel when the purchasing aid logistics appliance is out of range of the barker beacon;

communicating with the merchant computer by means of the full duplex channel;

responding to a periodic communication from the merchant computer with the customer-specific merchant in-store identification;

processing voice input to summon customer assistance;

scanning a product bar code when a product is placed in a shopping cart;

creating a shopping cart file when the product is scanned;

extracting, from the scanned bar code, numerical codes related to a web page representation;

decoding said numerical codes according to merchant-specific rules and providing the decoded numerical codes to a parser that creates web page software to build a web page representation;

supplying the product bar code and the merchant database pointer to the merchant computer;

receiving the merchant-specific product prices from the merchant computer;

tracking an amount of time is spent at a particular shopping location within the merchant facility;

informing a user when a cost computed from the merchant-specific product prices as applied to the product selected by the user reaches a predetermined budget limit;

wirelessly transmitting the shopping cart file to the merchant computer to checkout through a special-purpose link; and

automatically uploading rebate information to the merchant computer.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

recording financial transaction logs in parallel with banks and other financial organizations.