Methods for assigning traceability information to and retrieving traceability information from a store shelf

• US 8,474,714 B1
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: YottaMark, Inc.
• Inventors: Grant, Elliott, Carr, J. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/471,181
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/385, 705/20
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A shelf code in a machine readable format, such as on a QR code on a printed card, is provided where bulk merchandise displayed in a bin. When the bin is stocked from a case bearing a case code, the case code is associated with the shelf code. Lot-specific and lot-independent information previously associated with the case code is then linked to the shelf code. Consumers scan the shelf code with a mobile device to establish a communication channel to access the linked information. Retailers and producers use the channel to reach the consumer, and to solicit feedback from the consumer at a known time and location. A mobile device can also be used to associate quality assessments of merchandise to the shelf code. Analysis of consumer ratings and quality inspection assessments that are tied to time and location can provide valuable insights to both producers and retailers.

Claims

1. A shelf label comprising:

a bar code comprising a URL, the URL including a domain and an extension, the extension specifying a shelf code;

a call to action; and

information about bulk merchandise.

2. The shelf label of claim 1 wherein the bar code is a QR code.

3. An item of manufacture consisting essentially of:

a roll of stickers on a backing,

each sticker comprising a QR code, each QR code encoding a URL including the same domain with a different extension, each extension comprising a different shelf code.

4. A mobile scanning device comprising:

a bar code reader;

a touchscreen display;

a communication interface; and

logic configured to

receive a scanned shelf code from the bar code reader,

display on the touchscreen display a prompt to scan a case code,

receive a scanned case code,

associate the scanned case code to the scanned shelf code,

communicate the shelf code in association with the case code through the communication interface, and

responsive to reading a shelf code, display a grading scale on the touchscreen display, receive a selection from the grading scale, and associate the selection with the shelf code.