Patent ID: 6401076
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A wide area inventory control system for determining the physical availability of tangible items ready for sale in existing inventory including quantity, specific location, and unit sales price, said system comprising:a. a plurality of geographically separated local area systems forming said wide area system; b. each local area system having a computer with a memory for storing data signals representing the current physically available quantity and location of each of a plurality of finished tangible items carried by said local area in ready-for-sale inventory and their exact sales prices; c. means coupled to each local area computer for adding data signals to and deleting data signals from said memory to maintain a current data representing the physically available quantity, unit sales price and location of each of said finished tangible items carried in ready-for-sale inventory; d. local area broadcasting transmitter means coupled to said local area computer for serially and continually broadcasting, only in said local area, said data signals representing said current data representing the physically available quantity, unit sales price and location of each of said finished tangible items carried in ready-for-sale inventory; e. a hand held, portable receive-only receiver for continuously receiving said serially broadcast data signals; f. storage means in said receiver for automatically and continually storing physical availability and location data for each of said finished tangible items represented by said serially transmitted data signals; g. a display on said hand held receiver; and h. means on said hand hold receiver coupled to said storage means and said display for individually selecting stored data signals representing any one of said finished tangible items and displaying a selected item as available or unavailable in ready-for-sale inventory and the exact unit sales price thereof.