Abstract:
The present invention is an integrated system for gathering commerce information and distributing advertising using a global computer network in order to improve and enhance the efficiency of commerce in retail stores. The first component of this integrated system is a local area network (LAN) in retail stores that interconnects all of the cash registers. The LAN that interconnects each cash register is also interconnected to an array of electronic billboards that are mounted to the checkout aisles near the cash registers. Sales data is registered by the cash register, recorded as a customer record, and electronically transferred to a main server connected to the LAN. Periodically, this main server uploads this sales data to a central data server through using a global computer network. The central data server then stores the individual customer purchase record in the customer purchase database.  
     The commercial information stored in this customer purchase database is accessible through using a global computer network to access a central web-site. This web-site is directly connected to the central data server. Based upon the information stored in this customer purchase database, it is possible purchase advertising through the same web-site by accessing the advertising purchase system. The purchased advertisements are uploaded and transmitted to the individual stores through the global computer network. The advertising is shown on electronic billboards that are fixed to the checkout aisles in retail stores. A computer system selects specific advertisements to show specific customers based upon the recorded purchase history of the specific customer and a product profile of the specific product in the advertisement. Customers may select products from advertisements while at the checkout aisles via touchscreen displays. Store clerks would bring these selected products directly to the shoppers.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of electronic commerce systems supported by a global computer network. More specifically, the present invention relates to an integrated system for gathering commerce information and distributing advertising using a global computer network in order to improve and enhance the efficiency of commerce in retail stores.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Consumer retail stores are continuously searching for new systems to improve efficiency, increase product sales, and enhance consumer satisfaction. One problem facing retail stores is long lines of consumers at the checkout counter. During peak shopping hours lines will form at the cash register as consumers wait to purchase their shopping items. In long lines, consumers can become angry and impatient. Currently, stores typically cope with the problem of long lines through adding more cash registers and clerks to handle the increase consumer load. Failing to address this problem can result in lost sales.  
           [0003]    One method of dealing with consumer impatience in the checkout line is to provide some sort of entertainment to the consumer. Through adding video display screens to checkout lanes, consumers can have an entertaining video display to watch while they wait to reach the cash register. The addition of a video display will distract consumers while waiting in line will mitigate their anger and impatience at the long line. Through adding video displays that will mitigate consumer anger and impatience, retail stores can operate with fewer checkout lanes.  
           [0004]    Another problem facing retail stores is a lack of consumer knowledge. The main way consumers are made aware of new products and product improvements is through commercial advertising. At present, the overwhelming majority of advertising occurs outside of retail stores such as television, radio, and roadside billboard advertising. The problem with this form of advertising is that consumers do not have the ability to immediately purchase the products once he or she sees the advertisement because they are typically not in a store. Frequently, by the time the consumer reaches the store, he or she would have forgotten about the advertisement and the product. However, when a consumer is in a retail store, he or she can purchase the products immediately that they see on in-store advertising. Therefore, providing in-store advertising is likely to enhance product sales.  
           [0005]    A still further problem involving advertising lies in which products to advertising. Products with high consumer recognition and high sales typically a certain amount of advertising to maintain those sales. However, products with low consumer recognition and low sales typically require far higher amounts of advertising to boost sales. There is a need for an efficient system whereby companies could gather real time sales data on its products and allocate advertisements directly in the retail stores as needed to maintain or boost product sales.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention is an integrated system for gathering commerce information and distributing advertising using a global computer network in order to improve and enhance the efficiency of commerce in retail stores. The first component of this integrated system is a local area network (LAN) in retail stores that interconnects all of the cash registers. Each customer at the store is offered a customer purchasing card that contains an identification number that is unique to that customer. When the customers makes a purchase at the store, the customer will first enter his or her customer purchasing card into the cash register. The cash register will make a record of all products purchased by the customer and record the information under a customer purchase record. All customer records are identified by the customer&#39;s unique identification number.  
           [0007]    The LAN that interconnects each cash register is also interconnected to an array of electronic billboards that are mounted to the checkout aisles near the cash registers. Sales data is registered by the cash register, recorded as a customer record, and electronically transferred to a main server connected to the LAN. Periodically, this main server uploads this sales data to a central data server through using a global computer network. The central data server then stores the individual customer purchase record in the customer purchase database.  
           [0008]    A company can view the sales performance of its products through accessing a web-site supported by the same global computer network. This web-site is directly connected to the central data sever. Through accessing this web-site, the company can viewing the sales performance data of its products stored on the central data server. Based upon this sales data, the company may wish to purchase advertising to maintain or increase the sales of its products. The company can therefore purchase advertising to through the same web-site through accessing the advertising purchase system.  
           [0009]    The advertising that the company is purchasing through the advertising purchase system is shown on electronic billboards that are fixed to the checkout aisles in retail stores. In the advertising purchase system, companies can select specific stores and specific times during which to advertise.  
           [0010]    When purchasing the advertisement for a specific product, the company specifies a product profile. The product profile is a listing of products that would show a customer&#39;s probable interest in purchasing the specified product that the advertisement is purchased for. For instance, if the company wanted to sell barbecue sauce, the product profile would include complimentary products such as steaks, hamburger meat, hot dogs, hamburger and hot dog buns, as well as potentially other barbecue sauces. Customers that purchase steaks, hamburger meat, and hot dogs are probably highly interested in purchasing barbecue sauce. The product profile is used by this integrated system for determining which advertisements are to be shown to which customers. The product profiles are stored in the purchase advertising database.  
           [0011]    The electronic billboards are comprised of a changeable display of alphanumeric characters, on a flexible sheet of plastic transistors, and a video display. The video display can either be a plasma display, liquid crystal display, or cathode ray tube display. The changeable display of alphanumeric characters on the flexible sheet of plastic transistors and the video display are connected to the main sever in the store. Through displaying entertaining and informative advertisements to consumers while they are waiting in checkout aisles, the consumers will be distracted from their long wait thereby enhancing consumer satisfaction. Also, consumers through aisle mounted electronic billboards receive information on products at the place where they can buy the products immediately thereby increasing product sales.  
           [0012]    From the same web-site, the company can create either a still image advertisement or a video advertisement and upload it to the advertising server through the web-site. The advertising server then transmits these advertisements to the main server at the store or stores that the company selected. Along with these advertisements, the associated product profiles are also transmitted to the stores computer system.  
           [0013]    When a customer goes to the cash register to make a purchase, he or she first enters his or her customer purchase card. The cash register then passes the information to the store&#39;s main server that then accesses the customers purchase record stored on the customer purchase database. The store&#39;s main server then accesses the product profiles transmitted to the store and compares them to the customer purchase records. The main server at the individual stores then selects and displays advertisements that have product profiles that match the customer purchase records on the electronic billboards at the times selected by the company.  
           [0014]    A primary object of the invention is to provide an integrated system whereby companies can gather real time data on product sales over a global computer network and develop, purchase, and transmit advertising over the same network.  
           [0015]    A further object of the invention is to provide a method of advertising to consumers in the checkout aisles of retail stores. A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of entertaining consumers while they are in the checkout aisles. Another object of the invention is to enhance commercial efficiency of retail stores.  
           [0016]    Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself; however, both as to its structure and operation together with the additional objects and advantages thereof are best understood through the following description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the integrated system for gathering commerce information and distributing advertising using a global computer network;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a retail store check out counter that includes an electronic billboard;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the systems comprising the management system supported by a web-site on a global computer network;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 shows the process of logging in and registering a user;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 shows the process for searching for available advertising space;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 shows the process for buying an advertisement;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 7 shows the process for creating an advertisement;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 8 shows the process for uploading an advertisement and distributing it to the network of electronic billboards;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 9 shows a user/registration database;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 10 shows an electronic billboard database;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 11 shows an information bearing cartridge;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 12 shows an information bearing storage medium for the microcode used in processing the activity of the electronic billboard management system;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 13 shows an information bearing semiconductor chip;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 14 shows a commerce sales database;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 15 shows a products sales database;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 16 shows perspective view of a changeable display of alphanumeric characters on a flexible sheet of plastic transistors;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 17 shows a sectional view of a changeable display of alphanumeric characters on a flexible page of plastic transistors;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 18A shows the process of selecting an advertisement to display;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 18B shows the process of selecting an advertisement to display;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 19 shows a product profile table; and  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 20 shows a customer purchase record. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0039]    Referring to the Figures by characters of reference, FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the integrated system  10  for gathering commerce information and distributing advertising using a global computer network. A series of electronic billboards  200  are electronically connected to a central bus  130 . Each electronic billboard  200  includes a video display  201  and a still image electronic display  202 . In addition, a plurality of electronic cash registers  150  that are made of a keyboard  151  and a computer  152  are also connected to the bus  130 . Keyboard  151  is connected to computer  152  via cable  133 . The electronic cash registers  150  include a credit card reading device that is capable of reading information stored on the magnetic strip of a common credit card. A customer is also provided with a customer purchase card that is a plastic identification card that has a magnetic strip mounted to the back portion of the customer purchase card similar to a common credit card. The magnetic strip stores the customer&#39;s unique shopping identification number. The electronic billboards  200  and cash registers  150  are connected to bus  130  through connections  131  and  132  respectively. The bus  130  connects the cash registers  150  and electronic billboards  200  to a main server  121  through connection  122 . The main server  122  is connected to a global computer network  100  by connection  102 . Connections  131 ,  132 ,  122 , and  102  may be coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, IEEE-1394 fire-wire, or wireless.  
         [0040]    During a sale, the customer will approach the cash registers  150  with the products he or she physically selected from the shopping aisles and wishes to purchase. The customer will then enter his or her customer purchase card into the cash register  150 . The cash registers  150  gathers the sales data from the customer&#39;s product purchases and compiles the sales data into a customer purchase record  2000  shown in FIG. 20. The customer purchase record  2000  is identified by the unique customer identification number contained on the customer purchase card. The customer purchase record  2000  is comprised of a section  2001  that contains the customer identification number and a table  2002  that lists the products purchased by the customer and the dates upon which he or she bought them. The cash registers  150  then transfer this customer purchase record  2000  to the main server  121  through bus  130 . The main server  121  uploads this sales data to a commerce data server  171  that stores all sales data in a customer purchase database. Users that are connected to the global computer network  100  through their own personal computers  110  and modem connections  101  can access a web-site  300 , shown in FIG. 3. Through web-site  300 , the user can access the sales data stored on the commerce data server  171 . In response to this sales information the user can access the advertising server  172 . An upload database and a price database are also maintained on server  171  or  172 . The user can upload advertisements through the global computer network  100  to the advertising server  171 . The advertising server then transmits these advertisements to the main server  121  located at a store  120 , represented by a dashed square. The store  120  encompasses all of the cash registers  150  and billboards  200 . While FIG. 1 only shows one store  120 , the system is intended to function with numerous stores connected to servers  171  and  172  through the global computer network  100 . A web-server computer  173  is connected to servers  171  and  172  through connection  174  to permit access and maintenance on the servers  171  and  172 . Once the advertisement is downloaded to the main server  121 , the main server displays the advertisement pursuant to the process identified in FIGS. 18A and 18B on the electronic billboards  200  through bus  130 .  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a retail store checkout counter  210  that includes an electronic billboard  200 . The electronic billboard  200  is comprised of a hard case  203  that is supported by a post  204 . Post  204  is secured to the check out counter  210 . A video display  201  and a still image display  202  are contained within case  203 . Visual output of the video advertisement is seen on display  201 . Display  201  could preferably be a gas-discharge display, which is commonly known as a plasma display. A gas-discharge display contains neon between a horizontal and vertical set of electrodes. When a vertical and a horizontal electrode are charged, the neon glows at their intersection, emitting light. Display  201  may equally be a cathode ray tube (CRT) commonly used with desktop computers, a liquid crystal display, light emitting diode display, or a flat panel electroluminescent display. That these displays  201  have a touchscreen capability is highly desirable.  
         [0042]    Display  201  may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) commonly used in laptops, cell-phones, fax machines, etc. An LCD display uses organic fluids called liquid crystals, because liquid crystals possess two important properties. First, liquid crystals are transparent but can alter the orientation of polarized light passing through them. Second, the alignment of liquid crystal molecules and their polarization properties can be changed by applying an electric field. Liquid crystals are sandwiched between two glass plates, the outsides of which having been coated with polarizing filters and the inner plate is typically backlit via fluorescent light. Inside these glass plates is a matrix of electrodes. When an element of the matrix, called a pixel, experiences a voltage change, the polarization of the adjacent liquid crystal molecules change, which alters the light transmitted through the LCD pixel and hence seen by the user.  
         [0043]    Display  201  could equally use light emitting diodes (LEDs) which are a semiconductor device that converts electrical energy into light. LEDs work on the principle of electroluminescence and are produce little heat for an amount of light output. Display  201  could be a flat panel electroluminescent display, where a thin phosphor layer is set between vertical and horizontal electrodes. These electrodes form an X-Y Cartesian coordinate system. When a vertical and a horizontal electrode are charged, the phosphor at their intersection emits light.  
         [0044]    The still image alphanumeric advertisement is displayed on display  202 . Display  202  is preferably a changeable display of alphanumeric characters on a flexible page of plastic transistors. FIGS. 16 and 17 show perspective views of the changeable display  1600  of alphanumeric characters on a flexible sheet of plastic transistors  1601 . This changeable display  1600  consists of a liquid ink  1604  that contains millions of tiny spheres  1602  sandwiched between thin layers of electrode-laden material  1601 . Each sphere  1602 , called a microcapsule, carries tiny white pigment chips  1603  suspended in blue fluid  1604 . When an electrical charge  1605  is applied, the chips  1603  either float to the top  1606  to create a white surface, or sink beneath to let the liquid ink  1604  dominate. Liquid ink  1604  is typically a blue dye. Letters and numbers are formed on the display by changing the charge under particular spheres. This changeable display  1600  is commonly referred to as “E INK.” 
         [0045]    Referring again to FIG. 2, the electronic billboard  200  is mounted to the checkout counter  210  where consumers standing in line can view the displays  201  and  202 . The checkout counter  210  includes a conveyor belt  212 , a base  213 , a cash register  150 , and an aisle identifier  214 . The cash register  150  includes a device for reading conventional credit cards and customer purchase cards.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 3 shows architecture menu  300 . Architecture menu  300  comprises login system  302 . If a prospective user is not yet registered, there is registration system  304 . Once the user is registered, the user has access to purchase system  310 , upload system  312 , create ad system  314 , account system  316 , and Commerce Data System  318 . Under the Commerce Data System  318 , further described in FIGS. 14 and 15, the user can view all of the sales data gathered by all of the cash registers  150  located in all of the stores that are connected to the commerce data system  318 . Based upon this sales data, the user can select which stores he or she wishes to advertise in to maintain or increase the sales performance of his or her products. Through the buying, creating, and distributing advertisements through the use of the purchase system  310 , upload system  312 , and create ad system  314 , the user can increase product sales. In the event that a purchaser has not already produced an advertisement to show on a display  201 , the purchaser can create a video or still image advertisement using the create ad system  314 . The create ad system  314  is comprised of a Corel photo-paint or similar software system that produces animated and still drawings. The purchaser can access the account system  316  to examine the financial activity on their account. The purchaser can view how many billboards she has purchased and at what price. The purchaser can also update their contact information such as phone, fax, mailing address, and email address. The purchaser can also update their billing information or credit card information through the account system  316 .  
         [0047]    Login system  302  and registration system  304  are further developed in FIGS. 4 and 5. When a user accesses the website, step  400 , step  402  is used to determine whether the user is already registered. If the user is already registered, the process flows to step  404 , which sends the process to step  500  in FIG. 5.  
         [0048]    However, if the user is not already registered in step  402 , the registration process flows to step  406 , where the user completes an online registration form. The registration process then flows to step  408 , where the input provided by the prospective user is checked. If the input is not valid, due to invalid email address, nonexistent credit card information, etc., step  408  returns to step  406  and the user is again asked to complete the online registration form. However, if the input is verified as valid in step  408 , the registration process flows to step  410  where the system stores the data for future use. Then the registration process flows to step  412 , where the system emails a logon name and password to the user via the email address supplied by the user. Then the registration process ends at step  420 .  
         [0049]    In FIG. 5, the user enters his or her logon and password in step  502 . In step  504 , the system searches the database of users in registration system  304 . From step  504 , the logon process flows to step  506 , where the system checks as to whether the logon and password are valid. If the logon and password are not valid, the logon process flows to step  508 , where the counter of the number of logon attempts is incremented by one, pwtrial=pwtrial+1. In step  510 , the counter pwtrial is compared against a threshold number N1. This threshold number could be set by the system administrator. A suitable value for N1 could be three. If the counter does not exceed this threshold number N1 in step  510 , the logon process flows to step  511 , where the user receives an “Invalid logon and password” message. Then, the process goes back to step  502  for another logon attempt.  
         [0050]    However, if the counter of the number of logon attempts exceeds threshold N1 in step  510 , the logon process flows to step  512  and the account is frozen for security reasons. This is to prevent hackers from causing harm. The logon process flows to step  514 , where a security alert is issued to the system administrator before the logon process “abnormally ends” or abends in step  516 .  
         [0051]    If the user provides a valid logon and password in step  506 , the logon process flows to step  520 , where the counter of the number of logon attempts is reset to zero, pwtrial=0. Then the logon process flows to step  522  where the user is given access to the main menu, which was described in FIG. 3. The logon process flows to step  524 , signifying that the logon process is now complete.  
         [0052]    Once the logon process is completed, FIG. 5, the user may enter the access purchase system process  600  at step  601  of FIG. 6. The purchase process flows to step  602 , where the system gives the user a table of available locations, available time periods or slots, and the prices associated with those locations and time periods. The purchase process then flows to step  604 , where the user specified the desired billboard location and time periods. The purchase process then flows to step  606 , where the purchase process searches the database for the availability of the desired billboard location and time periods. In step  608 , the query is made as to whether the requested location and time is available. If the requested location and time is not available, the purchase process flows to step  616 , where the user is queried if he or she desires to continue with the purchase process. If the user does wish to continue with the purchase process in step  616 , the process flows to step  602 . If the user does not wish to continue with the purchase process in step  616 , the purchase process exits at step  630 .  
         [0053]    If in step  608 , the requested location and time is available, the purchase process flows to step  610 , where the purchase process accesses the price database. Then the purchase process flows to step  612 , where the user is asked whether he or she wishes to purchase the available location and time. If the user answers no, the purchase process flows to step  616 . However, if the user does wish to purchase the location and time, the process flows to step  618  and the user then completes an online purchase form. The purchase process then flows to step  620 , where the user is provided with an upload code, for uploading his or her advertisement. Then, the purchase process flows back to step  616 , where the user is queried whether he or she wishes to continue and possibly make additional purchases.  
         [0054]    In FIG. 7, the user prepares to upload advertising in step  700 . The upload process flows to step  702 , where the user provides the upload code from step  620  of FIG. 6. The upload process flows to step  704 , where the system searches the upload database in an attempt to check the validity of the upload code. If the upload code is correct, the upload process flows to step  720 , where the counter for attempts to enter the upload code is reset to zero, uptrial=0. Then the upload process flows to step  730 , which signifies a jump to step  800  of FIG. 8.  
         [0055]    If the upload code is not correct in step  706 , the logon process flows to step  708 , where the counter of the number of upload code attempts is incremented by one, uptrial=uptrial+1. In step  710 , the counter uptrial is compared against a threshold number N2. This threshold number could be set by the system administrator. A suitable value for N2 could be three. If the counter does not exceed this threshold number N2 in step  710 , the logon process flows to step  718 , where the user receives an “Invalid upload code” message. Then, the process goes back to step  702  for another logon attempt.  
         [0056]    However, if the counter of the number of upload code attempts exceeds threshold N2 in step  710 , the logon process flows to step  712  and the account is frozen for security reasons. This is to prevent hackers from causing harm. The logon process flows to step  714 , where a security alert is issued to the system administrator before the logon process “abnormally ends” or abends in step  716 .  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 8 gives the rest of the upload process, which begins with step  800 , which the user reaches upon correctly entering his or her upload code. The upload process then continues to step  802 , where the system issues a request to the user for the location of the advertisement file for upload. The upload process flows to step  804 , where the user provides the location of the file to be uploaded and the file is uploaded to the system. The file to be uploaded includes a digital video advertisement and a product profile table  1900  shown in FIG. 19. The product profile table  1900  is a listing of products that would indicate that a customer would probably wish to purchase the product that is the subject of the purchased advertisement. The upload process then flows to step  806 , where the system performs a check of the advertisement file, to insure it is in the correct format and compatible with the display technology which will display the file. If the advertisement file is not correct in step  806 , the upload process flows to step  808 , where an “Improper Format” message is displayed to the user. Then the upload process flows from step  808  to step  802  where the user can upload a correct advertising file.  
         [0058]    If the advertising file is in the correct format in step  806 , the upload process flows to step  810 , where the system accesses the communications server. The upload process then flows to step  812 , where the system transmits the advertisement file to one or more electronic billboards  200 . Then upload process then flows to step  814 , where the advertisement file is stored on the electronic billboard server at the desired. The upload process then flows to step  820 , which is the conclusion of the upload process.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 9 shows a user/registration database  900 . Template  900  includes the contact person&#39;s name  901 , mailing address  902 , city  903 , state  904 , country and Zip code  905 , phone number  906 , fax number  907 , email address  908 , and company name  909 , name of contact  910 , username  911 , password  912 , and Internet address  913 . A purchaser seeking to register as a user on the system will provide information for  901 ,  902 ,  903 ,  904 ,  905 ,  906 ,  907 ,  908 ,  909 ,  910 , and  913 . The registration system  304  generates the username  911  and the password  912  and stores them in the table  900 . The registration system emails the username  911  and the password  912  to the purchaser at the email address  908 . Optional agreement with any legal agreements associated with the integrated system is shown at  940 .  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 10 shows an electronic billboard database  1000 . The database  1000  provides a listing of all of the electronic billboards  200  in the network by their billboard number  1001 , the street address of the store  1010 , city  1011 , state  1012 , and zip code  1013 . The purchase system  310  uses the information  1001 ,  1010 ,  1011 ,  1012 , and  1013  to generate a map showing the locations of billboards  200  available for purchase. Section  1014  provides a table of the times and prices of the billboards  200 . The billboards in this table are shown being for sale in four hour blocks of time at 12 am, 4 am, 8 am, 12 pm, 4 pm, and 8 pm. An “X” in a time block indicates that the billboard  200  has already been purchased. A number in the time block indicates the price at which that four hour time block for that billboard  200  can be purchased. If the purchaser buys a block of time, the purchase system  314  writes an “X” in the table for every block of time purchased. While this table is shown dividing the available electronic billboard space into four hour blocks of time, any time increment is possible.  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 14 shows a commerce sales database  1400 . The table  1400  provides a listing  1410  of all of the products  1411  that are designated under the user&#39;s account. A listing  1415  of the total sales revenue  1416  is provided for each product  1411 . A more complete sales data base  1500  is provided under listing  1420  by clicking on the link  1501  entitled “see Data Chart” in the table  1400 .  
         [0062]    The product profile table  1900  provides the listing of products that would indicate that the customer would probably wish to purchase the product that is the subject of the purchased advertisement is shown in FIG. 19. For instance, if the advertisement is for barbecue sauce, the product profile  1900  would include a listing of complimentary products  1904  such as steaks, ribs, hot dogs, ground hamburger meat, hot dog and hamburger buns. If the customer purchased these complimentary products, it is highly probable that the customer would be receptive to seeing an advertisement about barbecue sauce. The product profile table  1900  is comprised of a first column  1901  listing the product that is contained in the advertisement, a second column  1902  listing the upload code for the advertisement, a third column  1903  listing the purchase code for the advertisement, and a fourth column  1904  listing the complimentary products that the customer might purchase. The product profile table  1900  is used by this advertising system to selectively target specific advertisements to specific customers to enhance the ability to sell the product.  
         [0063]    [0063]FIG. 15 shows a product sales database  1500 . The database  1500  provides a listing of total product sales year to date  1510 , the 52 week sales range  1520 , weekly units sold  1530 , daily units sold  1540 , and a sales chart  1550  for toothpaste  1501 . In addition, the database  1500  includes a listing of the stores  1560 , store locations  1561 , sales year to date at each individual store  1562 , 52 week sales range  1563  weekly units sold at each store  1564 , as well as daily units sold at each store  1565 . Through viewing this detailed database  1500 , the user can select which stores  1560  he or she wishes to purchase electronic billboard  200  advertising time at to promote his or her products at retail store checkout counters  210 .  
         [0064]    The process for selectively targeting the display of specific advertisements to specific customers is shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B. The advertising system starts the selecting and displaying advertising routine  1820  at step  1800 . The system remains at an idle stage  1801  until a customer enters his or her customer purchase card. When a customer goes to the cash register  150  to make a purchase, he or she first enters his or her customer purchase card into the cash register  150 . In process  1802 , the system determines if the customer has entered his or her product purchase card. If the customer has entered his or her product purchase card, the process flows to step  1803 . In step  1803 , the system accesses the customer purchase database, which is shown in FIG. 20, that is comprised of all of the customer purchase records  2000  for all of the customers. Customers are identified via customer ID  2001 , which is read from the magnetic strip of the customer&#39;s purchase card. The system then searches to determine if a previous customer purchase record  2000  exists in step  1804 . If a previous record  2000  does not exist, the system flows to step  1805  where a new record is created and proceeds to step  1806 . If a previous record  2000  does exist, the system also proceeds to step  1806 . In step  1806 , the system accesses the product profile records  1900  stored on the electronic billboard server. The system compares the product profiles to the accessed customer purchase record in step  1807 . In step  1808 , the system compiles a table of N products that have product profiles that match the listing of purchases  2002  contained in the customer record  2000 . A counter of count n is set to zero in step  1809 . This counter is used to increment through the table generated in step  1808 . The process then flows to step  1810  and then to step  1811 . At step  1812 , the system determines if a listing exists at the zero location in the table generated by step  1808 . If no such listing exists, the process flows to step  1814  where the system displays an advertisement on the electronic billboard  200  that has a generic product profile  1900 . A generic product profile  1900  is one where the company purchasing the advertisement directed that this ad should be shown to any customer regardless of the customer&#39;s purchase record  2000 .  
         [0065]    If a listing does exist at the n location in the table generated by step  1808 , the system uploads and displays this ad on the electronic billboard  200  in step  1813 . In step  1815 , the customer is asked if he or she wishes to purchase the product. The credit card device included with the cash register  150  includes a “YES” button and a “NO” button where the customer may accept or reject the transaction. Alternately, display  201  may be a touch screen display and the user merely touches “YES” or “NO.” In determining whether to accept the purchase of the product shown in the advertisement in step  1815 , the customer would push either the “YES” or the “NO” button. If the customer selected “YES,” the process flows to step  1816  where the system directs a store employee to get the product so that the customer does not have to get out of line. In addition, the cost of the product is automatically added to the customer&#39;s bill.  
         [0066]    The process the flows to step  1817  after step  1816  or if the customer rejects the option to purchase the product in step  1815 . In step  1817 , the system determines if the customer has completed his or her purchase. If the answer is yes, the process flows to step  1800  where the system goes back into an idle phase in step  1801 . However, if the customer has not completed his or her transaction yet, the process flows to step  1818  where the system increments the counter n and returns to step  1812 . The step  1818  increments down the list of advertisements to show the next advertisement to the customer. However, if the customer has completed his or her transaction and leaves the cash register  150 , the system returns to an idle phase in step  1801  so as not to show advertisements to an empty checkout isle.  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 11 shows a typical floppy disk cartridge  1100  which could be used hold the microcode used in processing the activity of the electronic billboard management system. Floppy disk cartridge  1100  consists of cartridge body  1101  and shutter  1102 . Shutter  1102  has an opening  1103 , so that I/O can be performed on the data on disk inside of the cartridge body  1101 . Cartridge body  1101  has an opening  1104  so that the hub  1105  of the floppy disk can be rotated by a floppy disk drive, for the purposes of I/O.  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 12 shows a typical floppy disk  1200  which would be contained in floppy disk cartridge  1100 . Floppy disk  1200  has an circular outer perimeter  1201 . Data is recorded in circular or spiral tracks  1203  between the inner recording radius  1204  and the outer recording radius  1202 . Hub  1205  is used to rotate the floppy disk  1200  so that I/O can be performed on the data in tracks  1203 .  
         [0069]    [0069]FIG. 13 shows computer chip  1300 . Computer chip  1300  may be a RAM, EPROM, or ASIC chip, etc. The exterior of chip  1300  shows a typically square or rectangular body  1301  with a plurality of electrical connectors  1302  along the perimeter of body  1301 . There is typically an alignment dot  1303  at one corner of chip  1300  to assist with the proper alignment of chip  1300  on a card. Within body  1301 , chip  1300  consists of a number of interconnected electrical elements, such as transistors, resistors, and diodes. These interconnected electrical elements are fabricated on a single chip of silicon crystal or other semiconductor material such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) by use of photolithography. One complete layering-sequence in the photolithography process is to deposit a layer of material on the chip, coat it with photoresist, etch away the photoresist where the deposited material is not desired, remove the undesirable deposited material which is no longer protected by the photoresist, and then remove the photoresist where the deposited material is desired. By many such photolithography layering-sequences, very-large-scale integration (VLSI) can result in tens of thousands of electrical elements on a single chip. Ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI) can result in a hundred thousand electrical elements on a single chip.  
         [0070]    While the invention has been shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood to those skilled in the art, that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.