Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6354492?dq=7493558
Timestamp: 2016-08-28 21:42:16
Document Index: 515870042

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 212', 'art 222', 'art 232', 'art 242', 'art 252', 'art 272', 'art 282', 'art 292']

Patent US6354492 - System and method employing a portable card to configure a store for product ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsDisclosed are systems and methods employing a portable card to configure a commercial system. An exemplary system acts to read from the card at a first location in the store, to process a signal corresponding to a first promotion set stored on the card. The exemplary system also acts to read from the...http://www.google.com/patents/US6354492?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6354492 - System and method employing a portable card to configure a store for product promotionAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6354492 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/301,747Publication dateMar 12, 2002Filing dateApr 29, 1999Priority dateApr 29, 1999Fee statusPaidPublication number09301747, 301747, US 6354492 B1, US 6354492B1, US-B1-6354492, US6354492 B1, US6354492B1InventorsKen R. Powell, Eleanor B. Maxwell, Corey C. SnookOriginal AssigneeSoftcard Systems, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (7), Referenced by (40), Classifications (12), Legal Events (11) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetSystem and method employing a portable card to configure a store for product promotion
US 6354492 B1Abstract
Disclosed are systems and methods employing a portable card to configure a commercial system. An exemplary system acts to read from the card at a first location in the store, to process a signal corresponding to a first promotion set stored on the card. The exemplary system also acts to read from the card at a second location in the store, to process a signal corresponding to a second promotion set stored on the card.
recording the selected first signal, in the interface, the selected first signal corresponding to price information for a product represented by product units adjacent to the interface; detecting, in the interface, the presence of a first card in the plurality of portable cards; sending, responsive to the detecting step, the recorded first signal to the first card. Description
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system and method for deploying product promotion discounts.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Promotion Distribution in the First Preferred Embodiment
FIG. 1 shows a system of product promotion in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. Manufacturer 45 is the Delta Company. The product line of the Delta Company includes Delta Brand Detergent. To stimulate sales, manufacturer 45 instructs promotion manager 50 to distribute discount coupon programs, from time to time.
Promotion manager 50 is located in Athens, Ga. Manager 50 receives instructions from multiple manufacturers, including manufacturers 45 and manufacturer 47. In response to instructions from manufacturers, manager 50 distributes promotion plans to various stores throughout a wide geographic area. Circuitry 51 in manager 50 writes a “flight” of promotion plans onto portable card 80. Manager 50 then sends card 80 to store 62. In this Patent Application, a “flight” is a set of promotions, wherein each promotion in the set comes into effect concurrently and may expire concurrently.
Product Area 120 has boxes of Old World brand pasta 122 contiguously grouped together on multiple shelves. FIG. 6B shows an enlarged view of some of the boxes of pasta 122. Each box of pasta 122 has a common UPC symbol 124, which is a group of parallel lines that encodes a number (0 17031 00005 3) that uniquely identifies Old World pasta. In other words, symbol 124 is different from UPC symbols of units of other products. Each box of pasta 122 also has a common character label 123 that verbally describes the product. Character label 123 is “OLD WORLD PASTA.” Label 123 is different from labels of units of other products.
Product Area 130 has boxes of Lighthouse brand light bulbs 132 grouped together on multiple shelves. FIG. 6C shows an enlarged view of some of the boxes of light bulbs 132. Each box of light bulbs 132 has a common UPC symbol 134, which is a group of parallel lines that encode a number (0 17054 1017 6) that uniquely identifies Lighthouse light bulbs. In other words, symbol 134 is different from UPC symbols of other products. Each box 132 also has a common character label 133 that verbally describes the product. Character label 133 is “LIGHTHOUSE LIGHT BULBS.” Label 133 is different from labels of other products.
FIG. 7C shows interface contacts 2420 in more detail. Interface contacts 2420 are configured in accordance with ISO 7816-2: 1988(E), Identification cards—Integrated circuit (s) cards with contact—Part 2: Dimensions and locations of the contacts, promulgated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and available from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 11 West 42nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10036. According to ISO 7816-2, contact 2421 is assigned to VCC (supply voltage), contact 2422 is assigned to RST (reset signal), contact 2423 is assigned to CLK (clock signal), contact 2424 is reserved for future use, contact 2425 is assigned to GND (ground), contact 2426 is assigned to VPP (programming voltage), contact 2427 is assigned to I/O (data input/output), and contact 2428 is reserved for future use. Card 82 communicates with the shelf units through contact 2427 using a half duplex scheme, meaning that contact 2427 is for communicating data signals either to or from the card.
Checkout Processing in the First Preferred Embodiment
While shopping in store 64, each of customers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 270, 280, and 290 carries his or her respective customer card. Customer 210 carries card 215, customer 220 carries card 225, customer 230 carries card 235, customer 240 carries card 245, customer 250 carries card 255, customer 270 carries card 275, customer 280 carries card 285, and customer 290 carries card 295. Each customer tows a shopping cart to hold selected products. Customer 210 tows cart 212, customer 220 tows cart 222, customer 230 tow cart 232, customer 240 tows cart 242, customer 250 tows cart 252, customer 270 tows cart 272, customer 280 tows cart 282, and customer 290 tows cart 292. Each customer removes one or more desired products from a shelf and places the removed product into her cart.
FIGS. 21A, 21B, 22A and 22B are each a partial view of 64′. Customers 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 270, 280, and 290, 380, 390, 470, 480, and 490 shop in store 64′. Store 64′ has a plurality of product areas, each corresponding to a respective product. Product Area 110 has Delta brand detergent. Product Area 120 has Old World brand pasta. Product Area 130 has Lighthouse brand light bulbs.
Checkout Processing in the Second Preferred Embodiment
During a checkout transaction, if bar code reader 310 sends a bar code for a product to CPU 350, CPU 350 sends a message 3002 to financial computer 40 via network interface 337, and CPU 350 sends the product UPC code to CPU 352 in system 320 via RS232 line 328. When CPU 352 receives a product UPC from CPU 350, CPU 352 adds the product to a basket list for the current customer. CPU 352 compares the received product code to discounts in discount control table 348 using a process represented in FIG. 30.
PRODUCT_COUNT [TABLE—348_INDEX]=PRODUCT_COUNT [TABLE—348_INDEX]+1,
wherein PRODUCT_COUNT is an array and TABLE—348_INDEX is the index of the matching entry in table 348.
Of course the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated above. For example, embodiments of the invention may be practiced with a single CPU having coupon, or other discount, processing integrated with conventional UPC product scanning and price lookup. Further, embodiments of the invention may be practiced without programming the checkout system with a card.
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