Patent ID: 8596524

Claim:
A method of acquiring barcode information at a base station system for use in updating or maintaining a database server controlled by the base station system, the database server comprising a database of item information related to a plurality of base station item identifiers representative of barcode information, wherein the base station system is in communication with one or more item information supplier systems over a communications network; the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving at the base station system from at least one of the plurality of item information supplier systems a plurality of packets of item information, wherein the item information comprises one or more portions of item information associated with a corresponding supplier item identifier; and b) comparing each received supplier item identifier with the plurality of base station item identifiers of the database, and performing the steps of: (i) updating the corresponding item information of the database with the received item information associated with the received supplier item identifier if only one match is found between the received supplier item identifier and the plurality of base station item identifiers; (ii) selecting and updating the base station item identifier and the associated item information in the database that is most relevant to the received terminal item identifier and the associated received item information if a plurality of matches are found between the supplier and base station item identifiers; and (iii) inserting the received item information associated with the received supplier item identifier into the database.