Personal product locator on store-owned shopping aid

A system for providing a location of products to a customer in a retail environment, said system comprising:

• a product locator unit that is attachable to a shopping aid utilized within said retail environment, said product locator unit comprising:
• an access point for entering a customer ID;
• a storage location for storing a list of customer desired products;
• an infra red (IR) sensor that receives IR signals with digitized product identification information while said product locator unit is within a location in which said IR signal is being broadcasted;
• a program algorithm for deciphering said digitized product identification information and comparing said digitized product identification information with product IDs of said customer desired products for a match;
• and
• means for signaling to said customer that a desired product is within the vicinity of said customer when said program algorithm finds a match;
• and
• means for providing in-shopping product location and coupon redemption services to said customer utilizing said product locator unit, wherein said customer is alerted to the presence of a desired item when that desired item is in the vicinity of said customer.

A computer program product for providing a location of products to a customer in a retail environment, said computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable medium;
• and
• program instructions on said computer readable medium for:
• enabling a product locator unit attached to a shopping aid utilized within said retail environment to identify customer desired products located within a vicinity of the shopping aid, signal that said desired product is located in the vicinity, and remotely redeem electronic coupons for said desired product during checkout by beaming coupon data to a checkout register.

A product locator unit for use within a retail environment, said unit comprising:

• connection means for connecting said unit to a shopping aid utilized within said retail environment;
• an access point for entering a customer ID;
• means for receiving data associated with an electronic list of customer desired products;
• a storage location for storing said electronic list of customer desired products;
• an infra red (IR) sensor that receives IR signals with digitized product identification information while said product locator unit is within a location in which said IR signal is being broadcasted;
• a program algorithm for deciphering said digitized product identification information and comparing said digitized product identification information with product IDs of said customer desired products for a match;
• and
• means for signaling to said customer that a desired product is within the vicinity of said customer when said program algorithm finds a match;
• means for receiving and storing electronic coupon information associated with said desired products;
• means for providing remote electronic redemption of coupons/discounts associated with said desired products during checkout at a checkout register by beaming said coupon/discount information from said product locator unit to said checkout register when said desired product is scanned at said checkout register.