US 8,787,933 B1Granted

Apparatus and method for providing product location information to customers in a store

AssigneeInnovaport LLC

InventorJohn T. Pienkos

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Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing product location information within a store. The system comprises a first user interface fixed within the store and an inventory information unit coupled to the first user interface. The first user interface is configured to receive an input signal from a user related to the identity of a product within the store, to process the input signal and to provide a product inquiry signal in response to the input signal. The first user interface is further configured to receive a location information signal, and to provide an output signal in response to the location information signal. The inventory information unit comprises a database containing product location information and is configured to provide the location information signal to the first user interface after receiving the product inquiry signal from the first user interface.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of providing product location information within a first store, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of devices including a mobile device, wherein the plurality of devices are in communication with one another, wherein at least one of the devices includes at least one user interface, and wherein at least one of the devices includes at least one information storage device,
wherein the at least one information storage device includes both product location information and additional product-related information that includes information regarding at least one of information concerning a quantity of a first product within the store, information concerning a price of the product, information concerning a presence or absence of the product within the store, information concerning a time at which the product should be available at the store if the product is currently absent from the store, and information linking the product with another product in a cross-referential manner, and further information concerning at least one past location inquiry of a customer;
receiving an input signal at least indirectly by way of the at least one user interface;
querying the information storage device to obtain portions of the product location information and the additional product-related information in response to the input signal;
and
providing a product location information signal in response to the input signal, for receipt by the at least one user interface, whereby the at least one user interface is able to provide an output signal based upon the product location information signal,
wherein the output signal provides at least one suggestion to the customer in accordance with one or more preferences of the customer, including location information concerning a location of at least one item of interest to the customer, the one or more preferences being obtained at least in part based upon the further information.

4 more elements

A method of providing information within a first store, the method comprising:

providing a first device configured to communicate with one or more second devices, wherein at least one of the second devices includes a user interface, wherein the first device either includes or is in communication with at least one database, and wherein the at least one database includes both product location information and additional product-related information;
receiving identification information regarding a customer as provided via the user interface;
querying the at least one database to obtain a portion of the product location information and additional product-related information;
and
providing a product-related information signal for receipt by the user interface,
wherein the user interface is able to provide an output signal based upon the product-related information signal that is indicative of at least one location of at least one product within the first store, and
periodically engaging in the communication with the user interface so that the customer is provided with individualized treatment.

4 more elements

A system for providing product location information regarding locations of products within a store to at least one customer within the store, the system comprising:

at least one user interface that is within the store and that is configured to receive input signals from a first customer and provide output signals to the first customer,
wherein the at least one user interface includes at least one memory unit, and wherein the at least one user interface is configured for wireless communication so as to allow the at least one user interface to receive from a database both product location information and additional product-related information that is stored in the at least one memory unit, wherein the at least one user interface is further configured so that, upon receiving at least one of the input signals representative of a product location inquiry from the first customer at the at least one user interface, the at least one user interface obtains at least one portion of the product location information from the at least one memory unit, and subsequently the at least one user interface provides at least one of the output signals as a response to a first of the input signals based upon the at least one portion of the product location information, and wherein the at least one output signal provided by the user interface further includes at least one portion of the additional product-related information, and
wherein the at least one user interface is further configured to provide at least one suggestion or information to the customer suited to the customer based upon a customer profile.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/815,667Filed 14 Mar 2013 · continuation
Priority: 9 Oct 1999
Granted: 22 Jul 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G06Q 30/0639
Electronic shopping [e-shopping]: locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility
G06Q 10/087
Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management: inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling,…
G06Q 10/08774
By inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting: using consumer inventory reporting
G06Q 20/203
Point-of-sale [POS] network systems: inventory monitoring

Family

Application60/158,444Us provisional application · filed 9 Oct 1999
Application09/626,365Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Jul 2000
Application11/707,842Parent of this division · filed 19 Feb 2007
Application12/924,740Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Oct 2010
US 7,819,315 B1Parent of this division
Application12/924,740Parent of this division
US 7,231,380 B1Parent of this continuation
Application11/707,842Parent of this continuation
US 8,775,260 B1Related patent
US 8,787,933 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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