Patent Application
20090061929
The internet has expanded the availability of marketing information available to a consumer. Available from the internet there are databases and services that allow the user to obtain information on products. The information includes information on pricing, product reviews, similar products and so on. This is all readily accessible to anyone with a computer and an internet connection.
However, many consumers still or additionally want to physically visit a store where they can physically examine and/or try out a product before making a purchase. At the store, however, most consumers do not have a convenient way to obtain product information from the internet. Instead they rely on information provided by product packaging or a salesman, and/or they rely on researched information obtained before of after their visit to a store.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a cell phone is used to access product information. The cell phone obtains a universal product code (UPC) for a product. A product identifier for the product along with a request for information about the product is sent from the cell phone to a remote site. The remote site obtains the requested information. The remote site sends the requested information to the cell phone. The cell phone communicates the requested information to the user.
A camera module 11 represents the circuitry necessary to capture an image. For example, camera module 11 includes lenses, focusing control, shutter control, and an image sensor device. For example, the image sensor device is made up of a linear array or area array of photon-to-electron converters. The photon-to-electron converters are, for example, charged coupled devices (CCDs), complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors or some other type of photon-to-electron converters.
A random access memory (RAM) 16 is used to store image data. Image recognition block 17 is used to recognize the existence of any bar code within an image, to determine the orientation of any recognized bar code, and then to detect the bar code pattern for the purpose of extracting the number represented by the bar code. For example, the number represented by the bar code is converted into a 32-bit word. The 32-bit word is transferred to a data interface block 18.
Data interface block 18 combines the 32-bit word from data interface block 18 with user supplied information to generate a series of commands to be sent through a wireless web connection 19 to a product information website 21 available through internet 20. For example, the user supplied information includes user specified requests for product information. The requests for product information can include, for example, price of the product, identification of merchants selling the product, availability of the product, condition of the product, availability of the product, reviews of the product, features of the product, specifications for the product, information on other products similar to the product, and so on. The user supplied information is obtained from the user through user I/O block 12. When it is impossible or inconvenient for cell phone to scan in a bar code, a user can utilize user I/O block 12 to type in or dictate a universal product code (UPC) for a product about which information is desired.
Central processing unit (CPU) 15 controls and supplements operation of data interface block 18, wireless web connection 19, cell phone circuitry 13, user I/O block 12, camera module 11 and image recognition block 17. Firmware 14 contains programming control information for CPU 15.
In a block 33, cell phone 10 provides product information website 21 with the UPC for the product about which information is desired. Cell phone 10 also provides product information website 21 with one or more commands generated by data interface block 18. The one or more commands include user specified requests for product information. The requests for product information can include, for example one or more of a request for a price comparison, a request for a listing of features, a request for a product review, a request for a list of similar products, and so on.
In a block 34, product information website 21 references one or more databases to obtain the requested product information. For example, the one or more databases may be located internal to product information website 21 and/or may be located external to product information website 21, for example, on other databases accessible by product information website 21 through internet 20.
In a block 35, any requested product information not obtained from the databases accessed in block 34, are accessed from a database located internal to product information website 21.
In a block 36, the requested product information obtained by product information website 21 is returned to cell phone 10. In a block 37, the process is complete. The requested product information is presented to the user of cell phone 10, for example, on a display of cell phone 10 or through an audio presentation made by cell phone 10.
The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary methods and embodiments of the present invention. As will be understood by those familiar with the art, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10997111 | Nov 2004 | US |
| Child | 12268390 | US |
