Patent Application
20080154713
There are many devices that dispense coupons to customers at retail establishments. Often these coupons are dispensed in kiosks or stationary displays. In one example, U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2005/0267804, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discusses the use of kiosks in retail centers which are used to dispense coupons. The coupons correspond with the particular establishment and the kiosk offers customers a choice as to the types of coupons they can receive. The coupons are categorized in two groups and the customer can choose a coupon from within a group. In another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2005/0234771, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discusses an intelligent in-store coupon system that tracks a customer and offers a coupon to the customer at the point of sale and/or the point of decision. The coupon delivery system could also be connected to a media broadcasting system. Both of these devices are limited to dispensing coupons. Furthermore, a customer can only request a coupon at the location where the coupon is received.
There are also devices that currently assist a customer in shopping. However, these devices do not dispense information to the customer based on customer requests and purchases. Other systems assist customers in generating shopping lists such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,107,221, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, but do not produce product-related information when the product is purchased.
Therefore, the disclosure contained herein describes methods of resolving one or more of the problems discussed above.
In an embodiment, an information delivery method includes receiving a first token by a first token receiving device at a point of display of a product. The method may associate the token with product-related information, determine whether the product was purchased; retrieve the product-related information if the product was purchasers, and deliver the product-related information at a point of delivery. The point of delivery is distant from the point of display. Optionally, the point of delivery is a point of sale.
In an embodiment, determining whether the product was purchased includes receiving the token at a point of sale by a second token receiving device. The method also may include receiving, by the first token receiving device, a request for the product-related information. The associating may include associating the token with the requested product-related information, and the associating may also include associating the token with additional product-related information other than the requested information.
In an embodiment, the token-receiving device may include an input interface, such as a touch screen, mouse, keypad, optical receiver, or scanner, to receive requests for the product related information.
The token may be a device such as a storage device, card with a radio frequency identification tag, a card with a magnetic strip, or a card with an optical strip. The product-related information may include information such as a recipe, coupon, newsletter, health benefits description, list of complementary product, or instructions.
Optionally, the point of display may be a product display location in a store, and the point of delivery may be a checkout location in the store. Alternatively, the point of display may be a product display location in a store, and the point of delivery may be positioned after a checkout location and before an exit in the store.
Optionally, the method wherein delivering the product-elated information includes e-mailing the product-related information. Alternatively, delivering the product-related information includes printing the product-related information, such as at a print kiosk. Delivering the product-related information may include placing the product-related information on a website with a personalized uniform resource identifier and providing a holder of the token with the personalized uniform resource identifier. The product-related information accessed via the personalized uniform resource identifier may be downloaded and printed.
In another embodiment, a system includes a token; a first token receiving device located at a point of display of a product in a store; a product-related information server which receives a request for product-related information from the first token receiving device and retrieves the product-related information; a second token receiving device located at a point of sale in the store; and an information delivery device that delivers the product-related information at a point of delivery that is positioned at or after the point of sale.
Optionally, the first token reader also includes a product information input mechanism, such as a bar code scanner. The information delivery device may include a printer. The token may store personal identification information corresponding to the user. The first token reader may be associated with a single product or with multiple products.
Before the present methods, systems and materials are described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular methodologies, systems and materials described, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope. For example, as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, the word “comprising” as used herein is intended to mean “including but not limited to.” Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
A token 10 may be associated with a particular customer when it used by that customer. A token may have a unique identification so that the system knows that the token holder is the same throughout the customer's time in the store. In one embodiment, a token 10 may be permanently associated with a customer. For example, a customer may own a store-specific rewards card with a barcode, magnetic strip, or a smart card. In another embodiment, a token 10 may only be associated with the customer for a single or one-time use. For example, a customer may pick up a transmitter and use it as a token when entering the store and drop it off when the customer is finished shopping. Alternatively, a token 10 may have both permanent and single use aspects. For example, a token 10 may be a device that a customer picks up in the store, but that token 10 can be programmed to contain that customer's unique identification. The customer may be using a different token each time, but the identification for that customer may remain the same every time.
A token 10 can be used together with a token receiving device 20 to allow a customer to request product-related information 30. A token receiving device 20 may be a device that can read the information on a token 10. For example, if a token 10 is a card having a magnetic strip, the token receiving device 20 may be a card-reader that reads the data contained on the strip. In one embodiment, the token receiving device 20 may be located at a point of display of a product. As used herein, point of display means a location in a store that is in close proximity to the location at which a particular product is displayed within the store. In one embodiment, a point of display of a product includes a location where a customer can see both a product and a token receiving device. In another embodiment, the point of display includes a location surrounding a product and including, but not limited to, a location where a product and the token receiving device are in arms-length proximity of an ordinary customer. In yet another embodiment, the point of display includes a location of a token receiving device and an associated product on a display case or display shelf, or at the end cap of an aisle or row. For example, a token receiving device 20 may be located next to, or in the vicinity of, a DVD player in an electronic store. If a customer wants to receive product-related information 30 for the DVD player, such as an instruction manual or warranty guide, then the customer may apply the token 10 to the token receiving device 20 at the product's point of display.
When a first token 10 is received by a first token receiving device 20, data obtained from the token 10 may be associated with product-related information 30 through the use of a product-related information server 40. Product-related information 30 may be data about or corresponding to a good for sale. Product-related information 30 obtained may include, but is not limited to coupons, recipes, newsletters, health benefits, accessories, literature, assembly insertions, large print versions of product information, lists or descriptions of related products, or other ancillary information relating to the product at the point of display.
Product-related information 30 may be stored in a product-related information server 40. In one embodiment, the product-related information server 40 may include or contain a database. The product-related information sever 40 may be located at the point of display, at the point of delivery, or another location. In one embodiment, the product-related information sever 40 may be located in a distant location and accessed electronically through a communications network such as the internet by wired and/or wireless communication.
The product-elated information server 40 may be used to obtain the information to associate with a token. As shown in flowchart in
The association between the token 10 and the product-related information 30 may related to a specific product or it may relate to a general category of products. For example, Product A can be tuna fish. The product-related information for Product A, as tuna fish, may include nutritional information for that particular brand of tuna, or it may include more general information such as tuna recipes.
In another example, there may be a token-receiving device 20 near a particular product, such as Product B. For example, Product B can be a bookshelf for sale in a store. If that token-receiving device 20 receives a different or the same token 10 from a customer, the token 10 can be associated with product-related information 30B for Product B. For example, the particular bookshelf can be associated with product-related information 30B such as newsletter, literature, assembly information and related products.
Once the token 10 is received by the token receiving device 20 at the point of display, the association of the token 10 data with the product-related information 30A, 30B and/or 30C can take place in any location. The association may be completed where the product-related information server 40 is located or it may be completed at another location. For example, the association can be completed in a location different from where the product is displayed or where the product-related information 30 is delivered. The information from the token 10 and the product-related information 30 may be associated in a remote location as the information can be received electronically or wirelessly from the point of display. In one embodiment, the customer request may be completed via a communications network such as the Internet.
As shown in
Referring back to
Next, the system will determine if the product was purchased 230. The product may be purchased by a customer at the point of sale. In one embodiment, the point of sale may include the location where a customer purchases the product and uses a second token receiving device to retrieve the product-related information. Alternatively, the point of sale may include the entire area where the product is purchased including, but not limited to, a conveyor belt, sales register and packing area. For example, the token may be a store rewards card that is received by a token receiving device at a checkout area of the store. In one embodiment, the system may identify a product for which the token holder requested product-related information, determine if the product was purchased 230, and if so request 240 the delivery 260 of the specific product-related information. This process is unlike using a credit card to receive a receipt at the point of sale because in this embodiment, the system must determine if the customer previously requested the product-related information. If the information was not previously requested at the point of display, or if the product was not purchased at the point of sale, then the system will not deliver the selected information 235. However, if the customer (i.e., the token user) did purchase the product associated with the request product-related information, then the system can retrieve the specifically chosen product-related information 240 and delivery it to the customer 260.
Similarly, after all the product-related information is associated 220 with the token, the system may determine if the associated product was purchased 245. If the product was not purchased, then nothing will be delivered and the system will finish 250. However, if the customer did buy the product, then the request product-related information for the purchased product may be retrieved 255, optionally along with predetermined product-related information, and the request and/or predetermined product-related information may be delivered to the customer 260.
For example, if inside a store a token receiving device is located near the display case for a food product, a customer can request product-related information, such as recipes, by using a token receiving device. The location of the product and the token receiving device are together to be considered the point of display. If the customer requests specific product-related information on how to cook that food on a grill, only that specific product-related information may be associated with that customer's token. Optionally, other predetermined product-related information, such as a coupon for future purchases of that product, also may be associated with the token. In one embodiment, when the customer goes to the point of sale to make a purchase, the customer may receive the requested and/or predetermined information only if the customer purchase the product. In this embodiment, the token may be used at a second token receiving device at the point of sale to determine if the product was purchased. If the customer purchased the product, the cooking instructions and optional other predetermine information may be retrieved for the customer.
Referring back to
In another embodiment, the product-related information 30 may be delivered via a website with a personalized uniform resource identifier (URI), such as a uniform resource locator (URL) which is printed at the point of sale. For example, the personalized URI could be printed on the cash register receipt or on a separate piece of paper at the point of sale terminal. Alteratively, the personalized URI may be e-mailed to the customer. The customer may then access the product-related information 30 via the URI. The customer may view the product-related information at the URI and download and print the product related information. The customer may download and/or print all of the product-related information 30 or the customer may selectively download and/or print specific product-related information 30.
The information delivery device 50 may have a variety of embodiments. In one embodiment, the information delivery device 50 may be a printer, copier or multifunction printing device. In another embodiment, the delivery may occur by printing the product-related request information at the checkout counter. In a different embodiment, the product-related information may be delivered to one of any number of printers available at a print station. In another embodiment, the information delivery device 50 may be a kiosk having print capabilities. Alternatively, the information delivery device 50 may be a device that delivers the product-related information 30 via the internet to a customer's home computer. In yet another embodiment, the document may be printed in a nearby location for the customer to retrieve, or it may be delivered to the customer by shipping the document to a home or office address.
It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
