Personal scanner/computer for displaying shopping lists and scanning barcodes to aid shoppers
US5424524A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 24, 1993 |
| Grant date | Jun 13, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 24, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07G5/00
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A personal bar code scanning device for aiding shoppers in keeping track of their expenditures and speeding the process of check-out and taking advantage of coupons. A microprocessor coupled to a bar code reader, a communication port, an audible feedback device and a touchscreen or light pen and display combination carrys out bar code scanning in a store as a shopper shops. The user selects a shopping list from a collection of one or more shopping lists or creates a new list from a database or by spelling out the items to purchase on a keyboard. The user then downloads the store's current price list by modem or by connecting to the store computer when the store is entered. When the shopper wishes to purchase an item, the personal bar code scanning device is placed adjacent to the bar code on the package of the item and the user presses a button to scan the bar code. The bar code is then imaged by a CCD device, and the pattern of light and dark bars is decoded into an ASCII string which is stored in memory and compared to the current shopping list and the current price list. When a match is found, the display is changed to indicate the item scanned has been put in the basket. The pr…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.