On-demand point-of-sale scanner access
US7389934B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 27, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jun 24, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 15, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q20/4014
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Associating and/or disassociating a mobile point-of-sale scanner device with a particular shopper. Shoppers may be identified, for example, using biometrics or by scanning a loyalty card. As an example of using biometrics, the shopper's fingerprint may be scanned as a trigger of the scanner is activated to scan an item's barcode. The fingerprint is preferably transmitted, along with the scanned barcode, to a server or other device for comparison to previously-stored information. The scanner is then automatically associated with the shopper to whom the fingerprint corresponds. In another embodiment, scanned loyalty card information is preferably transmitted (optionally, along with a scanned barcode), such that the scanner is then automatically associated with the shopper to whom the loyalty card corresponds. Disassociating the scanner from a shopper is preferably triggered using a sensor (such as a light) that forms part of the scanner device, whereby the sensor is activated when the shopper releases the scanner device. A timer may be used to filter out accidental activation of the sensor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.