Appeal 2007-2593
Application 09/859,359
1 Sloane
2 03. Sloane is directed toward providing consumers with discount and
3 other promotional information at the point-of-purchase. Upon entering a
4 retail establishment, the consumer swipes an identification card at the
5 central scanner station and once the consumer is identified, retrieves a
6 portable bar code scanner from a central scanner station. The portable
7 bar code scanner is a self-powered device that is capable of wireless
8 transmission and receiving of data and is in communication with the
9 retailer's computer/controller via the wireless medium at all times
10 (Sloane 2:53 – 3:4).
11 04. As the consumer is shopping through the store and browsing products,
12 the consumer can scan the UPC bar codes (or scan a shelf label having
13 the product UPC bar code) for the products they are interested in
14 purchasing and place them in their shopping cart. As the consumer scans
15 the product bar code, either on the product or the shelf, the portable bar
16 code scanner will identify the product and price, will maintain a running
17 total for purchases, and will alert the consumer when a scanned product
18 is currently being offered with some kind of promotion (e.g., buy 2 and
19 receive 50¢ off). The consumer will then be given the option to accept or
20 reject the product and/or promotion. The portable scanner will also alert
21 the consumer of a product promotion for a competitive product or a
22 related product to the consumer scanned product. The consumer will
23 then have the option to reject the scanned product and then find the
24 promoted competitive or related product. These promotion messages
25 sent to the consumer as a result of scanning a product can possibly
4
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