Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HELPING
CONSUMERS SELECT POINT-OF-SALE ITEMS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
1o The present invention relates to tools and techniques for assisting
consumers in the
selection of video cassettes, software, books, wines, and other point-of sale
items for
purchase and/or rental. More particularly, the present invention provides hand-
held
devices, and methods for using them, which make reviews and other information
readily
available to individual consumers who are considering an item for purchase or
rental.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Video cassettes, DVD disks, video game cartridges, music CDs and tapes, books
on paper or electronic media, software, and other entertainment modules are
available for
rental at many retail outlets. Many video rental stores, bookstores, software
resellers, and
other retail outlets also sell copies of such entertainment modules, either
with or without
making them available for rental. The '076 application focused on a relatively
narrow
range of entertainment modules, such as movie video cassettes and video games.
But
devices and methods of the '076 application are also readily applied to
videos, books,
software, and other items that facilitate tasks which are sometimes less than
entertaining,
such as books or programs for accounting, tax preparation, word processing,
spreadsheet
management, and other business management and operation tasks. For
convenience, all
these are also referred to as "entertainment modules" regardless of the extent
to which
personal entertainment is their immediate purpose. Entertainment modules share
one or
more characteristics such as the storage media, marketing channels, and/or
production
3o methods used, and they tend to rely on copyright law for protection.
Entertainment modules in turn are examples of point-of sale items. For conveni-
ence, this term refers to a sale but it should be understood that rentals are
included when
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that makes sense. For instance, rented video cassettes are point-of sale
items. Some point-
of sale items which are not entertainment modules but which can nonetheless be
used
beneficially with tools and techniques like those discussed in the '076
application include
wines, cars, power tools, household appliances, motorcycles, guns, computers,
consumer
electronics, bicycles, boats, sporting equipment, fax machines and other
office equipment,
clothing, home or office furniture, and other consumer goods.
Some point-of sale items, such as wine, are available to consumers primarily
or
solely through local retail outlets. But other options are available with
other items. For
instance, some consumers have access to entertainment module content through
cable
1o modems, Internet connections, or other media delivery mechanisms which
transport
content directly to the consumer's home. Consumers may also view movies in a
theater
instead of renting a cassette or DVD. Nonetheless, many people appreciate
being able to
rent or buy entertainment modules and other point-of sale items from a local
store.
Unfortunately, selecting a point-of sale item can pose certain difficulties.
Helpful
recommendations may be sought from friends who have seen the movie or played
the
game or tasted the wine or driven the car under consideration. Consulting
published
reviews by professional or amateur critics can also help. Personnel in the
store may also be
helpful when one seeks recommendations and/or inquires as to the availability
or location
of a particular desired selection. But when published reviews are not readily
available, or
2o available only in an inconvenient format, and store personnel are busy
helping others, the
lack of ready access to information that would assist in making a selection
and/or locating
an instance of a desired selection can be discouraging.
In particular, although consumers often select entertainment modules and other
point-of sale items without independent reviews, better access to reviews
would be
helpfizl. For instance, when a consumer at a retail outlet is considering
renting or buying a
particular video cassette or video game, the primary source of information
about the
potential selection is often the packaging and statements from friends who
have seen the
movie or played the game in question. Likewise, when purchasing software or
wine, the
packaging and comments from a few other people may be relied on heavily.
Packaging can
3o provide helpful information. For instance, video cassette or DVD packaging
may contain
brief statements from well-known (or obscure) critics, a list of actors, the
name of the
director, and a plot summary. But packages rarely if ever reproduce
independent critical
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reviews (articles, guides, reports, etc.) of the type which are published in
newspapers,
magazines, books, and/or web sites.
The additional information and different perspectives provided by independent
reviews can boost revenues. Rental and sales volumes can increase because
consumers
who are on the cusp of a decision can get enough additional information or
confidence
from the review to make the decision to rent or buy. Moreover, even if the
consumer
decides not to rent or buy the particular point-of sale item in question,
ready access to
reviews can encourage the consumer to look at other possible rentals or
purchases while in
the store. To the extent that a consumer rents or buys a point-of sale item
without
1o adequate information, there is also a risk that the consumer will be less
satisfied, and
therefore less likely to rent or buy such items in the future, at least from
the retailer in
question. In short, more information is better, despite the fact that many
consumers make
rental and purchase decisions based on word-of mouth and packaging alone.
However, reviews and other supplemental information are only helpful to the
extent that they are easily accessed by consumers at the time and place where
consumer
decisions are being made. Traditionally, stores have tried to provide
information through
the packaging, knowledgeable salespeople, and occasionally through a newspaper
or
magazine clipping or a reference to a review or an award such as an editor's
choice award.
Some video rental stores provide paperback copies of movie review books. But
all these
2o sources of information can be supplemented using the present invention.
References which mention or discuss various conventional tools and techniques
used by consumers to make rental and purchase decisions about point-of sale
items are
identified and discussed relative to the present invention in a Petition for
Special
Examining Procedure filed concurrently with the present application. To the
extent that the
Petition describes the technical background of the invention as opposed to the
invention
itself, the text of the Petition is incorporated herein by this reference.
This incorporation
by reference does not imply that the claimed invention was previously known.
As a specific example which illustrates the shortcomings of current
approaches,
consider a consumer in a video rental store who is looking for a movie and
carrying a
3o personal copy of a book containing thousands of movie reviews. This
consumer has more
information at hand than most consumers facing a similar decision. But
information is still
not as readily available as it could be.
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For instance, suppose a particular package catches the consumer's eye. The
consumer reads the package, but wants to know more about the movie in
question. The
consumer must then search in hundreds of pages and thousands of reviews to
find out
whether a review of the movie is provided in the book. In some cases, the
reviews are
divided according to category, and the user may have to flip through reviews
in two or
more categories before locating the relevant review. This type of search might
be
conducted several times if several different movies are being considered.
Moreover, if the
consumer wants the perspective of several different reviewers, then the
consumer must lug
several different books of reviews from place to place within the store.
Io As another example, suppose no particular package has caught the consumer's
attention, but the consumer is in the mood for a movie in a certain category
(e.g., Western,
science-fiction, honor, ...) or the consumer has heard that the recent movie
starring a
particular actor is worth considering. How is the consumer to identify the
movie or movies
that fit such constraints? Moreover, once a desired movie is identified, how
is the
1s consumer to determine whether this store has a copy and whether or not that
copy is
available? Conventionally, the consumer searches within shelves of movies that
are
organized alphabetically with a given category, and/or asks a clerk who checks
an
inventory database. If the movie is stored under a different category, or the
clerk is busy
helping other customers, then the consumer faces delays and a lack of
information. Similar
2o problems face consumers who are trying to obtain additional information
about other
point-of sale items.
Accordingly, it would be an advancement in the art to provide improved methods
and devices for helping customers obtain independent reviews of point-of sale
items within
a retail store without requesting assistance from a clerk.
2s It would also be an advancement to provide improved methods and devices for
helping customers determine the location and availability of point-of sale
items within a
retail store without requesting assistance from a clerk.
Such improved methods and devices, and related improvements for helping
customers select point-of sale items, are described and claimed herein.
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BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods, articles, signals, and systems for
facilitating the selection and/or location of point-of sale items such as
entertainment
modules by consumers who are considering renting or buying such items. As used
herein,
the term "entertainment module" includes videocassettes, video disks such as
DVD disks,
video game modules or cartridges, audio cassettes, and other storage media
containing
entertainment or other potentially copyrightable content. The term "point-of
sale item"
includes entertainment modules as well as items which do not traditionally
rely heavily on
copyright law for protection, such as wine, cars, appliances, furniture, power
tools,
1o clothing, jewelry, consumer electronics, and other items.
In one embodiment, the invention includes a hand-held device containing a data-
base, an easy-to-use interface, and a scanner. The database can include
reviews by
professional and/or amateur critics. One illustrative example includes a
database of movie
reviews; reviews of other point-of sale items can be similarly provided and
used with other
is goods. In the case of movie reviews, the reviews may be organized according
to a wide
variety of criteria such as director, actors, year, category, and level of
recommendation.
Wine reviews may be organized according to criteria such as the type of wine,
the year,
and the vintner. Automotive reviews may be organized according to criteria
such as the
make, model, year, type of vehicle, repair history, safety tests, cost, and so
on.
2o The scanner is capable of scanning bar codes, other written encoded data
forms,
and/or printed text, to identify a particular item to the device so that the
device can then
provide information about the item. For instance, the scanner may be used to
read a bar-
code or printed movie title on a box holding a video cassette, a bar-code on a
bottle of
wine, or a bar-code on a window sticker on a vehicle in a dealer's lot.
2s The interface preferably does not require typing. In some embodiments, the
interface includes a few dedicated buttons to assist navigation through the
database. Voice
recognition can also be used. In one embodiment, user selections and/or
comments are
stored on a readily available medium such as a 3 . s inch floppy disk.
More generally, the nature of the interface reflects the functionality of the
device.
3o In one very simple embodiment, the interface is essentially limited to the
scanner and a
display. This embodiment may be limited to receiving the identity of a
particular item
through the scanner and then displaying information about that item. This can
be used, for
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instance, by consumer who picks up a video cassette and wants to know more
about the
movie in question. After the device scans the bar code on the video cassette
box, the
device displays a review or other information about the video in question.
More complex
embodiments also allow a user to search a database using keywords, categories,
numeric
ranges, and/or other constraints. For instance, one embodiment allows the user
who is in
the mood for a comedy or looking for a movie by a particular director to
search a database
of reviews to identify such movies, make a decision, and then query the
store's inventory
system through a wireless connection to determine whether a copy of a
particular movie is
available. Neither the simple nor the more complex embodiment necessarily
requires any
to assistance from a clerk.
In operation, the device thus provides a consumer with ready access to
information
such as the following: reviews regarding a movie or game or bottle of wine or
appliance or
other point-of sale item which is identified to the device using the scanner;
the physical
location of a desired point-of sale item within a particular retail outlet;
the cost, rental
15 term, and related availability information about a desired point-of sale
item; and informa-
tion about other point-of sale items that may be of interest to the consumer.
The device
and a variety of associated methods thereby help customers obtain independent
reviews
and other information about point-of sale items within a retail store without
requesting
assistance from a clerk. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention
will become
2o more fully apparent through the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To illustrate the manner in which the advantages and features of the invention
are
obtained, a more particular description of the invention will be given with
reference to the
25 attached drawings. These drawings only illustrate selected aspects of the
invention and
thus do not limit the invention's scope. In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating conventional methods of selecting point-
of sale
items, from a consumer's point of view.
Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating methods of the present invention for
selecting
3o point-of sale items, again from the consumer's point of view.
Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating conventional methods for helping
consumers
select and purchase point-of sale items, from a merchant's point of view.
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Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating methods of the present invention for
helping
consumers select and purchase point-of sale items, again from the merchant's
point of
mew.
Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a retail location according to the present
invention.
Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a hand-held electronic device of the
present
invention which provides information to help consumers select point-of sale
items.
Figure 7 is a top view of a device according to Figure 6 which provides
scanning
functionality.
to Figure 8 is a scanner-end view of a device according to Figure 6.
Figure 9 is an opposite-end view of the device shown in Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a block diagram side view of a first device according to Figure
6.
Figure 11 is a block diagram side view of a second device according to Figure
6.
Figure 12 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of a device according to
1s Figure 6 which provides scanning and searching functionality.
Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a user interface for a device according to
Figure
6, for embodiments which provide scanning functionality without searching
functionality.
Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating a user interface for devices according to
Figure
6, suitable for embodiments which provide both scanning functionality and
searching
2o functionality and also suitable for embodiments which provide searching
functionality
without scanning functionality.
Figures 15 and 16 are diagrams illustrating scan result signals which may be
embodied in a device according to Figure 6 or another hand-held electronic
device.
Figures 17 and 18 are diagrams illustrating search result signals which may be
25 embodied in a device according to Figure 6 or another hand-held electronic
device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present intention provides consumer methods, merchant methods, retail
systems, hand-held devices, and other tools and techniques for helping
consumers select
3o point-of sale items. In particular, the present invention provides hand-
held electronic
devices and associated methods to make product reviews and other pertinent
information
easily available to a consumer who is making a rental or purchase decision.
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The consumer can read the desired reviews and obtain related information
regarding product location and availability without seeking assistance from a
clerk,
without carrying books or magazines containing reviews, and without carrying
the point-
of sale item over to a scanner station or a computer terminal. Instead, the
inventive device
makes the information available where and when the consumer wants it.
Accordingly, the
device includes a portable output such as a display and/or speakers.
Terminology
Throughout this document, the terms "point-of sale items" and "products" are
1o used interchangeably. Numerous examples are provided, but a common thread
is that
consumers make their rental or purchase decisions about point-of sale
items/products
based on subjective judgments of the type reflected in reviews or
recommendations.
In general, references herein to a "purchase" or "sale" also include rentals
unless
specifically indicated otherwise.
15 "Consumers" include person making purchases for home or business purposes,
and
"consumer goods" includes goods intended for use in a home, school, business,
public
facility, or other location. Consumer goods are not commodities such as bulk
wheat, or
intangibles such as easements (software is considered tangible, even if
delivered
electronically over an Internet connection). Consumer goods are often mass-
produced, but
2o may also be limited edition or one-of a-kind items, such as paintings or
yachts.
"Consumer assistance information" includes information provided to a consumer
(as opposed to an employee or retail owner) about the availability of a point-
of sale item
for purchase (or rental) and/or information about the physical location of a
point-of sale
item at a retail site. In some embodiments, consumer assistance information
includes
25 information about the quality or characteristics of a point-of sale item in
the form of one or
more reviews of the item.
In discussing the invention, "marker" includes bar codes as well as other
written or
printed indicia such as target codes and text that can be optically scanned to
transmit
information to a computer or computerized hand-held device, and related
labeling and
3o scanning technologies. Target codes are square printed codes having encoded
information
around a central target which is defined by concentric circles; target codes
are used on
United Parcel Service labels, for instance. "Marker" also includes magnetic
indicia similar
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to those used on credit cards or checks. "Marker" also includes electronic
identification
technologies such as those used in implantable passive radio transponders.
Such
transponders (and related implantation and scanning technologies) are
conventionally used
with animals, such as race horses. However, transponders may also be used
according to
the present invention with point-of sale items such as cars, boats, paintings,
and the like,
when the additional security provided by an implanted marker is desired.
"Vehicle" includes cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmobiles, boats, planes,
bicycles,
trains, and other mechanical transportation devices or systems.
The term "credit card" is used broadly, to include not only credit cards such
as
1o MasterCard, Visa, or American Express cards, but also bank account debit
cards and
stored-money cards.
"Hand-held" includes "portable", as suggested by the emphasis on making the
hand-held device readily available at the consumer decision point. A computer
workstation
or listening station does not become hand-held even if part of it is held in a
consumer's
15 hand, because it is not easily carned as the consumer moves about.
Likewise, devices with
signal cables or power cables that prevent users from carrying the device
around a store
are not portable, and hence not "hand-held" as that term is used here.
On the other hand, portability alone is not enough to make something a
"device".
Devices are electronic, and include at least a portable display and/or other
portable output
2o such as speakers. A television remote control is not a hand-held device as
contemplated by
the invention because it does not include such a portable output. A portable
tape or CD
player is electronic and includes a portable output, but would not ordinarily
be configured
to provide consumer assistance information as defined herein; it would not be
responsive
to scanner and/or search query input provided by a consumer.
25 Other terms are defined elsewhere herein, expressly and/or implicitly.
Consumer Methods
To better understand the invention, is helpful to understand conventional
alternatives to the invention. For instance, Figure 1 illustrates conventional
methods of
3o selecting point-of sale items, from a consumer's point of view.
Selection of a point-of sale item often begins with a consumer having a
general
idea what is desired, but having not yet selected a specific point-of sale
item. For instance,
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during a category choosing step 100, a consumer who is considering renting or
buying a
video might decide to look for a Western or a horror film. Likewise, a
consumer who is
considering buying some wine might choose white wine, and a consumer who is
considering an appliance purchase might focus on vacuums.
Sometimes a consumer has one or more specific product features in mind. For
instance, during a feature choosing step 102 a consumer might narrow the scope
of
possible products by limiting the movies to those starring a particular actor,
by limiting
power tools to those built by a particular manufacturer, and so on. Whether a
particular
product description is viewed as defining categories under step 100 or
features under step
102 is somewhat arbitrary; both steps are described mainly to make it clear
that a wide
variety of criteria may be used to narrow the products under consideration.
Having chosen one or more characteristics during step 100 and/or step 102, the
consumer may proceed in various ways. Some consumers in some cases will check
product
reviews during a step 104. These reviews may be published in books, in
magazines, in
newspapers, and/or online (e.g., on the Internet or World Wide Web or through
forums in
a commercial service). Reviews may be accessed by an act as simple as opening
a personal
copy of a book of movie reviews, or through more complex activity, such as
traveling to a
library and researching product reviews in past issues of relevant magazines.
During a traveling step 106, the consumer travels to a retail location where
the
2o consumer hopes to find a suitable product. Just as the type of product
involved may vary
widely, so too may the type of retail location. To give a few non-limiting
examples, if the
product in question is a video cassette, then the retail location may be a
nationally
franchised store; if the product is an alcoholic beverage, then the retail
location may be a
liquor store managed and operated by the state; and if the product is a
motorized vehicle,
then the retail location may be a dealer's showroom or lot.
Once the consumer is at a retail location which sells products of the type in
question, the consumer may be able to locate candidate products by virtue of
familiarity
gained from previous visits, by following signs within the store, and/or by
asking a
salesperson during a step 108. For instance, someone looking for a video
suitable for
3o young children might ask the salesperson where the "kids" videos are
located.
During a step 110, the consumer considers packaging or sticker information
provided on or near the candidate product(s). As used here, "packaging" refers
to printed
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materials which are provided with or attached to a product and which provide
information
about the product prior to a purchase of the product. As noted elsewhere,
"purchase"
includes rentals when renting a point-of sale item is an option. Examples of
packaging
includes video cassette boxes, DVD jewel cases, power consumption and
efficiency
stickers on household appliances, and stickers of the type commonly used on
car and truck
windows at a dealership to list prices and options.
During a step 1 l2,the consumer may consider paper reviews such as those found
in
magazines, newspapers, books, or prints made from web pages. For instance, a
consumer
looking for a video to rent might take a book of movie reviews into the video
store and
to consult the book before making a rental decision. Likewise, a consumer who
is looking at
various wines might look at a list from a wine review that was published in a
magazine or
newspaper.
During a step 114, the consumer may ask others for recommendations. For
instance, the consumer might ask whether a salesperson has seen the movie in
question,
15 used the tool in question, or ridden the motorcycle in question. The
consumer might ask
salespeople how they think the consumer would look in a particular piece of
clothing. The
consumer might also ask bystanders, who are themselves considering point-of
sale items
for rental or purchase at the same location. With the ready availability of
cellular phones,
the consumer might also make a phone call to seek a recommendation during step
114
2o from someone who is not physically at the retail location with the
consumer.
Finally, during a step 116 the consumer makes a decision as to whether to
purchase
(or rent) a particular item. The preceding steps were generally directed
toward making this
decision in an informed way which is more likely to keep the consumer
satisfied after a
rental or purchase is made (or not made). Note that the decision point, both
in terms of
25 time and space, is not necessarily made at the so-called "point-of sale" in
the store. That is,
consumers frequently make their decisions about items on the sales floor, not
at the sales
counter where payments are made. An important advantage of the present
invention is the
ability to make information available to consumers where and when the decision
is made,
without requiring the consumer to move somewhere else or wait long for the
information.
3o Like the other flowcharts presented herein, Figure 1 is intended only as an
aid for
understanding. Figure 1 should not be taken as a rigid summary of every aspect
of the
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prior art. The prior art is also described in the Technical Background, in the
Petition for
Special Examining Procedure, and in the references filed with the Petition.
Thus, steps of Figure 1 may be repeated, as when several paper reviews are
checked during instances of step 112 and/or several recommendations are sought
during
instances of 114, before a decision is made in step 116. Steps may also be
omitted, as
when step 108 is omitted because the consumer already knows where to look in
the store.
Either or both of steps 112, 114 may also be omitted before a particular
decision-making
step 116. Moreover, one may exit the flowchart of Figure 1 after any of the
steps 100
through 108, without performing the later steps. Steps may also be reordered
or done
to concurrently, unless one step requires the result of a previous step. For
instance, one might
choose both categories and features (steps 100, 102), or one might seek a
recommendation
while checking a paper review (steps 112, 114). Steps may also be grouped
differently or
renamed. Any or all of these variations may be present regardless of whether
they are
expressly described or shown as optional here.
1s Figure 2 illustrates methods of the present invention for selecting point-
of sale
items. As with Figure 1, the methods are discussed from a consumer's point of
view. Some
steps of Figure 1 also appear in Figure 2, because the present invention is
compatible with
prior approaches. For instance, the category choosing step 100, feature
choosing step 102,
step of checking usual sources 104, and traveling step 106, may all be done in
the same
2o manner as in a conventional approach. Many of the conventional steps used
by consumers
can also be used in the context of the present invention, because the
invention provides
consumers with the option of supplementing their sources of information. Some
consumers
may choose to replace their current sources of information rather than
supplement them,
but this decision is left to the individual consumers.
2s During a step 200 the consumer obtains a configured hand-held device which
can
be used to provide additional information before the consumer makes a rental
or purchase
decision. Suitable hand-held devices are discussed in detail below. Because
the device is
hand-held, it can provide helpful information to consumers at the point where
the decision
is made. The consumer need not move away from the displayed item or carry the
item
3o from its display location to some other location. Also, once operation of
the device is
understood, the consumer need not wait for help from a salesperson in order to
consult the
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device. This makes the device more convenient to the consumer, and from the
retailer's
point of view, promotes consumer satisfaction.
The configured hand-held device may be obtained from a salesperson at the
retail
location, or from a self serve rack holding such devices at the retail
location. Devices may
also be owned by individual consumers, or leased to individual consumers, in
which case
the consumer carries the device to the store, uses it there, and then carnes
it back home
afterward.
During a step 202, the consumer asks the device and/or a salesperson for the
location of particular point-of sale items. With regard to asking a
salesperson, step 202
1o may proceed as during the conventional step 108. However, the device might
also help
consumers locate salespeople through means such as directions shown to the
consumer to
lead the consumer to a sales desk, or a paging mechanism which brings a
salesperson to
the consumer. The salesperson can then answer questions not addressed by the
device.
Alternately, during step 202 the device may display a map or other directions
which lead
15 the consumer directly to a place in the retail location that is likely to
contain the point-of
sale item of interest, without any intervention or assistance from
salespeople.
Having located one or more point-of sale items of interest, the consumer then
considers the packaging or sticker information, in a manner similar to that
under conven-
tional approaches. The consumer may also ask others for recommendations during
a step
20 114, just as in conventional approaches.
During a step 204, the consumer checks one or more information sources. This
may include checking paper reviews and other traditional sources, as was done
during
conventional step 112. However, traditional sources of information about the
quality and
characteristics of items may be supplemented or replaced during step 204 by
using the
25 configured hand-held device as an information source. The device can
provide copies of
reviews digitized from paper media, copies of reviews produced elsewhere in
electronic
media, access to a database of related reviews and information such as cars
having similar
features, or other movies in the same category. The device may also use
various algorithms
to arrive at suggestions based on input such as other movies this consumer has
rented in
3o the past, feedback from the consumer about those movies, and correlations
between
movies seen by this consumer and movies seen by other consumers.
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Finally, during a step 206, the consumer makes a rental or purchase decision.
This
decision resembles the decision made during step 116, but unlike that step,
the present
decision is aided or informed by the consumer's use of the hand-held device.
Merchant Methods
A better understanding of the invention may also be gained by considering
conventional retail methods. Figure 3 illustrates several aspects of point-of
sale item
retailing from a merchant's point of view. As with Figures 1 and 2, Figure 3
is provided as
an aid to understanding and is not intended to be comprehensive. As with the
other
1o Figures, steps in Figure 3 can be omitted, re-ordered, repeated, renamed,
and/or re-
grouped, in a wide variety of ways in which will all, however, makes sense to
those of skill
in the art.
During a stocking step 300, the retailer stocks point-of sale items at a
retail
location. This includes selecting the items, arranging for their purchase or
consignment,
15 arranging shipping and insurance, unloading them, placing them on the
shelves or the
display floor, marking them with stickers for pricing, and so on. These acts
may be done in
various ways and combinations.
During an inventory database maintaining step 302, information about point-of
sale
items is entered in an inventory database. A wide variety of inventory
databases systems
2o and software are commercially available. However, access to these
conventional databases
is normally restricted in at least two ways. First, access is granted only to
employees or
other authorized persons. In many cases, access is not even granted to every
employee, but
is limited to those with specific inventory maintenance or tracking
responsibilities. Second,
database maintenance is often performed at workstations, which may be
scattered about
25 the retail location, but which are generally limited in number and not
placed for the
convenience of retail consumers. In some cases, retail employees with
responsibility for
tracking inventory may have portable devices which are used to build a body of
information that is then downloaded into the main database at a workstation.
The step 302 may include associating bar codes or other markers with point-of
sale
3o items. While using bar codes or other markers to mark and track point-of
sale items is an
optional part of conventional retail methods, such acts are an important part
of the present
invention.
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During a step 304, information and incentives are provided to customers. This
is
done to assist customers in making a selection they will be satisfied with.
Encouraging
consumers to make suitable rentals or purchases ultimately generates revenues
for the
merchant during a step 316. Product information and sales incentives can be
provided to
consumers in some or all of the following ways: through salespeople during
their conver-
sations with consumers in a step 306; through product displays such as row-end
displays
and counter-top displays in a step 308; through text and images on stickers,
boxes, tags,
and other packaging in a step 310; through the arrangement of goods, such as
by placing
candy and snacks next to videos, or placing photography guides next to cameras
in a step
312; and/or through signs, posters, banners, coupon dispensers, and other
advertisements
in a step 314. The advertising step 314 may include advertising on television,
the Internet,
in print media, and other conventional forms of advertising.
If all goes well, revenues are collected during the step 316, expenses
(salaries,
inventory, lease, franchise fees, taxes, and so on) are paid during a step
318, and the
merchant has a good profit left afterward. However, in many industries the
retail sales
business is extremely competitive, and merchants must constantly seek
efficiencies and
new opportunities to stay profitable.
Figure 4 illustrates methods of the present invention for helping merchants
serve
their customers better and thus promote their own business and personal goals.
Some steps
of Figure 3 also appear in Figure 4, because the present invention is
compatible with prior
approaches. For instance, the stocking step 300 and the conventional steps 306
to 314 for
providing consumers with product information and sales incentives may all be
done in the
same manner with the present invention as in a conventional approach. Some of
the acts
needed for database maintenance 302, revenue collection 316, and expense
payment 318
may also be carried forward from conventional approaches into an operation
according to
the invention, namely, acts do not involve use of the novel hand-held device
or
corresponding markers.
However, in maintaining the database during a step 400 a merchant can enter or
update information of the type which is displayed on the novel device or used
by the novel
3o device to identify particular point-of sale items. For instance, the
database can contain
reviews of a given point-of sale item; a numeric or alphanumeric identifier
which connects
the reviews and other related information in the database for the item to the
result of
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scanning a bar-code or other marker on the item; and information about the
price, rental
terms, delivery date, factory options, discounts, and/or other availability
data pertaining to
the item.
By coordinating the hand-held device with the inventory database, a merchant
can
provide information and incentives to customers during a step 402 in one or
both of at
least two novel ways. First, salespeople, displays, advertising, and other
conventional
means can be used to inform the consumer of the availability of the hand-held
device.
Second, during a step 404 information and incentives can be provided directly
to
consumers through the hand-held devices. For instance, the consumer can see
reviews of a
to point-of sale item by scanning the marker on the item to identify the item
to the device and
then reading the review information subsequently displayed on the device.
Information
about specific incentives pertaining to the point-of sale item in question can
also be
displayed on the device, either with the review or without it.
The novel device contributes to a revenue generating step 406 by helping
15 consumers obtain information at the decision point, namely, when and where
the purchase
decision is made during step 206. Step 406 may include generating revenues by
encouraging sales or rentals through the device 510 or with the assistance of
the device
510.
Step 406 may also include collecting revenues by accepting electronic money
2o information through the device 510, thereby supplementing or replacing the
conventional
collection of revenues during step 316 by collecting revenues directly from
the consumer.
For instance, some embodiments of the device include a module which reads a
credit card
or other electronic money card, coordinates the transaction (if necessary)
with a
transaction processing system provided by a bank or other authorized
transaction
25 processing service provider, and then informs the inventory database of the
purchase.
Coordination with an entity outside the store is generally necessary for
credit cards and
debit cards; such coordination is not required with stored-money cards, which
simply
reflect a credit balance stored electronically on the card.
Regardless of the card type involved, as the user subsequently leaves the
store, a
3o scanner at the exit identifies the device through a second transponder or
bar-code scan.
The security system accesses the inventory database, notes that payment has
been made,
and allows the consumer to leave without raising any security alarm. Thus, in
some
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embodiments of the invention consumers can use the device not only to gain
additional
information before making a purchase, but also to actually make the purchase.
As just described, use of the device may significantly reduce the need for
human
sales assistance. This alloys a given salesperson to cover a larger terntory,
in terms of the
type of products covered, the physical area covered, and/or the number of
consumers in
the area for which the salesperson is responsible. Thus, expenses for salary,
training, and
benefits may be reduced. A step 408 may include in identifying the device as
an expense,
but depending on the circumstances, use of the device may reduce other
expenses such as
labor costs during step 306 and/or advertising costs during step 314.
to
Retail Location
Figure 5 illustrates a retail location 500 which is configured according to
the
present invention. One or more point-of sale items 502 are stocked at the
retail location. If
the location 500 includes a store or other building located on a piece of
land, then the
15 point-of sale items 502 may be displayed on shelves or racks. Larger items
502 such as
cars may be placed outdoors in a sales lot when the location 500 includes such
a lot; a
building may also be present but is not always required. Point-of sale items
502 requiring
special environments, such as race horses, purebred dogs, or yachts, can be
placed in
appropriate enclosures and/or confined with appropriate structures such as
fences, stalls,
2o piers, and so on. The retail location 500 may be part or all of a specialty
store, a depart-
ment store, a dealership, a gallery, a yard, a ranch, or another retail sales
location. When
the items 502 are ships, boats, or the like, the location 500 will not
necessarily include any
building or underlying real property. However, it is expected that in each
case a consumer
will be allowed to move about within the location 500, to identify items 502
that may be of
25 interest.
In general, each item 502 will include some form of packaging 504, a marker
506,
and some sort of contents 508. Various types of packaging 504 have already
been
discussed. In some cases, no packaging 504 will be present. For instance,
horses and boats
might be displayed without any attendant packaging. Moreover, use of the
present
3o invention would allow one to do away with packaging 504, since the
information carried
on the packaging 504 can be displayed on a hand-held device 510 once the
marker 506 has
been scanned to identify the particular item 502 to the device 510. The device
510 may be
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a palm-sized computer running the Microsoft Windows CE or 3Com Pal operating
system,
properly configured to provide searching functionality as described and
claimed herein, or
the device 510 may be a similar portable computing device configured to add
scanning
functionality as described and claimed herein.
Reference to the contents 508 broadly denotes the substantive part of the item
502
which would be transferred to the consumer on purchase (or rental). For
instance, the
content 508 of a videocassette includes the entertainment content; the content
508 of a car
includes the wheels, engine, seats, body, and so forth; and the content 508 of
a bottle of
wine would include at least the wine, and perhaps the bottle as well.
1o As discussed in connection with step 200, the hand-held device S 10 is
obtained by
the consumer. The device 510 is configured with software and/or hardware
beyond that
found in combination in conventional tools, to make the device 510 operate as
described
herein. For instance, the consumer uses the device 510 to scan the bar code or
other
marker 506, thereby identifying the item 502 to the device 510 and allowing
the device to
15 provide the consumer with reviews and other information about the item 502.
The device
510 may provide the consumer with controlled access to a database system 512
without
scanning a maker 510, allowing the device 510 to direct the consumer to a
given item 502
or group of items 502 within the retail location 500. For instance, the
consumer might
query the device 510 to find out where sport utility vehicles are located on a
sales lot. In
2o some embodiments, part or all of the database is stored on the device 510;
in others, part
or all is stored on a separate computer which communicates with the device 510
through a
wireless data link.
The database system 512 can be implemented using conventional inventory
database hardware and software, including relational database systems, object-
oriented
25 database systems, replicated database systems, and the like. Coordination
between hand-
held devices) 510 and the database system 512 is discussed at various points
throughout
this document, including without limitation in connection with steps 202, 204,
400, and
406. Tools and techniques are known for synchronization between databases on a
PC or
larger computer and a partial or full replica on a device such as a palm-sized
computer.
3o Such tools and techniques may also be employed to synchronize the database
system 512
and the devices) 510 with reviews, availability, location, and/or purchase
information
concerning items 502.
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Devices Generally
Figure 6 illustrates components that may be found in various embodiments of
the
hand-held device 510. A given component will not necessarily be present in a
given
embodiment. Whether a given component is present depends on whether it is
claimed
expressly, and whether one of skill in the art would understand that it needs
to be present
for the device to operate and hence is claimed inherently.
A scanner 600 includes scanning hardware with corresponding software and/or
firmware, to scan a marker 506 and return an identifier that identifies a
particular point-of
to sale item 502 or a particular group of point-of sale items 502. The exact
nature of the
scanner 600 corresponds to the nature of the markers) 506 being used on items
502 of
interest.
For instance, in a video store, department store, or other indoor location,
bar
codes, printed text in a particular font, and/or target codes may be attached
to point-of
sale items 502. The scanner 600 would accordingly include a bar code scanner,
a scanner
capable of performing optical character recognition, and/or a target code
scanner. The
scanner 600 may include a proximity sensor or respond to a "scan" key in the
interface, to
prevent spurious scanning efforts and activate scanning when it is desired by
the user.
Some retail locations 500 include live animals, works of art, or other point-
of sale
2o items 502 that benefit from the greater security of a radio transponder.
Accordingly, the
scanner 600 provided or used at such locations or with such items may include
an
electronic ID reading system, such as a Destron-Fearing system, which uses a
low power
radio signal to energize a normally passive transponder and read an >D number.
A primary purpose of the device S 10 is to provide consumers with information.
Accordingly, the device 510 includes an output 602. The output 602 often
includes a
visual display such as a liquid crystal display or a display of the type are
commonly used on
palm-sized computers. The display may be configured with sufficient color and
detail to
play video clips, or to present other images in addition to displaying text.
The output 602
may include speakers which provide sounds as output in addition to, or as an
alternative
3o to, providing visual output through a visual display.
The device 510 may provide users with reviews of items 502, as discussed in
connection with the steps 204 and 404, for instance. Accordingly, the device S
10 may
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include a review database manager 604 and a review database 606. The reviews
database
606 may contain digitized reviews of the type available in print and/or
reviews downloaded
from a web site to the site S00 and thence to the device 510 (or downloaded
directly to the
device 510). The database 606 of reviews may be supplemented by a database of
user
comments provided either by the present user, by other consumers who have
availed
themselves of the services of the particular device 510 and/or retail outlet
500 in question,
and/or by amateur reviews which may also be published elsewhere.
The review database 606 may be stored partially or entirely on the device 510,
or
the review database 606 may be provided to the device 510 through a wireless
to communication link which is managed by the review database manager 604. In
one
alternative embodiment, the review database 606 is provided on a removable
disk,
removable memory cartridge, or other removable computer-readable storage
medium, and
the review database manager 604 includes a disk controller and filesystem
software, as
well as database management functions. The review database manager 604 may be
15 configured to accept an item 502 identifier from the scanner 600, and then
use the output
602 to display one or more corresponding reviews from the database 606.
However, in some embodiments the review database manager 604 coordinates with
a search manager 608. The search manager 608 obtains search information from a
consumer through a search user interface 610. For instance, the search user
interface 610
2o might accept keywords, categories, date ranges, price ranges, or other
constraints that
limit the group of point-of sale items 502 to specify those of current
interest to the
consumer. The constraints thus obtained are provided by the search user
interface 610 to
the search manager 608 and hence to the review database manager 604 if the
consumer
wishes to see reviews for one or more items 502 within the restricted group of
items
25 specified by the search.
The search manager 608 may also provide the constraints to an inventory
database
interface 622, which then accesses an inventory database 624 to identify
available items
502 that fall within the group currently of interest to the consumer. The
inventory database
interface 622 and inventory database 624 may be part of the database system
512. Indeed,
3o the review database 606 and/or the other databases shown in Figure 6 may
also be part of
the database system 512. The database 624 might be local and specific to a
single retail
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location 500, or it a might be part of a larger integrated database which
tracks inventory at
dozens or even hundreds of stores nationwide.
In some embodiments, a promotions database manager 614 also provides access to
a promotions database 616. For instance, the promotions database 616 might
contain
video clips or other images, including without limitation previews or
advertisements for a
point-of sale item 502. Video clips stored in the promotions database 616
might be best
stored on the actual device S 10, if the device 510 has adequate capacity, to
avoid band-
width limitations of a wireless communications link.
The promotions database 616 might also contain descriptions of promotions, in
the
to form of database records and corresponding display strings. For instance, a
consumer
might be told through the device S 10 that a particular item 502 is available
for free or at a
reduced price if the consumer also purchases certain other items 502.
The promotions database manager 614 coordinates with the search manager 608
and/or review database manager 604 to make these promotions known to the
consumer
15 during step 404 by displaying them on the display 602 at appropriate times
and in
appropriate formats.
Some embodiments include a recommendations database manager 618 and a
recommendations database 620. Recommendations are distinct from reviews in
that
recommendations do not necessarily describe an item 502 in response to scanner
600
20 output or a user-directed search. Instead, the system 500 uses information
about past
choices to make recommendations to the user through the device S 10. This may
be done in
a relatively simple manner, by pointing the user to a list of choices having
some database
field in common with prior choices, or it may be done in a more sophisticated
manner
based on whether similar items have previously been purchased by consumers who
25 apparently have interests in common with the consumer in question. For
instance, recom-
mendations may be generated using the tools and techniques described in
references such
as U.S. Patent 5,798,785, U.S. Patent No. 5,749,081, U.S. Patent 5,583,763,
and U.S.
Patent 4,996,642. Some devices 510 prompt the user for answers to simple
survey
questions to gather data about movies or other items 502.
3o Those of skill in the art will appreciate that one or more processors 632,
various
types of memory 626, and storage 628, are generally useful in implementing the
functions
of the present invention. Processors 632, memory 626, and/or storage 628 which
are
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necessary to operate the device 510 according to one or more of the functions
described
herein should be understood to be part of the device 510 even if those
functions are not
expressly identified in a given claim.
By way of example and not limitation, processors 632 may be required to
control
the scanner 600 and to coordinate the scanner 600, display 602, interface
buttons 612,
and/or the various managers. Processors 632 may include standard
microprocessors,
custom processors such as digital signal processors to assist video display
actions, digital
signal processors to assist wireless communications with a remote database
such as the
inventory database 624, and/or digital signal processors to assist voice
recognition.
1o Likewise, it will be generally understood that text which is being
displayed, search
constraints, database records, and other structures which are necessary or
useful in
operating the device 510 are generally stored at least in volatile memory 626.
Nonvolatile
storage 628 may also be present when those of skill in the art deem it to be
appropriate.
For instance, long-term storage 628 will typically be a necessary part of the
database
15 system S 12 to hold the inventory database 624.
In addition, the review database 606 might be stored in flash memory, ROM, or
on
a removable storage medium such as a floppy disk or an Iomega Zip disk (mark
of
Iomega) which is carried about by the consumer and hence currently part of the
device
510. When the device 510 stores information such as which movies a given
viewer has
2o recently seen and comments on those movies, steps may be taken to protect
the user's
privacy. For instance, this information may be stored only on the floppy disk,
which is
removed and retained by the consumer upon leaving the retail outlet 500.
Encryption
and/or passwords may also be used.
An anti-theft element 630 may be present in some embodiments of the device
510.
25 The anti-theft element 630 can be implemented in at least three ways. One
approach uses a
general purpose element 630 which is not specific to any particular item, but
which must
be neutralized by a salesperson at the point of purchase in order to prevent
the consumer
from triggering a security alarm when the device S 10 is carried out of the
store. Such
generic anti-theft elements have been, and still are, widely used to prevent
theft of items
30 502. Devices 510 carrying such generic anti-theft elements could be limited
to in-store use,
so that the anti-theft element 630 is never neutralized. Alternatively, such
generic anti-theft
elements 630 could be neutralized to make devices 510 available for leasing or
rental. In
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this case, the device 510 could itself carry a bar-code and be tracked in the
database
system 512.
A second type of anti-theft element 630 is specific to a given item 502 or
class of
items 502. One example is a transponder 506, which could be used with hand-
held devices
S 10 as well as point-of sale items 502. The device S 10 could again be
limited to in-store
use, or it could be available for purchase.
A third approach makes a wireless data link part of the anti-theft element
630. If
the device 510 relies on a limited-range wireless data link, then the device
510 has little use
outside the range of the link, and this deters theft. In particular, a system
500 may include
to devices S 10 that rely on a transmitter whose range does not go
significantly beyond the
retail location.
Some business methods according to the present invention provide favored
customers with their own (possibly personalized) hand-held devices 510, which
they may
remove from the retail location 500 as they wish. Such devices 510 also
optionally identify
1s the consumer at participating other retail locations 500. Such devices 510
optionally
permit the user to build their a personal database of recommendations and keep
track of
which items 502 the user enjoyed and why. These methods encourage customers to
patronize retail locations 500 which are compatible with their personal hand-
held device
510 and/or their personal database.
2o Figure 6 is meant to assist an understanding of the present invention, not
to
summarize every aspect of the invention or even every device 510. The methods,
signals,
systems, and configured storage media of the invention are defined by the
claims, in view
of the entire specification, not merely by Figure 6 and the accompanying text.
Thus, a
given component may be present in more than one form. For instance, the
scanner 600
25 may be present both as a bar-code scanner and as a target code scanner.
As noted, components may also be omitted. For instance, one embodiment accepts
identifiers from the scanner 600 but provides users with no search facilities
608, 610;
buttons 612 may also be omitted from such embodiments. Some embodiments do not
include a recommendations database 620 or recommendations database manager
618.
3o Some embodiments lack any anti-theft component 630.
Moreover, components of the device 510 may be grouped differently or renamed.
For instance, one or more of the databases 606, 616, 620, and 624 may be
combined; one
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or more of the managers 604, 608, 614, and 618 may be combined. The inventory
data
base interface 622 may also be integrated with a manager in some embodiments.
Such
variations may be present in an embodiment of the device 510 regardless of
whether they
are expressly described or shown as optional outside the claims.
Scan-Only Devices
Figure 7 illustrates one embodiment 700 of the device S 10. For convenience,
this
embodiment 700 is called a "scan-only" device because it lacks search
capability. Some
other embodiments of the device S 10 are also scan-only embodiments. In
particular, a
to scan-only device 510 may include interface buttons 612 and corresponding
functionality
other than search functionality. For instance, some scan-only embodiments
include buttons
612 to move between reviews which share a database value (actor, category,
price
range,...) with a review found using only the scanner 600, and some scan-only
embodi-
ments include a button 612 to summon a salesperson. The embodiment 700 shown
is a
15 particularly simple scan-only design which does not require any buttons
612. Likewise, the
scan-only device 700 does not necessarily either contain or omit the
promotions compo-
nents 614, 616, or the recommendations components 618, 620.
The embodiment 700 includes an output in the form of a display 702 and a
scanner
600. The display 702 may be a high-quality back-lit display or another type of
display used
2o in palm-sized computers. A low battery indicator light 704 is shown to
emphasize once
again the fact that Figure 6 is merely an aid to understanding the invention,
not a compre-
hensive summary of all embodiments. Alternative scan-only embodiments or other
embodiments omit the low battery indicator 704 or use an indicator on the
screen 702 to
warn that the device needs to be recharged.
25 To make the embodiment 700 more easily used by consumers, a label 706 with
use
instructions is provided. The contents of the label 706 could also be
displayed on the
display 702, in addition to or as a substitute for the label 706.
In order to build brand awareness during step 404 and associate steps such as
step
200 and step 204 with a particular merchant in the mind of consumers, the
embodiment
30 700 may include one or more merchant trademarks or service marks 708. These
marks 708
may be embossed or provided on printed label. The marks 708 may also be
provided on
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the display 702, in addition to or as a substitute for their presence on the
case of the device
700.
In operation, a consumer considers an item during step 110, scans a marker 506
that is on or very near the item 502, and reviews the resulting information
during step 204.
Internally, the embodiment 700 receives from the scanner 600 an identifier
which identifies
the particular item 502 and/or the group of items 502 to which the particular
item belongs.
The embodiments 700 uses the identifier to do a lookup in the review database
606, and
then displays the corresponding reviews) on the display 702.
For instance, return to the example above of a consumer who would like to
select a
movie to rent. The consumer carries the device 700 around the store 500
instead of
carrying a paper review or no reviews all. When a package catches the
consumer's eye, the
consumer scans the bar code on the package, and the review pops up on the
display 702.
The consumer need not flip through thousands of reviews to find the one that
is currently
of interest.
15 A consumer making a purchase decision regarding some other type of item 502
has
similar advantages. By scanning a tag on a piece of clothing, or a transponder
embedded in
a painting frame, or a bar code on the sticker of a car window, the user has
virtually instant
access to consumer reports other professional and/or amateur reviews of the
item 502. In
some embodiments, the consumer also has virtually instant access to related
information
2o such as pricing, lease terms, and so forth. All of this happens at the
decision pint, namely,
at the time and place the consumer is considering the purchase. Moreover, the
information
can be provided without making the consumer seek help from the sales stab
Device Components
25 Figures 8 through 11 illustrate components of the device 510 in greater
detail.
These components may be present in combinations in scan-only embodiments
(including
those illustrated in Figures 7 and 13), in scan-or-search embodiments
(including those
illustrated in Figures 12 and 14), and in search-only embodiments (including
those
illustrated in Figure I S). Tools and techniques used in connection with
conventional palm-
3o sized computers, portable bar-code scanners, cell phones, digital cameras,
and other
portable electronic devices can be applied in the context of the present
invention to
implement the configured hand-held device 510 as described and claimed herein.
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Figure 8 is an end view of a device 510 which uses a bar-code scanner 600,
showing the scanner's laser and optics 800. Although the Figures show the
scanner 600
located at one end of the device 510, those of skill in the art will
appreciate that the
scanner 600 may also be positioned elsewhere. For instance, in some
embodiments of the
device 510 the scanner is on the bottom side and in others it is located along
one edge. In
embodiments of the device S 10 intended for use only with radio transponder
markers 506,
the position of the scanner 600 within the device 510 is less important,
because the
consumer does not need to capture optical input from the scanner for the
device 510 to
obtain an item identifier corresponding to a given marker 506.
l0 Figure 9 shows an end 900 of the embodiment of the device 510 which is
opposite
from the end shown in Figure 8. Embodiments of the device 510 will generally
be battery-
operated. Some embodiments will use disposable batteries, but others will
include a
rechargeable battery that requires a recharge port 902. As with the scanner
600, different
embodiments may place the recharge port 902 at different locations on the
device 510.
15 Figure 10 is a diagram further illustrating components of embodiments of
the
device S 10. The scanner 600 includes supporting circuitry 1002, which varies
with the
nature of the scanner 600. Appropriate circuitry may include circuits and
firmware for bar-
code scanning, optical character recognition scanning, target code scanning,
and/or radio
transponder scanning.
2o The output 602 includes a display panel 1004 and display circuitry 1006.
Processors 632 and memory 626 are present and configured with suitable
software and
data structures to coordinate information flow between the scanner 600 and the
output
602, including the display panel 1004. The output 602 may also include a
speaker 1008.
A power supply 1010 provides the electric power necessary for the other
illustrated
25 components to operate. The power supply may include a rechargeable battery
connected
to the recharge port 902. The power supply may include features such as an
automatic
power-down after a predetermined period of time passes with the consumer
making no
requests of the device 510.
Figure 11 illustrates alternative embodiments of the device 510. In addition
to
30 components shown in Figure 10, the embodiments illustrated in Figure 11 may
include one
or more of the following: a wireless data link 1100, an input 1102, and a
credit card
module 1104.
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The wireless data link 1100 may be used in various ways. For instance, it can
provide communication between managers and databases. For instance, managers
such as
the database review database manager 604 and search manager 608 could use the
wireless
data link 1100 to communicate with the databases 606, 624 when those databases
reside
partially or entirely outside the device 510.
For instance, communications between the databases and the device S 10 through
a
wireless or other connection can access the inventory database 624 to support
informing
the user through the device 510 whether a given item 502 is available and
informing the
user of the item's cost, rental terms if applicable, and location within the
retail outlet 500.
to In embodiments which allow a user to rent or purchase an item directly
through the device
510 rather than waiting in line to be helped by a salesperson, the inventory
database is
updated accordingly. Access to the inventory database 624 is limited to
prevent
competitors from using the device 510 to obtain copy of relatively large
portion (or all) of
the inventory database 624. The device 510 is intended primarily for customer
use, not as
1s an aid to competitors.
The wireless data link 1100 may also be used to page a salesperson. This may
include global positioning system technology which provides the salesperson
receiving the
page with the position of the paging consumer in the retail location 500.
The wireless data link 1100 may also be used to update the review database
606, to
2o transfer administrative information to a personal computer owned by the
consumer, and/or
to exchange personal reviews or other information with similar devices S 10
and/or with
personal computers.
In embodiments of the device 510 which allow consumers to make a purchase by
entering their credit card information into the device 510, the wireless data
link 1100 can
25 also be used to transmit and receive credit card transactions.
The input 1102 may include buttons 612 or other data input components. In some
embodiments, for instance, the input 1102 includes a microphone and a speech
recognition
module which together accept spoken search constraints and then convey them to
the
search manager 608. Microphones and speech recognition tools and techniques
are well
3o known, and are particularly useful when the set of expected words is
relatively small, e.g.,
"find sedans", "next review", "previous review", and "help"
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The credit card module 1104 includes a credit card reader and associated
circuits
and firmware. The credit card module 1104 reads information from the magnetic
strip on a
credit card so that consumers can make purchases by using the device 510
without any
direct intervention by a salesperson. Credit card reader tools and techniques
of the type
familiar in the art may be used in the credit card module 1104.
Scan-or-Search Devices
Figure 12 illustrates another embodiment 1200 of the device 510. For
convenience,
this embodiment 1200 is called a "scan-or-search" device because it provides
both
1o scanning capability of the type discussed above in connection with Figure 7
and searching
capability, which is discussed in detail below. Some of the other embodiments
of the
device 510 are also scan-or-search embodiments. For example, other scan-or-
search
embodiments of the device 510 omit the credit card module 1104 and/or lack
some or all
of the buttons 612 (using voice commands, a touch screen, or another interface
instead).
15 Most of the elements of the embodiment 1200 are discussed elsewhere or
require
no further details for their implementation. However, some comments on the
buttons 612
specifically, and the input 1102 generally, are in order. The input 1102 is
preferably very
straightforward and easy to use. Navigation through the reviews database 606
and other
features of the device 510 preferably do not require an alphanumeric keyboard,
although
2o some devices 510 may have a keyboard. Instead, interfaces to cellular
telephones may be
used as a source of instructive examples, as may the concept of hyperlinking
which is used
on the World Wide Web. Filters may also be used to promote easy navigation
through the
reviews database. It would not be uncommon for the reviews database 606 to
contain ten
megabytes or more of information, so ease-of use is important.
25 With appropriate software as described below or otherwise available to
those of
skill in the art, the buttons 612 shown provide one convenient user interface
for navigating
through the review database 606 and/or the portion of the inventory database
624 which is
made available to consumers through the device 510. In the discussion of user
interfaces
below, the four buttons 612 which have arrows are referred to as the top,
down, left, and
3o right buttons, respectively. The button with the question mark on it is
referred to as a help
button. The button with the check mark on it is referred to as an enter button
but could
also be called a confirmation or selection button.
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User Interfaces Generally
Figures 13 and 14 illustrate user interfaces for various embodiments of the
device
510. Noting the hardware components such as the display screen 702, processors
632, and
memory 626 already discussed, user interfaces 1300, 1400, and 1402 may be
readily
implemented using the teachings presented here with programming languages
and/or tools
such as 3Com Palm Pilot or Microsoft Windows CE Software Development Kits,
Java,
Pascal, C++, C, Basic, scripts, assembly, firmware, microcode, logic arrays,
PALs, ASICs,
PROMS, and/or other languages, circuits, or tools. Other components identified
herein,
1o such as the managers shown in Figure 6, may likewise be implemented with
commercially
available tools and techniques in view of the teachings presented herein.
The scan-only user interface 1300 includes an item title 1302, an item
description
1304, reviews and/or recommendations regarding items 1306, optional item
promotions
1308, item price and other availability terms 1310, and optional device
diagnostics 1312.
15 In most embodiments, these user interface components are displayed on the
display 702,
but in some cases they may have dedicated outputs 602 elsewhere.
For instance, the low battery indicator light 704 is an example of a
diagnostic 1312
which is not shown on the display 702 in the embodiment illustrated by Figure
7. Another
example of such a diagnostic 1312 is a "data link lost" indicator for use in
embodiments
2o that contain any wireless data link 1100; the indicator would flash on when
the wireless
connection to the device 510 is interrupted.
The specific content of the components 1302 through 1310 depends on what type
of items 502 the device 510 is configured to inform consumers about. For
instance, in a
device S 10 configured for use in a video store 500, the title 1302 could be a
movie title,
25 the description 1304 could be a category such as "science-fiction" or
"drama", and the
reviews 1306 could include reviews written by professional or amateur movie
critics. The
promotions 1308 might include promotions such as "rent two, get one free" or
"rent three
movie, get a beverage and popcorn for 50 cents". The price and terms 13 I O
could include
the cost of the rental, and the date on which the rented video is due back in
the store 500 if
3o it is rented today. Promotions 1308 might also notify consumers of upcoming
releases or
product arnvals. In some embodiments, movie trivia, still images, video clips,
and other
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information related to entertainment modules 502 available through the retail
outlet 500
may be presented to users of a device S 10.
As another example, at an automotive dealership 500 the title 1302 could show
the
make, model, and year of the vehicle in question, the description 1304 could
include a list
of available options, and the reviews 1306 could include independent reports
on safety,
reliability, durability, and resale value. The category names shown in Figure
13 are
somewhat subjective and are used as illustrations only. For instance, at the
automotive
dealership S00 promotions 1308 could include financing information that might
otherwise
be considered part of the price and terms 1310. Likewise, the year might be
considered
1o part of the description 1304 in some implementations rather than part of
the title 1302.
As a practical matter, the scanner 600 may be considered part of the user
interfaces
1300 and 1400, because the information 1302 through 1310 comes up on the
display 702
in response to the user scanning a marker 506 on an item 502.
The buttons 612 can be used with any or all of the interfaces 1300, 1400,
1402. In
a search user interface 610, the buttons 612 can be used to help specify
search constraints
as described below. In scan interfaces, one or more buttons 612 can be used to
navigate
through a review database 606 or an inventory database 624. In particular,
navigational
buttons such as the left, right, up, and/or down buttons could be part of a
scan-only user
interface 1300, to allow the user to scroll within a large amount of
information that does
2o not fit entirely on the display 702 at one time, or to allow the user to go
from a movie
review by one reviewer to another review of the same movie by dii~'erent
reviewer, for
instance.
Figure 14 illustrates a scan-or-search user interface 1400. In addition to
user
interface components illustrated in Figure 13, the user interface 1400
includes the search
interface 610 that allows the consumer to enter constraints and then search
the inventory
database 624, review database 606, and/or another database for records
matching the
constraints.
In most situations where an item 502 is identified to the device 510 by having
the
consumer scan a marker 506, it can be assumed that the item 502 in question is
available
3o for purchase because the marker 506 for the item 502 is present on the
sales floor.
Likewise, it can generally be assumed that the consumer knows the location of
the item
502 in question, because the scanned marker 506 is on or near the item 502.
Exceptions
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include large items 502 which may be stored apart from their markers 506
because the
display space is limited or the items 502 which are too vulnerable if left in
an open display
on the sales floor. But even in these cases, the consumer has done as much as
he or she
can to locate the specific item 502 desired.
However, in other situations a particular item 502 is not identified to the
device
502 by scanning, because the consumer has not yet fully identified and/or
located the
desired item 502. In such a situation, the device 510 may be used to identify
and/or locate
items 502 after the consumer has chosen categories during step 100 and/or
chosen features
during step 102. In short, the consumer wants to identify an item 502 of
interest and/or
to find out whether the item 502 is available. If the item 502 is available,
the consumer wants
to be directed to it.
Accordingly, additional user interface fields are provided. The aforementioned
search interface 610 helps the consumer identify an item 502 of interest by
accepting
constraints such as a keyword or regular expression constraining the title
1404 andlor
keywords, regular expressions, years, and other description constraints 1406.
Database
query interfaces in general are well known, as are interfaces such as Internet
search
engines interfaces, which use keywords and regular expressions. One or more
titles 1302
and corresponding descriptions 1304 may be identified by the database search
and
displayed as search results. Reviews and/or recommendations 1306 corresponding
to the
2o identified titles 1302 and descriptions 1304 may also be identified by the
database search
and displayed as search results.
In addition, an availability field 1408 contains item availability
information, such as
whether the items) 502 identified by the search is in stock. In the case of
rentals, if the
entertainment module or other rented item 502 is not in stock, the
availability 1408 field
may indicate when the rented item 502 is due back in the store 500.
Availability informa-
tion may include an option to reserve a rental copy, and may also inform the
user whether
copies of the desired module 502 are available for outright purchase as well
as rental.
To direct the consumer to the item 502 if it is available, a location field
1410
contains maps, instructions, or other directions that can lead to the consumer
to the
3o position of the desired item or items 502 within the retail location 500.
If the retail location
500 is a franchise, and the desired item 502 is not available at one store,
then the location
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1410 field could also identify one or more other stores within the franchise
system which
do have the desired item 502 currently in stock.
As with other configured storage device 510 components (and with method steps,
configured storage medium components, retail system 500 components, and signal
components shown in Figures 15 and 16), in a particular embodiment of an
interface 1300,
1400 or 1402, various elements may be omitted, repeated, regrouped, and/or re-
ordered,
thereby departing from the illustration but not necessarily departing from the
scope of the
claimed invention.
1o Search User Interface Ezamples
In a particular embodiment of a search interface 1400 or 1402, search
constraints
such as title constraints 1404, description constraints 1406, and/or
constraints on other
database record fields may be specified in various ways. One approach models
the search
interface 610 after conventional search engine interfaces such as Internet
search engine
15 interfaces. Such search engine interfaces have one or more fixed fields
which accept
keywords; in some cases the fields also accept Boolean and/or regular
expressions.
For instance, one might enter the string "scanner and review" in the search
field
and press the enter key. The search engine would then search its database for
records
(relational database records, Web pages, indexed word processor files,...)
which contain
2o both the word "scanner" and the word "review". Boolean expressions built
with operators
like "and", "or", "near", and "not" may be entered explicitly, as in the
preceding example,
or they may be implicit, as when "scanner review patent" is interpreted as
"scanner and
review and patent" by a search engine which uses "and" as the default
operation. Regular
expressions may also be combined with Boolean expressions and keywords, as
when an
25 asterisk is used to indicate a wild-card. For instance "scan*" would match
"scanner",
"scanning," and other words that began with "scan".
The term "fixed field" is not necessarily known in the art, but is used here
to
distinguish conventional search engine interfaces from a novel search
interface that may
also be used in embodiments of the configured device 510. The search field in
an Internet
3o search engine interface is a fixed field because the search field and the
search terms entered
in the field appear in the same position in the interface both before and
after the search
terms are entered. In other words, the search field is a fill-in-the-blank
field.
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Some conventional search engine interfaces provide more than one fixed search
field. For instance, a search engine interface to a database of patents may
provide fixed
search fields for the patent number, inventor name, assignee name, Abstract,
and so on.
Some search engine interfaces accept additional constraints such as date
ranges, or an
indication of which databases or database categories should be searched.
Databases and
database categories are typically specified by check boxes or buttons next to
a predefined
list of database or database category names.
Some Internet search engines use natural language parsing technology, allowing
a
user to enter a sentence in English or another natural language instead of
requiring the user
1o to employ Boolean expressions and/or regular expressions. However, the
search field that
accepts the natural language sentence is still a fixed field.
A distinction may be made between command words and search words. Command
words are directions to the search interface which do not necessarily
correspond to
database content. Command words can be implemented as buttons or with voice
15 recognition when there are few enough of them. Examples of command words
include
"help", "search", "enter", "next", other navigation terms, and operation terms
such as
"and" and "or". By contrast, search words come from a much broader range of
possibilities and correspond to content that could appear in the database
being searched.
Natural language parsing accepts sentences which contain command words and/or
search
2o words. Search words are typically entered by typing them on a keyboard, but
could also be
entered by writing them in an alphabet specifically designed for palm-sized or
portable
computers. Some attempts may also have been made to accept search words
through voice
recognition.
A novel search interface 610 according to the present invention can employ
many
25 of these concepts (keywords, Boolean expressions, regular expressions,
operators, and/or
natural language parsing) and input modes (typing, special hand-written
alphabet, buttons,
speech recognition). Unlike conventional interfaces, however, this novel
search interface
610 is not limited to fixed fields. Instead, the search interface 610 uses a
concept called
"constraint instantiation".
3o Constraint instantiation occurs when a user enters a search constraint in a
search
field and the interface makes a visible copy of the constraint outside the
search field and
blanks the search field again. This presents the user with both the entered
constraint for the
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field and the opportunity to enter another constraint on the same field (or
another field).
Implicit or explicit operators can be used to combine the constraints for a
given field when
more than one constraint for the field has been instantiated.
As an example, assume an embodiment of the search interface 610 in a
particular
device 510 uses constraint instantiation to obtain constraints on a search for
movies in an
inventory database 624 at a video rental store 500. For simplicity, assume
that only three
fields can be searched - category, title, and actor - although more or fewer
search fields
could be used in other embodiments. Before entry of the first constraint, the
display 702
contains something like this:
1o MOVIE CATEGORY
MOVIE TITLE
ACTOR IN MOVIE
No limits have been entered
No movies identified yet
Using navigation buttons, a touch screen, voice commands, or another input
mode,
the user highlights MOVIE CATEGORY, scrolls through available categories, and
selects
"Western". The highlighting could be done by using the up and/or down keys to
move a
highlight until it is over MOVIE CATEGORY and then the scrolling within MOVIE
2o CATEGORY could be done by using the left and/or down keys, replacing MOVIE
CATEGORY with successive category titles displayed at the same screen 702
position.
After instantiation of the "Western" constraint, the screen 702 looks
something like this:
MOVIE CATEGORY
MOVIE TITLE
ACTOR IN MOVIE
Movie must be a Western
1423 movies identified
After similar actions instantiate another constraint, the display 702 looks
like this:
3o MOVIE CATEGORY
MOVIE TITLE
ACTOR IN MOVIE
Movie must be a Western with John Wayne
63 movies have been identified
After two more constraints are instantiated, the display 702 looks like this:
MOVIE CATEGORY
MOVIE TITLE
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ACTOR IN MOVIE
Movie must be a Western with John Wayne, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper
1 movie identified
True Grit, in Westerns on shelf 302, can be rented for 3 days for $2
s
More generally, with constraint instantiation the display 702 has at least
three
regions. A fields region holds one or more search fields which can be
instantiated; in the
example above, the MOVIE CATEGORY, MOVIE TITLE, and ACTOR IN MOVIE
search fields are in a fields region. A constraints region holds zero or more
instantiated
1o constraints; in the most recent example snapshot, the constraints region
holds "Movie must
be a Western with John Wayne, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper". Finally, a
results region
holds search results, such as "True Grit, in Westerns on shelf 302, can be
rented for 3 days
for $2". Note that the example search result includes a title result 1302, a
description
result 1304, as well as associated information about availability 1408,
location 1410, and
15 the price and terms 1310.
Note also that shelves and other item 502 display or storage locations can be
identified by labels, which may include bar codes or other markers, so that
employees can
more easily and accurately update the inventory database 624 when restocking
items. That
is, the employee can scan the item 502, scan the shelf marker, and accordingly
use the
2o device S 10 to inform the database 624 that the item has been placed on the
shelf.
Although a search of a movie inventory database was used in the example above,
other movie-related databases such as review databases 606, and databases
pertaining to
other items 502 can be similarly searched with a novel search interface 610.
Moreover,
databases pertaining to a wide variety of items 502 can be searched using a
search
25 interface 610 which uses fixed fields in a manner analogous to Internet
search engine
interfaces.
Scan Result Signals
Figures 15 and 16 illustrate scan result signals 1500 and 1600. Each of the
scan
3o result signals 1500 and 1600 includes an item identifier 1502, which may be
provided
directly by the scanner 600 after it scans a marker 506, or may be derived
directly from the
marker 506 scan result. The item identifier 1502 identifies a particular point-
of sale item
502 or group of items 502. The item identifier 1502 may be implemented as a
pointer to a
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particular address in memory 626, as an index into a table stored in memory
626 or on
permanent storage 628, as a GUID or similar object identifier, as a handle, or
by other
identification means familiar to those of skill in the programming arts.
The scan result signal 1500 also includes one or more location and/or
availability
indicators 1504. An indicator may be implemented as a text string that is
ready to be
displayed on the screen 702, or it may be implemented as a pointer, index, or
handle which
has such a string associated with it. The content of the string provides the
consumer with
availability and/or location information of the type discussed throughout this
document;
particular examples were discussed in connection with the availability field
1408 and the
location field 1410.
In short, the scan results signal 1500 associates the result of scanner 600
output
with location and/or availability information about the item 502 or items 502
that
correspond to the marker 506 that was scanned by the scanner 600. The scan
results signal
1500 is embodied in the in the memory 626 and/or the storage 628 of a battery-
powered
1010 hand-held device 510. The scan results signal 1500 may also be embodied
in a
wireless communication link to the battery-powered 1010 hand-held device 510
when the
device 510 includes a wireless data link 1100. The scan results signal 1500
may not be
embodied in a non-portable computer system, such as a personal computer or
workstation
intended for use by store S00 employees rather than used by consumers.
However, such
2o conventional systems may include similar signals which are not embodied in
hand-held
battery-powered devices 510 and thus lie outside the scope of the present
invention.
The scan results signal 1600 also includes an item identifier 1502, and
includes one
or more reviews 1602 from a review database 606. Suitable reviews 1602 include
reviews
of the type discussed in connection with step 204, provided that the item
identifier 1502
and the reviews 1602 are all embodied in a system of the type illustrated in
Figure 5. That
is, the item identifier 1502 must be embodied in a configured hand-held device
S 10, and at
least one of the reviews 1602 must be embodied in the output 602 of the same
device 510.
A memory 626 or storage 628 which is configured by the scan result signals
1500
or 1600 may also contain other fields that are closely associated with the
illustrated fields
1502, 1504, 1602. These additional fields may be of the type shown in Figures
13 and 14,
or they may be of a type familiar to those of skill in the art, such as
checksums, padding for
alignment, linked list pointers, and the like. In addition, the fields 1502,
1504, 1602 may be
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implemented by placing them in memory 626 or storage 628 in a different order
than the
order shown, or by creating an association between an item identifier 1502 and
another
field 1504 or 1602 with a pointer or an index instead of placing the item
identifier 1502 in
a memory or storage location next to the location of the field 1504 or 1602.
Search Result Signals
Figures 17 and 18 illustrate search result signals 1700 and 1800. Each of the
search
result signals 1700 and 1800 includes an item identifier 1702, which
identifies a particular
point-of sale item 502 or group of items 502. The item identifier 1702 may be
implemented as a pointer to a particular address in memory 626, as an index
into a table
stored in memory 626 or on permanent storage 628, as a database record number
or offset
or similar database entry identifier, or by other identification means
familiar to those of
skill in the programming arts. The database searched may be an inventory
database 624, a
reviews database 606, or another database of the type shown in Figure 6.
15 The search result signal 1700 also includes one or more location and/or
availability
indicators 1704. An indicator may be implemented as a text string that is
ready to be
displayed on the screen 702, or it may be implemented as a pointer, index, or
database
record number or offset which has such a string associated with it. The
content of the
string provides the consumer with availability and/or location information of
the type
2o discussed throughout this document; particular examples were discussed in
connection
with the availability field 1408 and the location field 1410.
In short, the search results signal 1700 associates the result of a database
search
with location and/or availability information about the item 502 or items 502
that match
constraints specified by the user to guide the search. The search results
signal 1700 is
25 embodied in the in the memory 626 and/or the storage 628 of a battery-
powered 1010
hand-held device 510. The search results signal 1700 may also be embodied in a
wireless
communication link to the battery-powered 1010 hand-held device 510 when the
device
510 includes a wireless data link 1100. The search results signal 1700 may not
be
embodied in a non-portable computer system, such as a personal computer or
workstation
3o intended for use by store 500 employees rather than used by consumers.
However, such
conventional systems may include similar signals which are not embodied in
hand-held
battery-powered devices 510 and thus lie outside the scope of the present
invention.
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The search results signal 1800 also includes an item identifier 1702, and
includes
one or more review and/or recommendation indicators 1802. An indicator 1802
may be
implemented as a text string that is ready to be displayed on the screen 702,
or it may be
implemented as a pointer, index, or handle which has such a string associated
with it. The
content of the string provides the consumer with reviews and/or
recommendations of the
type discussed above; particular examples were discussed in connection with
components
1602, 1306, 620, 606, and with steps 204 and 404. The item identifier 1702 and
the review
and/or recommendation indicators 1802 are all embodied in a system of the type
illustrated
in Figure 5. That is, the item identifier 1702 must be embodied in a
configured hand-held
to device 510, and at least one of the review and/or recommendation indicators
1802 must be
embodied in the output 602 of the same device 510.
A memory 626 or storage 628 which is configured by the search result signals
1700 or 1800 may also contain other fields that are closely associated with
the illustrated
fields 1702, 1704, 1802, as discussed above in connection with the scan result
signals 1500
and 1600. Likewise, the fields 1702, 1704, 1802 may be implemented by placing
them in
memory 626 or storage 628 in a different order than the order shown, or by
creating
associations through pointers or an indexes instead of placing the item
identifier 1702 in a
memory or storage location next to the location of the field 1704 or 1802.
Summary
The present invention provides novel tools and techniques for assisting
consumers
by making information about the quality, availability, location, and
desirability of goods
readily available at the time and place where the consumer is making a
purchase decision.
One embodiment of the invention is a hand-held device S 10 having a display, a
bar-code
scanner, a simple user interface, a port or slot for receiving a floppy disk,
and a built-in
database of movie reviews. In one alternative embodiment, a radio transponder
scanner is
used. In another alternative embodiment, the bar-code scanner is replaced
and/or
supplemented by a text scanner for using optical character recognition to
identify movies
by scanning their titles.
3o The novel devices 510, systems 500, and signals 1500 through 1800 may be
used
commercially in various ways. For instance, the device 510 and its services
may be
provided to consumers by a retail outlet as a courtesy which distinguishes
that outlet from
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competing outlets. In this case, the device 510 is available to consumers only
within the
retail location; it is returned to store personnel upon leaving the store. An
alternative
embodiment of the invention contemplates user ownership of the device S 10, so
that users
can carry the device to a variety of different retail outlets.
The inventory database 624, reviews database 606, and the scanning or
searching
functionality of the device S 10 may be coordinated to provide consumers with
controlled
access to the proprietary and current information of the particular retail
outlet system 500
in various ways. For instance, a user who likes what is said in a particular
review displayed
on the device may query the device to learn whether the movie or game reviewed
is
1o currently available in this store, and if so, where it is located in the
store.
As another example, a user who is intrigued by a package or display for a
given
entertainment module can query the device 510 to learn more about that module,
through
access to one or more reviews of the module and/or availability/location
information such
as that just described. In one approach, the user identifies the module of
interest to the
15 device using the scanner 600. The device 510 uses the information obtained
from the
scanner to identify the entertainment module 502, obtaining confirmation from
the user if
there is some doubt about which module is desired. The device 510 then
provides the user
with reviews, availability, and/or location information regarding the
entertainment module
502 in question.
2o Articles of manufacture within the scope of the present invention include a
computer-readable program storage medium in combination with the specific
physical
configuration of a substrate of the program storage medium. The substrate
configuration
represents data and instructions which cause the computers to operate in a
specific and
predefined manner as described herein. Suitable storage devices include floppy
disks, hard
25 disks, tape, CD-ROMs, RAM, and other media readable by one or more of the
computers.
Each such medium tangibly embodies a program, functions, and/or instructions
that are
executable by the machines to perform scanning and/or searching steps in a
device 510
and/or system 500 substantially as described herein. Signals 1500 through 1800
may also
be embodied in such articles of manufacture, subject to the description of
those signals
3o provided above.
Although particular methods and signal formats embodying the present invention
are expressly illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that
system, device,
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and configured program storage medium embodiments may be formed according to
the
signals and methods of the present invention. Unless otherwise expressly
indicted, the
descriptions herein of methods and signals of the present invention therefore
extend to
corresponding systems, devices, and configured storage media, and the
descriptions of
systems, devices, and program storage media of the present invention extend
likewise to
corresponding methods and signals.
As used herein, terms such as "a" and "the" and designations such as "device",
"review", and "step" are inclusive of one or more of the indicated element. In
particular, in
the claims a reference to an element means at least one such element is
required. When
1o exactly one element is intended, this document will state that requirement
expressly.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from
its
essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in
all respects
only as illustrative and not restrictive. Headings are for convenience only.
The scope of the
invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the
foregoing
description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of
equivalency of the
claims are to be embraced within their scope.
What is claimed and desired to be secured by patent is:
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