Providing a personalized transactional benefit
View Patent ↗A mobile device is described for providing a personalized transactional benefit at a point of purchase. The mobile device includes a communications module that is configured to retrieve from a network personalized identification information associated with a consumer based on a personalized identifier uniquely associated with the consumer. The mobile device further includes a reader coupled to the communications module. The reader is configured to capture, at the point of purchase, an image representing a product identification indicia. The communications module accesses the network to identify the captured image and to retrieve from the network information associated with the captured image. Finally, the mobile device includes a visual output device coupled to the communications module. The visual output device is configured to visually output the personalized transactional benefit based on the personalized identification information associated with the consumer and the information associated with the captured image. The consumer identity is preferably shielded from a retail establishment where the product identification indicia is captured.
1. A mobile device, comprising:
a communications device configured to send a unique consumer identifier associated with a consumer and an image associated with a product to a server, wherein the image is captured by a reader coupled to the communications device, and to receive personalized identification information associated with the unique consumer identifier and the product information associated with the image from the server; and
a visual output device configured to:
present a menu of a subset of available services based on the product information,
wherein services are user selectable from the subset of available services,
wherein a service selected from the subset of available services provides a personalized transactional benefit based on the personalized identification information.
2. The mobile device of claim 1 , further comprising a storage device coupled to the communications device and configured to locally store the image and the personalized identification information associated with the consumer.
3. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the personalized identification information associated with the consumer is configured to be stored at a plurality of servers and later retrieved there from for determining the personalized transactional benefit.
4. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the reader is a bar code reader.
5. The mobile device of claim 4 , wherein the bar code reader is associated with a cellular phone.
6. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the reader is a camera associated with a cellular phone.
7. The mobile device of claim 6 , wherein the reader is configured to use optical character recognition software and the captured image is a character, mark, printed image, illustration or text.
8. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the captured image comprises a product identification indicia.
9. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein:
the captured image comprises a picture of all or part of a product; and
the communications device is further configured to receive information from the network interface that identifies the product as a whole from the captured image.
10. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the visual output device is further configured to present a comparison of products based on identification of the product as a whole.
11. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein consumer identity is shielded from a retail establishment where the image is captured.
12. The mobile device of claim 1 , the communications device is further configured to:
send information to the server to add a product represented by the captured image to a shopping list, wherein the shopping list is accessible from the visual output device.
13. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein:
the personalized identification information comprises an affinity program associated with the consumer; and
the visual output device is further configured to display information regarding offers from the affinity program for the captured image.
14. A mobile device, comprising:
means for sending a unique consumer identifier associated with a consumer and an image associated with a product to a server, wherein the image is captured by means for reading;
means for receiving personalized identification information associated with the unique consumer identifier and product information associated with the image from the server;
means for presenting a menu of a subset of available services based on the product information,
wherein services are user selectable from the subset of available services presented,
wherein a service selected from the subset of available services provides a personalized transactional benefit based on the personalized identification information.
15. The mobile device of claim 14 , wherein the means for capturing the image includes means for reading a bar code.
16. The mobile device of claim 14 , wherein the means for capturing the image includes means for capturing and identifying characters, marks, printed images, illustrations or text.
17. The mobile device of claim 14 , wherein the means for capturing the image uses an optical character recognition system.
18. The mobile device of claim 14 , wherein the captured image comprises a product identification indicia.
19. The mobile device of claim 14 , further comprising:
means for shielding consumer identity from a retail establishment where the product identification indicia is captured.
20. A method, comprising:
sending a captured image and a unique consumer identifier to a server;
receiving from the server personalized identification information associated with the unique consumer identifier and the product information associated with the captured image;
outputting a menu of only a subset of available services based on the product information,
wherein services are user selectable from the subset of available services presented,
wherein a service selected from the subset of available services provides a personalized transactional benefit based on the personalized identification information.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the personalized identification information is stored on a plurality of servers and further comprising retrieving the personalized identification information from the plurality of servers.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein:
the captured image is captured with a bar code reader associated with a camera; and
the captured image represents a product identification indicia.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein:
the captured image is captured using a camera associated with a cellular phone; and
the captured image represents a product identification.
24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising analyzing the captured image using an optical character recognition system.
25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the captured image comprises a product identification indicia.
26. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
shielding consumer identity from a retail establishment where the product identification indicia is captured.
27. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, execution of which, by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:
sending a captured image and a unique consumer identifier to a server;
receiving from the server personalized identification associated with the unique consumer identifier and product information associated with the captured image; and
visually outputting a menu of only a subset of available services based on the product information,
wherein each service is user selectable from the subset of available services presented,
wherein a service selected from the subset of available services provides a personalized transactional benefit based on the personalized identification information.
28. The article of manufacture of claim 27 , the operations further comprising:
retrieving the personalized identification information from a plurality of servers.
29. The article of manufacture of claim 27 , wherein:
the capturing is performed with a bar code reader associated with a camera; and
the captured image represents a product identification indicia.
30. The article of manufacture of claim 27 , wherein:
the captured image is captured using a camera associated with a cellular phone; and
the captured image represents a product identification indicia.
31. The article of manufacture of claim 27 , the operations further comprising:
analyzing the captured image using an optical character recognition system.
32. The article of manufacture of claim 27 , wherein the captured image comprises a product identification indicia.
33. The article of manufacture of claim 27 , the operations further comprising:
shielding consumer identity from a retail establishment where the product identification indicia is captured.