Small store system
View Patent ↗System and methods of use are discloses that default routing of an ID read by an ID reader as part of a purchase transaction in a retail store, to a first computer system (MCS) instead of the POS computer system for the retail store, the first computer system processes the ID, and the POS computer system receives the results of the processing in the form of a IDs recognizable by the POS computer system and for which the POS computer system has associated costs.
1. A device for routing to a point of sale computer product identifications scanned at an identification reader or price lookup identifications used by the point of sale computer to determine price discounts associated with coupons scanned at the identification reader, the device comprising:
an input/output (“I/O”) configured to:
(i) receive identifiers from the identification reader, wherein the identifiers include product identifications or coupon identifications,
(ii) receive product lookup identifications from a marketing computer that returns the product lookup identifications when the identifiers identify coupons, and
(iii) transmit the product identifications or the product lookup identifications to the point of sale computer; and
at least one processor configured to:
receive a first identifier from the identification reader via the I/O;
transmit the first identifier to the marketing computer via the I/O;
determine whether the product lookup identification associated with a price discount is received from the marketing computer, wherein the product lookup identification is received from the marketing computer when the first identifier includes a coupon identification;
cause the product lookup identification to be transmitted to the point of sale computer when the product lookup identification is received from the marketing computer; and
cause the first identifier to be transmitted to the point of sale computer when the product lookup identification is not received from the marketing computer.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the marketing computer determines the price lookup identification based on the first identifier when the first identifier identifies a coupon.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
start a timer after the first identifier is transmitted to the marketing computer; and
determine that the product lookup identification has not been received from the marketing computer after the timer exceeds a predetermined timeout period.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first identifier comprises a product identification, the at least one processor further configured to:
cause the product identification to be transmitted to the point of sale computer.
5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
format the product identification to be compatible with the point of sale computer prior to transmission to the point of sale computer.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the identification reader comprises a Radio Frequency Identification reader.
7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wireless receiver configured to receive the first identifier wirelessly from a consumer device.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first identifier comprises the coupon identification received from the consumer device.
9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the marketing computer.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
filter out the first identifier from transmission to the point of sale computer.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the filtered out first identifier comprises a customer identification.
12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
filter out first identifier based on a type of data encoded within the first identifier.
13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the type of data is encoded in leading digits of the first identifier.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is embedded within a Y cable.
15. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory that stores a plurality of identifiers received from an identification reader during a transaction;
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
cause each of the plurality of identifiers to be transmitted to the marketing computer; and
determine whether each of the plurality of identifiers should be transmitted to the point of sale computer.
16. A method for routing to a point of sale computer product identifications scanned at an identification reader or price lookup identifications used by the point of sale computer to determine price discounts associated with coupons scanned at the identification reader, the method comprising:
receiving, by an input/output (“I/O”), identifiers from the identification reader, wherein the identifiers include product identifications or coupon identifications,
receiving, by the I/O, product lookup identifications from a marketing computer that returns the product lookup identifications when the identifiers identify coupons, and
transmitting, by the I/O, the product identifications or the product lookup identifications to the point of sale computer;
receiving, by at least one processor, a first identifier from the identification reader via the I/O;
transmitting, by the at least one processor, the first identifier to the marketing computer via the I/O;
determining, by the at least one processor, whether the product lookup identification associated with a price discount is received from the marketing computer, wherein the product lookup identification is received from the marketing computer when the first identifier includes a coupon identification;
causing, by the at least one processor, the product lookup identification to be transmitted to the point of sale computer when the product lookup identification is received from the marketing computer; and
causing, by the at least one processor, the first identifier to be transmitted to the point of sale computer when the product lookup identification is not received from the marketing computer.
17. The method of claim 16 ,
wherein the marketing computer determines the price lookup identification based on the first identifier when the first identifier identifies a coupon.
18. The method of claim 16 , the method further comprising:
starting, by the at least one processor, a timer after the first identifier is transmitted to the marketing computer; and
determining, by the at least one processor, that the product lookup identification has not been received from the marketing computer after the timer exceeds a predetermined timeout period.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first identifier comprises a product identification, the method further comprising:
causing, by the at least one processor, the product identification to be transmitted to the point of sale computer.
20. The method of claim 19 , the method further comprising:
formatting, by the at least one processor, the product identification to be compatible with the point of sale computer prior to transmission to the point of sale computer.
21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the identification reader comprises a Radio Frequency Identification reader.
22. The method of claim 16 , the method further comprising:
receiving, by a wireless receiver, the first identifier wirelessly from a consumer device.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the first identifier comprises the coupon identification received from the consumer device.
24. The method of claim 16 , the method further comprising:
wirelessly communicating, by a wireless transceiver, with the marketing computer.
25. The method of claim 16 , the method further comprising:
filtering out, by the at least one processor, the first identifier from transmission to the point of sale computer.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the filtered out first identifier comprises a customer identification.
27. The method of claim 25 , the method further comprising:
filtering out, by the at least one processor, the first identifier based on a type of data encoded within the first identifier.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the type of data is encoded in leading digits of the first identifier.
29. The method of claim 16 , the method further comprising:
storing, in a memory, a plurality of identifiers received from an identification reader during a transaction;
causing, by the at least one processor, each of the plurality of identifiers to be transmitted to the marketing computer; and
determining, by the at least one processor, whether each of the plurality of identifiers should be transmitted to a point of sale computer.