Mobile-computing-device-securement apparatus and method

1. A shopping system comprising:

a mobile shopping aid sized to support thereon or therewithin one or more items to be purchased at a brick and mortar store;

a holder connected to the mobile shopping aid to assist shopping at the brick and mortar store; and

a security icon coupled to at least one of the holder or the mobile shopping aid;

wherein:

the holder is sized and shaped to hold a mobile computing device;

the holder has a front aperture enabling a customer of the brick and mortar store to use the mobile computing device to view a display screen of the mobile computing device while the mobile computing device is being held by the holder connected to the mobile shopping aid;

the holder has a back aperture enabling a back-facing camera of the mobile computing device to scan one or more barcodes of the one or more items while the mobile computing device is being held by the holder connected to the mobile shopping aid; and

while the mobile computing device is being held by the holder connected to the mobile shopping aid, the back-facing camera of the mobile computing device captures the security icon so that an anti-theft application on the mobile computing device does not generate an alarm.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the mobile computing device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the security icon is positioned on the mobile shopping aid so as to be captured by the back-facing camera of the mobile computing device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the security icon is positioned on the holder so as to be captured by the back-facing camera of the mobile computing device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more security icons are positioned so as to be captured by a front-facing camera of the mobile computing device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the holder comprises an icon support; and

one or more security icons are located on the icon support and positioned so as to be captured by a front-facing camera of the mobile computing device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein, the anti-theft application running on the mobile computing device comprises a user interface to authenticate at least a security code, an access code, or a biometric authorization, entered into the mobile computing device by the customer to activate an alarm protocol.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the anti-theft application is programmed to initiate the alarm protocol and generate the alarm in an event that the back-facing camera of the mobile computing device does not capture the security icon.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the anti-theft application is further programmed to terminate the alarm protocol upon receipt of at least a security code, an access code, or a biometric authorization entered into the mobile computing device by the customer.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the anti-theft application is programmed to initiate the alarm protocol in an event that a front-facing camera of the mobile computing device does not capture the security icon.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile shopping aid comprises one of a shopping basket or a shopping cart.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the front aperture provides the customer an unobstructed view of the display screen.

13. A method comprising:

offering, to a customer at a brick-and-mortar store, a mobile shopping aid sized to support thereon or therewithin one or more items to be purchased;

the offering further comprising offering, to the customer at the brick-and-mortar store, the mobile shopping aid with a holder connected thereto to assist shopping at the brick and mortar store; and

the offering further comprising a security icon coupled to at least one of the holder or the mobile shopping aid, wherein:

the holder is sized and shaped to hold a mobile computing device;

the holder has a front aperture enabling the customer of the brick and mortar store to use the mobile computing device to view a display screen of the mobile computing device while the mobile computing device is being held by the holder connected to the mobile shopping aid;

the holder has a back aperture enabling a back-facing camera of the mobile computing device to scan one or more barcodes of the one or more items while the mobile computing device is being held by the holder connected to the mobile shopping aid; and

while the mobile computing device is being held by the holder connected to the mobile shopping aid, the back-facing camera of the mobile computing device captures the security icon so that an anti-theft application on the mobile computing device does not generate an alarm.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the mobile computing device.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the security icon is positioned so as to be captured by a front-facing camera of the mobile computing device.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the holder comprises an icon support; and

one or more security icons located on the icon support and positioned so as to be captured by a front-facing camera of the mobile computing device.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the anti-theft application running on the mobile computing device comprises a user interface to authenticate at least a security code, an access code, or a biometric authorization, entered into the mobile computing device by the customer to activate an alarm protocol.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the anti-theft application is further programmed to terminate an alarm protocol upon receipt of at least a security code, an access code, or a biometric authorization entered into the mobile computing device by the customer.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the anti-theft application is programmed to initiate an alarm protocol and generate the alarm in an event that the back-facing camera or a front-facing camera of the mobile computing device does not capture the security icon.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mobile shopping aid comprises one of a shopping basket or a shopping cart.