Rf-based electronic system and method for automatic cross-marketing promotional offers and check-outs

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing cross-marketing and promotional offers to a customer using an electronic tag product identification system is disclosed. The disclosed technology also allows for presenting promotional offers in an automatic check-out process. RFID smart tags are associated with products in a place of purchase or a place of selection of such products. Each distinct product is associated with at least one smart tag, the smart tags containing identification information regarding their respective products. RFID smart tag readers are used to retrieve product information including information concerning promotional offers, purchase prices and expected product weights. Such promotional offers are presented to the customer and may be real-time promotional offers, near real-time promotional offers or generic promotional offers.

1 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A system, comprising:
 an inventory location configured to hold distinct products wherein at least one distinct product is associated with an electronic tag, and wherein the electronic tag is configured to convey an identification for the distinct product;   a smart cart having a customer-storage area configured to be used by a customer to at least temporarily store products, wherein the smart cart comprises an item evaluator configured to measure a physical parameter of the product if the product is placed in the customer-storage area and to cross reference the measured physical parameter with the product identification to verify that the product corresponds to the product referenced by the product identification;   an electronic tag reading device configured to retrieve the identification from the electronic tag; and   an electronic computing device in communication with the electronic tag reading device and configured to (a) accept, process, store or output the product identity; and (b) use the reading device to retrieve the identification of the product from the electronic tag associated with the product.   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the at least one electronic tag reading device is an RFID STR device configured to receive electronic tag transmissions and to transmit an electronic tag trigger signal upon one of an automated computer request generated by a smart cart computer or a manual request generated by the customer. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the smart cart has associated therewith a computer and the computer is configured to receive real-time cross-marketing promotional offers from a remote computer and present the real-time cross-marketing promotional offers to the customer. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein
 the computer is configured to verify that a total weight of products in the customer-storage area is within a predefined weight-tolerance of an expected total weight of the product.   
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the computer is further configured to communicate with a check-out-computer at a point of sale and wherein the smart cart computer transfers to the check-out-computer at least part of the product information. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein at least one of the computer and the check-out-computer automatically determines a total sales price minus any qualifying cross-marking discounts for the product. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 45  wherein at least one of the computer and the check-out-computer automatically validates a customer check-out by verifying that a total-measured-weight for the product in the customer storage area is within a predefined weight-tolerance of an expected-total-weight for the product. 
     
     
         47 . A smart cart, comprising:
 a customer-storage-area portion of the smart-cart configured to store products at least temporarily, wherein the customer-storage-area comprises an item-evaluator;   an electronic tag reading device configured to retrieve product information from electronic tags associated with products;   a smart cart computer in communication with the electronic tag reading device and configured to retrieve product information from at least one electronic tag associated with a product;   wherein the smart cart computer is in communication with the item-evaluator and is configured to use the item-evaluator to measure a physical parameter of a product placed in the customer-storage area and to compare the measured physical parameter with a known value to verify that the product corresponds to the product identified by the product information.   
     
     
         48 . A method performed by a network enabled smart cart, comprising:
 receiving an indication that a product was placed in a customer storage area of the smart cart;   employing a scale configured in the customer storage area to weigh contents of the customer storage area to determine an actual weight of the product;   causing an electronic tag scanning device associated with the smart cart to receive an electronic tag transmission from an electronic tag associated with the product, the electronic tag transmission providing at least product identification;   communicating the product identification to a computing device connected to the network;   determining based on communications with the computing device that the actual weight of the product is not an expected weight for the product; and   providing to a user of the smart cart an indication that the actual weight of the product is not an expected weight for the product.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising enabling the user to automatically pay for all items stored in the customer storage area to facilitate an automated check out.