Handheld Scanner for Real-Time Price Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers face difficulties in quickly and efficiently obtaining relevant shopping information and comparing prices across retailers, often due to the overwhelming amount of data available and the inconvenience of accessing shopping tools at the time of purchase.
Innovation Solution
A handheld electronic device equipped with features such as a bar code scanner, camera, and NFC interface, allowing users to identify products, access pricing information, and compare prices across retailers, while also enabling retailers and manufacturers to send targeted advertising to interested consumers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If consumers access multiple shopping tools and sources to compare prices, then they can find better deals, but it requires significant time and effort investment
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically collecting and organizing pricing information from multiple retailers before the consumer needs it. The handheld device pre-fetches product data, compares prices across stores, and prepares shopping lists with optimal pricing information, so when the consumer is ready to shop, all comparative data is already available instantly without requiring manual research
Solution Approach 2:
The handheld electronic device serves as an intermediary between consumers and the complex shopping information ecosystem. It automatically queries multiple retailer databases, processes pricing data, and presents consolidated comparison results, eliminating the need for consumers to manually visit multiple shopping tools while ensuring they receive the best available deals
2Loss of information
If consumers manually search for product information and compare prices, then they can make informed decisions, but the process is slow and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by enabling the handheld device to automatically query retailer databases, retrieve product information, compare prices, and generate shopping recommendations without requiring manual consumer input for each search. The device independently performs all information gathering and analysis tasks, then presents the results to the consumer
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual searching process with automated electronic data retrieval and processing. Instead of consumers manually visiting websites or checking catalogs, the handheld device electronically queries multiple retailer databases simultaneously and automatically processes the returned data for comparison, dramatically increasing information retrieval speed while maintaining completeness
3Ease of operation
If shopping tools are not conveniently accessible at the time of purchase, then consumers cannot compare prices in real-time, but carrying multiple devices or accessing online tools adds complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The handheld electronic device is designed with multi-functionality, serving as a universal shopping tool that combines product identification (via barcode scanner), database querying, price comparison, and shopping list management in a single portable device. This eliminates the need for consumers to carry multiple specialized tools or devices while providing comprehensive shopping assistance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple shopping functions and tools into a single handheld device. It combines barcode scanning capabilities, wireless communication for database access, processing power for real-time price comparison, and display interfaces for presenting results, consolidating what would traditionally require multiple separate tools into one integrated portable system
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for providing shopping-related information to a consumer are provided. Embodiments of the system allow a consumer to create an electronic shopping list by scanning products. In some embodiments, shopping-related information may be obtained for items in the shopping list, such as pricing information, product quality, consumer ratings, and other information that may help a consumer to make an informed purchasing decision. Other embodiments allow a consumer to obtain and compare retail prices offered by several retailers for products in the shopping list. Still other embodiments provide a store-wide network that allows a shopper to scan items in the store, add the scanned items to a shopping list, and then check-out electronically.