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Amazon's Patent-Pending Price Checks

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the prior-arts dept.

theodp writes "On Thursday, the USPTO revealed that Amazon is back at the patent trough, this time for a System and method for obtaining information relating to an item of commerce using a portable imaging device. Sounds an awful lot like ScoutPal, which drew raves from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, doesn't it?"

3 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Sounds like a cool technology by ReformedExCon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I assume it's mostly meant to retrieve data on the current special offers for the particular item. Usually, scanning the barcode will give you price information, even without hitting some "3rd party" database. But if store X has a special on item Y, then it might be worth it to travel across town and buy it from there.

    It seems like the logical evolution of systems like Froogle. Only this one would be much more personal and probably more local, not to mention tied to brick and mortar storefronts rather than online storefronts.

    It does seem awfully like the thing mentioned in the news article for finding used book prices, though. Someone ought to look into that.

    --
    Jesus saved me from my past. He can save you as well.
  2. Re:Another example of the overworked Patent Office by e4g4 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Clearly. Is this not just a barcode scanner with a server connection? DHL, Fedex and UPS all have something like this. As far as I can tell, the only novel thing about this patent is that the "barcode scanner" doesn't have to be a dedicated scanner, just anything with a CCD.

    I agree with darealpat - I wonder how much of the search for "prior art" involves string matching...

    $result = query( "select * from patents where patent_text like '%portable imaging device to capture an image of identifying data%'");
    num_rows($result)==0? issue_patent() : issue_lawsuit();

    --
    The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. - Albert Einstein
  3. Re:Say Cheese! by plover · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Of course now that I hit submit, I read more of the patent itself. It was submitted two years ago, but was issued yesterday.

    Using an "imaging device" on a handheld PDA to comparison shop for prices is sooooo last millenia. We tested several of them for a "comparison shopping" project (going into a competitor's stores with handhelds and comparing their prices against ours.) We found that the other stores tended to kick out people who were running around scanning merchandise.

    Also, plenty of stores have a "no cameras" policy posted right at the entrance. Forethought ... or defense against PRIOR ART?

    --
    John