Symbol Technologies, LLC

Other

Receiptcity.com, Inc.

Penware Systems, Inc.

Eric A Bunn

Llavanya Fernando

Aziz Valliani

Nicholas Williams

Abbas Rafii

Nazim Kareemi

Anandakumar Varatharajah

Kyin Pauk Wong

Siltex Peter Yuen

Ronald L Hensley

Neschae Xavier Fernando

A modular signature and data capture device employs a standardized ISA bus, standardized communication ports, and standardized &#xd7;86 CPU architecture to promote flexibility in using past, present, and future software and accessories. A VGA-caliber backlit LCD is superimposingly combined with a pressure touch pad that is useable with a passive stylus. The LCD displays pen drawn signatures and graphics in real-time, and can display images and data stored in the device, or downloaded from a host system, including advertisements. The LCD can also display menus, device instructions, virtual pressure-sensitive data keys, and control keys. The device includes a built-in a three-stripe magnetic card reader unit. The device accepts PCMCIA-compatible accessories including solid state memory units and smartcards, and is compatible with plug-in accessories including an external PIN keypad entry unit, a fingerprint unit, an omnibus unit including a printer and check processor in addition to a fingerprint unit. Security is provided by DES-encrypting PIN data and/or using Master/Session and/or DUKPT key management, or by using fingerprint token data as a PIN. The invention may be used to conduct paperless transactions in which the merchant is paid in realtime. Further, merchant purchase profiles may be generated on a per-user basis to promote more effective advertising.

Modular signature and data-capture system and point of transaction payment and reward system

Apparatus and methods for virtually presenting a product for purchase by a consumer. The product has one of the following characteristics: vibrations, a mass, a texture, a smell and a temperature. A memory stores a representation of a characteristic of the product. The representation is retrieved on demand from a shopper, and the characteristic reproduced from the retrieved representation for the benefit of the shopper. At the appropriate point&#x2014;say, after the shopper's buying the product&#x2014;the retrieval of the product for the shopper may be initiated. The storing of the characteristic representation may involve storing the representation in a database accessible over an internet. The apparatus may include a memory containing a representation of an approximation of a characteristic of the product for purchase, the characteristic from a set of characteristics including vibrations, a mass, a texture, a smell, and a temperature. The apparatus may also include a simulation sub-system communicatively coupled to the memory and corresponding to the characteristic. That is to say, the sub-system is from a set of simulation sub-systems including a vibratory sub-system for simulating vibrations, a mass-simulation sub-system for simulating mass characteristics, a textural sub-system for simulating a texture, an olfactory sub-system for simulating a smell and a temperature-simulation sub-system for simulating a temperature. Finally, the apparatus may also include a sales sub-system for indicating a desire to purchase the product.

Virtual-product presentation system

Apparatus that assist a shopper during his visit to a merchant store. In one embodiment in the form of a shopping cart, the invention enables a shopper to check himself out of the merchant store. The shopping cart includes a bar-code scanner. The shopping cart rejects non-scanned goods and accepts or rejects scanned goods as directed by the shopper. In another embodiment, the shopping cart includes a web-enabled computer with display. The computer displays product-specific information. The shopping cart computer may detach from the cart&#x2014;with or without its accessories. The shopper can use the same computer at home to browse the web, to prepare for the shopping trip, to do other transactions. The shopper puts goods in a input bin of the shopping cart. One or more scanners attached to the input bin scan the product for identity. The computer retrieves product-specific information and displays this information on its display. On the successful scanning of a product and a display of the product's information, the shopper can accept or reject the product. The product moves into one container in the cart if accepted and moves to a different container in the cart if rejected. On completing shopping, the shopper selects his preferred payment method on the device and pays using the selected method. At the packaging counter, a merchant agent sees a indication that the shopper has paid and, in response, unlocks the cart to remove and pack the goods. Accordingly, the merchant minimally assists in the checkout.

Shopping cart that enables self-checkout

Apparatus for protecting a touch pad against wear, spills and abuse. An apparatus may include a cover for placement over a touch pad and adhesive, adhering to the cover, not adhering to the touch pad and for adhering to a surface surrounding the touch pad. The cover may have upper and lower surfaces. Then the adhesive adheres to the lower surface of the cover. An apparatus may include a touch pad with x and y orthogonal dimensions and at least one edge in each dimension, an overlay above the touch pad and with the touch pad forming a contour, and a plastic-film cover, above and adhering to the overlay, fitting the contour of the touch pad and overlay and covering two edges of the touch pad in each of the x and y dimensions. An edge of the touch pad may be the line at which the touch pad becomes accessible from under any overlying material.

Touch-pad cover protecting against wear, spills and abuse

The present invention provides a PCMCIA-compliant generic laptop computer or personal digital assistant (&ldquo;PDA&rdquo;) device with an add-on module that together with the device forms a portable point of sale transaction terminal. The add-on module is a self-contained unit that includes a magnetic stripe reader or a smartcard reader with a PCMCIA-compatible interface. Optionally, the module also includes any or all of a pinpad unit, a printer unit, a fingerprint unit, a signature capture unit, and a virtual pinpad unit. The module housing includes a protruding snout-like member that includes a PCMCIA connector. This snout-like member on the module housing slides into the PCMCIA slot of the computer, PDA, or similar device to make mechanical and electrical connections. Software storable and executed by the computer or PDA device includes driver definitions and routines to permit the device to read and process information read by the module from the credit or smartcard. The device can communicate, wirelessly, with IR, or via telephone lines, with a remote host system to further process a transaction for which the card is being used. Additional software can also provide encryption, signature capture, and associated other transaction processing and security promoting functions.

PCMCIA-based point of sale transaction system

A modular signature and data capture device employs a standardized ISA bus, standardized communication ports, and standardized x86 CPU architecture to promote flexibility in using past, present, and future software and accessories. A VGA-caliber backlit LCD is superimposingly combined with a pressure touch pad that is useable with a passive stylus. The LCD displays pen drawn signatures and graphics in real-time, and can display images and data stored in the device, or downloaded from a host system, including advertisements. The LCD can also display menus, device instructions, virtual pressure-sensitive data keys, and control keys. The device includes a built-in a three-stripe magnetic card reader unit. The device accepts PCMCIA-compatible accessories including solid state memory units and smartcards, and is compatible with plug-in accessories including an external PIN keypad entry unit, a fingerprint unit, an omnibus unit including a printer and check processor in addition to a fingerprint unit. Security is provided by DES-encrypting PIN data and/or using Master/Session and/or DUKPT key management, or by using fingerprint token data as a PIN. The invention may be used to conduct paperless transactions in which the merchant is paid in realtime. Further, merchant purchase profiles may be generated on a per-user basis to promote more effective advertising.

A writing instrument for use with trackpad type of navigational devices for computers is described. The writing instrument includes a standard grip as typically found in a pen so that a human can move the instrument about the surface as desired. The instrument also includes a contact end simulating a fingertip, and the grip is electrically coupled to the contact end.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Eric A Bunn