WO2005050537A1

WO2005050537A1 - Numerical code communication device

Info

Publication number: WO2005050537A1
Application number: PCT/EP2004/003438
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giorgio Manfredi; Luca Cenci
Original assignee: Kallideas S.R.L.; Vesper S.R.L.
Priority date: 2003-11-18
Filing date: 2004-04-01
Publication date: 2005-06-02
Also published as: ITMI20032240A1

Abstract

The numerical code communication device (1) comprises, for reading at least one code, a reader (2) connected to a transmitter (3) for transmitting a signal indicative of said code. The transmitter (3) comprises, for generating acoustic signals indicative of the numerical code, a generator (4) connected to a loudspeaker (5).

Description

NUMERICAL CODE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

The present invention relates to a numerical code communication device.

Hereinafter specific reference will be made to numerical codes consisting of bar codes applied to the packages of products for sale or, in other cases, to labels fixed to the products or bar codes applied directly to the products for sale.

Bar codes are currently read by a reader provided with an serial port for its connection to an electronic processor.

For example when a product is purchased, the reader reads the code associated with it, supplies its price and updates the information relative to the product quantity in store.

In other cases, in particular for very large structures, the reader is connected to a radio-frequency device which is also connected to an electronic processor with the aforesaid function. However, these devices are used only on local computer networks such as the computer network of the shop, store or factory of which they form part, and it has never been considered to use them to transmit data along a public network, such as the internet, to allow direct exchange of information between a firm and a customer. Nowadays information exchange between a firm and its final customers is currently effected by the traditional post.

Namely, a firm may attach to its products "redeemable coupons" which a final customer can freely collect.

When the customer has collected the number of coupons required to obtain a desired gift., the customer sends them to the firm, which on the basis of customers' requirements orders from a sub-supplier the gifts to be distributed to the customers.

The time interval between despatching the coupons by the customer and the moment at which the customer effectively receives the gift can sometimes be very long, in some cases several months, because of the numerous passages to be undergone by post and the considerable time for each passage.

For example, after being despatched, the coupons have to be received by the firm, they have to be distributed to the responsible department, they have to be checked one by one and have to be counted, the order has to be given to the gift producer (the gifts are practically never produced by the firm organizing the coupon campaign), the gifts have to be received by the firm and have to be sent to the customer.

In addition the information is not received by the firm in real time but with a delay which can even be of many months from the purchase of a product.

This is due to the fact that a collecting customer sends the coupons only after collecting a certain number sufficient to obtain the desired gift.

Hence, if the gift requires a large number of customers, the time required for their collection is consequently long.

Moreover the firm is unable to obtain direct information relative to the type of customer who purchases its products; such information is in fact always mediated by the distributor.

The technical aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a numerical code communication device which enables the said technical drawbacks of the known art to be eliminated.

Within the framework of this technical aim, an object of the invention is to provide a device which enables bar codes to be transmitted along a public or private telecomunication network such as the telephone system, the internet, etc.

Interfacing between the invention and the telecommunication network takes place without electrical connection. Another object of the invention is to provide a device which enables information to be exchanged between a firm and its final customer quickly and directly; in particular the device of the invention enables information relative to collected redeemable coupons to be exchanged in real time.

In this manner the firm is able to estimate the number of customers who will presumably request a determined gift within a fixed time period and, in this manner, can hold in store a limited quantity of that determined gift to enable it to be quickly sent to the final customer; in other cases the, firm can commission a sub-supplier to produce determined gifts in advance, to hence reduce the delivery time to the final customer. A further object of the invention is to ensure a very detailed exchange of information.

By this means, the firm is able to outline the habits of the customer transmitting the information and hence can map out customer preferences, tastes, etc. The technical aim, together with these and other objects are attained according to the present invention by a numerical code communication device in accordance with the accompanying claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the ensuing description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of the numerical code communication device according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the device according to the invention; and Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the device according to the invention.

With reference to said figures, these show a numerical code communication device indicated overall by the reference numeral 1.

The device 1 comprises a bar code reader 2 connected to a transmitter 3 transmitting a signal indicative of the code which has been read. Advantageously, the transmitter 3 comprises a generator 4 of acoustic signals indicative of the numerical code, which is connected to a loudspeaker 5.

Usually an amplifier 6 is connected between the generator 4 and the loudspeaker 5.

In addition, as show in the figures, in a preferred embodiment the device 1 comprises a memory 7 connected to the reader 2 and to the generator 4; the memory is arranged to store the codes which have been read, and to maintain in the memory a plurality of codes previously read by the reader 2.

The device 1 also comprises a first element 8 for triggering the reading by the reader 2 and a second element 9 for triggering the reproduction by the transmitter 3.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the triggering elements 8, 9 are associated respectively with the reader 2 and with the transmitter 3.

The device 1 also comprises a control unit 11 for its own operation; in the device shown in Figure 2 the triggering elements 8, 9 are associated with this control unit.

The control unit 11 is also arranged to cause the transmission- of one or more codes stored in the memory 7 when the second triggering element 9 for reproduction by the transmitter is activated.

The device 1 further comprises means 12 for processing the codes read by the reader 2. The processing means 12 are arranged to verify the correctness of the code read by the reader; in this respect they verify, for example, that the total sum of the numbers relative to the bar code gives a certain result, or that a determined digit is equal to a certain value (e.g. the third number is equal to 3).

The processing means 12 are also arranged to encrypt the code read by the reader; in this respect they add one or more digits to the read code or use encrypting codes of known type.

This also represents a safety system which prevents a person observing (in a point of sale of the products) the numerical code associated with the bar code and transmitting it to the firm by a push-button telephone instead of by the device 1; in fact, the encrypted number no longer corresponds to that printed on the package and would therefore not be recognized.

As an example, the reader 2 could be a "Keyence BL600" bar code reader, the control unit a "ST ST52xxx" microcontroller, the generator a DTMF tone generator of "National Semiconductor TP5088" type and the amplifier an "ST

TDA7231".

The device suitably comprises a casing containing all the components, to form a light and easily transportable unit. The operation of the device of the invention is apparent from the aforegoing description and illustration, and is substantially the following.

A customer purchases a product presenting a redeemable coupon for collecting points with the aim of obtaining gifts.

This redeemable coupon consists of or comprises a bar code. After purchase, the customer can read the bar code with the device by activating the triggering element 8; the reader 2 reads the code, which is transmitted by the control unit 11 to the memory 7, where it is stored.

Before its storage, the code is verified and encrypted by the processing means

12. At each purchase the customer can update the coupon count held directly by the firm.

To achieve this, the customer merely calls the firm using a telephone number provided by the firm and unloads the codes stored in the memory 7 by activating the triggering element 9. In a first example the device 1 transmits only the last stored code, corresponding to the last code read. In another example the device 1 transmits two or more codes stored in the memory 7; the firm's computer system can easily check whether one or more of the transmitted codes have already been transmitted previously. In this manner the memory feeds to the generator a signal indicative of the stored code which, suitably amplified, is transformed by the loudspeaker 5 into sound signals of DTMF type, i.e. those commonly used for telephonic communications or other sound signals transmittable via a telephone line. These sound signals are received by telephone hand set and are fed directly to the firm, which stores them.

In this manner the firm receives information regarding the behaviour of its customer, the types of product preferred, when and where the customer shops, etc.

For this purpose it would in fact be sufficient for the bar codes to also carry the product production batch, which would have been intended for particular distribution sectors (e.g. large or small-scale distribution) and for particular geographical regions.

The firm could also ask their customers to provide personal data (e.g. by computer by registering on an appropriate internet web site) and could contact them directly, to provide information on particular offers or proposals involving the products consumed by them).

In addition, knowing the coupons accumulated by each customer, the firm could contact the customer to stimulate further purchasing of products carrying the coupons; this could be done for example by giving a certain number of coupons free.

The present invention also relates to a process for exchanging information between a firm and its final customer, where the firm sells products provided with bar codes.

According to this process, the final customer reads the bar codes and transmits them directly to the firm, in real time, by means of the aforedescribed numerical code communication device.

It has been found in practice that the numerical code communication device of the invention is particularly advantageous because it allows very quick and flexible contact between a firm producing a product and the final customer; specifically, such contact takes place without the intermediary action of the distributor.

The numerical code communication device conceived in this manner is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept; moreover all details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements.

In practice the materials used, and the dimensions, can be chosen at will according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A numerical code communication device (1) comprising, for reading at least one code, a reader (2) connected to a transmitter (3) for transmitting a signal indicative of said code, characterised in that said transmitter (3) comprises, for generating acoustic signals indicative of said numerical code, a generator (4) connected to a loudspeaker (5).

2. A device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterised by comprising, connected at least to said reader (2), a memory (7) arranged to store said codes which have been read.

3. A device (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said memory (7) is arranged to maintain stored a plurality of codes previously read by said reader (2).

4. A device (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by comprising a first element (8) for triggering the reading by said reader (2).

5. A device (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by comprising a second element (9) for triggering the reproduction by said transmitter (3).

6. A device (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by comprising a control unit (11) for the operation of said device

(1), said control unit (11) being arranged to trigger the transmission of one or more codes stored in said memory (7) when said second element (9) for triggering the reproduction by said transmitter (3) is activated.

7. A device (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by comprising means (12) for processing said codes read by said reader (2).

8. A device (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said processing means (12) are arranged to verify the correctness of said code read by said reader (2).

9. A device (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said processing means (12) are arranged to encrypt said code read by said reader (2).

10. A device (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said codes are bar codes, said reader (2) comprising an optical bar code reader.

11. A device (1) as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said generator (4) comprises a generator for DTMF tone or other proprietary tones, or tones satisfying registered standards.

12. A process for exchanging information between a firm and its final customer, where the firm sells products provided with bar codes, characterised in that the final customer reads said bar codes and transmits them directly to the firm in real time by means of a numerical code communication device formed in accordance with one or more of claims 1-11.