Apple interested in offering instant product research via iPhone

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
By using near-field communications or a simple barcode scan, future iPhones could instantly obtain information about a range of products, whether it's an electronic device on sale at a local store, or food on a restaurant's menu.



A massive, wide-ranging patent application made public this week, entitled "System and Method for Providing Content Associated with a Product or Service," describes how a number of activities -- such as making a purchase at a store, or finding an instruction manual for a device -- could be made easier. The 83-page document covers a number of opportunities that businesses and manufacturers could capitalize on, allowing iPhone users the ability to access a wealth of information quickly and simply from their handset.



The document shows an iPhone application entitled "Products +" that could be used to accomplish all of these tasks, which range from information about a product to potential promotional opportunities. The technology could allow users to learn more about an AV receiver before buying it, or quickly access the product manual, or even view YouTube help videos.



Users could also shop for better prices at local stores, or find online vendors that might sell it for less. In one example, a customer is able to purchase through Apple's own iTunes store, or another online product vendor. The application could even allow customers to authorize a transaction while at the store.



Adding a product to the phone's database and authenticating it could allow users to potentially register it with the manufacturer, check warranty information, or be apprised of potential product recalls. Adding a product could be accomplished via near-field communications, such as RFID, or by scanning a barcode through the iPhone's camera.



Selecting a product from the database would allow users to "View Extras." In the example found in the application, Apple's iTunes service offers free downloads of digital manuals for products.







The technology could also be used to provide consumers information on the go, or give companies the ability to promote products. One example shows a barcode and NFC included in a restaurant's menu. Users could access dinner specials and nutrition information quickly through their iPhone.



Scanning the restaurant's menu could also show a list of upcoming events at that location. In one example, the Mi Luna restaurant has salsa dancing and a live band scheduled for July 12. The user can then instantly add that event to their phone's calendar.







Barcodes and near-field communication technology could also be used to replace game pieces often found on items like soft drinks at fast food restaurants. They could also offer free music downloads, or advertisements related to the product. In one depiction, scanning a cup of Starbucks coffee offers the user the ability to purchase a discount muffin.







Another example shows the ability to scan a textbook to access supplementary problems not included in the print edition, or to find answers to problems found in a book. Users could also download an instructional video, find further recommended reading, or purchase additional materials. For a novel or non-fiction book, readers could access an interview with the author, find press discussing the book, or purchase related titles.



The application was filed on Jan. 5, 2009. It is credited to Michael Rosenblatt, program manager with Apple, and Gloria Lin.



Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    yensid98yensid98 Posts: 311member
    The essentials of this patent are already available in an app I've been using for months called pic2shop. With it you can scan the barcode on most any product to find what price other stores are selling the item for. It even scans eBay for you. Pretty handy.



    Interesting that Apple wants to integrate this type of tech directly into the iPhone. Getting even more info would definitely be helpful at times.
  • Reply 2 of 12
    habermashabermas Posts: 37member
    Is this supposed to be innovative? I discussed the same possibility in my master's thesis back in 2005 and looked at how the functionality could help responsible consumers compensate for the value chain opacity introduced by the globalisation of production.



    You Americans seriously need to fix your patent system...



    Btw the guy hasn't worked for Apple for two years so I guess we won't see this pursued much by Apple.
  • Reply 3 of 12
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    There's already a barcode scanning program in the App store that does this. It uses the iPhone camera to scan the barcode and then you're given information on the product and prices from lowest to highest in you're local area. And it's free.



    http://itunes.apple.com/app/redlaser/id312720263?mt=8



    And this is hardly revolutionary. The CueCat back in 1999 had a lot of this functionality.
  • Reply 4 of 12
    kibitzerkibitzer Posts: 1,114member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by yensid98 View Post


    The essentials of this patent are already available in an app I've been using for months called pic2shop. With it you can scan the barcode on most any product to find what price other stores are selling the item for. It even scans eBay for you. Pretty handy.



    Interesting that Apple wants to integrate this type of tech directly into the iPhone. Getting even more info would definitely be helpful at times.



    Another app (99 cents) is Pricecheckah, which appears to be a successor to an app that was called RedLaser.
  • Reply 5 of 12
    gamringamrin Posts: 114member
    This is actually a function I'm very interested in. I always thought it'd be wonderful to have instant information on the price of, say, grocery items at multiple nearby stores within your city when you're out shopping.



    I realize that apps that provide similar functionality are already out there, but I doubt they account for sales and specials at local stores. I'm anxious for the day that all of a product's information becomes available online the moment a store scans the product in and places it on the shelf.
  • Reply 6 of 12
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    Obviously some of these things have been done before. Taking them further, or doing them in a specific way, or doing new things with them, are the kinds of things that could be patented. And if this patent is 2 years old, SOME of the things we might think Apple “copied” were actually independent. Great minds think alike.
  • Reply 7 of 12
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kibitzer View Post


    Another app (99 cents) is Pricecheckah, which appears to be a successor to an app that was called RedLaser.





    I just downloaded the pic2shop app and although it works, I wish it could recognize the barcode as easily as the checkout stand at the grocery store. You have to hold everything very still to get it to read. Is the Pricecheckah any faster? Maybe it is just the quality of the camera lens on my 3GS that is the problem.
  • Reply 8 of 12
    porchlandporchland Posts: 478member
    I can see a lot of good point-of-sale applications for this:



    * paying at Starbucks with a pop-up bar code (which Starbucks is already testing),



    * scanning a book's bar code and automatically purchasing it through iBooks or Amazon,



    * paying for a movie ticket on your iPhone and showing a pop-up to get into the cinema,



    * checking for a size or color on Banana Republic's web site that you don't see in the store by scanning the price tag of a similar item.
  • Reply 9 of 12
    8corewhore8corewhore Posts: 833member
    I really don't want my device becoming a corporate marketing dagger in my pocket.
  • Reply 10 of 12
    porchlandporchland Posts: 478member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore View Post


    I really don't want my device becoming a corporate marketing dagger in my pocket.



    Presuming it will be app-based like everything else on the iPhone, you won't have any problem avoiding it.



    I guess the counter-argument would be iApps, but you would still see ads on certain apps whether the ads came from Apple or someone else. I don't mind an ad if it's non-intrusive, reasonably interesting to me, and makes an app free or cheaper than it otherwise would be. I don't want to be annoyed with pop-up browser ads for Viagra, but I don't much mind if a news app has a small ad for a movie I'm thinking about seeing that I can click on to see a trailer.
  • Reply 11 of 12
    trajectorytrajectory Posts: 647member
    Perhaps this app will also provide iPhone 4 users with a video showing them how to correctly hold the phone, demonstrated by Steve Jobs himself!
  • Reply 12 of 12
    rpsxrpsx Posts: 46member
    actually, more than what is actually being shown for the use-case here, i really really hope this is an indicator that the next tech that makes it into the next generation of iphone/ipod hardware is just an RFID chip/reader combo.



    being in japan, this is a standard here (well, the RFID chip is, maybe not readers in the phone). it seems to be the one area missing from the iphone's tech arsenal. and, by the wide number of i-devices in the field, perhaps apple can be the one to bring this tech finally to the usa, and even better, open it up for app makers to utilize.



    i.e. - your local transit system could integrate their pass system into your phone itself, and even better - you can top up the amount of money on the pass wirelessly, anywhere anytime.



    hope this patent, whether it is from an engineer that left or not, is an indicator that apple is aware of the possibilities.



    imagine, instantaneous bluetooth pairing between handsets close to eacthother then transferring/sharing info (all with the users choice, of course).



    endless possibilities. but, the only necessary ingredient is mass use - which, i-devices seem to already be getting. who knows.
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