WO2000045313A1

WO2000045313A1 - Data collection and transmission device

Info

Publication number: WO2000045313A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/001874
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alan Albert; Harry Ogrinc; Jonathan B. Green
Original assignee: Highpoint Systems, Inc.
Priority date: 1999-01-29
Filing date: 2000-01-27
Publication date: 2000-08-03

Abstract

A system and method are provided for generating and storing an electronic list of items by placing a data collection device (20) in proximity to a desired item (22) or identifier (36), such as a bar code identifier (36), indicative of the item (22), indicatingthe availability of the desired item (22) to the user, and selectively storing data indicative of the item (22). A reader (26) associated with the device (20) is directed at the identifier (36) on an item (22) or catalog page. Identifier (36) data corresponding to the desired item (22) is translated into input data. The input data is then compared to reference data corresponding to available items and is selectively stored in a list in an internal memory (42). Audible (50) and visual (46) signals are provided to alert the user to availability of the desired item (22). A docking or cradle device interfaces (52) with the reader to upload the input data list to a PC for transmission, such as via the Internet, to a merchant.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION Data Collection and Transmission Device

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/117,855, Filed January 29, 1999, entitled "Memory Scanner With Local Database."

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR

DEVELOPMENT Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally related to data collection devices and more particularly, to scanning devices operable to read and store a signal from and indicative of a scanned item.

Consumer retail shopping for grocery items and other products can require a substantial time commitment. Many of these items need to be replenished on a regular timely basis, requiring a repetitive pattern of shopping activity. Logistic details, such as transportation to a retail facility, loading a cart with the required items, purchasing the items, transporting the items back to a residence, and restocking the items at the residence contribute to the time burden. Delivery services are known which will transport grocery items; however, such services still require manual generation of a list of items. Remote, home-based shopping avoids some of these issues, though other inefficiencies are introduced into the process of compiling a list of items to be ordered. A memory scanner is a device which can be used to collect data from items for which an order is to be placed. However, such scanners have heretofore acted simply as data collection devices, ignorant of whether the relevant merchant offers the items being scanned.

It would be beneficial, therefore, to provide a system and method for the efficient compilation of an electronic list of items which can be transmitted to a remote supplier for subsequent delivery to a consumer. In particular, it would be desirable to have a system and method which enable a user to know whether an item to be added to such an electronic list is available from a provider.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A system and method are provided for generation and storage of an electronic list of items by: placing a device proximate to a desired item or identifier, such as a bar code symbol, indicative of a desired item; determining whether a relevant merchant offers the item; and storing a code or data identifying the item. Service or object identifier data in addition to product data can also be stored in this manner. The device has a bar code or other reader and a memory for storing input data corresponding to identifiers. The reader is directed at an identifier on an item or catalog page. The identifier data corresponding to the desired item is translated into input data. The translated input data is then compared to a list of reference data, corresponding to items found in a merchant's item database, which is stored in an internal memory. Audible and/or visual signals are provided to alert the user as to whether the read item is found in the reference data representative of the merchant's database. If a successful match is made, the input data is written to a list in the memory of the reader. A docking or cradle device interfaces with the device, via wired or wireless communication, to upload the list of input data to a PC for transmission to a supplier, such as via the Internet. The device may also communicate directly with the supplier, via the cradle device or directly, without the PC.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the data collection device as disclosed herein;

Fig. 2 is a more detailed view of the data collection device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows connection of the data collection device to a cradle for connection to a PC or other host device; and Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of a data collection method as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, an improved memory scanner is provided which facilitates remote shopping, but without adding undue complexity to the ordering appliance. Prior art memory scanners allow a user to unknowingly scan and store data identifying a product which a particular vendor does not sell; the user may be later notified that the product identified by particular data is not available. Because the act of scanning and the act of order placement may be separated in time, the user will have no way of knowing with a prior art scanner which of the items that were not available. The presently disclosed memory scanner provides an internal database corresponding to all items available through a particular vendor and can therefore provide immediate feedback as to whether a particular item can be ordered through that merchant.

Referring to Fig. 1, a block diagram is shown of the data collection device 10. An input module 12 provides input data indicative of an item, i.e. product, service or other data. A reference module 14 compares the input data to a database of reference data. If a correspondence is found between the input data and the reference data, an entry indicative of the item, such as the input data, is written to a memory 16. An alternative representation of the desired item, rather than the input data itself, may be employed for storage in the memory 16. A feedback element 18, such as an annunciator, provides a visual and/or audible signal indicative of whether a correspondence was found between the input data and the reference data.

Referring to Fig. 2, the data collection system as defined herein is shown in more detail. The collection device 20 houses the system 10 (Fig. 1) . The collection device 20 in one embodiment is hand-held and portable such that it may be placed in close proximity to an identifier indicative of a desired item. The identifier may be a UPC symbol or other scannable symbol, an emitter of a characteristic energy pattern such as an RF emitter, an IR emitter, an ultrasound emitter, or any other suitable means for identifying the item. The identifier may be located on the item packaging or on a page of identifiers, such as a catalog page. The input data indicative of the item is generated and stored in a list as will be described further below. In this manner, a user may use the collection device to quickly scan a shelf of items or a catalog page. A list of entries corresponding to desired items is thereby accumulated in the memory for later recall. The user places the collection device 20 in proximity to a desired item 22. In one embodiment of the device 20, a trigger 24 is activated by a user to indicate that the item identifier 22 is to be read. Alternatively, the device 20 may be provided with a proximity sensor for activating a reader 26 when the device is brought close to a desired item. A battery (not illustrated) may be provided for power. Further still, in a battery-powered or hard-wired embodiment, the device 20 has a constant power source and so can remain in a constant or periodic scanning mode. These embodiments of the device 20 may be hand-held for convenient use in a kitchen, for instance, or can be mounted in a permanent or semi-permanent position such as by being embedded in a refrigerator, microwave or other appliance or by being mounted in or under a cabinet or counter.

A reader 26 in one embodiment includes an emitter 28 and a detector 30. The emitter 28 directs an optical or other energy beam 32 at an identifier 36. A reflected or other signal 34 is received from the identifier 36 by the detector 30, and is referred to herein as identifier data. Alternatively, the device may be configured to passively receive energy from an item identifier to be read, the received energy being uniquely characteristic of the respective item. The receiver type is selected based upon the nature of the energy to be received from the item (i.e. optical, RF, IR, ultrasound, etc.).

A translator 36 receives the identifier data and produces input data indicative of the identifier data and the scanned item 22. A processor 38 receives the input data and in one embodiment generates indexing data for looking up corresponding reference data in a database 40. Alternatively, the processor 38 uses the input data itself in determining whether corresponding reference data resides in the database 40. The database 40 has stored therein reference data corresponding to known items or items offered by a merchant and is adapted to be compared to the indexing data or the input data itself. If a match or correspondence is found between the indexing data or the input data and the reference data, the processor writes the input data to a memory 42. The memory 42 accumulates a list of matched input data for later transmission as will be described further below. Alternatively, the processor writes some other uniquely identifying data corresponding to the input data into the memory.

As stated above, the reference data in the internal reference database 40 represents a known item or items offered by a merchant, in a first embodiment. This database may in fact be comprised of plural components. For instance, in an embodiment specifically adapted to work with bar code item identifiers, the reference data may include entries for items having a corresponding UPC code and entries for items having a merchant-specific code known as a stock keeping unit (SKU) code. The key feature is that the reference database retains reference data which can be compared to input data for determining whether the item represented by the input data is in fact offered or supported by a merchant.

Based on the results of the comparison, the processor also sends a result signal to an annunciator 44. The annunciator 44 has LEDs for indicating the results of the comparison, in one embodiment. "Matched" LED 46 indicates that a match or correspondence was found between the input data read and at least a portion of the reference data in the database 40. "Unmatched" LED 48 indicates that a match or correspondence was not found between the input data and the reference data in the database. Additionally, based on the results of the comparison, a speaker 50 generates a beep at a first tone, or other distinctive audible signal, to indicate a correspondence, and generates a beep at a second tone, or other distinctive audible signal, to indicate that no correspondence was found. Yet another LED pattern and/or tone indicates that the memory is full. The processor 38 may also activate the annunciator 44 to convey to a user that the translator 36 was unable to process the input data from the detector 30.

It should be noted that in other embodiments, visible indicators other than LEDs are employed to convey the result of a comparison, and audible signals other than tones may be used for a similar purpose.

In an alternative embodiment, the collection device stores all input data, whether matched or unmatched with reference data in the local database 40. In this embodiment, the memory has a first portion for matched input data, and a second portion for unmatched input data. The input data corresponding to the read identifier data is written to a first portion of the memory if a match or correspondence is found, and is written to a second portion of the memory if a correspondence is not found. Alternatively, the input data can be written to a common memory space 42 in the device 20, then one or more bits associated with the written input data can be set to a certain value to indicate whether corresponding reference data was found in the reference database. The bit or bits may be directly or indirectly associated with the respective input data written in memory. The annunciator produces a first audible signal and/or visible signal in the event a match or correspondence is found, and a second audible signal and/or visible signal in the event a match or correspondence is not found.

In yet another embodiment, all input data is stored in device memory 42 regardless of whether corresponding reference data was found. While the annunciator functions to convey the result of the comparison to a user as above, the function of identifying particular input data as not being in a merchant' s database is provided by an external device, as described below. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the transmission of the stored input data from the memory 42 is described. An interface 52 on the collection device 20 is in communication with the processor 38. In one embodiment, a cradle 54 has a receptacle 56 for mechanically receiving the collection device, and is connected to a local computing device, or host 58, through a cable 60 such as an RS-232 connection. When the device 20 is placed in the cradle 54, the processor 38 sends the list of input data from the memory 42 to the local computing device 58 through the interface 52 and cable 60. Various known techniques exist for the host to recognize when the device has been installed in the cradle. Examples include the periodic polling of the cradle by the host, a mechanical interface associated with the cradle whose state is communicated to the host via an electrical signal, or the alteration of the electrical characteristics of a circuit as a result of the installation of the device in the cradle, such as in the closing of an open loop.

Further embodiments include the use of other wired protocols, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) , or wireless communication between the device 20 and the cradle 54, such as through IR communication. Still further variations on the above-described device 20 include direct memory access (DMA) capability wherein the host 58 is capable of uploading the accumulated input data from the device memory 42 without the involvement of the device processor 38.

In one embodiment, the host 58 executes application software to allow a user to view additional information, such as price, description, and a pictorial image of the item corresponding to each of the input data sent or retrieved from the memory 42. Application software executing on the host allows a user to generate an order of desired items and send it to a remote supplier or server via a public access network 62 such as the Internet. A private network may also be employed in an alternative embodiment. In this manner, a user may rapidly accumulate a list of input data using the collection device, and send an order to a server to facilitate purchase and/or delivery of the desired items.

More specifically, the stored input data from the memory 42 are received by the application software running on the host 58. The host is in communication with a master reference database 64, which may contain additional information relating to the stored and uploaded input data. The master reference database 64 may be local to the host 58 or may be remotely accessed, such as via the Internet or some other communications pathway. For each set of stored and retrieved input data, a lookup is done in the master reference database 64 to find the entry corresponding to the particular input data. The application software retrieves all the entries corresponding to the stored input data and displays relevant information, such as price, description, and pictorial images. A user may then use the application software to specify particulars such as quantity desired, delivery schedule, and payment information. When the order is complete, the application software sends the order to a server over the public access network 62.

A further embodiment of the system of the present disclosure includes a cradle 54 which is capable of accessing a remote server through a public or private network such as the Internet or a dial-up telephone connection, via a shared or dedicated connection. Initiation of communication in this embodiment may be through user command to a signaling device associated with the cradle or through the act of installing the data collection device 20 into the cradle.

Referring to Fig. 4, a method of collecting data using one embodiment of the device as defined herein is disclosed. Using the collection device, a user activates the emitter, as shown in step 100. The detector receives the resulting identifier data from the product identifier, as depicted in step 102. In step 104, the translator determines input data from the identifier data received by the detector. The processor uses the input data to look for corresponding reference data in the database, as shown in step 106. The processor determines, as a result of the search, if corresponding reference data was found in the database, as disclosed in step 108. If corresponding reference data is found in the database, the input data is stored on a found items list in the memory, as depicted in step 110. The processor sends a result signal to the annunciator to indicate that corresponding reference data was found, as shown at step 112. The annunciator lights an LED and issues an audible match signal, such as a beep, as shown at step 114.

In one embodiment of the presently disclosed invention, if no corresponding reference data was found in step 108, the input data is stored in the memory on an unmatched items list in the memory, as depicted in step 116. In another embodiment, the unmatched input data for the desired item is ignored. In a further embodiment, the unmatched input data is stored in the memory in the same manner as that for matched input data. In all cases, the processor sends a result signal to the annunciator to indicate that corresponding input data was not found, as shown at step 118. The annunciator lights an LED and issues an audible unmatched signal, as shown at step 120.

In alternative embodiments, the interface 52 and cable 60 (Fig. 2) may be used to transmit other data between the collection device and the host. For instance, the reference database 40 may be downloaded or modified by the application software running on the host, or via the server in the case where the device communicates directly with the server via the cradle. Such a download may be a complete substitution of a new reference database for the old, or may be the correction of individual portions of the reference database. The contents of the reference database may also be transmitted to the host to determine the status of the current reference data. Alternatively, a reference or version code stored in conjunction with and representative of the data in the reference database may be polled by the host. Other data which may similarly be transmitted through the interface include a serial number of the collection device, customer and/or merchant identification information, a software or firmware version number of the program running on the collection device, and a date/time stamp. In accordance with one embodiment of the presently disclosed invention, the list of input data transmitted from the data collection device to the local computing device or host includes the list of input data that was matched with corresponding entries in the local reference database. However, in an alternative embodiment as described above, there may be utility in knowing what items a user desired to order, as evidenced by the act of identifier reading, but for which there was no corresponding entry in the reference database. Here, the local computing device is capable of receiving both a list of input data for which a corresponding entry was found in the local reference database and a list of input data for which such an entry was not found. In this embodiment, the list of matched input data may be utilized locally as described above to enable a user to modify a list of desired items comprising an order, and may be provided to a merchant via a remote server. The list of unmatched items is also provided to the merchant.

Data relating to the market demand for items offered by a merchant and for competing items not offered by the merchant is desirable in order to intelligently price offered items and to make decisions about the optimal mix of items to be offered. Thus, in addition to identifying the quantity and frequency with which items already in a merchant's inventory are ordered, there is utility in identifying items which customers desire to obtain from the merchant, but which are not already in the merchant's inventory. This latter information, heretofore unavailable to a merchant absent specific requests from customers or data from customer preference surveys, enables a merchant to make decisions as to whether the desired items should be added to the list of available items. Detailed information including the number of times an item was attempted to be ordered and by which customers may be factored into the decision to offer an item, and at what price. Further, this information may be weighed against the frequency, quantity, and origin of orders for currently stocked, competing items. In a first example, assume a merchant offers item A, which may be a product, a service, or some other item to be ordered, but a user of a data collection device such as described above attempts to order competing, unstocked item B. With the device described above, the user will be notified by the annunciator (s) at the time of identifier data reading that item B is not offered by the merchant. Such notification enables a user to select another offered item instead. Preferably, the merchant is still provided with the item B order attempt data for the purpose of evaluating the mix of items offered to users. In a further example, assume a merchant offers item A but does not offer similar item B. If infrequent customers provide order attempt data for item B, the merchant may weight this desire for the item less than if it had come from frequent customers. Customer frequency may be gauged by tracking the number of times an order is placed through use of a data collection system similar to the one as presently described, or by tracking the number of items so ordered, or by weighing the number of in-person visits the customer has made to the merchant's retail facilities, if any. Data regarding in-person visits may be gathered through the use of merchant affinity cards, for instance.

The merchant may also consider the frequency of customer visits, in person or via remote ordering tools, in addition to the number of times the customer has attempted to order a specific item. Thus, if five infrequent customers evidence a desire for item B, but a regular customer buys item A every time they shop, the merchant may weigh the frequent purchases of item A by the regular customer more heavily. It is expected that a certain degree of empirical data will be needed in each merchant scenario, and indeed for each item class, in order to establish the proper weighting of the competing factors.

Other considerations which may be analyzed by a merchant in determining whether to offer an item desired by customers, as evidenced by order attempt data, include the cost and availability of the desired item, either taken alone or in the context of the price and availability of the presently offered item(s).

It should be noted that from the perspective of a merchant receiving and analyzing order attempt data, there is no significance as to the specific hardware or mechanism by which such data is collected and conveyed to the merchant as long as accuracy and consistency are provided.

In the foregoing, reference has been made to the reference database as being representative of items offered by a particular merchant. However, it is envisaged that the internal database may also be reflective of offerings of one or more merchants belonging to a cooperative or other joint selling arrangement, or reflective of plural independent merchants. In the case where plural merchant databases are represented in the device, the user may indicate to the device which database is to be referenced in determining whether the item(s) to be read is in the respective reference database. This indication may be through the reading of an identifier on a merchant-specific piece of identification, such as an affinity card or catalog ID. Further, this identification of a merchant may be prior to reading each desired item identifier, prior to a data input session of a predetermined time or time interval between reads, for a predetermined number of items, or may take place on a host after a list of items has been selected.

The annunciators described above may be utilized in identifying which of the plural merchants the device is reading for, or may indicate that a merchant identifier is necessary before further data collection.

In addition, while the improved data collection device of the present invention may be used for the ordering of products, a further embodiment may also be adapted for use in the ordering of services or for collecting other data, such as shares of companies to be bought or sold, inventory data or process information.

As various extensions and modifications to the invention as described herein may be apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention is not intended to be limited except by the scope of the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A data collection system comprising: an input device operable to provide input data indicative of at least one item; a memory adapted to store said input data in at least one data structure; a reference module comprising a reference database having reference data stored therein, said reference module operable to receive said input data, to compare said input data to said reference data, and to selectively write said input data to said memory data structure; and an annunciator operable to provide an indication reflective of said comparison.

2. The data collection system of claim 1 wherein said reference module further comprises a processor, wherein said processor is operable to compare said input data to said reference data.

3. The data collection system of claim 2 wherein said input data is selectively stored in said at least one memory data structure based on said comparison.

4. The data collection system of claim 3 wherein said at least one memory data structure comprises a first portion and a second portion, said input data being stored in said first portion in the event said comparison indicates said input data corresponds to at least a portion of said reference data and said input data being stored in said second portion in the event said comparison indicates said input data does not correspond to at least a portion of said reference data.

5. The data collection system of claim 3 wherein said at least one memory data structure comprises an entry associated with said input data if stored therein, wherein said entry has a value based upon said comparison.

6. The data collection system of claim 1, wherein said at least one memory data structure comprises at least one list.

7. The data collection system of claim 1 wherein said reference data correspond to at least one vendor stock list.

8. The data collection system of claim 1 further including an interface in communication with said memory and operable to transmit said at least one memory data structure to an external computing device.

9. The data collection system of claim 1 further including an interface in communication with said memory and operable to transmit said at least one memory data structure over a public access network.

10. The data collection device of claim 1 further including an interface in communication with said memory and operable to transmit said at least one memory data structure over a private access network.

11. The data collection system of claim 1 wherein said annunciator indication is audible.

12. The data collection system of claim 1 wherein said annunciator indication is visual.

13. The data collection system of claim 1 wherein said input device further comprises a receiver and a translator wherein said receiver provides identifier data indicative of an identifier associated with a desired item to said translator and said translator produces said input data based on said identifier data.

14. The data collection system of claim 13 wherein said receiver is selected from the group consisting of an optical detector, an RF receiver, an IR receiver, and an ultrasound receiver.

15. The data collection system of claim 1 further comprising a trigger in communication with said input device for enabling user-initiated product identifying data collection.

16. The data collection system of claim 1 further comprising a proximity sensor for activating said input device.

17. The data collection device of claim 1 wherein said input device is normally in an active state.

18. The data collection device of claim 1 wherein said input device is switched between an active state and an inactive state on a periodic basis.

19. A data collection system comprising: _ _

an input element operable to receive identifying data associated with an item and to generate input data corresponding to said identifying data and indicative of said item from which said identifying data is associated; a processor in communication with said input element and operable to receive said input data; a database in communication with said processor, having reference data stored therein, wherein said processor is further operable to compare said input data to said reference data and to produce a result signal indicative of the result of said comparison; a memory in communication with said processor and adapted to selectively receive and store said input data; and an annunciator in communication with said processor and responsive to said result signal, wherein said annunciator is operable to generate a first output signal in response to a first result of said comparison, and said annunciator is operable to generate a second output signal in response to a second result of said comparison.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said processor is operable to write said input data to said memory only in response to said first result of said comparison.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said processor is operable to write said input data to said memory regardless of the result of said comparison.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said processor is operable to write a first, unmodified version of said input data to said memory in response to said first result of said comparison, and is operable to write a modified version of said input data to said memory in response to said second result of said comparison.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein said processor is operable to write a first modified version of said input data to said memory in response to said first result of said comparison, and is operable to write a second modified version of said input data to said memory in response to said second result of said comparison.

24. An improved memory scanner having an emitter, a detector for receiving identifier data, a translator for converting said identifier data from said detector into input data, and a memory adapted for cumulatively storing said input data, wherein the improvement comprises: reference data stored in said memory; a reference element operable to determine if said input data corresponds to at least a portion of said reference data and to selectively write said input data to said memory in response thereto; and an annunciator operable to produce an output signal based upon said determination.

25. The improved memory scanner of claim 24 wherein said output signal is selected from the group consisting of visual and audible signals.

26. The improved memory scanner of claim 24 wherein said memory further comprises a plurality of memory portions including: a first portion operable to store said input data in the event said input data corresponds to at least a portion of said reference data; a second portion operable to store said input data in the event said input data does not correspond to at least a portion of said reference data; and a third portion operable to store said reference data.

27. The improved memory scanner of claim 26 wherein said first and second memory portions are not, individually, discrete, contiguous portions of said memory, and wherein entries in said first and second portions are identified by a respective characteristic data field.

28. A method of collecting data indicative of a list of items comprising: placing a data collection device in proximity to an identifier indicative of an item; receiving identifier data from said identifier; generating input data based on said identifier data; comparing said input data to reference data stored in a database; determining if a correspondence between said input data and at least a portion of said reference data exists; selectively storing said input data in a memory; and annunciating an output signal indicative of the result of said determination.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said selectively storing further comprises storing said input data in a first memory portion of said memory in the event said determining step indicates a correspondence between said input data and at least a portion of said reference data, and storing said input data in a second memory portion of said memory in the event said determining step indicates no correspondence between said input data and at least a portion of said reference data.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said step of comparing further comprises generating an index value from said input data for use in comparing said input data to said reference data.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said reference data are representative of one or more merchant stock lists.

32. The method of claim 28 further comprising interfacing said memory to a remote computing device and transmitting said stored input data from said memory to said remote computing device.

33. The method of claim 28 further comprising interfacing said memory to a communications network and transmitting said stored input data from said memory across said network.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said transmitting of said stored input data across said network is performed by a local host in communication with said memory.

35. The method of claim 28 wherein said receiving is selected from the group consisting of receiving an optical signal, receiving an RF signal, receiving an IR signal, and receiving an ultrasound signal.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said step of receiving is preceded by emitting a signal selected from the group consisting of an optical signal, an RF signal, an IR signal, and an ultrasound signal, and said identifier data is reflected from said identifier.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said emitting is initiated by user triggering of an activation device.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein said emitting is initiated by an input from a proximity detector.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein said emitting is constant .

40. The method of claim 36 wherein said emitting is periodic.

41. The method of claim 28 wherein said annunciating further comprises annunciating an audible signal.

42. The method of claim 28 wherein said annunciating further comprises annunciating a visual signal.

43. The method of claim 28 wherein said generating is further preceded by translating said identifier data into intermediate data and wherein said generating further comprises generating said input data based on said intermediate data.

44. A system for order processing comprising: a client having a data collection device and a local computing device operable to communicate an order over a network; and a server operable to process said order generated by said data collection device and received from said client over said network, and further operable to communicate with said client over said network; wherein said data collection device further comprises: an input device operable to provide identifier data indicative of an item identifier; a first memory adapted to store at least one of said input data as a list; a second memory adapted to store reference data; a reference module operable to receive said input data, to compare said input data to said reference data, and to selectively write said input data to said list; and an annunciator operable to generate a user- perceptible indication of the result of said comparison of said input data to said reference data.

45. The system as defined in claim 44 wherein said data collection device is operable to communicate with said local computing device via a connection selected from the group consisting of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

46. The system as defined in claim 44 wherein said local computing device is operable to receive said list from said data collection device and further operable to compute said order reflective of said list.

47. The system as defined in claim 44 wherein said local computing device is operable to receive an indication from said second memory indicative of the contents of said second memory.

48. The system as defined in claim 44 wherein said local computing device is operable to selectively download replacement reference data to said second memory.

49. The system as defined in claim 44 wherein said local computing device is operable to selectively download replacement portions of said reference data to said second memory.

50. A computer program product having computer program code for collecting data indicative of a list of items comprising: computer program code for causing the emission of a signal from an input device disposed in proximity to an identifier indicative of an item; computer program code for causing the receipt, by said input device, of identifier data from said identifier; computer program code for causing a reference module to generate input data based on said identifier data; computer program code for causing said reference module to compare said input data to reference data stored in conjunction with said reference module; computer program code for causing the determination, by said reference module, of a correspondence between said input data and said reference data; computer program code for causing the selective storage, by said reference module, of said input data in a memory; and computer program code for causing the annunciation, by a feedback module, of an output signal indicative of said correspondence between said input data and said reference data.