High Tech-High Touch Shopping

Billy and Terry enjoy shopping together. They both carry a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with Infrared (IR) transmission capability. However, their devices are from different manufacturers. Billy's PDA has a clamshell design containing a keyboard and monochrome display, and runs on a standard Windows based operating system. Terry's PDA does not have a keyboard, but does sport a color, touch activated display running on a proprietary operating system. Today, they are shopping at a supermarket that handles more than ten thousand items. As they enter the store, they each turn on their PDAs which automatically connect to the supermarket's server via the IR link. The application on the server identifies the characteristics of each PDA and locates personal shopping profiles for both Billy and Terry. The profiles contain buying habits, account balance, frequency of shopping and brand preference information. The server also downloads a unique client application to each PDA based on the PDA's characteristics. Both Billy and Terry will use their PDAs to assist them with their shopping.

Billy uses the PDA to search the stores inventory for price comparison on the items from the shopping list he entered into the PDA prior to the shopping trip. This task is performed as Billy interacts with the client application the store's server downloaded. This results in the transmission of a search request to the server application. The server then retrieves requested information from the merchandise database and sends it back to the PDA in the form and format associated with the PDA's capability. Billy selects several items from the list. The store's server responds with isle and shelf information to help Billy find the needed items.

Using her stylus, Terry pulls up several recipes from her PDA's data base. The kids have made requests for these dishes this morning. Using the user interface that was downloaded to her PDA, the ingredients are forwarded to the store's server. Noting Terry's buying habits, the server responds with a shopping guide pointing her to her favorite brands. The server also sends a remainder that a special cooking tin is needed for one of the recipes and asks Terry if she needs one. She responds by selecting "No."

As they wander the isles, filling their baskets with their selected items, Terry notices some additional items she needs. She quickly enters the isle and shelf location through the user interface unique to her PDA, and the item is added to her list. When they are through, Billy and Terry proceed to a cashier. The cashier Point-of-Sale (POS) is also connecting to the server, and the purchases are already recorded in the stores data base, with updates posted for inventory, accounts receivable, and shipping. Billy's total is adjusted for his frequent buyer discount. All that is necessary is for Billy and Terry to verify the transaction. They each enter their security code in their PDA which sends the authentication and authorization codes to the POS. Once verification is achieved, the POS sends receipt information to the PDAs.

Later, Billy updates his tax/accounting data base by transferring this months purchase information through the PDA to home PC connection .

Salutation Behind the Scenes

1.When the PDAs are turned on, an initial Salutation Protocol exchange occurs between the devices and the store's server. This exchange reveals the characteristics of each device to the server, including the owner. This information can be used to tailor interactions to meet the specific hardware and software capabilities of the PDAs and to personalize interactions based on the buyers preferences.

2.Information gained through the Salutation protocol exchange includes memory capacity, operating system type and version, input/output characteristics and existing on-board applications.

3.Applications loaded by the server evaporate when the owner caries the PDA from the store. (This brings new meaning to the term 'Vaporware').

4.Salutation Protocol is also used between the POS and PDA, again to establish the shopper for reference to appropriate account information and establish the form and format for authorization transactions.