INFORMATION SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of public information. More particularly, the invention relates to information regarding purchasing.

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, a person wishing to purchase an item may receive information of stores advertising their goods, and may further receive reports from customers.

However, this information is incomplete and misleading.

There is a long felt need to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings :

Fig. 1 depicts a system for sharing invoices' information, according to one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 depicts the system of Fig. 1, applied by a plurality of smartphones.

Fig. 3 depicts a map produced by the system of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 depicts a scanner for the invoices of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 depicts the scanning accessory of Fig. 4 separated from the smartphone.

Fig. 6 depicts the scanning accessory of Fig. 5 and the invoice, being separated from the smartphone. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features are not described in detail.

The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Fig. 1 depicts a system for sharing invoices' information, according to one embodiment of the invention.

A system 10 for sharing invoices' information allows a cash register 12A to provide its produced invoice as a file 24A to a smartphone 20A; and allows a cash register 12B to provide its produced invoice as a file 24B as well to smartphone 20A.

According to one embodiment, cash register 12A provides a file 24A to smartphone 20A through a request and transmittance 18.

The term "real time" refers herein to immediate operation during or upon the purchasing.

Thus, cash register 12A provides file 24A to smartphone 20A in real time. Even though cash register 12A belongs to a store/business entity 82A and cash register 12B belong to different store/business entity 82B, both may send files 24A and 24B to the same server 16, by communication channels 84A and 84B respectively, for updating a single database 26, per different requests 14A and 14B of the same customer having smartphone 20A.

Smartphone 20A includes a mobile app, for comparing similar items between files 24A and 24B.

Fig. 2 depicts the system of Fig. 1, applied by a plurality of smartphones. According to this embodiment, system 10 allows cash register 12A to provide its produced invoice as file 24A to smartphone 20A; and allows cash register 12B to provide its produced invoice as file 24B to smartphone 20B. Even though each of cash registers 12A and 12B belong to different stores, both may send the files to the same server 16, for updating the same database 26, per different requests 14A and 14B of different customers having smartphones 20A and 20B respectively. A smartphone 20C of a third person, may retrieve contents of files 24A and of 24B, managed by server 16, for comparing similar items between files 24A and 24B.

Smartphone 24A may include location reporting means 86, such as a GPS, for attaching the location 72A of cash register 12A to file 24A; and smartphone 24B may include location reporting means 86, for attaching the location 72B of cash register 12B to file 24B.

Fig. 3 depicts a map produced by the system of Fig. 2.

Thus, database 26 may present a geographic map 80, or another presentation, including locations 72A and 72B and the price of product A for each. Presentation 80 may further present the purchases as a function of time 90 of the real-time purchases.

Fig. 4 depicts a scanner for the invoices of Fig. 1. In case any of cash registers 12A or 12B does not provide the services of transmitting files 24A and 24B respectively through transmittance, smartphone 20A may include a scanning accessory 36, for allowing reading long invoices 50, by sliding invoice 50 in relation to smartphone 20A.

Fig. 5 depicts the scanning accessory of Fig. 4 separated from the smartphone.

Scanning accessory 36 is intended to be connected to the rear of smartphone 20A, for facing the camera 62 thereof. Fig. 6 depicts the scanning accessory of Fig. 5 and the invoice, being separated from the smartphone.

The user inserts invoice 50 between wheels 46A and 46B. Smartphone 20A transmits, via a mobile app 76, a short range signal (54) to a motor 40, for rotating at least one of wheels 46A and 46B, at a speed allowing optical scanning. Smartphone 20A transmits in long range transmittance 88 to server 16.

Thus, in one aspect, the invention is directed to an information system (10), including:

- a central server (16) including a database (26), for allowing real-time insertion of information of a plurality of executed purchases thereinto from a plurality of cash registers (12A, 12B) of different business entities (82A, 82B), wherein each of the insertions of information of each of the executed purchases is requested (14A) and/or operated (88) by the purchaser making the executed purchase,

thereby database administration tools (78) allow real-time comparison (80) between the plurality of executed purchases.

The information of the executed purchases may include location of each purchasing,

thereby the database (26) may include prices of products as a function of their location.

The information of the executed purchases may include time of each purchasing,

thereby the database (26) may include prices of products as a function of their time.

The information system (10) may further include:

- communication channels (84A), for communicating the real-time information of the executed purchases from the cash registers (12A) to the central server (16).

The information system (10) may further include:

- communication means (18), for communicating the real- time information of the executed purchases from the central server (16) to smartphones (20A, 20C).

The information system (10) may further include: - a scanning accessory (36) for each smartphone (20A), for scanning the real-time information of the executed purchases to the smartphone (20A). The scanning accessory (36) may include :

- wheels (46A, 46B), for inserting a paper invoice (50), produced by the cash register (20A) therebetween;

- a motor (40), for rotating at least one of the wheels (46A, 46B), for sliding the paper invoice (50); and

- communication means (54), for controlling the motor (40) by the smartphone (20A).

The information system (10) may further include:

- a mobile app (76), for being run by the smartphone (20A), for controlling the scanning accessory (36), and for operating a camera (62) of the smartphone (20A), for optically scanning a paper invoice (50), produced by the cash register (20A). In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned:

- numeral 10 denotes the information system, being a system for sharing invoices' information, according to one embodiment of the invention!

- numerals 12A and 12B denote cash registers! - numeral 14A denotes a request of smartphone 20A to insert information of an invoice of the owner of smarphone 20A into database 16;

- numeral 14B denotes a request of smartphone 20B to insert information of an invoice of the owner of smarphone 20B into database 16;

- numeral 18 denotes a request and transmittance, for providing the information from the database to the requesting smartphone!

■ numerals 20A, 20B and 20C denote smartphones, for requesting providing and receiving information of purchases!

- numeral 24A denote a file containing information of the purchases from store 82A;

■ numeral 24B denote a file containing information of the purchases from store 82B;

- numeral 26 denotes the database, for presenting a part thereof in a smartphone!

- numeral 40 denotes a motor!

■ numeral 42 denotes a transmission!

- numeral 44 denotes an on-off button!

- numerals 46A and 46B denote wheels for advancing the paper invoice!

- numeral 48 denotes a fastening element, for fastening accessory to a smartphone!

- numeral 50 denotes a paper invoice!

- numeral 52 denotes the display of the smartphone!

- numerals 66A and 66B denote wheels for holding the paper invoice while advancing! - numeral 72A denotes the location of smartphone 20A;

- numeral 72B denotes the location of smartphone 20B;

- numeral 80 denotes a geographic map or another presentation of the information retrieved by a smartphone from the central database!

- numerals 82A and 82B denote different business entities, such as different or even competing stores!

- numeral 84A denotes a communication channel of cash register 12A;

■ numeral 86 denotes a location reporting means!

- numeral 84B denotes a communication channel of cash register 12B;

- numeral 88 denotes long range transmittance, operated by a smartphone of a purchaser! and

■ numeral 90 denotes the time of the purchasing.

The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form. Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition.

The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.