Integration of wic items and transactions into personal shopping devices

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and point of sale system provide access to discounts and other benefits during shopping. The method includes receiving an input of a user identifier (ID) or a Women, Infants and Children (WIC) ID and identifying that the associated user is a recipient of specific benefits. The method also includes displaying a graphical interface that provides a subsidized list and an out-of-pocket list to visually communicate benefits available under a subsidy program to the user. The method further includes displaying an option to claim or refuse a benefit with respect to each individual product in the subsidized list. In response to receiving a user input to refuse to claim the benefit for a selected individual product, the method provides for moving the selected individual product from the subsidized list to the out-of-pocket list and displaying the selected individual product within the out-of-pocket list.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for assisting a recipient of discounts and other benefits when shopping for products, the method comprising:
 receiving an input comprising at least one of a user identifier (ID) and a Women, Infants and Children (WIC) ID;   in response to receiving the input of at least one of the user ID and the WIC ID, a processor identifying that a user associated with the input is a recipient of specific benefits;   displaying, via a display device, a graphical interface that provides at least a portion of a subsidized list and an out-of-pocket list, whereby the display device visually communicates benefits available under a subsidy program to the user;   displaying an option to claim or refuse to claim a benefit with respect to each individual product of more than one product in the subsidized list; and   in response to receiving a user input to refuse to claim the benefit for a selected individual product, moving the selected individual product from the subsidized list to the out-of-pocket list and displaying the selected individual product within the out-of-pocket list.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the specific benefits are government provided benefits and wherein the input is received via a reader module that identifies a participant in a government benefits scheme based on scanning one at least one of a bar code, a magnetic card, a smart card, and other forms of memory devices. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said displaying an analysis of benefits available to a user further comprises displaying graphical interface constructs for ascertaining the value of a government benefit to the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said displaying graphical interface constructs comprises displaying graphical interface constructs for informing a user of the out-of-pocket cost of an item for which a government benefit is provided and the out-of-pocket cost of an item without a government benefit. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing behavior modification instructions to a user via the graphical interface, including displaying nutrition instructions for the user on the graphical interface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining if the item is WIC eligible;   adding the item to a normal items list when the item is not WIC eligible; and   in response to determining that the item is WIC eligible, calculating a value of a WIC benefit for the selected item and associating the WIC value of the item with the item, and inserting the item code into a list of WIC-eligible items.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 calculating and displaying a total out of pocket expense for the user;   requesting approval from the user for the total out of pocket expense; and   processing a payment of selected items in response to receipt of an approval from the user of the total out of pocket expense.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:
 reducing a base price of a selected item by a discount amount when the selected item is subject to at least one of a store promotion;   applying a store coupon for a difference between an original price and a discount price; and   determining whether a manufacturer coupon matches the selected item, and when the manufacturer coupon matches the selected item, reducing a modified item price by an amount of the coupon.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein reducing the modified item price by the amount of the coupon further comprises:
 determining if the coupon is configured for multiplication; and   if the coupon is configured for multiplication, applying an applicable multiple factor for the coupons and reducing the modified item price by any applicable amount of discounts.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying, via a display device, a graphical interface that provides at least a portion of a subsidized list and an out-of-pocket list further comprises:
 providing a first subtotal of an out-of-pocket cost of products on the out-of-pocket list of products for which a benefit is not available or has been refused by a user input;   providing a second subtotal of a subsidized cost of products on the subsidized list of products for which a benefit is available and claimed; and   in response to a user selection and move of a selected product from one of the out-of-pocket list and the subsidized list to the other one of the list, automatically updating both the first subtotal for out-of-pocket cost and the second subtotal for subsidized cost.   
     
     
         11 . A computer program product comprising:
 a computer-readable storage device;   instructions on the computer-readable storage device that when executed by a processor of a data processing system causes the data processing system to perform functions of:
 receiving an input comprising at least one of a user identifier (ID) and a Women, Infants and Children (WIC) ID; 
 in response to receiving the input of at least one of the user ID and the WIC ID, a processor identifying that a user associated with the input is a recipient of specific benefits; 
 displaying, via a display device, a graphical interface that provides at least a portion of a subsidized list and an out-of-pocket list, whereby the display device visually communicates benefits available under a subsidy program to the user; 
 displaying an option to claim or refuse to claim a benefit with respect to each individual product of more than one product in the subsidized list; and 
 in response to receiving a user input to refuse to claim the benefit for a selected individual product, moving the selected individual product from the subsidized list to the out-of-pocket list and displaying the selected individual product within the out-of-pocket list. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the specific benefits are government provided benefits and wherein the input is received via a reader module that identifies a participant in a government benefits scheme based on scanning one at least one of a bar code, a magnetic card, a smart card, and other forms of memory devices; and   said instructions for displaying an analysis of benefits available to a user further comprises instructions for displaying graphical interface constructs for ascertaining the value of a government benefit to the user, including instructions or informing a user of the out-of-pocket cost of an item for which a government benefit is provided and the out-of-pocket cost of an item without a government benefit.   
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions for displaying behavior modification instructions to a user, including displaying nutrition instructions to the user. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions on the computer-readable storage device for:
 determining if the item is WIC eligible;   adding the item to a normal items list when the item is not WIC eligible; and   in response to determining that the item is WIC eligible, calculating a value of a WIC benefit for the selected item and associating the WIC value of the item with the item, and inserting the item identifier into a list of WIC-eligible items.   
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions for:
 calculating and displaying a total out of pocket expense for the user;   requesting approval from the user for the total out of pocket expense; and   processing a payment of selected items in response to receipt of an approval from the user of the total out of pocket expense.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions for performing one or more of:
 reducing a base price of a selected item by a discount amount when the selected item is subject to at least one of a store promotion;   applying a store coupon for a difference between an original price and a discount price; and   determining whether a manufacturer coupon matches the selected item, and when the manufacturer coupon matches the selected item, reducing a modified item price by an amount of the coupon.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions for reducing the modified item price by the amount of the coupon further comprises instructions for:
 determining if the coupon is configured for multiplication; and   if the coupon is configured for multiplication, applying an applicable multiple factor for the coupons and reducing the modified item price by any applicable amount of discounts.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein said instructions for displaying, via a display device, a graphical interface that provides at least a portion of a subsidized list and an out-of-pocket list further comprises instructions for:
 providing a first subtotal of an out-of-pocket cost of products on an out-of-pocket list of products for which a benefit is not available or has been refused by a user input;   providing a second subtotal of a subsidized cost of products on a subsidized list of products for which a benefit is available and claimed; and   in response to a user-triggered move of a selected product from one of the out-of-pocket list and the subsidized list to the other one of the list, automatically updating both the first subtotal for out-of-pocket cost and the second subtotal for subsidized cost.   
     
     
         19 . A point of sale (POS) computer comprising:
 a storage device that stores one or more marketing messages associated with one or more specific products located in a product area;   an input device that receives an input comprising at least one of a user identifier (ID) and a Women, Infants and Children (WIC) ID;   a display device;   a processor in communication with the storage device, the input device, and the display device; and   a utility that executes on the processor to and which causes the processor to:
 in response to receiving the input of at least one of the user ID and the WIC ID, identify that a user associated with the input is a recipient of specific benefits; 
 display, via the display device, a graphical interface that provides at least a portion of a subsidized list and an out-of-pocket list, whereby the display device visually communicates benefits available under a subsidy program to the user; 
 display an option to claim or refuse to claim a benefit with respect to each individual product of more than one product in the subsidized list; and 
 in response to receiving a user input to refuse to claim the benefit for a selected individual product, move the selected individual product from the subsidized list to the out-of-pocket list and display the selected individual product within the out-of-pocket list. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the specific benefits are government provided benefits and wherein the input device is a reader module that identifies a participant in a government benefits scheme based on scanning one at least one of a bar code, a magnetic card, a smart card, and other forms of memory devices. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein:
 said graphical interface for displaying an analysis of benefits available to a user further comprises graphical interface constructs for ascertaining the value of a government benefit to the user and for informing a user of the out-of-pocket cost of an item for which a government benefit is provided and the out-of-pocket cost of an item without a government benefit; and   the utility further causes the processor to:
 determine if the item is WIC eligible; 
 add the item to a normal items list when the item is not WIC eligible; 
 in response to determining that the item is WIC eligible, calculate a value of a WIC benefit for the selected item and associating the WIC value of the item with the item, and insert the item identifier into a list of WIC-eligible items. 
 calculate and display a total out of pocket expense for the user; 
 request approval from the user for the total out of pocket expense; and 
 process a payment of selected items in response to receipt of an approval from the user of the total out of pocket expense. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the utility further causes the processor to:
 reduce a base price of a selected item by a discount amount when the selected item is subject to at least one of a store promotion;   apply a store coupon for a difference between an original price and a discount price; and   determine whether a manufacturer coupon matches the selected item, and when the manufacturer coupon matches the selected item, reduce a modified item price by an amount of the coupon, wherein the reducing of the modified item price by the amount of the coupon comprises: determining if the coupon is configured for multiplication; and if the coupon is configured for multiplication, applying an applicable multiple factor for the coupons and reducing the modified item price by any applicable amount of discounts.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said utility causing the processor to display, via a display device, a graphical interface that provides at least a portion of a subsidized list and an out-of-pocket list further causes the processor to:
 provide a first subtotal of an out-of-pocket cost of products on an out-of-pocket list of products for which a benefit is not available or has been refused by a user input;   provide a second subtotal of a subsidized cost of products on a subsidized list of products for which a benefit is available and claimed; and   in response to a user-triggered move of a selected product from one of the out-of-pocket list and the subsidized list to the other one of the list, automatically update both the first subtotal for out-of-pocket cost and the second subtotal for subsidized cost.