Methods and systems for connected sales associate services
First Claim
1. A non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps for connecting a sales associate to a central server via a mobile computing device, comprising:
- hosting a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment;
displaying a user interface comprising user interface elements for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment, the user interface providing access to the central server through a network, the central server allowing multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices to access the central server;
providing mobile point-of-sale support by providing that the user interface includes a touch-sensitive screen;
causing the user interface to access multiple channels using a single mobile platform for use by the sales associate, wherein the multiple channels include a customer social networking channel that accesses a social network website of the customer and customer contacts of the social network website, a retail channel, a voice over Internet communications channel, a customer rewards channel, and a mobile point-of-sale channel;
causing the user interface to display trending sales data for the retail establishment that have been authorized for viewing by the sales associates; and
determining, by one or more location determining devices, real-time locations of the sales associates and customers;
causing the user interface to display a list view and a map view of the sales associates and customers that have checked-in, wherein the map view of the user interface displays the real-time locations of the sales associates and customers on a map of the retail establishment, and wherein the user interface initiates communications with selected sales associates and customers, via email, text message, voice communication, or video communication, by selecting graphical user interface elements corresponding to the selected sales associates and customers on the map of the retail establishment,wherein the voice over Internet communications channel supports live voice communications and concurrently allows other applications to operate independently of the live voice communications,wherein the user interface causes the central sever to query the database to return and display information regarding sales data for the retail establishment,wherein the user interface causes the central server to return and display information regarding the sales associates accessing the central server and social network information about customers through one or more social network websites,wherein the user interface provides interactive communications with other user interfaces across different types of operating system platforms, andwherein the user interface allows the sales associate to select the displayed information regarding one of the sales associates accessing the central server, wherein the sales associate can view, create, delete, or assign a task to the selected sales associate if the sales associate has requisite authority in managerial hierarchy.
17 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for providing a connected sales associate service application via a mobile device. The application provide for an integrated platform upon which various tools for providing support to a sales associate are built. The application includes a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment, and provides a user interface for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment along with multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices. The user interface displays information regarding trending sales data for the retail establishment and information regarding the sales associates accessing the central server. A sales associate can select and display information regarding one of the sales associates accessing the central server to at least one of view, create, delete, or assign a task to the selected sales associate.
21 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps for connecting a sales associate to a central server via a mobile computing device, comprising:
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hosting a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment; displaying a user interface comprising user interface elements for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment, the user interface providing access to the central server through a network, the central server allowing multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices to access the central server; providing mobile point-of-sale support by providing that the user interface includes a touch-sensitive screen; causing the user interface to access multiple channels using a single mobile platform for use by the sales associate, wherein the multiple channels include a customer social networking channel that accesses a social network website of the customer and customer contacts of the social network website, a retail channel, a voice over Internet communications channel, a customer rewards channel, and a mobile point-of-sale channel; causing the user interface to display trending sales data for the retail establishment that have been authorized for viewing by the sales associates; and determining, by one or more location determining devices, real-time locations of the sales associates and customers; causing the user interface to display a list view and a map view of the sales associates and customers that have checked-in, wherein the map view of the user interface displays the real-time locations of the sales associates and customers on a map of the retail establishment, and wherein the user interface initiates communications with selected sales associates and customers, via email, text message, voice communication, or video communication, by selecting graphical user interface elements corresponding to the selected sales associates and customers on the map of the retail establishment, wherein the voice over Internet communications channel supports live voice communications and concurrently allows other applications to operate independently of the live voice communications, wherein the user interface causes the central sever to query the database to return and display information regarding sales data for the retail establishment, wherein the user interface causes the central server to return and display information regarding the sales associates accessing the central server and social network information about customers through one or more social network websites, wherein the user interface provides interactive communications with other user interfaces across different types of operating system platforms, and wherein the user interface allows the sales associate to select the displayed information regarding one of the sales associates accessing the central server, wherein the sales associate can view, create, delete, or assign a task to the selected sales associate if the sales associate has requisite authority in managerial hierarchy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps for connecting a sales associate to a central server via a mobile computing device, comprising:
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hosting a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment; and displaying a user interface comprising user interface elements for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment and to access social network information about customers through one or more social network websites, the central server allowing multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices to access the central server, the user interface providing access to the central server through a network; providing mobile point-of-sale support by providing that the user interface includes a touch-sensitive screen; and causing the user interface to access multiple channels using a single mobile platform for use by the sales associate, wherein the multiple channels include a customer social networking channel that accesses a social network website of the customer and customer contacts of the social network website, a retail channel, a voice over Internet communications channel, a customer rewards channel, and a mobile point-of-sale channel; causing the user interface to display trending sales data for the retail establishment that have been authorized for viewing by the sales associates; causing the user interface to query at least the customer social networking channel to determine if particular customers are present at the retail establishment; and determining, by one or more location determining devices, real-time locations of the sales associates and customers; causing the user interface to display a list view and a map view of the sales associates and customers that have checked-in, wherein the map view of the user interface displays the real-time locations of the sales associates and customers on a map of the retail establishment, and wherein the user interface initiates communications with selected sales associates and customers, via email, text message, voice communication, or video communication, by selecting graphical user interface elements corresponding to the selected sales associates and customers on the map of the retail establishment, wherein the voice over Internet communications channel supports live voice communications and concurrently allows other applications to operate independently of the live voice communications, wherein the user interface provides interactive communications with other user interfaces across different types of operating system platforms, wherein the user interface displays an application that causes the central server to query a current-time clock status of logged-in sales associates and provides punch-in and punch-out tools for shifts and breaks, wherein the user interface causes the central server to provide information about other sales associates if the sales associate has requisite authority in managerial hierarchy, and wherein the user interface causes the central sever to query the database to allow the associate to be assigned and check-out a mobile device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps for connecting a sales associate to a central server via a mobile computing device, comprising:
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hosting a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment; displaying a first user interface comprising user interface elements for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment, the first user interface providing access to the central server through a network that is separate from the network used by one of the other sales associates, the user interface elements providing interactive communications with other user interfaces across different types of operating system platforms, the user interface elements providing a list of sales associate tasks and tracking an amount of time spend spent on each sales associate task, the central server allowing multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices to access the central server, the central server allowing the sales associate to access social network information about customers through one or more social network websites, the central server allowing the sales associate to view sales associates that are currently logged on; providing mobile point-of-sale support by providing that the first user interface includes a touch-sensitive screen; causing the first user interface to access multiple channels using a single mobile platform for use by the sales associate, wherein the multiple channels include a customer social networking channel that accesses a social network website of the customer, customer contacts of the social network website, and a social networking feed related to the retail establishment, a retail channel, a voice over Internet communications channel, a customer rewards channel, and a mobile point-of-sale channel; causing the first user interface to display trending sales data for the retail establishment that have been authorized for viewing by the sales associates; causing the first user interface to query at least the customer social networking channel to determine which customers and which sales associates are present at the retail establishment, supporting live voice communications on the voice over Internet communications channel and concurrently allowing other applications to operate independently of the live voice communications; displaying a second user interface comprising user interface elements for allowing a customer to access the central server for the retail establishment to indicate to the central server the presence of the customer within the retail establishment; determining, by one or more location determining devices, real-time locations of the sales associates and customers; and causing the first user interface to display a list view and a map view of the sales associates and customers that have checked-in, wherein the map view of the first user interface displays the real-time locations of the sales associates and customers on a map of the retail establishment, and wherein the first user interface initiates communications with selected sales associates and customers, via email, text message, voice communication, or video communication, by selecting graphical user interface elements corresponding to the selected sales associates and customers on the map of the retail establishment. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps for connecting a sales associate to a central server via a mobile computing device, comprising:
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hosting a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment; displaying a user interface comprising user interface elements for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment and for allowing the sales associate to access social network information about customers through one or more social network websites, the user interface providing access to the central server through a network, the user interface elements providing interactive communications with other user interfaces across different types of operating system platforms, the user interface elements providing an application that causes the central server to query a current-time clock status of logged-in sales associates and to provide punch-in and punch-out tools for shifts and breaks, the central server allowing multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices to access the central server, wherein the central server is adapted to provide broadcast news information to the mobile device; providing mobile point-of-sale support by providing that the user interface includes a touch-sensitive screen; causing the user interface to access multiple channels using a single mobile platform for use by the sales associate, wherein the multiple channels a customer social networking channel that accesses a social network website of the customer and customer contacts of the social network website, a retail channel, a voice over Internet communications channel, a customer rewards channel, and a mobile point-of-sale channel; causing the user interface to display trending sales data for the retail establishment that have been authorized for viewing by the sales associates; determining, by one or more location determining devices, real-time locations of the sales associates and customers; and causing the user interface display a list view and a map view of the sales associates and customers that have checked-in, wherein the map view of the user interface displays the real-time locations of the sales associates and customers on a map of the retail establishment, and wherein the user interface initiates communications with selected sales associates and customers, via email, text message, voice communication, or video communication, by selecting graphical user interface elements corresponding to the selected sales associates and customers on the map of the retail establishment; causing the user interface to query at least the customer social networking channel to determine which customers and which sales associates have checked in at the retail establishment, and supporting live voice communications on the voice over Internet communications channel and concurrently allowing other applications to operate independently of the live voice communications. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions perform steps for connecting a sales associate to a central server via a mobile computing device, comprising:
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hosting a database of information regarding the sales associates and operational information regarding a retail establishment; displaying a user interface comprising user interface elements for allowing the sales associate to access a central server for the retail establishment and to access social network information about customers through one or more social network websites, the user interface providing access to the central server through a network that is separate from the network used by one of the other sales associates, the user interface elements providing interactive communications with other user interfaces across different types of operating system platforms, the central server allowing multiple additional sales associates on multiple additional mobile devices to access the central server; providing mobile point-of-sale support by providing that the user interface includes a touch-sensitive screen; causing the user interface to access multiple channels using a single mobile platform for use by the sales associate, wherein the multiple channels include a customer social networking channel that accesses a social network website of the customer, accesses customer contacts of the social network website, and manipulates social network posts, a financial channel, a voice over Internet communications channel, a customer rewards channel, and a mobile point-of-sale channel; causing the user interface to display trending sales data for the retail establishment that have been authorized for viewing by the sales associates; determining, by one or more location determining devices, real-time locations of the sales associates and customers; causing the user interface to display a list view and a map view of the sales associates and customers that have checked-in, wherein the map view of the user interface displays the real-time locations of the sales associates and customers on a map of the retail establishment, and wherein the user interface initiates communications with selected sales associates and customers, via email, text message, voice communication, or video communication, by selecting graphical user interface elements corresponding to the selected sales associates and customers on the map of the retail establishment; and supporting live voice communications on the voice over Internet communications channel and concurrently allowing other applications to operate independently of the live voice communications, wherein the user interface provides an application that causes the central server to query a current-time clock status of logged-in sales associates and to provide punch-in and punch-out tools for shifts and breaks, and wherein the mobile device is adapted to provide a photo to the central server. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification