Methods and systems to facilitate messaging to customers

• US 10,318,999 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Goulart, Valerie, Li, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruhl, Dennis W
• Application Number:
  US14/015,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20150066802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Techniques for providing notifications to a customer shopping at a brick and mortar store are disclosed. The techniques include providing a wireless network in a brick and mortar store, using a customer mobile electronic device to detect network identification data of the wireless network, and using a communications module to determine, from the network identification data, the location of the mobile electronic device within the brick and mortar store. The techniques also include a server selecting, based on the location of the mobile electronic device within the brick and mortar store, a notification which is related to a location within the brick and mortar store and transmitting the notification to the mobile electronic device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting, with a computer system, the computer system of a retailer using two or more processors operating in a parallel manner, a mobile-shopping software application (“

app”

) installed on a mobile electronic device of a customer entering a brick and mortar store of the retailer;

responsive to the customer entering the brick and mortar store of the retailer, connecting, via a wireless network installed throughout the brick and mortar store, the mobile electronic device with a server of the retailer, wherein the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device is configured to receive information transmitted from the wireless network and wherein the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device is in data communication with the server of the retailer;

transmitting, by beacons located throughout the brick and mortar store, signals broadcast in a broadcast range greater than a size of the brick and mortar store to be detected by the mobile electronic device of the customer, wherein each beacon of the beacons is correlated to its own particular store location on a store layout of the brick and mortar store, wherein detection of the signals by the mobile electronic device is transmitted to the server to track a location of the mobile electronic device of the customer while the customer is moving throughout the brick and mortar store;

determining, by the server, a customer location of the customer by tracking the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer within the brick and mortar store, wherein the server determines the customer location based on (a) whether the mobile electronic device is within range of a particular beacon of the beacons on the store layout and (b) a signal strength of the particular beacon detected by the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device to be higher than another signal strength of another beacon of the beacons also detected by the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device;

determining, by the server, (a) a first department within the brick and mortar store corresponding to the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer and (b) a second department adjacent to the first department;

transmitting, by a point of sale (“

POS”

) system to the server, one or more purchase transactions made by the customer, wherein the one or more purchase transactions involve items previously purchased by the customer, wherein the server is in data communication with the POS system to receive the one or more purchase transactions of the customer;

determining, by the server, product information comprising (a) the items previously purchased by the customer and corresponding to the second department or (b) items preferred by the customer and corresponding to the second department, wherein a purchase history of the customer comprises the items previously purchased by the customer and, wherein customer preferences of the customer comprise the items preferred by the customer;

identifying, by the server, the customer location of the customer together with the customer preferences and the purchase history of the customer to select a notification of one or more notifications, the notification comprising a discount personalized for the customer for (a) at least one product from the second department, wherein the at least one product was previously purchased or is preferred by the customer, or (b) at least one product in the second department being discounted for a limited time while the customer is in the brick and mortar store; and

transmitting, by the server, the notification to a graphical user interface of the mobile-shopping software app of the mobile electronic device of the customer.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a WIFI network that comprises a WIFI beacon which broadcasts a unique network identification signal and which does not permit customer WIFI access, and wherein the beacons comprise the WIFI beacon.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein determining the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer within the brick and mortar store comprises, with the wireless network, determining, from a network identification data of the wireless network, a proximity of the mobile electronic device to the WIFI beacon from an identified network signal strength of the WIFI beacon.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the WIFI network further comprises a WIFI access point which provides WIFI access to the mobile electronic device.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the computer implemented method further comprises, with a communications device, transmitting the notification to the mobile electronic device via the WIFI access point.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a WIFI network that comprises multiple WIFI beacons, and each WIFI beacon of the multiple WIFI beacons (1) broadcasts a unique network identification signal and (2) does not permit customer WIFI access to the mobile electronic device of the customer, and wherein the beacons comprise the multiple WIFI beacons.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein:

each WIFI beacon of the multiple WIFI beacons has a broadcast range which does not cover all of the brick and mortar store; and

determining the customer location of the customer comprises determining the customer location of the customer based on detection of some of the multiple WIFI beacons, but not all of the multiple WIFI beacons, by the mobile electronic device.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein determining the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer within the brick and mortar store further comprises, with the wireless network, determining the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer, and detected by the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device within the brick and mortar store, based on signal strength of the multiple WIFI beacons.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the server further includes a customer database stored in a memory device;

the computer implemented method further comprises, with the computer system, storing within the customer database a customer profile associated with the customer;

the customer profile includes the purchase history of the customer; and

the notification further comprises additional information regarding products previously purchased by the customer.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless network is a WIFI network that comprises multiple WIFI beacons, and each WIFI beacon of the multiple WIFI beacons (1) broadcasts a unique network identification signal and (2) does not permit customer WIFI access to the mobile electronic device of the customer, wherein the beacons comprise the WIFI beacon;

each WIFI beacon of the multiple WIFI beacons has a broadcast range which does not cover all of the brick and mortar store;

determining the customer location of the customer comprises determining the customer location of the customer based on;

detection of some of the multiple WIFI beacons, but not all of the multiple WIFI beacons, by the mobile electronic device; and

signal strength of the some of the multiple WIFI beacons;

the server further includes a customer database stored in a memory device;

the computer implemented method comprises, with the computer system, storing within the customer database a customer profile associated with the customer;

the customer profile includes the purchase history of the customer; and

the notification further comprises additional information regarding products previously purchased by the customer.

11. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

detecting the computer system of a retailer using two or more processors operating in a parallel manner, a mobile-shopping software application (“

app”

) installed on a mobile electronic device of a customer entering a brick and mortar store of the retailer;

responsive to the customer entering the brick and mortar store of the retailer, connecting, via a wireless network installed throughout the brick and mortar store, the mobile electronic device with a server of the retailer, wherein the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device is configured to receive information transmitted from the wireless network and wherein the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device is in data communication with the server of the retailer;

transmitting, by beacons located throughout the brick and mortar store, signals broadcast in a broadcast range greater than a size of the brick and mortar store to be detected by the mobile electronic device of the customer, wherein each beacon of the beacons is correlated to its own particular store location on a store layout of the brick and mortar store, wherein detection of the signals by the mobile electronic device is transmitted to the server to track a location of the mobile electronic device of the customer while the customer is moving throughout the brick and mortar store;

determining a customer location of the customer by tracking the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer within the brick and mortar store, wherein the customer location based on (a) whether the mobile electronic device is within range of a particular beacon of the beacons on the store layout and (b) a signal strength of the particular beacon detected by the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device to be higher than another signal strength of another beacon of the beacons also detected by the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device;

determining (a) a first department within the brick and mortar store corresponding to the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer and (b) a second department adjacent to the first department;

transmitting, by a point of sale (“

POS”

) system to the server, one or more purchase transactions made by the customer, wherein the one or more purchase transactions involve items previously purchased by the customer, wherein the server is in data communication with the POS system to receive the one or more purchase transactions of the customer;

determining product information comprising (a) the items previously purchased by the customer and corresponding to the second department or (b) items preferred by the customer and corresponding to the second department, wherein a purchase history of the customer comprises the items previously purchased by the customer and, wherein customer preferences of the customer comprise the items preferred by the customer;

identifying the customer location of the customer together with the customer preferences and the purchase history of the customer to select a notification of one or more notifications comprising a discount personalized for the customer for (a) at least one product from the second department, wherein the at least one product was previously purchased or is preferred by the customer or (b) at least one product in the second department being discounted for a limited time while the customer is in the brick and mortar store; and

transmitting the notification to a graphical user interface of the mobile-shopping software app of the mobile electronic device of the customer.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the wireless network is a WIFI network that comprises a WIFI beacon which broadcasts a unique network identification signal and which does not permit customer WIFI access, and wherein the beacons comprise the WIFI beacon.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein, to determine, from a network identification data of the wireless network in the brick and mortar store, the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer within the brick and mortar store, the wireless network is programmed to determine a proximity of the mobile electronic device of the customer to the WIFI beacon from an identified network signal strength of the WIFI beacon.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the WIFI network further comprises a WIFI access point which provides WIFI access to the mobile electronic device.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein a communications device is programmed to transmit the notification to the mobile electronic device via the WIFI access point.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the wireless network is a WIFI network that comprises multiple WIFI beacons, and each WIFI beacon of the multiple WIFI beacons (1) broadcasts a unique network identification signal and (2) does not permit customer WIFI access to the mobile electronic device of the customer, and wherein the beacons comprise the multiple WIFI beacons.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein:

each WIFI beacon of the multiple WIFI beacons has a broadcast range which does not cover all of the brick and mortar store; and

to determine the customer location of the customer comprises determining the customer location of the customer based on detection of some of the multiple WIFI beacons, but not all of the multiple WIFI beacons, by the mobile electronic device.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein to determine the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer further comprises, the wireless network is programmed to determine the location of the mobile electronic device of the customer detected by the mobile-shopping software app on the mobile electronic device within the brick and mortar store based on signal strength of the multiple WIFI beacons.

19. The computer system of claim 11, wherein:

the server further includes a customer database stored in a memory device;

the computer system is further programmed to store within the customer database a customer profile associated with the customer;

the customer profile includes the purchase history of the customer; and

the notification further comprises additional information regarding products previously purchased by the customer.

20. The computer system of claim 11, wherein:

the wireless network is a WIFI network that comprises multiple WIFI beacons, and each WIFI beacon of the multiple WIFI beacons (1) broadcasts a unique network identification signal and (2) does not permit customer WIFI access;

each WIFI beacon of the multiple WIFI beacons has a broadcast range which does not cover all of the brick and mortar store, wherein the beacons comprise the WIFI beacon;

to determine the customer location comprises determining the customer location of the customer based on;

detection of some of the multiple WIFI beacons, but not all of the multiple WIFI beacons, by the mobile electronic device; and

signal strength of the some of the multiple WIFI beacons;

the server further includes a customer database stored in a memory device;

the computer system is further programmed to store within the customer database a customer profile associated with the customer;

the customer profile includes the purchase history of the customer; and

the notification further comprises additional information regarding products previously purchased by the customer.