Inventory management

• US 10,354,317 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Jim C., Konik, Rafal P., Rossiter, Ryan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brockington, III, William S
• Application Number:
  US15/644,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20190012723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

A computer detects a user computing device when the user enters the store and receives the user'"'"'s purchase history and preference information from a database. The computer receives a list and/or recipe that the user inputs into the application. This list and/or recipe is a list of items that the user plans to purchase. The computer identifies an item on the list, determines whether the item is in stock, and generates a route through the store so the user will reach each item on his list. The computer transmits the route to the user'"'"'s computing device to be displayed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer program product for intelligently managing a store inventory stock, the non-transitory computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

detecting, by a computer, a user computing device when the user computing device enters a store;

receiving a user preference information from a user preference database, wherein the received user preference information comprises dietary restrictions;

receiving a list and/or a recipe inputted into an application by a user, wherein the list and/or the recipe includes at least one item that the user plans to purchase;

identifying using sensors, the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe that the user plans to purchase, wherein the sensors are registering movement of a plurality of items off a shelf in the store inventory stock and connected to the computer;

based on determining that the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe conflicts with the dietary restrictions;

generating at least one substitution item for the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe that conflicts with the dietary restrictions and for the at least one substitution item;

replacing the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe that conflicts with the dietary restrictions from the received user preference information with the generated at least one substitution item when the at least one substitution item is in the store inventory stock;

generating a route through the store based on a store layout map, an item placement map, and the replaced at least one substitution item included within the list and/or the recipe, wherein the item placement map is updated based on data from the sensors; and

transmitting the route to the user computing device to be displayed by a graphical user interface.

2. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 1, wherein the store layout map includes a map of a store shelving and/or other store infrastructure maps;

wherein the item placement map includes information about a location of each of the items on store shelves;

wherein a user purchase history includes information about previous purchases by the user; and

wherein the user preference information includes at least one preference about dietary restrictions, allergy information, and/or any other user preference.

3. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user purchase history from a user history database;

analyzing the user purchase history and/or the user preference information, in order to identify a trend in the user purchase history and/or the user preference information, wherein the trend includes at least one trend about brand preference, dietary restriction preference, or any other trend;

generating at least one item recommendation for the user based on the analyzed user purchase history and/or the user preference information, and the identified trend; and

transmitting the at least one item recommendation to the user computing device to be displayed on the graphical user interface;

wherein the generated route further includes the at least one item recommendation.

4. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user purchase history from a user history database;

determining whether the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe conflicts with the user preference information;

in response to determining that the at least one item is not in stock and/or that the at least one item conflicts with the user preference information, generating a second at least one substitution item for the at least one item that is not in stock and/or for the at least one item that conflicts with the user preference information, based on the user purchase history, the user preference information, and/or an item information; and

transmitting the second at least one substitution item to the user computing device to be displayed on the graphical user interface;

wherein the generated route further includes the second at least one substitution item.

5. A computer system for intelligently managing a store inventory stock, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors, one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on one or more of the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

detecting, by a computer, a user computing device when the user computing device enters a store;

receiving a user preference information from a user preference database, wherein the received user preference information comprises dietary restrictions;

receiving a list and/or a recipe inputted into an application by a user, wherein the list and/or the recipe includes at least one item that the user plans to purchase;

identifying using sensors, the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe that the user plans to purchase, wherein the sensors are registering movement of a plurality of items off a shelf in the store inventory stock and connected to the computer;

based on determining that the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe conflicts with the dietary restrictions;

generating at least one substitution item for the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe that conflicts with the dietary restrictions and for the at least one substitution item;

replacing the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe that conflicts with the dietary restrictions from the received user preference information with the generated at least one substitution item when the at least one substitution item is in the store inventory stock;

generating a route through the store based on a store layout map, an item placement map, and the replaced at least one substitution item included within the list and/or the recipe, wherein the item placement map is updated based on data from the sensors; and

transmitting the route to the user computing device to be displayed by a graphical user interface.

6. The computer system of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a user purchase history from a user history database;

analyzing the user purchase history and/or the user preference information, in order to identify a trend in the user purchase history and/or the user preference information, wherein the trend includes at least one trend about brand preference, dietary restriction preference, or any other trend;

generating at least one item recommendation for the user based on the analyzed user purchase history and/or the user preference information, and the identified trend; and

transmitting the at least one item recommendation to the user computing device to be displayed on the graphical user interface;

wherein the generated route further includes the at least one item recommendation.

7. The computer system of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a user purchase history from a user history database;

determining whether the at least one item included within the list and/or the recipe conflicts with the user preference information;

in response to determining that the at least one item is not in stock and/or that the at least one item conflicts with the user preference information, generating a second at least one substitution item for the at least one item that is not in stock and/or for the at least one item that conflicts with the user preference information, based on the user purchase history, the user preference information, and/or an item information; and

transmitting the second at least one substitution item to the user computing device to be displayed on the graphical user interface;

wherein the generated route further includes the second at least one substitution item.