In-store navigation systems and methods

• US 10,546,328 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2017
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Blair, II, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US15/667,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20180040037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system for navigating a shopper in a store comprises a mobile device application that is stored at and executed by a mobile computing device; an electronic device in communication with the mobile device application, wherein at least one of the mobile device application and the electronic device receives location data for determining directions and a proximity to an item of interest and processes a predetermined feedback pattern for use by the at least one of the electronic device and the mobile device application and generated according to an established location of the at least one of the mobile electronic device and the electronic device, and wherein the feedback pattern is constructed and arranged to provide an indicator of both a direction to the item and a proximity from the item; and a store navigation system that provides instructions for generating the feedback pattern.

Claims

1. A system for navigating a shopper in a store, comprising:

a mobile device application that is stored at and executed by a mobile computing device;

an electronic device in communication with the mobile device application, wherein the mobile device application receives and processes location data for determining directions and a proximity to an item of interest and processes a predetermined feedback pattern for use by the at least one of the electronic device and the mobile device application and generated according to an established location of the mobile electronic device, and wherein the feedback pattern is constructed and arranged to provide an indicator of both a direction to the item and a proximity from the item; and

a store navigation system that provides instructions to the mobile device application for generating the feedback pattern, and the mobile device application in response establishes a communication with the electronic device to establish which of the electronic device and/or the mobile computing device generates the feedback pattern for indicating a type of direction for directing the shopper to the item of interest.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the store navigation system comprises:

a search processor that searches for an availability and a location of the item of interest;

a pattern generator that customizes the feedback pattern for different directions or commands;

a shopping list processor that provides a plurality of items including the item of interest, each of which has a location which is used to generate the feedback pattern;

a lookup module that determines an availability and a location of the item of interest; and

a distance determination processor that compares the location of the item of interest and the established location of the mobile electronic device to produce a distance result that is used to generate the feedback pattern.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback pattern includes turn-by-turn directions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback pattern includes a tactile feedback pattern.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the tactile feedback pattern includes a first device vibration when at least one of the electronic device or the mobile computing device is at a first distance from the item of interest and a second device vibration when at least one of the electronic device or the mobile computing device is at a second distance from the item of interest.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the electronic device and the mobile computing device generates a feedback scheme for the same determined location of the item of interest.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer server that receives and processes a request from the mobile electronic device for the location of the item of interest.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device is paired with the electronic device, such that one of the mobile computing device and the electronic device is a master that receives and processes the location data for determining directions and a proximity to an item of interest, and the other of the mobile computing device and the electronic device is a slave that generates the feedback pattern in response to a communication received from the master.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a location of the item of interest is determined by accessing an item allocation database or communicating with a radio frequency identification (RFID) object reporting location.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a wearable electronic device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a tactile handle of a shopping cart or tactile device of a shopping basket that is electronically paired with the mobile computing device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the shopping cart is a self-powered shopping cart.

13. A method for navigating a shopper in a store, comprising:

determining a location of an item of interest;

forming an interaction between a wearable device and a mobile electronic device to receive navigation data regarding the item of interest; and

generating a feedback scheme by at least one of the mobile electronic device and the wearable device from the navigation data, the feedback scheme providing an indicator of both a direction to the item and a proximity from the item, wherein generating the feedback scheme comprises;

receiving instructions by the mobile electronic device for generating a feedback pattern, and in response the mobile electronic device establishes a communication with the wearable device to establish which of the mobile electronic device and/or the wearable device generates the feedback pattern for indicating a type of direction for directing the shopper to the item of interest.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

searching for the item of interest, comprising activating an application stored at and executed by the mobile electronic device to search for the item of interest.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

searching for an availability and a location of the item of interest;

providing the feedback pattern of the feedback scheme as a customized feedback pattern for different directions or commands;

providing a plurality of items including the item of interest, each of which has a location which is used to generate the feedback pattern;

determining an availability and location of the item of interest; and

comparing the location of the item of interest and the established location of the mobile electronic device to produce a distance result that is used to generate the feedback pattern.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the wearable electronic device and the mobile computing device generates a feedback scheme for the same determined location of the item of interest.

17. A store navigation system, comprising:

a search processor that searches for an availability and a location of the item of interest;

a pattern generator that provides a customized feedback pattern for different directions or commands;

a shopping list processor that provides a plurality of items including the item of interest, each of which has a location which is used to generate the feedback pattern;

a lookup module that determines an availability and a location of the item of interest; and

a distance determination processor that compares the location of the item of interest and the established location of a mobile electronic device to produce a distance result that is used to generate the feedback pattern, wherein the feedback pattern is provided to at least one of the mobile computing device or a wearable electronic device in communication with the mobile computing device, the store navigation system providing instructions to the mobile device application for presenting the feedback pattern, and the mobile device application in response communicates with the electronic device to establish which of the wearable electronic device and/or the mobile computing device generates the feedback pattern for indicating a type of direction for directing the shopper to the item of interest.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile computing device is paired with at least one of the wearable electronic device, a shopping cart, or a shopping basket.