System for providing optimal shopping routes in retail store and method of using same

• US 10,572,932 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Ashwin, Shendre, Ameya Ajay, Rajkhowa, Pratosh Deepak, Kumar, R R Pavan
• Primary Examiner(s): Palavecino, Kathleen
• Application Number:
  US15/418,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20180218441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

A system and method includes receiving a shopping list of one or more items inputted by a user into a user application running on the user device, generating a pick path through a retail store to pick the one or more items according to an optimization algorithm that generates the pick path based on XY location information of the one or more items within the retail store, obtaining a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of the retail store, transmitting a representation of the store map and the pick path to the user device, and displaying the store map overlaid with the pick path on a graphical display of the user device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computing device configured to provide output to a graphical user interface on a user device of a user wherein the computing device is configured to perform;

receiving a shopping list of one or more items inputted by the user into a user application running on the user device;

generating an initial pick path through a retail store to pick the one or more items according to an optimization algorithm that generates a route for the initial pick path based on XY location information of the one or more items within the retail store;

determining one or more other items relating to the one or more items on the initial pick path, wherein the one or more other items are located within a predetermined distance based on the XY location information of the one or more items on the initial pick path;

generating an adjusted pick path based on a location of the one or more other items to the XY location information of the one or more items on the initial pick path;

obtaining a store map, wherein the store map comprises a layout of the retail store;

transmitting a representation of the store map, the initial pick path, and the adjusted pick path to the graphical user interface on the user device; and

sending instructions to display, on the graphical user interface on the user device, the store map overlaid with the initial pick path and the adjusted pick path.

2. The system in claim 1,

wherein the computing device is further configured to perform:

generating an icon being associated with a respective physical location of each of the one or more items in the retail store; and

wherein sending the instructions to display further comprises;

sending instructions to display, on the graphical user interface on the user device, the icon, wherein the icon and the initial pick path are positioned overlaid on the store map to designate the respective physical location of the each of the one or more items in the retail store.

3. The system in claim 2,

wherein determining the one or more other items further comprises:

recommending at least one item;

wherein generating the icon comprises;

generating an other icon being associated with a physical location of the at least one item, as recommended;

wherein generating the adjusted pick path further comprises;

automatically adjusting the initial pick path to comprise the physical location of the at least one item, as recommended; and

wherein sending the instructions to display further comprises;

sending instructions to display, on the graphical user interface on the user device, the other icon overlaid on the store map to designate the physical location of the at least one item in the retail store.

4. The system in claim 1,

wherein generating the initial pick path further comprises:

automatically adjusting the initial pick path based on the one or more items being added or dropped from the shopping list; and

wherein sending the instructions to display further comprises;

sending the instructions to display, on the graphical user interface on the user device, the initial pick path, as automatically adjusted, positioned overlaid on the store map.

5. The system in claim 2:

wherein the computing device comprises a path generation module configured to perform;

monitoring a current location of the user;

acquiring an in-store location for the one or more items; and

wherein generating the initial pick path further comprises;

providing the initial pick path from the current location to the in-store location.

6. The system in claim 3:

wherein the computing device comprises a path generation module configured to perform;

monitoring a current location of the user; and

acquiring an in-store location for the at least one item, as recommended; and

wherein generating the adjusted pick path further comprises;

providing the adjusted pick path from the current location to the in-store location.

7. The system in claim 6:

wherein the computing device comprises a path generation module configured to perform;

monitoring a current location of the user; and

acquiring an in-store location for the one or more items being added or dropped from the shopping list; and

wherein generating the initial pick path further comprises;

providing the initial pick path, as automatically adjusted, from the current location to the in-store location.

8. The system in claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform:

storing, by an item location database, a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the retail store, including one or more item waypoints, wherein each item waypoint of the plurality of waypoints comprises a respective icon indicating a specific item in the retail store, and wherein each of the plurality of waypoints are obtained from the item location database.

9. The system in claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a path generation module configured to perform:

rendering an image of the store map having an item waypoint and the initial pick path displayed therein, wherein the image, including the initial pick path, is provided to the graphical user interface on the user device for display.

10. The system in claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform:

generating, by a map generation module, the store map showing a physical location of the one or more items on the store map.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a shopping list of one or more items inputted by a user into a graphical user interface on a user application running on a user device;

generating, by the computing device, an initial pick path through a retail store to pick the one or more items according to an optimization algorithm that generates a route for the initial pick path based on XY location information of the one or more items within the retail store;

determining, by the computing device, one or more other items relating to the one or more items on the initial pick path, wherein the one or more other items are located within a predetermined distance based on the XY location information of the one or more items on the initial pick path;

generating, by the computing device, an adjusted pick path based on a location of the one or more other items to the XY location information of the one or more items on the initial pick path;

obtaining, by the computing device, wherein a store map, the store map comprises a layout of the retail store;

transmitting, by the computing device, a representation of the store map, the initial pick path and the adjusted pick path to the graphical user interface on the user device; and

sending instructions to display the store map overlaid with the initial pick path and the adjusted pick path on the graphical user interface on of the user device.

12. The method in claim 11 further comprising:

generating, by the computing device, an icon being associated with a respective physical location of each of the one or more items in the retail store;

wherein sending the instructions to display further comprises;

sending instructions to display, by the computing device, on the graphical user interface on the user device, the store map overlaid with the icon and the initial pick path, wherein the initial pick path to the icon are positioned overlaid on the store map to designate the respective physical location of the each of the one or more items for the retail store.

13. The method in claim 12 wherein determining the one or more other items further comprises:

recommending, by the computing device, at least one item;

wherein generating the icon comprises;

generating an other icon being associated with a physical location of the at least one item, as recommended;

wherein generating the adjusted pick path further comprises;

automatically adjusting, by the computing device, the initial pick path to comprise the physical location of the at least one item, as recommended; and

wherein sending the instructions to display further comprises;

sending instructions to display, on the graphical user interface on the user device, the other icon overlaid on the store map to designate the physical location of the at least one item in the retail store.

14. The method in claim 11:

wherein generating the initial pick path further comprises;

automatically adjusting, by the computing device, the initial pick path based on the one or more items being added or dropped from the shopping list; and

wherein sending the instructions to display further comprises;

sending the instructions to display, on the graphical user interface on the user device, the initial pick path, as automatically adjusted, positioned overlaid on the store map.

15. The method in claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring a current location of the user;

acquiring an in-store location for the one or more items; and

wherein generating the initial pick path further comprises;

providing the initial pick path from the current location to the in-store location.

16. The method in claim 11, including the further comprising:

monitoring a current location of the user; and

acquiring an in-store location for at least one item, as recommended; and

wherein generating the adjusted pick path further comprises;

providing the adjusted pick path from the current location to the in-store location.

17. The method in claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring a current location of the user; and

acquiring an in-store location for the one or more items being added or dropped from the shopping list; and

wherein generating the initial pick path further comprises;

providing the initial pick path, as automatically adjusted, from the current location to the in-store location.

18. The method in claim 11, further comprising:

rendering an image of the store map having an item waypoint and the initial pick path displayed therein, wherein the image, including the initial pick path, is provided to the graphical user interface on the user device for display.

19. The method in claim 11, further comprising:

rendering, by the computing device, a map showing a physical location of the one or more items in the retail store.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to perform:

receiving a shopping list of one or more items inputted by a user into a user application running on a graphical user interface on a user device;

generating an initial pick path through a retail store to pick the one or more items according to an optimization algorithm that generates a route for the initial pick path based on XY location information of the one or more items within the retail store;

determining one or more other items relating to the one or more items on the initial pick path, wherein the one or more other items are located within a predetermined distance based on the XY location information of the one or more items on the initial pick path;

generating an adjusted pick path based on a location of the one or more other items to the XY location information of the one or more items on the initial pick path;

obtaining a store map, wherein the store map comprises a layout of the retail store;

transmitting a representation of the store map, the initial pick path, and the adjusted pick path to the graphical user interface on the user device; and

sending instructions display the store map overlaid with the initial pick path and the adjusted pick path on the graphical user interface on the user device.