Retail purchasing computer system and method of operating same

• US 10,643,267 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Cancro, Richard Neil, Pedley, Douglas James, Acker, Jr., Joel Bennett
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai, Resha
• Application Number:
  US15/299,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A retail purchasing computer system associated with a retailer is described herein. The retail purchasing computer system includes a retail server computer including a processor coupled to a memory device. The retail server computer receives, from the mobile computing device, a signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by the retailer, accesses an item database and retrieves item information associated with the item identifier, and transmits a signal including the item information to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device displays the item information and the operational input on the touchscreen upon receiving the signal including the item information from the retail server. The retail server computer receives a purchase signal including the item identifier and a unique user ID, transmitted when a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the touchscreen.

Claims

1. A retail purchasing computer system associated with a retailer comprising:

a retail server computer including a processor coupled to a memory device, the processor programmed to;

receive, from a mobile computing device, a first input signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by the retailer, access an item database and retrieve item information associated with the item identifier, transmit a first output signal including the item information to the mobile computing device, and cause the mobile computing device to display the item information and an operational input on a graphical user interface on a touchscreen of the mobile computing device upon receiving the first output signal including the item information from the retail server computer, wherein;

the operational input is associated with a touch input by a user and an information request image; and

the operational input is located at a predefined location on the graphical user interface;

receive, from the mobile computing device, a second input signal indicating the touch input of the operational input by the user, and cause the mobile computing device to display the operational input remaining at the predefined location on the graphical user interface;

receive, from the mobile computing device, a purchase signal including the item identifier for the item and a unique user ID for the user, wherein;

the mobile computing device is configured to transmit the purchase signal upon detecting a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the graphical user interface on the touchscreen;

the touch input comprises the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs;

the predefined number is at least 3; and

the information request image is different when the operational input is associated with a different one of the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs; and

retrieve a user account for the user associated with the unique user ID from a user account database including purchasing information, retrieve the item information associated with the item identifier from the item database, and complete an order to purchase the item for the user upon receiving the purchase signal from the mobile computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile computing device further comprises a near field communication (NFC) interface; and

the mobile computing device is further configured to communicate with a NFC device associated with the item via the NRF interface to obtain the item identifier from the NFC device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the retail server computer is further configured to generate an electronic catalogue of items selectable by the user via the graphical user interface on the touchscreen of the mobile computer device and receive the item identifier from the mobile computing device based on a selection by the user from the electronic catalogue of items.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the user account includes shipping information; and

the retail server computer is further configured to transmit the shipping information to the mobile computing device and cause the mobile computing device to display the shipping information on the graphical user interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to transmit the purchase signal to the retail server computer upon detecting the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs via the graphical user interface on the touchscreen.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the retail server computer is further configured to receive a signal from the mobile computing device indicating a single-action input of the operational input from the user and modify an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to initially display the operational input with the information request image and modify the operational input to display a different information request image upon receiving the single-action input of the operational input from the user via the graphical user interface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

when the operational input is associated with a double-action input, the retail server computer is further configured to;

modify an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information;

transmit a second output signal including the electronic shopping cart data record to the mobile computing device; and

cause the mobile computing device to display the item information included in the electronic shopping cart data record on the graphical user interface; and

the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs comprises the double-action input.

9. 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:

operate a retail server computer to receive, from a mobile computing device, a first input signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by a retailer, access an item database and retrieve item information associated with the item identifier, transmit a first output signal including the item information to the mobile computing device, and cause the mobile computing device to display the item information and an operational input on a graphical user interface on a touchscreen of the mobile computing device upon receiving the first output signal including the item information from the retail server computer, wherein;

the operational input is associated with a touch input by a user and an information request image; and

the operational input is located at a predefined location on the graphical user interface;

operate the retail server computer to receive a second input signal from the mobile computing device indicating the touch input of the operational input by the user, and cause the mobile computing device to display the operational input remaining at the predefined location on the graphical user interface;

operate the retail server computer to receive, from the mobile computing device, a purchase signal including the item identifier for the item and a unique user ID for the user, wherein;

the mobile computing device is configured to transmit the purchase signal upon detecting a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the graphical user interface on the touchscreen;

the touch input comprises the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs;

the predefined number is at least 3; and

the information request image is different when the operational input is associated with a different one of the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs; and

operate the retail server computer to retrieve a user account for the user associated with the unique user ID from a user account database including purchasing information, retrieve the item information associated with the item identifier from the item database, and complete an order to purchase the item for the user upon receiving the purchase signal from the mobile computing device.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein:

the mobile computing device further comprises a near field communication (NFC) interface; and

the NRF interface is configured to communicate with a NFC device associated with the item to obtain the item identifier from the NFC device.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to operate the retail server computer to generate an electronic catalogue of items selectable by the user via the graphical user interface on the touchscreen of the mobile computer device, and receive the item identifier from the mobile computing device based on a selection by the user from the electronic catalogue of items.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein:

the user account includes shipping information; and

the retail server computer is further configured to transmit the shipping information to the mobile computing device and cause the mobile computing device to display the shipping information on the graphical user interface.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to transmit the purchase signal to the retail server computer upon detecting the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs via the graphical user interface on the touchscreen.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to operate the retail server computer to receive a signal from the mobile computing device indicating a single-action input of the operational input from the user and modify an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to initially display the operational input with the information request image and modify the operational input to display a different information request image upon receiving the single-action input of the operational input from the user via the graphical user interface.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein:

when the operational input is associated with a double-action input, the retail server computer is further configured to;

modify an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information;

transmit a second output signal including the electronic shopping cart data record to the mobile computing device; and

cause the mobile computing device to display the item information included in the electronic shopping cart data record on the graphical user interface; and

the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs comprises the double-action input.

17. A computer-implemented method of operating a retail purchasing computer system, including steps of:

a retail server computer receiving, from a mobile computing device, a first input signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by a retailer, accessing an item database and retrieving item information associated with the item identifier, transmitting a first output signal including the item information to the mobile computing device, and causing the mobile computing device to display the item information and an operational input on a graphical user interface on a touchscreen of the mobile computing device upon receiving the first output signal including the item information from the retail server computer, wherein;

the operational input is associated with a touch input by a user and an information request image; and

the operational input is located at a predefined location on the graphical user interface;

the retail server computer receiving a second input signal from the mobile computing device indicating the touch input of the operational input by the user, and causing the mobile computing device to display the operational input remaining at the predefined location on the graphical user interface;

the retail server computer receiving, from the mobile computing device, a purchase signal including the item identifier for the item and a unique user ID for the user, wherein;

the mobile computing device is configured to transmit the purchase signal upon detecting a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the graphical user interface on the touchscreen;

the touch input comprises the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs;

the predefined number is at least 3; and

the information request image is different when the operational input is associated with a different one of the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs; and

the retail server computer retrieving a user account for the user associated with the unique user ID from a user account database including purchasing information, retrieving the item information associated with the item identifier from the item database, and completing an order to purchase the item for the user upon receiving the purchase signal from the mobile computing device.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein:

the mobile computing device further comprises a near field communication (NFC) interface; and

the mobile computing device is further configured to communicate with a NFC device associated with the item via the NRF interface to obtain the item identifier from the NFC device.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to transmit the purchase signal to the retail server computer upon detecting the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs via the graphical user interface on the touchscreen.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein:

when the operational input is associated with a double-action input, the retail server computer is further configured to;

modify an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information;

transmit a second output signal including the electronic shopping cart data record to the mobile computing device; and

cause the mobile computing device to display the item information included in the electronic shopping cart data record on the graphical user interface; and

the predefined number of consecutive touch inputs comprises the double-action input.