System and method for advanced identification of a customer

• US 10,650,364 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2018
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jhaveri, Nimesh S., Dhruve, Archana, Hill, Heather K., Kozic, Dejan, Tebbe, Laura Jean, Heald, Susan G., Tulyathorn, Warit, Jones, Mark A., Frisk, Sara B., Levin, Jennifer M., Comiskey, Jennifer A., Blanchard, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hein, Devin C
• Application Number:
  US16/052,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20180341939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0836 Recipient pick-ups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

In a method for advanced identification of a customer, a customer may remotely place an order, intending to later go to a store to pick up the ordered item. The store may have a pick-up area (e.g., at the back of the store) where the customer can go to pick up the ordered item. To save the customer time, the customer may be identified when she enters the store so that an employee can obtain her ordered item and have it ready to pick up by the time the customer walks through the store and arrives at the pick-up area. To identify the customer, an initiation device may transmit a first signal that causes the customer'"'"'s mobile electronic device to respond by transmitting a second signal, which may be utilized to generate a notification in the pick-up area notifying an employee to obtain the ordered item for pick-up.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a customer at a store, the system comprising:

(A) a computing device including an output device and located at a pick-up area within a store; and

(B) an initiator device located at the store, wherein the initiator device is configured to transmit a first signal conforming to a first protocol to cause a mobile electronic device that is located at a second area substantially near an entrance of the store to respond to receiving the first signal by wirelessly broadcasting a second signal that;

(i) carries identification information uniquely associated with a customer who has remotely placed an order for an item but who has not yet picked up the item; and

(ii) conforms to a second protocol that is different from the first protocol; and

(C) a customer identification device that is communicatively connected to the computing device and that;

(i) receives the identification information, wherein the identification information corresponds to stored identification information for the customer; and

(ii) transmits to the computing device at the pick-up area, in response to receiving the identification information, a message to cause the computing device to provide, via the output device, an audible or visual notification to obtain the item for pick-up by the customer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the output device comprises a display screen that provides visual output and wherein the audible or visual notification is a visual notification.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computing device provides the visual notification by displaying, via the display screen, one or more identifiers representing the customer.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more identifiers include one or more of:

a name of the customer;

a telephone number unique to the customer;

or one or more digits of a credit card number.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the computing device is configured to provide, via the display screen and after providing the visual notification, order information for customer verification.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the computing device is configured to provide, via the display screen and after providing the audible or visual notification, one or more options for the customer to pay for the order.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer identification device is located within the store.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer identification device is located external to the store.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the initiator device is a Bluetooth-enabled device and wherein the first protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second protocol is a wifi protocol or a cellular protocol.

11. A method for identifying a customer at a store, the method comprising:

(A) implementing an initiator device at a store, wherein the store includes at least;

(i) a first area for picking up ordered items within the store, and (ii) a second area distinct from the first area and including an entrance of the store;

(B) wirelessly transmitting, via the initiator device, a first signal conforming to a first protocol to cause a mobile electronic device located substantially near the second area to respond to receiving the first signal by wirelessly broadcasting a second signal that;

(i) carries identification information uniquely associated with a customer who has remotely placed an order for an item but who has not yet picked up the item; and

(ii) conforms to a second protocol that is different from the first protocol;

(C) receiving, at the customer identification device, the identification information that was carried by the second signal wirelessly broadcasted by the mobile electronic device, wherein the identification information corresponds to stored identification for the customer;

(D) transmitting, via the customer identification device, a message in response to receiving the identification information;

(E) receiving the message at a computing device located at the first area for picking up ordered items within the store; and

(F) causing the computing device to respond to receiving the message by providing an audible or visual notification to obtain the item for pick-up by the customer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein causing the computing device to respond to receiving the message by providing an audible or visual notification comprises:

displaying, via a display screen of the computing device, a visual output.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the computing device provides the visual notification by displaying, via the display screen, one or more identifiers representing the customer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more identifiers include one or more of:

a name of the customer;

a telephone number unique to the customer;

or one or more digits of a credit card number.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying, via the display screen and after providing the visual notification, order information for customer verification.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying, via the display screen and after providing the visual notification, one or more options for the customer to pay for the order.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the customer identification device is located within the store.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the customer identification device is located external to the store.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first protocol is a Bluetooth protocol and wherein transmitting the first signal conforming to a first protocol comprises:

transmitting the first signal in accordance with the Bluetooth protocol.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second protocol is a wifi or cellular protocol and wherein wirelessly broadcasting the second signal comprises:

wirelessly broadcasting the second signal in accordance with the wifi or cellular protocol.