Method and system for assisting a shopper
First Claim
1. A method for assisting an individual in locating items, comprising the steps of:
- recording speech input related to an item to locate in an area;
connecting to a network within the area;
receiving data identifying a location of the item in the area; and
generating audio output based on the received data.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A consumer uses a portable device to record voice input of items that are needed when shopping at a store. The device is then carried to the store when shopping and upon entering the store becomes connected to a wireless LAN within the store. Once on the LAN, the device can exchange information with a store computer such as by sending the list of voice inputs to the computer and receiving back information about the location of those items in the store. The received information is provided as audio output by the device. By including a locator service within the wireless LAN, the store computer is able to identify where the device is located and customize any announcements that the store computer sends to the device.
59 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for assisting an individual in locating items, comprising the steps of:
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recording speech input related to an item to locate in an area;
connecting to a network within the area;
receiving data identifying a location of the item in the area; and
generating audio output based on the received data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for assisting an individual in locating items, comprising the steps of:
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detecting a device storing recorded speech input related to an item to locate in an area;
retrieving the recorded speech input;
identifying the item from the retrieved recorded speech input; and
generating audio output identifying a location of the item in the area. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for assisting an individual in a retail establishment, comprising the steps of:
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storing an identifier for the individual, said identifier correlated to a historical record of activity of the individual within the retail establishment;
connecting to a network within the retail establishment;
receiving data about an item in the retail establishment based on the historical record; and
generating output based on the received data.
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20. A method for assisting an individual in a retail establishment, comprising the steps of:
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detecting a device associated with an identifier of the individual;
based on the identifier, retrieving data from a historical record of activity of the individual within the retail establishment;
identifying an item based on the retrieved data; and
generating audio output related to the item. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A wireless assistance system within an area, comprising:
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a programmable computer configured to execute a software application to assist an individual in locating a desired item within the area;
a first database, in communication with the programmable computer, storing an identification of a plurality of items in the area and their respective physical locations;
a receiver, in communication with the programmable computer, configured to retrieve the desired item identification from a wireless device within the area;
the software application configured to retrieve from the first database, the respective physical location of the desired item; and
a transmitter, in communication with the first computer, configured to send the respective physical location of the desired item to the wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A wireless apparatus providing assistance to an individual within an area, comprising:
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speech input circuitry configured to capture speech data related to a desired item;
interface circuitry configured to connect with a wireless network within the area;
transmitter circuitry configured to utilize the interface circuitry to transmit an identifier of the desired item, over the wireless network, based on the speech data;
receiver circuitry configured to receive, over the wireless network, a location within the area of the desired item; and
audio output circuitry configured to generate synthesized speech of the location. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. An apparatus comprising:
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at least one processor;
a memory coupled with the at least one processor; and
a program code residing in memory and executed by the at least one processor, the program code configured to;
detect a device storing recorded speech input related to an item to locate in an area;
establish a wireless network connection with the device retrieve the recorded speech input;
identify the item from the retrieved recorded speech input; and
transmit, to the wireless device, audio output identifying a location of the item in the area.
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31. A program product, comprising:
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a program code configured upon execution to;
detect a device storing recorded speech input related to an item to locate in an area;
establish a wireless network connection with the device retrieve the recorded speech input;
identify the item from the retrieved recorded speech input; and
transmit, to the wireless device, audio output identifying a location of the item in the area; and
a signal bearing medium bearing the program code.
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32. A method for assisting a consumer in the purchasing of items, comprising the steps of:
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generating a list of desired items using audio inputs to a device;
transferring the list to a network in an area containing at least one of the desired items;
obtaining, from the network, a location of the at least one item within the area; and
communicating the location to the consumer. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A shopping assistance system, comprising:
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a plurality of mobile devices, each configured to capture an audio input indicative of a respective list of desired items;
a system configured to communicate with the mobile devices and to store location information related to items in an area; and
the system further configured to capture the respective list from a particular one of the mobile devices and output to the particular one mobile device a respective location for each desired item on the respective list.
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Specification