System and method for electronic list and path through store

• US 20060047577A1
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dietz, Timothy Alan, Holloway, Lane Thomas, Quiller, Marques Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US10/932,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047577A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system and method is provided that matches a shopping list with an order that items are found in a store. The customer prepares an electronic list by browsing through a list of items and selecting which items the customer wishes to purchase. The customer is provided with an identifier to use to retrieve the list at a later time or to print out a path through a store at either a store kiosk or a printer attached to the customer'"'"'s computer. The customer chooses a store and requests a path through the store for the selected items. The customer'"'"'s list is used to find the locations of the items in the store and print a path through the store in an optimal fashion for the store. Static and dynamic coupons associated with selected items are printed so that the coupons can be scanned from the resulting printout.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

retrieving a plurality of item selections made by a customer from a nonvolatile storage area;

matching the plurality of item selections to a physical location of each of the item selections within a physical store;

generating, based upon the physical location of each of the item selections, a suggested path through the physical store, wherein the suggested path includes a description of the item selections and the physical location corresponding to the item selections; and

providing the suggested path to the customer to use during shopping at the physical store.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

choosing a physical store from a plurality of physical stores, wherein at least one of the plurality of physical stores has different locations of items from another of the plurality of physical stores; and

retrieving the physical locations based upon the chosen physical store.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

assigning an identifier to the plurality of item selections made by the customer;

receiving the identifier at a computer system running within a kiosk that is located proximate to the physical store, wherein the retrieval of the item selections is based upon the received identifier; and

printing out the suggested path on a printer attached to the kiosk'"'"'s computer system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a coupon with one or more of the item selections; and

including coupon information corresponding to the coupon with the suggested path, wherein the coupon information includes a coupon identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing at least one of the items selected with one or more alternative items, wherein the alternative items are not included in the items selected;

selecting one of the alternative items based upon the comparison;

retrieving a description corresponding to the selective alternative item; and

including the alternative item description with the suggested path that is provided to the customer.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

associating a dynamic coupon with the selected alternative item; and

including dynamic coupon information corresponding to the dynamic coupon with the suggested path, wherein the dynamic coupon information includes a coupon identifier.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

including one or more coupon identifiers with the suggested path that is provided to the customer, wherein each of the coupon identifiers corresponds to a coupon amount;

scanning identifiers located on one or more physical items selected for purchase by the customer;

matching the coupon identifiers with the scanned identifiers;

calculating a coupon total by summing the coupon amounts for each coupon that matches one of the scanned identifiers;

reducing a bill total resulting from the scanning of the identifiers by the coupon total.

19. The computer program product of claim 5 further comprising:

associate a dynamic coupon with the selected alternative item; and

include dynamic coupon information corresponding to the dynamic coupon with the suggested path, wherein the dynamic coupon information includes a coupon identifier.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors; and

store path software executed by the operating system, the store path software effective to;

retrieve a plurality of item selections made by a customer from the nonvolatile storage area;

match the plurality of item selections to a physical location of each of the item selections within a physical store;

generate, based upon the physical location of each of the item selections, a suggested path through the physical store, wherein the suggested path includes a description of the item selections and the physical location corresponding to the item selections; and

provide the suggested path to the customer to use during shopping at the physical store.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising:

receive a selection of a physical store from a plurality of physical stores, wherein at least one of the plurality of physical stores has different locations of items from another of the plurality of physical stores; and

retrieve the physical locations based upon the chosen physical store.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising:

assign an identifier to the plurality of item selections made by the customer;

receive the identifier at a computer system running within a kiosk that is located proximate to the physical store, wherein the retrieval of the item selections is based upon the received identifier; and

print out the suggested path on a printer attached to the kiosk'"'"'s computer system.

11. The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising:

associate a coupon with one or more of the item selections; and

include coupon information corresponding to the coupon with the suggested path, wherein the coupon information includes a coupon identifier.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising:

compare at least one of the items selected with one or more alternative items, wherein the alternative items are not included in the items selected;

select one of the alternative items based upon the comparison;

retrieve a description corresponding to the selective alternative item;

include the alternative item description with the suggested path that is provided to the customer;

associate a dynamic coupon with the selected alternative item; and

include dynamic coupon information corresponding to the dynamic coupon with the suggested path, wherein the dynamic coupon information includes a coupon identifier.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising:

include one or more coupon identifiers with the suggested path that is provided to the customer, wherein each of the coupon identifiers corresponds to a coupon amount;

scan identifiers located on one or more physical items selected for purchase by the customer;

match the coupon identifiers with the scanned identifiers;

calculate a coupon total by summing the coupon amounts for each coupon that matches one of the scanned identifiers;

reduce a bill total resulting from the scanning of the identifiers by the coupon total.

14. A computer program product stored on a computer operable media, said computer program product comprising software effective to:

retrieve a plurality of item selections made by a customer from a nonvolatile storage area;

match the plurality of item selections to a physical location of each of the item selections within a physical store;

generate, based upon the physical location of each of the item selections, a suggested path through the physical store, wherein the suggested path includes a description of the item selections and the physical location corresponding to the item selections; and

provide the suggested path to the customer to use during shopping at the physical store.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

receive a selection of a physical store from a plurality of physical stores, wherein at least one of the plurality of physical stores has different locations of items from another of the plurality of physical stores; and

retrieve the physical locations based upon the chosen physical store.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

assign an identifier to the plurality of item selections made by the customer;

receive the identifier at a computer system running within a kiosk that is located proximate to the physical store, wherein the retrieval of the item selections is based upon the received identifier; and

print out the suggested path on a printer attached to the kiosk'"'"'s computer system.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

associate a coupon with one or more of the item selections; and

include coupon information corresponding to the coupon with the suggested path, wherein the coupon information includes a coupon identifier.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

compare at least one of the items selected with one or more alternative items, wherein the alternative items are not included in the items selected;

select one of the alternative items based upon the comparison;

retrieve a description corresponding to the selective alternative item; and

include the alternative item description with the suggested path that is provided to the customer.

20. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

include one or more coupon identifiers with the suggested path that is provided to the customer, wherein each of the coupon identifiers corresponds to a coupon amount;

scan identifiers located on one or more physical items selected for purchase by the customer;

match the coupon identifiers with the scanned identifiers;

calculate a coupon total by summing the coupon amounts for each coupon that matches one of the scanned identifiers;

reduce a bill total resulting from the scanning of the identifiers by the coupon total.