System and method for facilitating tasks involving travel between locations
First Claim
1. A system for facilitating acquisition of one or more desired products and/or services by a user comprising:
- first means for providing a query containing information pertaining to said one or more desired products and/or services and second means for performing an inventory search of multiple businesses or business locations based on said query and providing search results to said first means in response thereto, said search results containing Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinate information pertaining to said one or more desired products and/or services.
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Abstract
A system for increasing the efficiency of tasks involving travel between locations. In an illustrative embodiment, the system facilitates acquiring one or more desired products and/or services by a user via an inventory and/or location search. The system includes a first mechanism for providing a query containing information pertaining to the one or more desired products and/or services. A second mechanism performs an inventory search of multiple businesses based on the query and provides search results to the first mechanism in response thereto. In the specific embodiment, the search results contain approximately real-time inventory information and Global Positioning System (GPS) location information associated with the query. The query includes price-preference information pertaining to one or more desired prices or price ranges associated with the one or more desired products and/or services.
87 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system for facilitating acquisition of one or more desired products and/or services by a user comprising:
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first means for providing a query containing information pertaining to said one or more desired products and/or services and second means for performing an inventory search of multiple businesses or business locations based on said query and providing search results to said first means in response thereto, said search results containing Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinate information pertaining to said one or more desired products and/or services. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for facilitating acquisition of one or more desired products and/or services by a user comprising:
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a position-determining module adapted to determine a first location of said user;
a processor adapted to execute one or more instructions to determine a second location corresponding to a location of one or more desired products or services;
a first module that monitors traffic information;
a second module that determines one or more proposed routes between said first location and said second location based on map information; and
a third module that employs said traffic information and said one or more proposed routes to select a preferred route between said first location and said second location. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A system for facilitating acquisition of one or more desired products and/or services by a user comprising:
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first means for automatically generating and sending queries to one or more inventory-tracking systems, said one or more inventory-tracking systems including inventory-tracking systems associated with independently owned business entities;
second means for storing results of said queries;
third means for accepting and forwarding one or more user-configurable queries, wherein said one or more user-configurable queries include one or more requests for inventory information, said inventory information being associated with a predetermined geographic location or region and one or more desired products and/or services;
fourth means for selectively accessing said results in response to said one or more user-configurable queries and providing user-requested results in response thereto. fifth means for generating an alarm when said mobile computer is within a predetermined range of said one or more desired products and/or services based on said predetermined geographic location or region and a location of said mobile computer. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A system for facilitating acquisition of one or more desired products and/or services by a user comprising:
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a first system adapted to collect inventory information associated with one or more outlets;
a device in communication with said first system;
a location module adapted to provide user-location information associated with said device to said device;
a user interface associated with said device, said user interface adapted to receive, from said user, descriptive information specifying one or more desired products and/or services;
one or more routines in communication with said device, wherein said one or more routines are adapted to employ said user-location information, said descriptive information, and said first system to generate a signal when said device is within a predetermined range of said one or more desired products and/or services; and
an indicator adapted to alert said user in response to said signal.
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30. A system for facilitating acquisition of one or more desired products and/or services comprising:
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a computing device;
first means for determining when a user of said computing device is within a predetermined range of said one or more desired products and/or services and providing a signal in response thereto; and
second means for employing a map displayed via said mobile computing device to depict one or more outlets having one or more of said one or more desired products and/or services available in response to said signal.
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31. A system for facilitating acquisition of one or more desired products and/or services by a user comprising:
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a computer system;
first means for providing GPS coordinates associated with a user and a product/service query to said computer system;
software or hardware running on said computer system adapted to employ said GPS coordinates to perform a product/service availability-search of outlets within a predetermined range of said user and providing search results in response thereto; and
second means for employing said search results to select a delivery mechanism for providing said product/service to said user. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification