ONLINE SHOPPING SYSTEM

• US 20070136146A1
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kroger Company
• Original Assignee: Kroger Company
• Inventors: Hopson, David, Keys, Kimberly
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• 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

Abstract

An online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers. The online shopping system presents an online display of an order cutoff time and an associated delivery window for items selected by the customer. The system accepts the customer'"'"'s submission of a purchase order for the item in response to a time of submission being before the order cutoff time. The online shopping system does not settle with a credit supplier of the customer until the item selected by the customer is picked from inventory but before it is delivered. Therefore, the customer can go online and make changes to the order. In addition, available service windows are presented to the customer as a function of customer selected order and service types; and further, the order picking is assigned in accordance with a picker'"'"'s preference.

Claims

1. A method of operating an online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers, the method comprising:

presenting identifications of items on a web page for selection by a customer,

presenting an online display acknowledging the customer'"'"'s selection of the item;

presenting an online display of an order cutoff time and an associated delivery window selected by the customer;

presenting an online display permitting the customer to submit a purchase order for the item;

receiving a submission of a purchase order for the item from the customer;

comparing a time of submission of the purchase order to the order cutoff time associated with the delivery window selected by the customer; and

presenting an online display accepting the customer'"'"'s submission of the purchase order for the item in response to the time of submission being before the order cutoff time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting an online display requesting the customer select another delivery window for the item in response to the time of submission of the purchase order being later than the order cutoff time.

3. A method of changing submitted online orders with an online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers, the method comprising:

providing a database of items available for sale to a customer;

presenting online representations of the items for selection by a customer,

presenting an online display acknowledging the customer'"'"'s selection of the item;

presenting an online display of an order cutoff time and an associated delivery window selected by the customer;

presenting an online display permitting the customer to submit an order for the item;

presenting an online display confirming receipt of a submitted order for the item by the customer including the delivery window and payment information;

thereafter receiving online instructions from the customer to change the submitted order; and

presenting an online display confirming the change to the submitted order in response to receiving the online instructions prior to the order cutoff time.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

comparing a time of receipt of the online instructions to change the submitted order to the order cutoff time; and

presenting the online display confirming the change to the submitted order in response to the time of receiving the online instructions being before the order cutoff time.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising presenting an online display requesting that the customer select another, later delivery window in response to the time of receiving the online instructions being after the order cutoff time.

6. A method of settling submitted online orders with an online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers, the method comprising:

presenting items on a web page for selection by a customer,

presenting an online display acknowledging the customer'"'"'s selection of first items;

presenting an online display permitting the customer to submit an order for the first items and authorization to pay for the order via a credit supplier;

presenting an online display acknowledging the customer'"'"'s submission of the order for the first items;

thereafter, picking the first items for delivery;

thereafter, pricing the order for the first items;

thereafter, settling the order for the first items with a credit supplier; and

then, delivering the order of the first items to the customer.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

presenting an online display of an order cutoff time and an associated delivery window selected by the customer, the order cutoff time being earlier than initiation of picking of the first items;

receiving online instructions from the customer to change the order for the first items; and

presenting an online display confirming the change to the order for the first items in response to receiving the online instructions prior to the order cutoff time.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising presenting an online display requesting that the customer select another, later delivery window in response to the time of receiving the online instructions being after the order cutoff time.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising presenting an online display including an identification of the credit supplier with the display acknowledging the customer'"'"'s submission of the order for the item.

10-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method of determining available service windows for an online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers, a service window is a window of time during which items are provided to a customer in response to an online order by the customer, the method comprising:

presenting an online display permitting a customer to select one of two order types, each of the order types being limited to specific items and/or services not available with an other order type;

presenting an online display permitting a customer to select one of two service types, each of the service types having service windows with times and dates different from times and dates of service windows for an other service type;

receiving an online request from the customer to display available service windows for selected ones of the order and service types;

retrieving all possible service windows for the selected ones of the order and service types over a date interval;

identifying available service windows for the selected ones of the order and service types by eliminating service windows that

have a time and date earlier than a current time and date plus lead times for the selected ones of the order and service types, and

exceed system resources to pick and deliver items selected by the customer associated with the selected ones of the order and service types; and

presenting to the customer an online display of the available service windows for the selected ones of the order and service types.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the service types are selected from a group consisting of orders that are to be delivered to the customer, orders that are to be picked up by the customer and printing a list of items for the customer.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the order types are selected from a group consisting of groceries, flowers, liquor products and catering services.

22. A method of determining available service windows for an online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers, a service window is a window of time during which items are provided to a customer in response to an online order by the customer, the method comprising:

presenting an online display permitting customers to select one of at least two order types, each order type being limited to specific items and/or services not available with another of the order types;

presenting an online display permitting a customer to select one of two service types, each of the service types representing a different service in providing items and/or services to a customer;

receiving online requests from customers to display service windows for respective selected ones of the order and service types;

selecting a first online request from a first customer to display service windows for one of the respective selected ones of the order and service types;

retrieving all possible service windows for the one of the respective selected ones of the order and service types over a time and/or date interval;

identifying available service windows for the one of the respective selected ones of the order and service types by eliminating service windows that

have a time and date earlier than a current time and date plus a lead time for the one of the respective selected ones of the order and service types, and

exceed system resources to pick and deliver items selected by the customer associated with the one of the respective selected ones of the order and service types;

presenting to the first customer an online display of the available service windows for the one of the respective selected ones of the order and service types; and

servicing other online requests from customers to display service windows for others of the respective selected ones of the order and service types by iterating the above steps of selecting, retrieving, identifying and presenting for each of the other of the respective selected ones of the order and service types.

23. A method of providing customer service for an online shopping system that permits a customer to submit online orders for items and/or services from a store that serves both walk-in customers and online customers, the method comprising:

providing an online database containing first tables relating to items and/or services available for sale, second tables relating to orders submitted by customers and third tables relating to customer information;

providing a customer interface for communicating with the online database, the customer interface permitting a customer to access the first tables to submit an online order and to access the second tables to submit an online service request with respect to the online order;

providing a member proxy interface for communicating with the online database, the member proxy interface permitting a member proxy to access

the first and second tables to facilitate submission of an order by a customer, and

the third tables to only view some information relating to customers and to change other information relating to the customer; and

providing a customer service representative interface for communicating with the online database, the customer service interface permitting a customer service representative access to the first, second and third tables and permitting the customer service representative to request changes to information relating to the online order in the second tables and to change the some and the other information relating to the customer information in the third tables.

24-46. -46. (canceled)