SHOPPING ROUTE OPTIMIZATION AND PERSONALIZATION

• US 20080154720A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, Jain, Kamal, Flake, Gary W., Chickering, David M., Meek, Christopher A., Horvitz, Eric J., Gounares, Alexander G., Connolly, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/862,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154720A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can aggregate user information in order to provide shopping route optimization. The architecture can collect data from users or business establishments, and can further make inferences about a user based upon histories, behavior, query responses, as well as from other suitable data sources. By providing the shopping route optimization, the architecture can gain access to rich sets of information, which can in turn improve the optimizations, potentially creating a virtuous cycle.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system that aggregates user information in order to provide shopping route optimization, comprising:

a catalog component that receives a purchase list that includes a set of items designated for purchase by a user;

an accounts component that obtains profile information associated with the user and that employs the profile information to generate a profile for the user; and

a logistics component that employs the purchase list and the profile information to develop a displayable optimized shopping route in connection with the purchase list.

2. The system of claim 1, the profile information includes a shopping mode of the user, the shopping mode ranges from convenience to value.

3. The system of claim 2, the profile information further includes at least one of an address of the user, a current location of the user, a future or intended location of the user, an amount of time allocated to a shopping session, a budget for a shopping session, shopping preferences, or demographic data.

4. The system of claim 1, the accounts component transmits a query and receives a response to the query prior to development of the shopping route in order to determine or infer a portion of the profile information.

5. The system of claim 1, the accounts component transmits a query and receives a response to the query subsequent to development of the shopping route in order to update the profile.

6. The system of claim 1, the accounts component incrementally builds the profile based upon responses to queries submitted to the user.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inventory component that receives business data from business establishments, the data relates to items available for purchase.

8. The system of claim 7, the logistics component further employs the business data to optimize the shopping route.

9. The system of claim 7, the logistics component further employs the business data to supply an advertisement in connection with the shopping route.

10. The system of claim 7, the logistics component transmits a solicitation to the business establishment, the solicitation includes a set of criteria necessary to modify the shopping route to include the business establishment.

11. The system of claim 1, the shopping route includes multiple or many business establishments, optimized based upon value, or the shopping route includes a single or a small number of business establishments, optimized based upon convenience

12. The system of claim 1, the logistics component leverages extant mapping solutions or services to optimize the shopping route.

13. The system of claim 1, the logistics component propagates the displayable optimized shopping route to a user-interface for display of the shopping route.

14. The system of claim 13, the displayable optimized shopping route includes seamless-transition multi-scale views of the shopping route.

15. The system of claim 1 is a mobile device that displays the shopping route prevents external access to the profile and/or the profile information.

16. The system of claim 1 is a server coupled to one or more networks.

17. A computer-implemented method for facilitating shopping route optimization by employing and/or aggregating user information, comprising:

obtaining a purchase list, the purchase list including a set of items designated for purchase by a user;

receiving profile information associated with the user;

employing the profile information to create a profile for the user; and

utilizing the purchase list and at least one of the profile information or the profile for constructing a displayable optimized shopping route associated with the purchase list.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

transmitting a first query to the user prior to constructing the shopping route;

receiving a first response to the first query prior to constructing the shopping route;

transmitting a second query to the user subsequent to constructing the shopping route;

receiving a second response to the second query subsequent to constructing the shopping route;

or

augmenting incrementally the profile based upon at least one of the first or the second response.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

receiving from a business establishment data relating to items available for purchase;

employing the data for constructing the shopping route;

employing the data for packaging an advertisement with the shopping route;

aggregating data from multiple business establishments for at least one of constructing the shopping route or packaging the advertisement;

leveraging a mapping solution or service for optimizing the shopping route;

or

propagating the shopping route to a user interface for display.

20. A computer-implemented system for aggregating user information and for providing shopping route optimization, comprising:

computer-implemented means for receiving a purchase list, the purchase list including a set of items designated for purchase by a user;

computer-implemented means for obtaining profile information relating to the user;

computer-implemented means for utilizing the profile information to develop a profile for the user; and

computer-implemented means for employing the purchase list and at least one of the profile information or the profile for building a displayable optimized shopping route associated with the purchase list.