SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DIRECTIONS TO ITEMS OF INTEREST

• US 20130290106A1
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Upland Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Augme Technologies Incorporated (Upland Software, Inc.)
• Inventors: BRADLEY, Nathaniel T., CRAWFORD, Jim G., PAUGH, Joshua S., BENDER, Douglas F.
• Application Number:
  US13/790,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290106A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/20 Destination assistance within a business structure or complex

Abstract

The system and method directs or routes a user on a path within the mercantile environment which is either i) the quickest path from the user'"'"'s position to a given product within the mercantile environment, or ii) a path that exposes the user to a plurality of products of potential interest to the user.

Claims

1. A method for directing a user to a position within a multi-dimensional space, comprising:

a. identifying a product/service of interest;

b. communicating the identity of the product/service of interest to a data store;

c. determining a first position corresponding to the user'"'"'s current position in the multi-dimensional space;

d. determining a position of the identity of the product/service of interest within the multi-dimensional space based upon information in the data store;

e. calculating a route between the first position of the user and the position of the product/service of interest to the user; and

f. displaying the route.

2. A method for directing a user to a position within a multi-dimensional space, comprising the steps of:

a. Receiving multi-modal artifact data captured from a multi-modal artifact;

b. Communicating at least some of the received multi-modal artifact data to a data repository;

c. Comparing the communicated data with data present in the data repository; and

d. Sending at least one reply message from the data repository based upon the communicated data.

3. A method for directing a user to a position within a multi-dimensional space, comprising:

a. Receiving multi-modal artifact data scanned from a multi-modal artifact;

b. Communicating at least some of the multi-modal artifact data to a data repository;

c. Comparing the communicated data with the data present in the data repository to determine a product/service of interest to the user;

d. Determining a first position corresponding to the user'"'"'s current position in the multi-dimensional space, based on the communicated data;

e. Identifying a second position corresponding to the location of the product/service of interest to the user within the multi-dimensional space, based upon information accessible by the data repository;

f. Calculating a route between the first position of the user and the second position of the product/service of interest to the user;

g. Sending at least one reply message from the data repository to the user based upon the communicated data and calculated route; and

h. Displaying the route to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the multi-modal artifact comprises data being representative of at least one sensory input of visual, auditory, haptics, olfactory, or gustatory.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the multi-modal artifact comprises data that is representative of a barcode, 2D code, 3D code, 3D-VR code, matrix code, data matrix, QR code, Near Field Communications (NFC) tag, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, Bluetooth, Infrared (IR), and/or Wireless communication.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of accessing a user profile, based upon the communicated data and wherein the user profile reflects repeated or similar user interest in a particular brand, style, size, color, product, and/or service.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the route between the first and second positions is calculated by an ant colony optimization algorithm.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the route between the first and second positions is calculated using bundled savings reports.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising prompting the user to select from a plurality of locations of the product/service of interest to the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user is prompted to select a range within which they would be interested in locating the product/service of interest.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of locations are determined by the data repository based upon the communicated data and information accessible to the data repository.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the data repository accesses a planogram to indentify the second position corresponding to the location of the product/service of interest to the user within the multi-dimensional space.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the planogram data is supplied by a third party or a retailer and reflects a store inventory of the product/service of interest to the user within the multi-dimensional space.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the local store inventory is acquired by direct inventory query to the store or stores carrying inventory or via communication by the digital device with a server system capable of inventory queries of stores carrying inventory of the product/service of interest.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising comparing the local store inventory with a user profile accessible to the data repository, to determine the second position.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein the calculation of the route between the first and second positions involves a tri-level mapping formula.

17. The method of claim 3, further comprising collecting ambient data and wherein the ambient data is collected by the digital device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising utilizing at least some of the collected ambient data as a means for user product/service selection.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising utilizing at least some of the collected ambient data in a tri-level mapping formula or algorithm in directing the user to a location or locations where the product/service of interest is located.

20. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying coupon or store/vendor authorized discount to the user, based upon the product/service of interest.