Interactive Inventory Systems and Methods

• US 20140006131A1
• Filed: 06/30/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Causey, Mark Edward, Daly, Brian Kevin, Hu, Qingmin, Mullis, Karen, Toren, Jamie
• Granted Patent: US 10,410,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

The subject disclosure provides devices, systems, and methods for interacting with a home inventory system. Home inventory systems may include appliances and storages which take inventory of their contents. Home inventory systems may interact with mobile devices to alert users of necessary or desired products. Using location information, users may be alerted when their mobile device is within proximity of a necessary or desired product.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server in communication with a mobile device, an inventory system, and a merchant server through a communication network, the inventory system associated with the mobile device, the server including a processor, a memory, and a logic including computer instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive from the mobile device an activity entry associated with a product,

determine, through communication with the inventory system, that the product is not available in a quantity required by the activity entry,

transmit a request for the product to the merchant server,

receive an offer from the merchant, the offer including a price of the product, and

forward the offer to the mobile device.

2. The system in claim 1, wherein the inventory system includes a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) reader capable of reading an RFID tag coupled to the product.

3. The system in claim 1, wherein the inventory system includes a scale capable of determining a weight of the product.

4. The system in claim 1, wherein the server is in communication with a database of expiration dates and recalled products.

5. The system in claim 1, wherein the server is in communication with a database of nutrition information for a plurality of menu items.

6. A computer readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a mobile device an activity entry associated with a product;

determining, through communication with an inventory system associated with the mobile device, that the product is not available in a quantity required by the activity entry;

transmitting a request for the product to a merchant server;

receiving an offer from the merchant, the offer including a price of the product; and

forwarding the offer to the mobile device.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the execution of the computer instructions causes the processor to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a second activity entry from a second mobile device, the second activity associated with a substantially similar product; and

determining, through communication with a second inventory system associated with the second mobile device, that the substantially similar product is not present in a quantity required by the second activity entry;

wherein the transmitting includes a request for more than one of the product; and

wherein the receiving of the offer includes a price for more than one of the product and a notification that the second inventory system is in need of the product.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a location of the mobile device;

determining that the location is within a proximity of the merchant server; and

transmitting an alert to the mobile device, the alert including a location of the merchant server and the product.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform a further operation of determining, through communication with the inventory system associated with the mobile device, an inventory within the inventory system, the inventory including a plurality of products.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a recipe request from the mobile device;

determining that the plurality of products in the inventory includes a required plurality of products for a recipe; and

transmitting the recipe to the mobile device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform a further operation of receiving a notification of a purchased product.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform further operations comprising:

determining that the purchased product has not been detected by the inventory system after an amount of time; and

transmitting a reminder to the mobile device to place the purchased product in the inventory.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform a further operation of receiving an advertisement for the product, the advertisement including a discounted price.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a user input an activity entry associated with a product;

determining, through communication with an inventory system, that the product is not present in a quantity required by the activity entry;

transmitting a request for the product to a merchant server; and

receiving an offer from the merchant server, the offer including a price of the product.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform further operations comprising:

detecting a location of the processor;

determining that the location is within a proximity of the merchant server; and

presenting an alert including a location of the merchant server and the product.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform further operations comprising:

identifying a purchased product; and

transmitting an identification of the purchased product to the inventory system.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform further operations comprising:

receiving a reminder to place the purchased product within the inventory system; and

presenting the reminder.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform further operations comprising:

determining, through communication with a database of nutrition information for a plurality of menu items, a nutrition information associated with one of the plurality of menu items; and

transmitting the nutrition information to the inventory system.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the execution of computer instructions causes the processor to perform a further operation of identifying the one of the plurality of menu items from an image of a receipt for the one of the plurality of menu items.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the activity entry includes one of a routine, an event, a practice, a task, a celebration, a performance, or a contingency.