Managing Vendor Inventory Information And Shopping Navigation Routes Based Upon Shopping List Contents

• US 20140156450A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John P., Di Fabbrizio, Giuseppe, Stent, Amanda Joy
• Granted Patent: US 9,830,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for managing vendor inventory information and shopping navigation routes based upon shopping list contents. A server computer can execute a shopping management service. A shopping list is obtained at the server computer. The server computer obtains location data indicating a geographic location of the user device and identifies, based upon the location data, a vendor having an inventory comprising the item. The server computer generates a navigation route comprising a stop at a vendor location associated with the vendor, and provides the navigation route to the user device. The server computer can monitor purchases of items on the shopping list, update the shopping list, and update the navigation route. The server computer also can provide suggestions to the user device based upon items in the shopping list.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, at a server computer executing a shopping management service, a shopping list associated with a user device, the shopping list comprising an item;

obtaining, by the server computer, location data indicating a geographic location of the user device;

identifying by the server computer, based upon the location data, a vendor having an inventory comprising the item;

generating, by the server computer, a navigation route comprising a stop at a vendor location associated with the vendor; and

providing, by the server computer, the navigation route to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the vendor having the inventory comprising the item comprises searching the inventory via an application programming interface exposed by a computing device associated with the vendor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the vendor having the inventory comprising the item comprises identifying the vendor based upon the geographic location and assuming contents of the inventory comprise the item based upon a rule.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein assuming the contents comprises determining a probabilistic certainty with which the vendor is assumed to have the inventory comprising the item, and determining that the probabilistic certainty exceeds a threshold certainty.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the shopping list comprises a plurality of items including the item, and wherein identifying the vendor comprises identifying, for an item of the plurality of items, a vendor having an associated inventory comprising the item of the plurality of items.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the vendor comprises identifying a plurality of vendors, and wherein the stop comprises a plurality of stops corresponding to locations of the plurality of vendors.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data indicating that the item has been purchased;

removing the item from the shopping list;

determining if the navigation route is to be changed based upon removing the item from the shopping list; and

in response to a determination that the navigation route is to be changed,

generating a navigation route update, and

sending the navigation route update to the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data indicating that the item was purchased;

identifying a vendor at which the item was purchased; and

updating inventory data associated with the vendor to indicate that the item was purchased.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a suggestion comprising a further item determined to be related to the item;

determining if the inventory comprises the further item; and

in response to a determination that the inventory comprises the further item, transmitting data specifying the suggestion to the user device.

10. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

obtaining a shopping list associated with a user device, the shopping list comprising an item,

obtaining location data indicating a geographic location of the user device,

identifying, based upon the location data, a vendor having an inventory comprising the item,

generating a navigation route comprising a stop at a vendor location associated with the vendor, and

providing the navigation route to the user device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving data indicating that the item has been purchased;

removing the item from the shopping list;

determining if the navigation route is to be changed based upon removing the item from the shopping list; and

in response to a determination that the navigation route is to be changed,

generating a navigation route update, and

sending the navigation route update to the user device.

12. The system of claim 10, herein identifying the vendor having the inventory comprising the item comprises identifying the vendor based upon the geographic location and assuming contents of the inventory comprise the item based upon a rule.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving data indicating that the item was purchased;

identifying a vendor at which the item was purchased; and

updating inventory data associated with the vendor to indicate that the item was purchased.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

identifying a suggestion comprising a further item determined to be related to the item;

determining if the inventory comprises the further item; and

in response to a determination that the inventory comprises the further item, transmitting data specifying the suggestion to the user device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving data comprising an indication that the suggestions is to be added to the shopping list; and

in response to receiving the data, updating the shopping list.

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

obtaining a shopping list associated with a user device, the shopping list comprising an item;

obtaining location data indicating a geographic location of the user device;

identifying, based upon the location data, a vendor having an inventory comprising the item;

generating a navigation route comprising a stop at a vendor location associated with the vendor; and

providing the navigation route to the user device.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving data indicating that the item has been purchased;

removing the item from the shopping list;

determining if the navigation route is to be changed based upon removing the item from the shopping list; and

in response to a determination that the navigation route is to be changed,

generating a navigation route update, and

sending the navigation route update to the user device.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

receiving data indicating that the item was purchased;

identifying a vendor at which the item was purchased; and

updating inventory data associated with the vendor to indicate that the item was purchased.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

identifying a suggestion comprising a further item determined to be related to the item;

determining if the inventory comprises the further item; and

in response to a determination that the inventory comprises the further item, transmitting data specifying the suggestion to the user device.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein identifying the vendor having the inventory comprising the item comprises determining a probabilistic certainty with which the vendor is assumed to have the inventory comprising the item, and determining that the probabilistic certainty exceeds a threshold certainty.