PRODUCT INFORMATION SYSTEM

• US 20150221010A1
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ming, Erin Christine
• Granted Patent: US 10,423,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing product information at a merchant physical location include a system provider device that updates information in a database about each of a plurality of products in the merchant physical location in real time. A product identifier, which is collected from a first customer device that is associated with a first customer, is received by the system provider device over a network from at least one of a plurality of beacon devices that are located at the merchant physical location. The product identifier is used to retrieve pricing information and inventory information about a first product of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location. The pricing information and the inventory information for the first product are then provided through the network for display on the first customer device.

Claims

1. A merchant physical location product information system, comprising:

at least one non-transitory memory storing information about a merchant physical location that includes a plurality of beacon devices, and information about each of a plurality of products in the merchant physical location;

one or more hardware processors that are coupled to the at least one non-transitory memory and that are configured to read instructions from the at least one non-transitory memory to perform the steps of;

updating the information in the at least one non-transitory about each of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location in real time;

receiving a product identifier, over a network from at least one of the plurality of beacon devices, that is collected from a first customer device that is associated with a first customer;

using the product identifier to retrieve, from the at least one non-transitory memory, pricing information and inventory information about a first product of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location; and

providing the pricing information and the inventory information for the first product through the network for display on the first customer device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further operable to read instructions from the at least one non-transitory memory to perform the steps of:

using the information about the merchant physical location and product identifier to determine location information for the first product that describes the relative location of the first product in the merchant physical location; and

providing the location information for the first product through the network for display on the first customer device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving the product identifier includes at least one of receiving scanned code information that includes the product identifier, receiving an image of a product that includes the product identifier, receiving webpage information that includes the product identifier, and receiving radio frequency identification (RFID) information that includes the product identifier.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the updating the information in the non-transitory memory about each of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location in real time includes:

detecting a sale of at least one product of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location; and

adjusting inventory information in the at least one non-transitory memory for the at least one product based on the sale.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further operable to read instructions from the at least one non-transitory memory to perform the steps of:

determining that the inventory information for the first product indicates that the first product is not available at the merchant physical location and, in response, determining a secondary merchant physical location at which the first product is available; and

providing a location of the secondary merchant physical location through the network for display on the first customer device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the pricing information and inventory information about the first product in the merchant physical location is retrieved from the at least one non-transitory memory that is included in an inventory system that is located at the merchant physical location.

7. A method for providing product information at a merchant physical location, comprising:

updating information in a database about each of a plurality of products in a merchant physical location in real time;

receiving a product identifier, over a network from at least one of a plurality of beacon devices that are located at the merchant physical location, that is collected from a first customer device that is associated with a first customer;

using the product identifier to retrieve, from the database, pricing information and inventory information about a first product of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location; and

providing the pricing information and the inventory information for the first product through the network for display on the first customer device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

using information about the merchant physical location and product identifier to determine location information for the first product that describes the relative location of the first product in the merchant physical location; and

providing the location information for the first product through the network for display on the first customer device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving the product identifier includes at least one of receiving scanned code information that includes the product identifier, receiving an image of a product that includes the product identifier;

receiving webpage information that includes the product identifier, and receiving radio frequency identification (RFID) information that includes the product identifier.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the updating the information in the database about each of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location in real time includes:

detecting a sale of at least one product of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location; and

adjusting inventory information in the database for the at least one product based on the sale.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the updating the information in the database about each of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location in real time includes:

receiving a pricing change for at least one product of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location; and

adjusting pricing information in the database for the at least one product based on the pricing change.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the inventory information for the first product indicates that the first product is not available at the merchant physical location and, in response, determining a secondary merchant physical location at which the first product is available; and

providing a location of the secondary merchant physical location through the network for display on the first customer device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the pricing information and inventory information about the first product in the merchant physical location is retrieved from the database that is included in an inventory system that is located at the merchant physical location.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

updating information in a database about each of a plurality of products in a merchant physical location in real time;

receiving a product identifier, over a network from at least one of a plurality of beacon devices that are located at the merchant physical location, that is collected from a first customer device that is associated with a first customer;

using the product identifier to retrieve, from the database, pricing information and inventory information about a first product of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location; and

providing the pricing information and the inventory information for the first product through the network for display on the first customer device.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

using information about the merchant physical location and product identifier to determine location information for the first product that describes the relative location of the first product in the merchant physical location; and

providing the location information for the first product through the network for display on the first customer device.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the receiving the product identifier includes at least one of receiving scanned code information that includes the product identifier, receiving an image of a product that includes the product identifier;

receiving webpage information that includes the product identifier, and receiving radio frequency identification (RFID) information that includes the product identifier.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the updating the information in the database about each of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location in real time includes:

detecting a sale of at least one product of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location; and

adjusting inventory information in the database for the at least one product based on the sale.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the updating the information in the database about each of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location in real time includes:

receiving a pricing change for at least one product of the plurality of products in the merchant physical location; and

adjusting pricing information in the database for the at least one product based on the pricing change.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the inventory information for the first product indicates that the first product is not available at the merchant physical location and, in response, determining a secondary merchant physical location at which the first product is available; and

providing a location of the secondary merchant physical location through the network for display on the first customer.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the pricing information and inventory information about the first product in the merchant physical location is retrieved from the database that is included in an inventory system that is located at the merchant physical location.