ITEM LOCATION ASSISTANT

• US 20150278928A1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Chatterton, Geoffrey W., Nichols, Timothy Conrad
• Granted Patent: US 10,360,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 11/10 Arrangements of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2013/222 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/208 Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Methods and systems for locating an item are described. When a shopper walks into a store, the shopper'"'"'s mobile device transmits a signal with the shopper'"'"'s shopping preferences. Any items that are within a certain distance of the mobile device and satisfy at least one of the shopper'"'"'s preferences may light up to indicate that the item matches something the shopper is looking for.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory device storing purchase history information; and

one or more processors in communication with the memory device and operable to;

receive location and user identification for a user;

determine shopping preferences based on the purchase history information;

transmit the shopping preferences to a mobile device associated with the user; and

cause an item location device associated with an item that meets at least one shopping preference to alert the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the shopping preferences comprises one or more of popularity, price, color, size, brand, merchant, and style.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the item location device comprises a light.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the location of the user is received from a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the light device comprises multiple sets of lights that light up for multiple users at the same time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the purchase history information comprises the user'"'"'s past purchases.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors determine shopping preferences by combining attributes of the past purchases.

8. A method for locating an item, comprising:

receiving, by one or more hardware processors of a service provider, location and user identification for a user;

determining, by the one or more hardware processors, shopping preferences based on purchase history information;

transmitting, by the one or more hardware processors, the shopping preferences to a mobile device associated with the user; and

causing, by the one or more hardware processors, an item location device associated with an item that meets at least one shopping preference to alert the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the item location device comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the LED comprises multiple sets of LEDs that light up for multiple users at the same time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the LED comprises LEDs of different colors that indicate what shopping preference is met.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the location of the user is received from a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the purchase history information comprises the user'"'"'s past purchases.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein determining shopping preferences comprises determining categories of products or services the user buys and merchants frequented by the user.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, in response to a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method comprising:

receiving location and user identification for a user;

determining shopping preferences based on purchase history information;

transmitting the shopping preferences to a mobile device associated with the user; and

causing an item location device associated with an item that meets at least one shopping preference to alert the user.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the item location device comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises storing purchase history information.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining shopping preferences comprises analyzing past purchases.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein analyzing past purchases comprises examining what items the user bought and analyzing what other users who bought similar items viewed or purchased.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining shopping preferences comprises combining attributes of items bought by the user.