Methods And Systems For Providing Reminders For Products In Proximity

• US 20160125505A1
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Goulart, Valerie, Li, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 10,235,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Various examples of methods and systems for providing reminders for products in proximity are described. In one implementation, a method may receive information related to a list of one or more items available for sale at a physical store, wherein the list is associated with a user. The method may also receive information related to a location of a user device associated with the user. Based at least in part on a distance between the user device and at least one item on the list of one or more items, the method may further providing an indication to the user device that the user device is proximate the at least one item on the list of one or more items.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors of a computing device, a list of one or more items available for sale at a physical store, wherein the list is associated with a user;

receiving, by the one or more processors, information related to a location of a user device associated with the user;

providing, by the one or more processors, to the user device an indication that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items, wherein the providing is based at least in part on a distance between the user device and the at least one item on the list of one or more items;

determining, based on signals transmitted from a radio frequency transponder to the one or more processors, that the user did not pick up the at least one item when the user device was proximate the at least one item; and

transmitting a signal to the user device to cause the user device to notify the user that the user did not pick up the at least one item when the user device was proximate the at least one item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing to the user device an indication that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items comprises triggering the user device to provide a notification to the user in response to the user device being proximate the at least one item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing to the user device an indication that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items comprises triggering the user device to provide a notification to the user in response to the user device passing by the at least one item and the at least one item not having been picked up by the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, that the user is proximate the at least one item in response to the distance between the user device and the at least one item being less than a threshold distance; and

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the at least one item has been picked up by the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining whether the at least one item has been picked up by the user comprises:

determining whether a location of the at least one item has not changed;

or determining whether an indication by the user has been received that indicates the at least one item has been picked up by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing to the user device an indication that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items comprises triggering the user device to indicate either or both of an identification of the at least one item and the distance between the user device and the at least one item.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, a location of each item on the list of one or more items in the physical store; and

determining, by the one or more processors, the distance between the user device and each item on the list of one or more items.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving information related to a location of a user device comprises receiving real-time or periodic update of the location of the user device when the user device is proximate or in the physical store.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing to the user device an indication that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items comprises triggering the user device to provide either or both of a visual notification and an audible notification.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing a computer-executable instruction that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a list of one or more items available for sale at a physical store, wherein the list is associated with a user;

determining a location of each item on the list of one or more items in the physical store;

determining whether a user device associated with the user is proximate or in the physical store;

determining a distance between the user device and each item on the list of one or more items in response to determining that the user device is proximate or in the physical store;

providing an indication to the user device that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items, wherein the providing is based at least in part on a distance between the user device and the at least one item on the list of one or more items;

determining, based on signals received from a radio frequency transponder, that the user did not pick up the at least one item when the user device was proximate the at least one item; and

transmitting a signal to the user device to cause the user device to notify the user that the user did not pick up the at least one item when the user device was proximate the at least one item.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the providing an indication to the user device that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items comprises triggering the user device to provide a notification to the user in response to the user device being proximate the at least one item.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the providing to the user device an indication that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items comprises triggering the user device to provide a notification to the user in response to the user device passing by the at least one item and the at least one item not having been picked up by the user.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more processors, that the user is proximate the at least one item in response to the distance between the user device and the at least one item being less than a threshold distance; and

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the at least one item has been picked up by the user.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the determining whether the at least one item has been picked up by the user comprises:

determining whether a location of the at least one item has not changed;

or determining whether an indication by the user has been received that indicates the at least one item has been picked up by the user.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the providing an indication to the user device that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items comprises triggering the user device to indicate either or both of an identification of the at least one item and the distance between the user device and the at least one item.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store one or more sets of instructions;

a processor configured to access the memory to execute the one or more sets of instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving item information entered by a user via a website associated with a merchant, the item information indicative of a list of one or more items available for sale at a physical store associated with the merchant;

receiving user location information indicative of a user device associated with the user being proximate or in the physical store;

in response to receiving the user location information, determining a distance between the user device and each item on the list of one or more items;

providing an indication to the user device that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items, wherein the providing is based at least in part on the distance between the user device and the at least one item on the list of one or more items;

determining, based on signals received from a radio frequency transponder, that the user did not pick up the at least one item when the user device was proximate the at least one item; and

transmitting a signal to the user device to cause the user device to notify the user that the user did not pick up the at least one item when the user device was proximate the at least one item.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, in providing an indication to the user device that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items, the processor is configured to trigger the user device to provide a notification to the user in response to the user device being proximate the at least one item.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, in providing an indication to the user device that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items, the processor is configured to trigger the user device to provide a notification to the user in response to the user device passing by the at least one item and the at least one item not having been picked up by the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, in providing an indication to the user device that the user device is proximate at least one item on the list of one or more items, the processor is configured to trigger the user device to indicate either or both of an identification of the at least one item and the distance between the user device and the at least one item.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, in receiving user location information indicative of the user device associated with the user being proximate or in the physical store, the processor is configured to receive the user location information entered by the user via the website associated with the merchant or receive real-time or periodic update of the location of the user device.