RETAIL PURCHASING COMPUTER SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME

• US 20170039625A1
• Filed: 10/20/2016
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Pedley, Douglas James, Cancro, Richard Neil, Acker, Joel Bennett Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,643,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A retail purchasing computer system associated with a retailer is described herein. The retail purchasing computer system includes a retail server computer including a processor coupled to a memory device. The retail server computer receives, from the mobile computing device, a signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by the retailer, accesses an item database and retrieves item information associated with the item identifier, and transmits a signal including the item information to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device displays the item information and the operational input on the touchscreen upon receiving the signal including the item information from the retail server. The retail server computer receives a purchase signal including the item identifier and a unique user ID, transmitted when a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the touchscreen.

Claims

1. A retail purchasing computer system associated with a retailer comprising:

a retail server computer including a processor coupled to a memory device, the processor programmed to;

install a retail program application on a mobile computing device, the mobile computing device including a processor, a memory device, and a touchscreen, the memory device having the retail program application stored therein that, when executed, causes the processor of the mobile computing device to display a graphical user interface including an operational input accessible by a user via the touchscreen;

receive, from the mobile computing device, a signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by the retailer, access an item database and retrieve item information associated with the item identifier, and transmit a signal including the item information to the mobile computing device, the mobile computing device displaying the item information and the operational input on the touchscreen upon receiving the signal including the item information from the retail server computer;

receive, from the mobile computing device, a purchase signal including the item identifier and a unique user ID, the mobile computing device configured to transmit the purchase signal upon detecting a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the touchscreen; and

retrieve a user account associated with the unique user ID from a user account database including purchasing information, retrieve the item information associated with the item identifier from the item database, and complete an order to purchase the item for the user upon receiving the purchase request signal from the mobile computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device includes a near field communication (NFC) interface, the mobile computing device operates the NRF interface to communication with a NFC device associated with the item to obtain the item identifier from the NFC device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the retail server computer generates and displays an electronic catalogue of items selectable by the user on the mobile computer device and receives the item identifier from the mobile computing device based on a selection by the user of the corresponding item being displayed with the electronic catalogue.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the retrieved user account includes shipping information, the server computer transmits the shipping information to the mobile computing device and causes the mobile computing device to display the shipping information on the graphical user interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to transmit the purchase signal to the retail server computer upon receiving a triple-action input of the displayed operational input from the user via the touchscreen.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the retail server computer receives a signal from the mobile computing device indicating a single-action input of the displayed operational input from the user and modifies an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile computing device initially displays the operation input with an initial information request image and modifies the operational input to display a different information request image upon receiving the single-action input of the displayed operational input from the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the retail server computer receives a signal from the mobile computing device indicating a double-action input of the displayed operational input from the user and modifies an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information, transmits a signal including the modified electronic shopping cart data record to the mobile computing device, and causes the mobile computing device to display item information included in the modified shopping cart data record.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

operate a mobile computing device to display a graphical user interface including an operational input accessible by a user on a touchscreen of the mobile computing device;

operate a retail server computer to receive, from the mobile computing device, a signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by the retailer, access an item database and retrieve item information associated with the item identifier, and transmit a signal including the item information to the mobile computing device;

operate the mobile computing device to display the item information and the operational input on the touchscreen upon receiving the signal including the item information from the retail server computer;

operate the retail server computer to receive, from the mobile computing device, a purchase signal including the item identifier and a unique user ID, the mobile computing device transmitting the purchase signal upon detecting a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the touchscreen; and

operate the retail server computer to retrieve a user account associated with the unique user ID from a user account database including purchasing information, retrieve the item information associated with the item identifier from the item database, and complete an order to purchase the item for the user upon receiving the purchase request signal from the mobile computing device.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the mobile computing device includes a near field communication (NFC) interface, the processor operates the NRF interface to communication with a NFC device associated with the item to obtain the item identifier from the NFC device.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to operate the retail server computer to generate and display an electronic catalogue of items selectable by the user on the mobile computer device, and receive the item identifier from the mobile computing device based on a selection by the user of the corresponding item being displayed with the electronic catalogue.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the retrieved user account includes shipping information, the processor operates the server computer to transmit the shipping information to the mobile computing device and operates the mobile computing device to display the shipping information on the graphical user interface.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to operate the mobile computing device to transmit the purchase signal to the retail server computer upon receiving a triple-action input of the displayed operational input from the user via the touchscreen.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to operate the retail server computer to receive a signal from the mobile computing device indicating a single-action input of the displayed operational input from the user and modify an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to operate the mobile computing device to initially display the operation input with an initial information request image and modify the operational input to display a different information request image upon receiving the single-action input of the displayed operational input from the user.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to operate the retail server computer receive a signal from the mobile computing device indicating a double-action input of the displayed operational input from the user, modify an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information, transmit a signal including the modified electronic shopping cart data record to the mobile computing device, and operate the mobile computing device to display item information included in the modified shopping cart data record.

17. A computer-implemented method of operating a retail purchasing computer system, including the steps of:

a mobile computing device displaying a graphical user interface including an operational input accessible by a user on a touchscreen of the mobile computing device;

a retail server computer receiving, from the mobile computing device, a signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by the retailer, accessing an item database and retrieve item information associated with the item identifier, and transmitting a signal including the item information to the mobile computing device;

the mobile computing device displaying the item information and the operational input on the touchscreen upon receiving the signal including the item information from the retail server;

the retail server computer receiving, from the mobile computing device, a purchase signal including the item identifier and a unique user ID, the mobile computing device transmitting the purchase signal upon detecting a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the touchscreen; and

the retail server computer retrieving a user account associated with the unique user ID from a user account database including purchasing information, retrieving the item information associated with the item identifier from the item database, and completing an order to purchase the item for the user upon receiving the purchase request signal from the mobile computing device.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the mobile computing device includes a near field communication (NFC) interface, the method includes the mobile computing device operating the NRF interface to communication with a NFC device associated with the item to obtain the item identifier from the NFC device.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the mobile computing device transmits the purchase signal to the retail server computer upon receiving a triple-action input of the displayed operational input from the user via the touchscreen.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, including the steps of:

the retail server computer receiving a signal from the mobile computing device indicating a double-action input of the displayed operational input from the user, modifying an electronic shopping cart data record to include the item information, and transmitting a signal including the modified electronic shopping cart data record to the mobile computing device; and

the mobile computing device displaying item information included in the modified shopping cart data record.