Location-based filtering for a shopping agent in the physical world
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for delivering a best local price of an item of merchandise, comprising:
- obtaining information identifying an item of merchandise that a user desires to purchase;
determining a physical location of the user;
querying a computerized network of information utilizing a query based on the information identifying the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase and the physical location of the user; and
in response to the query;
identifying multiple retailers proximate to the user;
determining whether the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers;
based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers;
identifying the best local price comprising a lowest price at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user;
displaying the best local price and an identification of a retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase at the best local price;
generating a customized product rating report about the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase based on prior product ratings previously generated by other users whose respective user profiles are similar to, within a similarity threshold, a user profile associated with the user; and
transmitting the customized product rating report to the user; and
based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers;
identifying a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and
displaying a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An agent based system utilizes a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)-based, Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled information gathering agent that relies on knowledge of a shopper'"'"'s physical location to support a shopping task while shopping at a mall. Shoppers indicate their shopping goals to the system. Then, as shoppers stroll through a mall, the system informs them of the availability of items of interest to them available in the immediately surrounding stores, as well as any cheaper local alternatives.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method for delivering a best local price of an item of merchandise, comprising:
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obtaining information identifying an item of merchandise that a user desires to purchase; determining a physical location of the user; querying a computerized network of information utilizing a query based on the information identifying the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase and the physical location of the user; and in response to the query; identifying multiple retailers proximate to the user; determining whether the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying the best local price comprising a lowest price at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user; displaying the best local price and an identification of a retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase at the best local price; generating a customized product rating report about the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase based on prior product ratings previously generated by other users whose respective user profiles are similar to, within a similarity threshold, a user profile associated with the user; and transmitting the customized product rating report to the user; and based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and displaying a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus that delivers a best local price of an item of merchandise, comprising:
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a processor; memory that stores information under the control of the processor; and a computer executable program embodied on a computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer executable program comprising; a code segment that obtains information identifying an item of merchandise that a user desires to purchase; a code segment that determines a physical location of the user; a code segment that queries a computerized network of information utilizing a query based on the information identifying the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase and the physical location of the user; a code segment that, in response to the query; identifies multiple retailers proximate to the user; determines whether the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifies the best local price in response to the query, the best local price comprising a lowest price at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user; displays the best local price and an identification of a retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase at the best local price; generates a customized product rating report about the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase based on prior product ratings previously generated by other users whose respective user profiles are similar to, within a similarity threshold, a user profile associated with the user; and transmits the customized product rating report to the user; and based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifies a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and displays a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for delivering a best local price of an item of merchandise from a retailer proximate a user, comprising:
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obtaining information identifying a user profile including an item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase and the user'"'"'s shopping preferences; determining a physical location of the user; automatically querying a computerized network of information utilizing a query based on the user profile and the physical location of the user; and in response to the query; identifying multiple retailers proximate to the user; determining whether the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying the best local price in response to the query, the best local price comprising a lowest price at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user; displaying the best local price and an identification of a retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user at which the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase at the best local price; obtaining additional user profiles, each additional user profile corresponding to an additional user that has previously generated a product rating about the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase; identifying, from among the additional user profiles, a set of closest user profiles that are similar to the user profile within a similarity threshold; combining the product ratings associated with each user profile in the set of closest user profiles to generate a customized product rating report about the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase; and transmitting the customized product rating report to the user; and based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and displaying a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for delivering a best local price of an item of merchandise from a retailer proximate a user, comprising:
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obtaining user profile information from the user, the user profile information including information identifying items of merchandise that the user desires to purchase and the user'"'"'s shopping preferences; determining a physical location of the user; querying a computerized network of information utilizing a query based on the user profile information and the physical location of the user; and in response to the query; identifying multiple retailers proximate to the user; determining whether one or more of the items of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; based on determining one or more of the items of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying at least one best local price, the at least one best local price comprising a lowest price at which one or more of the items of merchandise are available for purchase as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user; alerting the user to the at least one best local price; generating a customized product rating report about one or more of the items of merchandise that the user desires to purchase based on prior product ratings previously generated by other users whose corresponding user profile information is similar to, within a similarity threshold, the user profile information associated with the user; and transmitting the customized product rating report to the user based on determining one or more of the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and displaying a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus that delivers a best local price of an item of merchandise from a retailer proximate a user, comprising:
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a processor; memory that stores information under the control of the processor; and a computer executable program embodied on a computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer executable program comprising; a code segment that obtains user profile information from the user, the user profile information identifying an item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase; a code segment that determines a physical location of the user; a code segment that queries a computerized network of information utilizing a query based on the user profile information and the physical location of the user; a code segment that, in response to the query; identifies multiple retailers proximate to the user; determines whether the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifies a best local price in response to the query, the best local price comprising a lowest price at which the item of merchandise is available for purchase as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user; alerts the user to the best local price; obtains additional user profile information corresponding to additional users that have previously generated product ratings about one or more of the items of merchandise that the user desires to purchase; identifies, from among the additional user profile information, a set of closest user profiles that are similar to the user profile information within a similarity threshold; combines the product ratings associated with each user profile in the set of closest user profiles to generate a customized product rating report about the one or more items of merchandise that the user desires to purchase; and transmits the customized product rating report to the user; and based on determining the item of merchandise that the user desires to purchase is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifies a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and displays a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for delivering purchasing information for sale of an item of merchandise from a retailer proximate a user, comprising:
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obtaining user profile information from the user, the user profile information identifying the item of merchandise and the user'"'"'s shopping preferences; determining a physical location of the user; automatically querying a computerized network of information utilizing a query based on the user profile information and the physical location of the user; and in response to the query; identifying multiple retailers proximate to the user; determining whether the item of merchandise is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; based on determining the item of merchandise is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; generating purchasing information for the item of merchandise based on the user profile and the result of the query, the purchasing information comprising a best local price that corresponds to the lowest price at which the item of merchandise is offered as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user; displaying the purchasing information; obtaining additional user profile information corresponding to additional users that have previously generated product ratings about the item of merchandise; identifying, from among the additional user profile information, a set of closest user profiles that are similar to the user profile information within a similarity threshold; combining the product ratings associated with each user profile in the set of closest user profiles to generate a customized product rating report about the item of merchandise; and transmitting the customized product rating report to the user; and based on determining the item of merchandise is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and displaying a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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41. A computer readable medium encoded with a mobile shopping agent, the mobile shopping agent comprising:
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means for receiving from a user an input comprising a product desired to be purchased by a user; means for automatically querying a computerized network of information identifying items of merchandise for sale at multiple retailers proximate the user utilizing a query based on the input and a physical location of the user; means responsive to the query for; identifying the multiple retailers proximate to the user; determining whether the desired product is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; based on determining the desired product is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying a best local price, the best local price comprising a lowest price at which the desired product is available for purchase as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user; displaying the best local price and an identification of a retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user at which the desired product is available for purchase at the best local price; generating a customized product rating report about the desired product based on prior product ratings previously generated by other users whose corresponding user profile is similar to, within a similarity threshold, a user profile associated with the user; and transmitting the customized product rating report to the user; and based on determining the desired product is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and displaying a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for presenting a best local price of an item of merchandise, comprising:
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storing user profile information including user preferences related to at least one product desired to be purchased by a mobile user; determining a physical location of the mobile user; querying a computer network utilizing a query based on the stored user profile information and the physical location of the mobile shopper; and in response to the query; identifying multiple retailers proximate to the user; determining whether the at least one product desired to be purchased by the mobile user is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; based on determining the at least one product desired to be purchased by the mobile user is available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying the best local price, the best local price comprising a lowest price at which the at least one product desired to be purchased is available for purchase as between the multiple retailers proximate to the user; displaying the best local price and an identification of a retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user at which the at least one product desired to be purchased is available for purchase at the best local price; generating a customized product rating report about the at least one product desired to be purchased by the mobile user based on prior product ratings previously generated by other users whose corresponding user profile information is similar to, within a similarity threshold, the user profile information associated with the mobile user; and transmitting the customized product rating report to the user; and based on determining the at least one product desired to be purchased by the mobile user is not available for purchase from at least one of the multiple retailers; identifying a closest retailer from among the multiple retailers proximate to the user; and displaying a general type of merchandise available for purchase from the closest retailer. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification