Retail-related services for mobile devices

• US 8,254,961 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Moon, Hannah Y., Morley, D. Beau, Afram, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US11/877,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20090104920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 455/407, 455/418, 709/203
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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

A system identifies a location of a user based on a location of a mobile device associated with the user, associates the location of the user to a location having a collection of attractions relating to shopping or entertainment, retrieves layout information associated with the location having the collection of attractions, and provides the layout information to the user on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a location of a user based on a location of a mobile device associated with the user;

identifying a location associated with a collection of entities, wherein each of the entities provides at least one of a retail-related service or an entertainment service;

determining whether the collection of entities includes stores;

associating the location of the user to the location of the collection of entities when a distance between the user'"'"'s location and the location of the collection of entities is less than a user-specified distance;

retrieving a layout identifying each of the entities and their respective location, wherein when the collection of entities includes stores, the layout includes at least one indoor floor plan that pertains to one of the stores and indicates where inventory is located within the one of the stores;

receiving a user selection pertaining to the layout; and

providing to the user, via the mobile device, the layout based on the user selection, wherein the associating comprises matching the location of the user to the location of the collection of entities in closest proximity to the user, wherein when the collection of entities corresponds to one of a mall including stores, a shopping district including stores, or a retail strip including stores, the retrieving comprises retrieving the layout that includes the at least one indoor floor plan pertaining to the one of the mall, the shopping district, or the retail strip, and wherein the retrieving comprises retrieving entities information that includes a listing of the stores, wherein the listing is alphabetical or by category;

an address, a telephone number, and hours of operation for one or more of the stores; and

current sales information for one or more of the stores; and

the method further comprising;

receiving another user selection pertaining to the entities information; and

providing to the user, via the mobile device, one or more of the entities information based on the other user selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

transmitting, via the mobile device, a geographic address corresponding to the location of the collection of entities or an identifier corresponding to the location of the collection of entities.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a gift request, wherein the gift request includes gift parameters that include an amount of money to spend, the gender of a recipient, a relationship of the recipient to the user, and an occasion for a gift;

searching for the gift based on the gift request, wherein the searching includes searching inventory associated with the collection of entities that includes stores; and

providing to the user a gift result based on the searching.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying the location of the mobile device relative to the indoor floor plan; and

displaying the user'"'"'s position relative to the indoor floor plan based on the identifying.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving comprises:

retrieving other entities information that includes driving directions to one or more of the stores;

incentive and reward program information associated with one or more of the stores; and

receipts of purchase associated with one or more of the stores; and

the method further comprising;

receiving a user selection pertaining to the other entities information; and

providing to the user, via the mobile device, one or more of the other entities information based on the user selection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving comprises:

retrieving other entities information that includes special services information;

delivery information;

a list of inventory available in stock;

brands of inventory;

images of inventory;

prices of inventory;

store credit card information associated with one or more of the stores;

advertising information associated with one or more of the stores including sale information;

coupons;

rebates;

special event information;

two-for-one sale offers;

delivery services;

last visits; and

previous purchases; and

the method further comprising;

receiving a user selection pertaining to the other entities information; and

providing to the user, via the mobile device, one or more of the other entities information based on the user selection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via the mobile device, a picture of a bar code of an inventory item associated with one of the stores;

searching for the inventory item, based on the bar code, in another one of the stores or one or more stores located in a location other than the location of the collection of entities; and

providing to the user, via the mobile device, a search result that indicates whether the inventory item is available in the other one of the stores or the one or more stores.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing user preferences data pertaining to the user, wherein the user preferences data includes a list of names of user favorite stores;

store code identifiers that indicate stores and collection of entities code identifiers that indicate collection of entities;

notification preferences that include user preferences pertaining to opting-in or opting-out for receiving information from stores and a form of communication to be used when the user opts-in;

the user specified distance; and

workspace information that includes a list of items to be purchased, gift lists, wish lists, and receipts of purchases.

9. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, executable by at least one processor, the tangible computer-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving a location of a mobile device;

one or more instructions for identifying a location associated with a collection of attractions;

one or more instructions for determining whether the collection of attractions includes stores;

one or more instructions for associating the location of the mobile device to the location having the collection of attractions when a distance between a user'"'"'s location and the location of the collection of attractions is less than a user-specified distance;

one or more instructions for retrieving a layout identifying a name for each attraction and a location of each attraction within the collection, wherein when the collection of attractions includes stores, the layout includes at least one indoor floor plan that pertains to one of the stores and indicates where inventory is located within the one of the stores;

one or more instructions for receiving a user selection pertaining to the layout; and

one or more instructions for providing the layout based on the user selection wherein the one or more instructions for associating comprises one or more instructions for matching the location of the user to the location of the collection of attractions in closest proximity to the user, wherein when the collection of attractions includes stores, the retrieving comprises retrieving entities information that includes a listing of the stores, wherein the listing is alphabetical or by category;

an address, a telephone number, and hours of operation for one or more of the stores; and

current sales information for one or more of the stores; and

the tangible computer-readable medium further comprising;

one or more instructions for receiving a user selection pertaining to the entities information; and

one or more instructions for providing to the user, via the mobile device, one or more of the entities information based on the user selection.

10. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein when the collection of attractions includes one of a mall, an amusement park, a theme park, or a museum, the layout includes an indoor floor plan for the mall or the museum and an outdoor floor plan for the amusement park or the theme park.

11. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving a query from the mobile device for information related to the location having the collection of attractions;

one or more instructions for searching data related to the location having the collection of attractions based on the query, wherein the data includes driving directions to the collection of attractions;

address information;

contact information; and

hours of operation, and wherein when the collection of attractions includes stores, the data includes inventory available in one or more of the stores; and

wherein when the collection of attractions includes an amusement park, the data includes ride information;

height requirements;

age requirements; and

wait times for lines to a ride; and

one or more instructions for providing a search result to the user based on the searching and the query.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving user preference data from the mobile device, wherein the user preference data includes a list of names of user favorite stores;

store code identifiers that indicate stores and collection of attractions code identifiers that indicate collection of attractions;

notification preferences that pertaining to opting-in or opting-out for receiving information from stores and a form of communication to be used when the user opts-in;

the user specified distance; and

workspace information that includes a list of items to be purchased, gift lists, wish lists, and receipts of purchases; and

one or more instructions for storing the user preference data.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving a query from the mobile device for information related to the location having the collection of attractions;

one or more instructions for searching data related to the location having the collection of attractions based on the query, wherein the data includes special services information;

delivery information;

a list of inventory available in stock, brands of inventory;

images of inventory;

prices of inventory;

store credit card information associated with one or more of the stores;

advertising information associated with one or more of the stores including sale information, coupons;

rebates;

special event information;

two-for-one sale offers;

delivery services;

last visits; and

previous purchases; and

one or more instructions for providing a search result to the user based on the searching and the query.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving a picture of a bar code of an inventory item associated with one of the stores;

one or more instructions for searching for the inventory item, based on the bar code, in another one of the stores or one or more stores located in a location other than the location of the collection of attractions; and

one or more instructions for providing to the user a search result that indicates whether the inventory item is available in the other one of the stores or the one or more stores.

15. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more instructions for receiving a gift request, wherein the gift request includes gift parameters that include an amount of money to spend, the gender of a recipient, a relationship of the recipient to the user, and an occasion for a gift;

one or more instructions for searching for the gift based on the gift request wherein the searching includes searching inventory associated with one or more collection of attractions that includes stores; and

one or more instructions for providing to the user a gift result based on the searching.

16. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

one or more instructions for identifying the location of the mobile device relative to the at least one indoor floor plan; and

one or more instructions for displaying the user'"'"'s position relative to the indoor floor plan based on the identifying.

17. A system, comprising:

one or more devices, wherein each device comprises one or more memories that store instructions and one or more processors to execute the instructions that configure the system to;

receive a location of a user based on a location of a mobile device,

identify a location associated with a collection of attractions,

determine whether the collection of attractions includes stores,

associate the location of the user to the location having the collection of attractions based on a distance between the user and the collection of attractions, wherein the collection of attractions is related to at least one of shopping or entertainment,

retrieve a layout associated with the collection of attractions based on the associating, wherein when the collection of attractions is an indoor mall, the layout includes an indoor floor plan of the indoor mall and one or more store floor plans associated with one or more stores included in the indoor mall, wherein the one or more store floor plans indicate where inventory is located, and wherein when the collection of attractions is an outdoor mall, the layout includes a street-level plan of the outdoor mall and one or more indoor store floor plans associated with one or more stores included in the outdoor mall, wherein the one or more indoor store floor plans indicate where inventory is located,

receive a user selection pertaining to the layout, and

provide the user-selected layout associated with the collection of attractions to the user via the mobile device based on the user selection, wherein when associating, the one or more processors to execute the instructions to;

match the location of the user to the location of the collection of attractions in closest proximity to the user, and wherein when the collection of attractions is the indoor mall or the outdoor mall, the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to;

retrieve entities information that includes a listing of the stores, wherein the listing is alphabetical or by category;

an address, a telephone number, and hours of operation for one or more of the stores; and

current sales information for one or more of the stores; and

the one or more processors to execute the instructions to;

receive another user selection pertaining to the entities information; and

provide to the user, via the mobile device, one or more of the entities information based on the other user selection.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the system is further configured to:

permit a store that is one of the attractions to manage information relating to the store, and

allow the user to query for information relating to the store.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the layout includes one or more identifiers pertaining to one or more of automated teller machines, telephones, or restrooms, and the system is further configured to:

identify the location of the user relative to the user-selected layout, and

provide the location of the user and the user-selected layout to the user via the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is able to display the user-selected layout and the location of the user.