Techniques for optimizing a shopping agenda

• US 9,070,094 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Goulart, Valerie
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai, Resha
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOLCOTT, ALEX E
• Application Number:
  US13/650,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141- 1472, 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

Techniques for optimizing a shopping agenda are disclosed. The techniques include receiving an electronic shopping list containing one or more items, each item indicating a product sold by a retailer. The techniques also include determining, at the processing device, a store location of the retailer, the store location indicating a store where the one or more products indicated by the one or more items are to be purchased. The techniques further include determining one or more product waypoints based on the one or more items in the electronic shopping list and the store map, each product waypoint of the one or more product waypoints respectively corresponding to one of the one or more items and being indicative of a product location of the product indicated by the item in the store. The techniques further include providing the one or more product waypoints for display.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computer system, an electronic shopping list containing one or more items, each item indicating a product sold by a retailer;

determining, by the computer system, a store location of the retailer, the store location indicating a store where one or more products indicated by the one or more items are to be purchased;

determining, by the computer system, one or more product waypoints based on the one or more items in the electronic shopping list and a store map, each product waypoint of the one or more product waypoints respectively corresponding to one of the one or more items and being indicative of a product location of the product indicated by the item in the store;

determining, by the computer system, a checkout waypoint based on the number of items listed on the electronic shopping list, the checkout waypoint corresponding to a checkout lane; and

providing, by the computer system, the store map, the one or more product waypoints, and the checkout waypoint for display, each waypoint of the one or more product waypoints being represented on the store map by an icon of the same shape and sized according to an amount of space that a corresponding product of the one or more products occupies in the store.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more product waypoints are obtained from a product locations database, the product locations database storing a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the store, including the one or more product waypoints, each waypoint of the plurality of waypoints indicating a specific product location of a specific product in the store.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more product waypoints are inserted in the electronic shopping list, wherein each of the one or more product waypoints is inserted relative to its corresponding item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, an entrance waypoint indicating an entrance location of the store based on the one or more product waypoints; and

wherein the entrance waypoint is provided for display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executed by the processing device of a mobile computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executed by the processing device of a server, wherein the electronic shopping list is received from a mobile computing device.

7. A server comprising:

at least one processor;

memory operably connected to the at least one processor; and

the memory storing;

a store locator module that determines a store location of a retailer, the store location indicating a store where one or more products indicated by one or more items are to be purchased; and

a product locator module configured to;

receive an electronic shopping list containing the one or more items from a mobile computing device, each item indicating a product sold by a retailer;

determine one or more product waypoints based on the one or more items in the electronic shopping list, each product waypoint of the one or more product waypoints respectively corresponding to one of the one or more items and being indicative of a product location of the product indicated by the item in the store;

determine a checkout waypoint based on the number of items listed on the electronic shopping list, the checkout waypoint corresponding to a checkout lane in the store; and

provide the one or more product waypoints and the checkout waypoint to the mobile computing device for display, each waypoint of the one or more product waypoints being represented by an icon of the same shape and sized according to an amount of space that a corresponding product of the one or more products occupies in the store.

8. The server of claim 7, further comprising:

a product locations database that stores a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the store, including the one or more product waypoints, wherein the product locator module is further configured to obtain the one or more product waypoints from the product locations database.

9. The server of claim 7, wherein:

the store locator module is further configured to obtain a store map corresponding to the store location, and

the product locator module is further configured to insert the icon of each waypoint of the one or more product waypoints into the store map.

10. The server of claim 7, wherein the one or more product waypoints are inserted in the electronic shopping list, each of the one or more product waypoints being inserted relative to its corresponding item.

11. The server of claim 7, wherein the product locator module is further configured to determine an entrance waypoint indicating an entrance location of the store based on the one or more product waypoints.