Method and system for automatically managing an electronic shopping list

• US 9,098,871 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Argue, Stuart, Marcar, Anthony Emile
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, LINDSEY B
• Application Number:
  US13/756,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/00 Image analysis

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of receiving, with a processing device of a commerce server, one or more shopping list signals from an electronic computing device to establish a shopping list of a plurality of items offered for sale in a retail store. The method also includes the step of receiving, with the processing device, one or more signals from an augmented reality device worn by a consumer as the consumer shops in the retail store. The method also includes the step of determining, with the processing device, that an item from the shopping list has been placed in a shopping container from the one or more signals received from the augmented reality device. The method also includes the step of modifying, with the processing device, the shopping list in response to said determining step.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, with a processing device of a commerce server, one or more shopping list signals from an electronic computing device;

establishing a shopping list of a plurality of items offered for sale in a retail store according to the shopping list signals;

receiving, with the processing device, one or more signals from an augmented reality device worn by a consumer as the consumer shops in the retail store, the one or more signals from the augmented reality device including video data from one or more cameras associated with the augmented reality device;

determining, with the processing device, that the video data includes all of an image of the customer'"'"'s hand, an image of an item of the plurality of items, perimeter markings on a shopping cart, and the customer'"'"'s hand and the image of the item are both positioned between the perimeter markings on the shopping cart;

identifying, by the processing device, the item placed in the shopping container based on the image of the item;

confirming, by the processing device, that the item identified is located within the retail store generally proximate to a position of the augmented reality device when the image of the item being placed in the shopping container is captured; and

in response to;

(1) determining that the video data includes all of the image of the customer'"'"'s hand, an image of an item of the plurality of items, perimeter markings on the shopping cart, and the customer'"'"'s hand and the image of the item both positioned between the perimeter markings on the shopping cart, (2) identifying, by the processing device, the item placed in the shopping container based on the image of the item, and (3) confirming, by the processing device, that the item identified is located within the retail store generally proximate to a position of the augmented reality device when the image of the item being placed in the shopping container is captured, modifying, with the processing device, the shopping list to indicate retrieval of the identified item of the plurality of items.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said determining step further comprises:

analyzing, with the processing device, the video signal to identify indicia positioned along three sides of a polygonal perimeter of a shopping container.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein:

said step of receiving one or more signals from the augmented reality device further comprises receiving an orientation signal from the augmented reality device, the orientation signal indicating an orientation of the augmented reality device; and

said determining step further comprises determining that an item from the shopping list has been placed in the shopping container in response to both of the video signal and the orientation signal.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein said determining step further comprises:

confirming, with the processing device, that the orientation signal corresponds to a downward orientation of the consumer'"'"'s head.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting, with the processing device, a confirmation query signal to the augmented reality device after said determining step and before said modifying step.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving, with the processing device, a confirmation acknowledgement signal from the augmented reality device, wherein said modifying step is executed in response to said step of receiving the confirmation acknowledgement signal.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said modifying step further comprises:

modifying the shopping list by removing the item placed in the shopping container from the shopping list.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting, with the processing device, a first item signal to the augmented reality device wherein the first item signal corresponds to one of the plurality of items on the shopping list.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

changing, with the processing device, from transmitting the first item signal to transmitting a second item signal different from the first item signal in response to said determining step.

10. A consumer shopping list system comprising:

a shopping list database; and

a commerce server having a processing device including;

a receiving module configured to receive both of (a) one or more shopping list signals from an electronic computing device to establish a shopping list of a plurality of items offered for sale in a retail store wherein the shopping list is stored in said shopping list database and (b) video data from one or more cameras associated with an augmented reality device;

a determination module configured;

to determining that the video data includes all of an image of the customer'"'"'s hand, an image of an item of the plurality of items, perimeter markings on a shopping cart, and the customer'"'"'s hand and the image of the item are both positioned between the perimeter markings on the shopping cart,

to identifying the item placed in the shopping container based on the image of the item, and

to confirming that the item identified is located within the retail store generally proximate to a position of the augmented reality device when the image of the item being placed in the shopping container is captured; and

a modification module configured to, in response to;

(1) determining that the video data includes all of the image of the customer'"'"'s hand, an image of an item of the plurality of items, perimeter markings on the shopping cart, and the customer'"'"'s hand and the image of the item both positioned between the perimeter markings on the shopping cart, (2) identifying the item placed in the shopping container based on the image of the item, and (3) confirming that the item identified is located within the retail store generally proximate to a position of the augmented reality device when the image of the item being placed in the shopping container is captured, modify the shopping list to indicate retrieval of the identified item of the plurality of items.

11. The consumer shopping list system of claim 10 wherein the processing device further comprises:

an item selection module configured to select an item from the shopping list; and

a transmission module operable to transmit an item signal containing the item selected by said item selection module to an augmented reality device worn by a consumer in a retail store.

12. The consumer shopping list system of claim 10 wherein the determination module further comprises:

an orientation sub-module configured to receive an orientation signal from the augmented reality device; and

a position sub-module configured to receive a position signal from the augmented reality device.

13. The consumer shopping list system of claim 10 wherein the processing device further comprises:

an audio processing module configured to receive an audio signal from an augmented reality device worn by a consumer shopping in a retail store and determine if the audio signal contains verbal messages.

14. The consumer shopping list system of claim 10 further comprising:

at least one shopping container defining a containing volume and an upwardly-facing perimeter surface, wherein the perimeter markings are disposed along at least a portion of said upwardly-facing perimeter surface.

15. The consumer shopping list system of claim 14 wherein the perimeter markings include a first type of indicia disposed along a first portion of said upwardly-facing perimeter surface and a second type of indicia disposed along a second portion of said upwardly-facing perimeter surface, wherein said first type of indicia is different than said second type of indicia and said first and second portions are on opposite sides of said containing volume.