Smart line routing using wireless beacons

• US 9,230,272 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eramian, David Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US14/340,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20160027073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/487, 235/379, 235/472.01, 235/377, 705/28, 705/26.61, 705/17, 705/26.8, 705/14.58, 705/27.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing

Abstract

There are provided systems and methods for smart line routing using wireless beacons. A merchant may set up a wireless beacon throughout a storefront or retail location for the merchant. The beacons may connect to a user'"'"'s device and provide check-in services to the user. Based on the connections between the user'"'"'s device and the wireless beacons, information about the user'"'"'s behavior in the merchant location may be determined. The information may correspond to items/services the user may purchase and an amount of items/services the user may purchase. Using this information and a payment instrument the user utilizes to complete a transaction for the items/services, and expected time for the user to complete a checkout and payment to the merchant may be determined. The expected time can be used to direct the user to a checkout line that minimizes a wait time for each line.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing user tracking information for a user; and

one or more hardware processors in communication with the non-transitory memory and configured to;

access the user tracking information comprising at least one connection between a user device for the user and at least one wireless beacon of a plurality of wireless beacons in a merchant location for a merchant, wherein the merchant location corresponds to a single location where the merchant sells a plurality of items, and wherein the plurality of wireless beacons are located within the single location comprising the merchant location;

determine an expected checkout time for the user using the user tracking information based on at least one item the user has selected for purchase from the plurality of items available at the merchant location;

determine a first checkout line from a plurality of checkout lines at the merchant location for the user using the expected checkout time and a current wait time for each of the plurality of checkout lines; and

communicate the first checkout line to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device and the at least one wireless beacon connect using one of near field communication, radio communication, infrared communication, Bluetooth communication, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, LTE Direct communication, and WiFi communication.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user tracking information further comprises an amount of time for the at least one connection between the user device and the at least one wireless beacon.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless beacon is established at a sub-location in the merchant location.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the sub-location corresponds to a type of item, service, or sales available at the sub-location, and wherein the expected checkout time is further determined using the type of item, service, or sales available at the sub-location.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the expected checkout time is further determined using an amount of time spent at the sub-location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein prior to the one or more hardware processors determining the first checkout line, the one or more hardware processors are further configured to:

determine at least one previous checkout time for at least one previous user at the merchant location,

wherein the first checkout line is further determined using the at least one previous checkout time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to:

communicate the user tracking information and the expected checkout time to the user;

receive a change to at least one of the user tracking information and the expected checkout time from the user;

determine a second checkout line for the user using the change to the user tracking information and the expected checkout time; and

communicate the second checkout line to the user.

9. A method comprising:

accessing shopping information for a first user, wherein the shopping information comprises connections between a user device for the first user and each of a plurality of wireless beacons established at sub-locations within a location for a merchant, wherein the location corresponds to a single location where the merchant sells a plurality of items, and wherein the plurality of wireless beacons are located within the single location comprising the location;

determining at least one item the user has selected for purchase from the plurality of items available at the location;

determining a first expected checkout time for the first user based on the shopping information and the at least one item the user has selected for purchase;

determining, using one or more hardware processors, a checkout route for the first user of a plurality of checkout routes at the location using the first expected checkout time and a wait time to traverse each of the plurality of checkout routes; and

communicating the checkout route to the first user.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving an indicated payment instrument for completing payment in the checkout route from the first user,

wherein the checkout route is further determined using the indicated payment instrument.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

accessing at least one past used payment instrument for the first user,

wherein the checkout route is further determined using the at least one past used payment instrument.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

accessing at least one transaction history for the first user with the merchant,

wherein the first expected checkout time is further determined using the at least one transaction history.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one transaction history comprises items or services previously purchased with the merchant.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

accessing a past checkout time for the first user,

wherein the first expected checkout time is further determined using the past checkout time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the past checkout time comprises an average time to complete a checkout for items or services with the merchant from past transactions by the first user with the merchant.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining at least one item or service for purchase by the first user using the connections,

wherein the first expected checkout time and the checkout route are further determined using the at least one item or service.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein prior to determining the checkout route for the first user, the method further comprises:

determining a second expected checkout time for a second user, wherein the second user is waiting in one of a plurality of checkout routes,

wherein the checkout route is further determined using the second expected checkout time.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, in response to execution by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method comprising:

determining expected purchasing information for a user based on at least one connection between a user device for the user and at least one wireless beacon of a plurality of wireless beacons established at a merchant location for a merchant, wherein the merchant location corresponds to a single location where the merchant sells a plurality of items, and wherein the plurality of wireless beacons are located within a single location comprising the merchant location;

determine an expected checkout time for the user from the expected purchasing information based on at least one item the user has selected for purchase from the plurality of items available at the merchant location;

determine a checkout line for the user from a plurality of checkout lines at the merchant location, wherein the checkout line is determined using the expected checkout time, a wait time for each of the plurality of checkout lines, and the expected purchasing information; and

communicate the checkout line to the user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the at least one wireless beacon corresponds to a sub-location within the merchant location, wherein the sub-location includes items or services for sale from the merchant, and wherein the expected purchasing information is further determined using the items or services for sale from the merchant.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the at least one connection comprises an amount of connection time between the user device and the at least one wireless beacon, and wherein the expected purchasing information is determined suing the amount of connection time.