Directional wayfinding

• US 9,582,826 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Calman, Matthew A., Thomas, Susan Smith, Ross, Erik Stephen, Lee, Jooyong, Fang, Zhenshuo, Mulholland, James, Kiu, Brendan, Tan, Nastasha
• Primary Examiner(s): Casey, Alexis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bargeon, Brittany
• Application Number:
  US13/355,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, and computer-program products that provide for a unique directional wayfinding system. In one embodiment of the invention, products are received from the user, such as a shopping list or wish list. The system determines the location of the user, determines the location of the product in the business, determines a route from the user to the product, and provides instructions to the user along the route. In an embodiment, the system identifies and/or confirms the product when the user reaches the product. In at least one embodiment, the systems, methods, and computer-program products provide functionality for the visually-impaired to assist in everyday shopping for products in businesses.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for directing a user to locations of two or more products in a facility using product location data provided from a plurality of individuals via their associated mobile devices, wherein locations of a plurality of products in the facility is input by the plurality of individuals into one or more data sources, wherein the facility is a physical facility, the method comprising the following operations performed by one or more computing devices:

identifying the plurality of products offered at the facility from one or more sources associated with the plurality of individuals, wherein the one or more sources include social media feeds that are accessed by the plurality of individuals while the plurality of individuals are at a location of at least one product of the plurality of products in the facility;

receiving, from multiple data feeds over a distributed network from the one or more sources associated with the plurality of individuals, location information associated with the plurality of products in the facility;

augmenting, a planogram of the facility with the location information associated with the plurality of products, wherein the planogram further comprises a facility map that provides a layout of the facility;

providing an installable application to a mobile device of the user for directing the user to the two or more products in the facility, wherein the installable application displays the planogram to the user based on augmenting the location information of the two or more products on the planogram of the facility;

receiving, via the installable application installed on the mobile device of the user, a request from the user for directions to the two or more products in the facility, wherein receiving the request further comprises;

receiving, from the user via installable the application installed on the mobile device, at least one primary product that the user wishes to be directed to; and

receiving, at the installable application installed on the mobile device, an email request to direct the user to at least one secondary product, from a secondary user device of a secondary user associated with the user;

wherein, the two or more products that the user is directed to in the facility comprise the at least one primary product received from the user, and the at least one secondary product received from the second user;

determining a location of the user based on a first positioning system and a second positioning system, wherein the first positioning system is employed when the user is located outside the facility and the second positioning system is employed when the user is located inside the facility, wherein the first positioning system comprises identifying the location of the user based on communicating with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device associated with the user and wherein the second positioning system comprises identifying the location of the user based on the mobile device of the user interacting with one or more detector devices, positioned within the facility;

determining a location of each of the two or more products in the facility based on augmenting the location information on the planogram of the facility;

determining a product characteristic for each of the two or more products, wherein the product characteristic comprises a product size and wherein determining the product characteristic further comprises ordering the two or more products in ascending order of their product sizes;

determining a route within the facility that would lead the user to the two or more products, wherein the route is determined based on the ordering of the two or more products in ascending order of their product sizes;

transmitting instructions that cause the installable application installed on the mobile device to present the route for locating the two or more products in the facility;

determining an intermediate location of the user, wherein determining comprises receiving an updated location for the user from the second positioning system, communicating with the mobile device of the user;

identifying that the user deviated from the route based on determining that the intermediate location of the user deviates from the route;

in response to determining that the intermediate location of the user deviates from the route;

identifying, one or more deviation products of the plurality of products, located at a deviated intermediate location, wherein the one or more deviation products are identified based on the location information associated with the plurality of products in the facility received from the one or more sources associated with the plurality of individuals;

determining a length of time spent by the user at the deviated intermediate location;

determining a predicted plan for the user based on the identified one or more deviation products and the length of time spent by the user at the deviated intermediate location;

determining a related product based on the predicted plan, wherein the related product is different from the one or more deviation products; and

modifying the route such that the related product is located along the route;

retrieving transaction history of the user, wherein the transaction history comprises one of more purchases made by the user for the two or more products;

determining, based on the transaction history, a second product that the user previously purchased in conjunction with the two or more products;

determining that the second product is located along the route;

identifying, using the one or more computing devices, an offer for the second product;

receiving an updated location for the user from the one or more detector devices, positioned within the facility, communicating with the mobile device of the user;

determining that the user is located proximate to the second product based on receiving the updated location for the user; and

transmitting instructions that cause the installable application installed on the mobile device of the user to present the offer based on determining that the user is located proximate to the second product.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein presenting the route comprises instructing the mobile device to communicate audible instructions.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the audible instructions are provided to the user in stereo.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location of the user is determined by:

identifying an initial location of the user; and

tracking movement of the mobile device associated with the user from the initial location of the user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the planogram of the facility further comprises a layout of rows and aisles in the facility.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the planogram of the facility further comprises congestion data in paths of the facility.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the route is determined to direct the user past the second product before reaching the two or more products.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request from the user for directions to the two or more products;

determining that the user is located within a predetermined distance from the facility, based on the first positioning system;

determining that the facility includes the two or more products based on analyzing the plurality of products in the facility received from the plurality of individuals;

transmitting, automatically, instructions to the mobile device that activate the installable application installed on the mobile device to direct the user to the two or more products, based on determining that the facility includes the two or more products.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the route within the facility further comprises adding a facility-oriented location to the route, wherein the facility-oriented location comprises a cash register.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the route within the facility further comprises determining the route based on one or more health preferences received from the user, wherein the route is determined such that the route includes stairs and/or the route does not include a predetermined type of food products.

11. A system for directing a user to locations of two or more products in a facility using product location data provided from a plurality of individuals via their associated mobile devices, wherein locations of a plurality of products in the facility is input by the plurality of individuals into one or more data sources, wherein the facility is a physical facility, the system comprising:

a computing platform including a processor and a memory;

a crowd sourcing routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to identify the plurality of products offered at the facility from one or more sources associated with the plurality of individuals, wherein the one or more sources include social media feeds that are accessed by the plurality of individuals while the plurality of individuals are at a location of at least one product of the plurality of products in the facility;

a data pulling routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to receive, from multiple data feeds over a distributed network from the one or more sources associated with the plurality of individuals, location information associated with products in the facility;

a planogram generation routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to augment a planogram of the facility with the location information associated with the plurality of products, wherein the planogram further comprises a facility map that provides a layout of the facility;

an application installation routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to provide an installable application to a mobile device of the user for directing the user to the two or more products in the facility, wherein the installable application displays the planogram to the user based on overlaying the location information of the two or more products on the planogram of the facility;

a communication routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to receive, via the installable application installed on the mobile device of the user, a request from the user for directions to the two or more products in the facility, wherein receiving the request further comprises;

receiving, from the user via the installable application installed on the mobile device, at least one primary product that the user wishes to be directed to; and

receiving, at the installable application installed on the mobile device, an email request to direct the user to at least one secondary product, from a secondary user device of a secondary user associated with the user;

wherein, the two or more products that the user is directed to in the facility comprise the at least one primary product received from the user, and the at least one secondary product received from the second user;

a user location routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to determine a location of the user based on a first positioning system and a second positioning system, wherein the first positioning system is employed when the user is located outside the facility and the second positioning system is employed when the user is located inside the facility, wherein the first positioning system comprises identifying the location of the user based on communicating with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device associated with the user and wherein the second positioning system comprises identifying the location of the user based on the mobile device of the user interacting with one or more detector devices, positioned within the facility;

a product location routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to determine a location of the two or more products in the facility based on augmenting the location information on the planogram of the facility;

a product characteristic determination routine, executable by the processor, and configured to determine a product characteristic for each of the two or more products, wherein the product characteristic comprises a product size and wherein determining the product characteristic further comprises ordering the two or more products in ascending order of their product sizes;

a route determination routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to determine a route from the location of the user to the location of the two or more products, wherein the route is determined based on ordering of the two or more products in ascending order of their product sizes;

a presentation routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to transmit instructions that cause the installable application installed on the mobile device to present the route for locating the two or more products in the facility;

a user location monitoring routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to determine an intermediate location of the user, wherein determining comprises receiving an updated location for the user from the second positioning system, communicating with the mobile device of the user;

the route determination routine stored in memory, executable by the processor and configured to identify that the user deviated from the route based on determining that the intermediate location of the user deviates from the route;

in response to determining that the intermediate location of the user deviates from the route, the route determination routine being configured to;

identify, one or more deviation products of the plurality of products, located at a deviated intermediate location, wherein the one or more deviation products are identified based on the location information associated with the plurality of products in the facility received from the one or more sources associated with the plurality of individuals;

determine a length of time spent by the user at the deviated intermediate location;

determine a predicted plan for the user based on the identified one or more deviation products and the length of time spent by the user at the deviated intermediate location;

determine a related product based on the predicted plan, wherein the related product is different from the one or more deviation products; and

modify the route such that the related product is located along the route;

a financial information routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to retrieve transaction history of the user, wherein the transaction history comprises one of more purchases made by the user for the two or more products;

a product determination routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to determine, based on the transaction history, a second product that the user previously purchased in conjunction with the two or more products;

an offer location routine, stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to determine that that the second product is located along the route;

an offer routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to identify an offer for the second product;

a routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to receive an updated location for the user from the one or more detector devices, positioned within the facility, communicating with the mobile device of the user;

a routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to determine that the user is located proximate to the second product based on receiving the updated location for the user; and

an offer presentation routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to transmit instructions that cause the installable application installed on the mobile device of the user to present the offer based on determining that the user is located proximate to the second product.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising stereo headphones, wherein the stereo headphones are configured to present the route to the user.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a product identification routine stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to identify the two or more products.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a scanning device, wherein the scanning device is selected from a group consisting of a video camera, a still camera, and a bar code scanner.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the scanning device is configured to identify a product based on a scan of the product.

16. A computer program product for directing a user to locations of two or more products in a facility using product location data provided from a plurality of individuals via their associated mobile devices, wherein the locations of a plurality of products in the facility is input by the plurality of individuals into one or more data sources, wherein the facility is a physical facility, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions comprising;

a set of codes for causing the computer to identify the plurality of products offered at the facility from one or more sources associated with the plurality of individuals, wherein the one or more sources include social media feeds that are accessed by the plurality of individuals while the plurality of individuals are at a location of at least one product of the plurality of products in the facility;

a set of codes for causing the computer to receive, from multiple data feeds over a distributed network from the one or more sources associated with the plurality of individuals, location information associated with the plurality of products in the facility;

a set of codes for causing the computer to augment a planogram of the facility with the location information associated with the plurality of products, wherein the planogram further comprises a facility map that provides a layout of the facility;

a set of codes for causing the computer to providing an installable application to a mobile device of the user for directing the user to the two or more products in the facility, wherein the installable application displays the planogram to the user based on augmenting the location information of the two or more products on the planogram of the facility;

a set of codes for causing a computer to receive, via the installable application installed on the mobile device of the user, a request from the user for directions to the two or more products in facility, wherein receiving the request further comprises;

receiving, from the user via the installable application installed on the mobile device, at least one primary product that the user wishes to be directed to; and

receiving, at the installable application installed on the mobile device, an email request to direct the user to at least one secondary product, from a secondary user device of a secondary user associated with the user;

wherein, the two or more products that the user is directed to in the facility comprise the at least one primary product received from the user, and the at least one secondary product received from the second user;

a set of codes for causing the computer to determine a location of the user based on a first positioning system and a second positioning system, wherein the first positioning system is employed when the user is located outside the facility and the second positioning system is employed when the user is located inside the facility, wherein the first positioning system comprises identifying the location of the user based on communicating with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device associated with the user and wherein the second positioning system comprises identifying the location of the user based on the mobile device of the user interacting with one or more detector devices, positioned within the facility;

a set of codes for causing the computer to determine a location of the two or more products in the facility based on augmenting the location information on the planogram of the facility;

a set of codes for causing the computer to determine a product characteristic for each of the two or more products, wherein the product characteristic comprises a product size and wherein determining the product characteristic further comprises ordering the two or more products in ascending order of their product sizes;

a set of codes for causing a computer to determine a route from the user to the two or more products, wherein the route is determined based on ordering of the two or more products in ascending order of their product sizes;

a set of codes for causing the computer to instruct the installable application installed on the mobile device to present the route for locating the two or more products in the facility;

a set of codes for causing the computer to determine an intermediate location of the user, wherein determining comprises receiving an updated location for the user from the second positioning system, communicating with the mobile device of the user;

a set of codes for causing the computer to identify that the user deviated from the route based on determining that the intermediate location of the user deviates from the route;

in response to determining that the intermediate location of the user deviates from the route, a set of codes for causing the computer to;

identify, one or more deviation products of the plurality of products, located at a deviated intermediate location, wherein the one or more deviation products are identified based on the location information associated with the plurality of products in the facility received from the one or more sources associated with the plurality of individuals;

determine a length of time spent by the user at the deviated intermediate location;

determine a predicted plan for the user based on the identified one or more deviation products and the length of time spent by the user at the deviated intermediate location;

determine a related product based on the predicted plan, wherein the related product is different from the one or more deviation products; and

modify the route such that the related product is located along the route;

a set of codes for causing the computer to retrieve transaction history of the user, wherein the transaction history comprises one of more purchases made by the user for the two or more products;

a set of code for causing the computer to determine, based on the transaction history, a second product that the user previously purchased in conjunction with the two or more products;

a set of codes for causing the computer to determine that the second product is located along the route;

a set of codes for causing the computer to determine an offer for the second product;

a set of codes for causing the computer to receive an updated location for the user from the one or more detector devices, positioned within the facility, communicating with the mobile device of the user;

a set of codes for causing the computer to determine that the user is located proximate to the second product based on receiving the updated location for the user; and

a set of codes for causing the computer to instruct the installable application installed on the mobile device of the user to present the offer based on determining that the user is located proximate to the second product.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the mobile device of the user audibly presents the route.