Completing a purchase transaction at various locations within a retail store

• US 9,633,390 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Acker, Jr., Joel Bennett, Cancro, Richard Neil, Pedley, Douglas James
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunham, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Loharikar, Anand
• Application Number:
  US13/754,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272, 705 141, 705319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments for determining a completing a purchase transaction at a waypoint where a customer is located within a retail store are disclosed. The embodiments include determining waypoint of the customer, receiving waypoint data including the location of the customer positions within the retail store and a shopping list identifying items that the customer desires to purchase, and completing the purchase transaction for the items at the waypoint.

Claims

1. A mobile transaction device of a store associate, the mobile transaction device comprising:

a communication device configured to communicate with a sales server and a computing device associated with a customer, the communication device configured to receive;

a plurality of waypoint signals from a plurality of transceivers positioned in a retail store, the plurality of waypoint signals indicating a location of the mobile transaction device, and a plurality of coordinates associated with the customer computing device indicating a location of the customer computing device, wherein a comparison of the location of the mobile transaction device and the location of the customer computing device by the sales server determines that the mobile transaction device is closest in proximity to the customer computing device of a plurality of mobile transaction devices within the retail store,

a map of a retail store, and

from the customer communication device, a receipt indicating a shopping list comprising one or more items a consumer desires to purchase;

a graphical user interface configured to;

render a superimposed image on the map in accordance with the plurality of coordinates, the superimposed image indicating the location of the customer computing device within the retail store,

display the map and the receipt,

display a prompt requiring the store associate to accept or deny a request to complete a transaction associated with the shopping list, and

receive a response to the prompt indicating that the store associate accepted the request and will proceed to the location of the customer computing device;

a transaction completion device configured to perform the transaction at the location of the customer computing device; and

the communication device further configured to transmit transaction data associated with the transaction to the sales server.

2. The mobile transaction device of claim 1, wherein the shopping list is generated by the customer by scanning, with the customer computing device, an identifier one or more identifiers associated with the one or more items.

3. The mobile transaction device of claim 1, wherein the transaction completion device comprises an interface for receiving data associated with a method of payment.

4. The mobile transaction device of claim 1, wherein the transaction completion device comprises a card reader.

5. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a communication device of a mobile transaction device of a store associate configured to communicate with a sales server and a computing device associated with a customer;

a plurality of waypoint signals from a plurality of transceivers positioned in a retail store, the plurality of waypoint signals indicating a location of the mobile transaction device, and a plurality of coordinates associated with the customer computing device indicating a location of the customer computing device, wherein a comparison of the location of the mobile transaction device and the location of the customer computing device by the sales server determines that the mobile transaction device is closest in proximity to the customer computing device of a plurality of mobile transaction devices within the retail store;

a map of a retail store, and

from the customer communication device, a receipt indicating a shopping list comprising one or more items a consumer desires to purchase;

rendering, by a graphical user interface of the mobile transaction device, a superimposed image on the map in accordance with the plurality of coordinates, the superimposed image indicating a location of the customer computing device within the retail store,

displaying, on the graphical user interface, the map and the receipt;

displaying, on the graphical user interface, a prompt requiring the store associate to accept or deny a request to complete a transaction associated with the shopping list;

receiving, by the graphical user interface, a response to the prompt indicating that the store associate accepted the request and will proceed to the location of the customer computing device;

performing, by a transaction completion device of the mobile transaction device, the transaction at the location of the customer computing device; and

transmitting, by the communication device, transaction data associated with the transaction to the sales server.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the shopping list is generated by the customer by scanning, with the customer computing device, one or more identifiers associated with the one or more items.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the transaction completion device comprises an interface for receiving data associated with a method of payment.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the transaction completion device comprises a card reader.

9. A mobile transaction device of a store associate, the mobile transaction device comprising:

a communication device configured to communicate with a sales server and a plurality of computing devices associated with customers, the communication device configured to receive;

a plurality of waypoint signals from a plurality of transceivers positioned in a retail store, the plurality of waypoint signals indicating a location of the mobile transaction device, and a plurality of coordinates associated with the plurality of customer computing devices, wherein a comparison of the location of the mobile transaction device and the plurality of coordinates associated with the plurality of customer computing devices by the sales server determines that the mobile transaction device is closest in proximity to a first customer computing device of a plurality of mobile transaction devices within the retail store,

a map of a retail store, and

from the first customer communication device, a receipt indicating a shopping list comprising one or more items a consumer desires to purchase;

a graphical user interface configured to;

render a superimposed image on the map in accordance with the plurality of coordinates associated with the first customer computing device, the superimposed image indicating a location of the first customer computing device within the retail store,

display the map and the receipt,

display a prompt requiring a user of the mobile transaction device to accept or deny a request to complete a transaction associated with the shopping list,

receive a response to the prompt indicating that the store associate denied the request;

the communication device further configured to;

transmit a notification to the sales server indicating that the request was denied,

receive a location of a second customer computing device determined to be second closest in proximity to the mobile transaction device, and

receive, from the second customer communication device, a second receipt indicating a second shopping list comprising one or more items a consumer desires to purchase;

the graphical user interface further configured to;

render a second superimposed image on the map indicating the location of the second customer computing device within the retail store,

display the map and the second receipt,

display a second prompt requiring the store associate to accept or deny a second request to complete a transaction associated with the second shopping list,

receive a response to the second prompt indicating that the store associate accepted the second request and will proceed to the location of the second customer computing device;

a transaction completion device configured to perform the transaction at the location of the second customer computing device; and

the communication device further configured to transmit transaction data associated with the transaction to the sales server.