Notifying an attendant when a customer scans an oversized item

• US 9,767,447 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Pedley, Douglas James, Cancro, Richard Neil, Acker, Jr., Joel Bennett
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/753,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for providing a product to a user includes determining that an item obtained by a mobile computing device corresponding to the user is indicative of an oversized item. A first notification is generated indicating the oversized item and retrieval information related to the oversized item. The first notification is transmitted to a first facility computing device corresponding to a first facility attendant. When the user completes a transaction for the purchase of the oversized product at one of the point of sale terminal, terminal information related to the point of sale terminal is obtained. A second notification is generated related to the terminal information. The second notification is transmitted to a second facility computing device corresponding to a second facility attendant.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a product to a user at one of a plurality of sale terminals furnished within a facility of a retailer, comprising:

providing a scanned item server;

providing an application installed on a mobile computing device corresponding to the user and communicatively coupled to the scanned item server;

determining, at a processing device of the scanned item server, that an item selected by the user on the application is indicative of an oversized item, the oversized item indicating an oversized product the user is unable to transport from a currently stocked location within the facility to the one of the plurality of sale terminals for purchasing the oversized item, wherein the item selected by the user on the application is determined indicative of the oversized item by;

receiving, at the processing device, an item identifier from the application,

retrieving, at the processing device, physical attribute information related to the item from an item database using the item identifier, and

determining, at the processing device, that the physical attribute information exceeds a predetermined threshold;

generating, at the processing device, a first notification comprising a first map of the facility, the first map annotated with a current location of the oversized item for retrieval by a first facility attendant, the current location indicated by a visual representation of a specific section of the facility and a textual location descriptor comprised of at least one of an aisle identifier, a lane identifier, or a shelf identifier, wherein the current location is determined by;

monitoring, at the processing device, a location of the mobile computing device when the user selects the oversized item, the location of the mobile computing device being received from the mobile computing device, and

determining, at the processing device, the current location of the oversized item corresponds to the location of the mobile computing device;

transmitting, at the processing device, the first notification to a first facility computing device corresponding to the first facility attendant;

determining that the user has completed a transaction for the purchase of the oversized item by receiving, at the processing device, an electronic receipt broadcasted from the one of the plurality of sale terminals at which the transaction for the purchase of the oversized item occurred, the electronic receipt indicating one or more purchased items, one of the one or more purchased items indicating the purchase of the oversized item and a terminal identifier corresponding to the one of the plurality of sale terminals at which the user purchased the oversized item;

upon determining the user has completed the transaction;

obtaining, at the processing device, terminal information related to the one of the plurality of sale terminals at which the transaction for the purchase of the oversized item occurred, including at least the terminal identifier from the electronic receipt;

determining a location of the one of the plurality of sale terminals;

generating, at the processing device, a second notification related to the terminal information, wherein the second notification includes at least a second map of the facility annotated with a current location of the user, the current location of the user indicated by a visual representation of a specific section of the facility and a textual location descriptor including at least a sale terminal identifier indicating one of the plurality of sale terminals; and

transmitting, at the processing device, the second notification to a second facility computing device corresponding to a second facility attendant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the item identifier corresponds to the item and selected by the user on the application when the mobile computing device scans a barcode corresponding to the oversized item at the currently stocked location within the facility;

and wherein

the item database stores the physical attribute information for a plurality of items offered for sale by the retailer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first notification is generated when the processing device transmits an interactive notification to the application upon determining the item is indicative of the oversized item, the interactive notification prompting the application to display an interactive graphic in a graphical user interface of the mobile computing device, wherein the interactive graphic displays information related to an inquiry by the retailer requesting whether or not the user desires the oversized item to be transported by the first facility attendant after the transaction for the purchase of the oversized item is completed, the inquiry allowing the user to provide a command using the graphical user interface causing the processing device to generate the first notification.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction for the purchase of the oversized item includes the application transmitting information about the oversized item obtained to one of the plurality of sale terminals to initiate purchase of the oversized item;

and the user tendering payment for the purchase of the oversized item to the one of the plurality of sale terminals at which the application transmitted the information about the oversized item.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the terminal information further includes:

retrieving, at the processing device, the terminal information from a terminal database using the terminal identifier, the terminal database storing the terminal information for the plurality of sale terminals, the terminal information includes at least a unique indicator corresponding to a sale terminal that distinguishes the sale terminal from other sale terminals.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second facility attendant corresponds to a facility attendant other than the first facility attendant.

7. A system for providing a product to a user at one of a plurality of sale terminals furnished within a facility of a retailer, the system comprising:

an application installed on a mobile computing device corresponding to a user;

a scanned item server communicatively coupled to the application, the scanned item server comprising a notification module that;

determines that an item selected by the user on the application is indicative of an oversized item, the oversized item indicating an oversized item the user is unable to transport from a currently stocked location within the facility to the one of the plurality of sale terminals for purchasing the oversized item, wherein the item selected by the user on the application is determined indicative of the oversized item by;

receiving an item identifier from the application,

retrieving physical attribute information related to the item from an item database using the item identifier retrieving, at a processing device of the scanned item server, the physical attribute information related to the item from the item database using the item identifier, wherein the physical attribute information includes at least size and weight data,

comparing, by the processing device, the physical attribute information to at least one predetermined threshold stored on the scanned item server, and

determining, at the processing device, that the physical attribute information exceeds the at least one predetermined threshold;

generates a first notification comprising a first map of the facility, the first map annotated with a current location of the oversized item for retrieval by a first facility attendant, the current location indicated by a visual representation of a specific section of the facility and a textual location descriptor comprised of at least one of an aisle identifier, a lane identifier, or a shelf identifier, wherein the current location is determined by;

monitoring, at the processing device, a location of the mobile computing device when the user selects the oversized item, the location of the mobile computing device being received from the mobile computing device, and

determining, at the processing device, the current location of the oversized item corresponds to the location of the mobile computing device;

transmits the first notification to a first facility computing device corresponding to the first facility attendant;

determines that the user has completed a transaction for the purchase of the oversized item by receiving, at the processing device, an electronic receipt broadcasted from the one of the plurality of sale terminals at which the transaction for the purchase of the oversized item occurred, the electronic receipt indicating one or more purchased items, one of the one or more purchased items indicating the purchase of the oversized item and a terminal identifier corresponding to the one of the plurality of sale terminals at which the user purchased the oversized item;

upon determining the user has completed the transaction, the notification module further;

obtains terminal information related to the one of the plurality of sale terminals at which the transaction for the purchase of the oversized item occurred, including at least the terminal identifier from the electronic receipt;

determines a location of the one of the plurality of sale terminals;

generates a second notification related to the terminal information, wherein the second notification includes at least a map of the facility annotated with a current location of the user, the current location of the user indicated by a visual representation of a specific section of the facility and a textual location descriptor including at least a sale terminal identifier indicating one of the plurality of sale terminals; and

transmits the second notification to a second facility computing device corresponding to a second facility attendant.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the item identifier corresponds to the item and selected by the user on the application when the mobile computing device scans a barcode corresponding to the oversized item at the currently stocked location within the facility;

and wherein the item database stores the physical attribute information for a plurality of items offered for sale by the retailer.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first notification is generated when the processing device transmits an interactive notification to the application upon determining the item is indicative of the oversized item, the interactive notification prompting the application to display an interactive graphic in a graphical user interface of the mobile computing device, wherein the interactive graphic displays information related to an inquiry by the retailer requesting whether or not the user desires the oversized item to be transported by the first facility attendant after the transaction for the purchase of the oversized item is completed, the inquiry allowing the user to provide a command using the graphical user interface causing the processing device to generate the first notification.

10. The system claim 7, wherein the transaction for the purchase of the oversized item includes the application transmitting information about the oversized item obtained to the one of the plurality of sale terminals to initiate purchase of the oversized item;

and the user tendering payment for the purchase of the oversized item to the one of the plurality of sale terminals at which the application transmitted the information about the oversized item.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the notification module obtains the terminal information by:

retrieving the terminal information from terminal database using the terminal identifier, the terminal database storing the terminal information for the plurality of sale terminals, the terminal information includes at least a unique indicator corresponding to a sale terminal that distinguishes the sale terminal from other sale terminals.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the second facility attendant corresponds to a facility attendant other than the first facility attendant.