Consolidating and transforming object-descriptive input data to distributed rendered location data

• US 9,797,731 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald, Atchley, Michael, Welch, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAVERAS, KENNY ABEL
• Application Number:
  US14/813,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20160033287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for consolidating and transforming object-descriptive input data to distributed rendered location data. The systems and methods are configured to receive object-descriptive input data from a plurality of input devices, consolidate the object-descriptive input data and correlate it with a plurality of physical objects, determine first and second subsets of the plurality of physical objects based on a proximity of each of the physical objects to each of a plurality of user devices, construct user device-specific graphical maps each indicating a route to each object in a subset, and instruct each user device to display a graphical map constructed therefor.

Claims

1. A method for consolidating and transforming object-descriptive input data to distributed rendered location data, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first input device via a communications network, a first quantity of object-descriptive input data;

receiving, from a second input device via the communications network, a second quantity of object-descriptive input data;

consolidating the first and second quantities of object-descriptive input data to generate a consolidated quantity of object-descriptive input data;

correlating the consolidated quantity of object-descriptive input data to a plurality of physical objects located within a single geographical location;

receiving, from a first user device via the communications network, a geographical location of a first user device located within the single geographical location;

receiving, from a second user device via the communications network, a geographical location of a second user device located within the single geographical location;

retrieving, from an object location database via the communications network, a closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to each of the first and second user devices;

determining, based on the closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to the first user device and the closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to the second user device, a first list including a first subset of the plurality of physical objects and a second list including a second subset of the plurality of physical objects;

programmatically constructing a first graphical map of the single geographical location indicating a first route from the geographical location of the first user device to each physical object of the plurality of physical objects in the first subset;

programmatically constructing a second graphical map of the single geographical location indicating a second route from the geographical location of the second user device to each physical object of the plurality of physical objects in the second subset;

instructing the first user device to display the first list including the first subset of the plurality of physical objects located within the single geographical location and the first graphical map of the single geographical location; and

instructing the second user device to display the second list including the second subset of the plurality of physical objects located within the single geographical location and the second graphical map of the single geographical location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first route and the second route are configured to minimize a combined distance required for the first user device and the second user device to reach each of the plurality of physical objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first route and the second route are configured to minimize a combined traversal time required for the first user device and the second user device to reach each of the plurality of physical objects.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from at least one additional input device via the communications network, at least one additional quantity of object-descriptive input data;

consolidating the at least one additional quantity of object-descriptive input data with the first and second quantities of object-descriptive input data to generate the consolidated quantity of object-descriptive input data;

receiving, from at least one additional user device via the communications network, a geographical location of the at least one additional user device located within the single geographical location;

retrieving, from an object location database via the communications network, a closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to the at least one additional user device;

determining, based on the closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to the at least one additional user device, at least one additional list including at least one additional subset of the plurality of physical objects;

programmatically constructing at least one additional graphical map of the single geographical location indicating at least one additional route from the geographical location of the at least one additional user device to each of the plurality of physical objects in the at least one additional subset; and

instructing the at least one additional user device to display the at least one additional list and the at least one additional graphical map of the single geographical location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first route, the second route, and the at least one additional route are configured to minimize a combined distance required for the first user device, the second user device, and the at least one additional user device to reach each of the plurality of physical objects.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first route, the second route, and the at least one additional route are configured to minimize a combined traversal time required for the first user device, the second user device, and the at least one additional user device to reach each of the plurality of physical objects.

7. A system for consolidating and transforming object-descriptive input data to distributed rendered location data, the system comprising:

a first input device configured to transmit a first quantity of object-descriptive input data to a datacenter via a communications network;

a second input device configured to transmit a second quantity of object-descriptive input data to the datacenter via the communications network;

a first user device located within a single geographical location configured to transmit a geographical location of the first user device to the datacenter via the communications network;

a second user device located within the single geographical location configured to transmit a geographical location of the second user device to the datacenter via the communications network; and

the datacenter including instructions stored in a memory that when executed by a processor;

consolidate, the first and second quantities of object-descriptive input data to generate a consolidated quantity of object-descriptive input data,

correlate the consolidated quantity of object-descriptive input data to a plurality of physical objects located within the single geographical location,

retrieve, from an object location database, a closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to each of the first and second user devices,

determine, based on the closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to the first user device and the closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to the second user device, a first list including a first subset of the plurality of physical objects and a second list including a second subset of the plurality of physical objects,

programmatically construct a first graphical map of the single geographical location indicating a first route from the geographical location of the first user device to each physically object of the plurality of physical objects in the first subset,

programmatically construct a second graphical map of the single geographical location indicating a second route from the geographical location of the second user device to each physical object of the plurality of physical objects in the second subset,

instruct the first user device to display the first list including the first subset of the plurality of physical objects located within the single geographical location and the first graphical map of the single geographical location, and

instruct the second user device to display the second list including the second subset of the plurality of physical objects located within the single geographical location and the second graphical map of the single geographical location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first route and the second route are configured to minimize a combined distance required for the first user device and the second user device to reach each of the plurality of physical objects.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first route and the second route are configured to minimize a combined traversal time required for the first user device and the second user device to reach each of the plurality of physical objects.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one additional input device configured to transmit at least one additional quantity of object-descriptive input data to the datacenter via the communications network;

at least one additional user device located within the single geographical location and configured to transmit a geographical location of the at least one additional user device to the datacenter via the communications network; and

further instructions stored in the memory of the datacenter that when executed by a processor;

retrieve, from an object location database via the communications network, a closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to the at least one additional user device,

determine, based on the closest proximity of each physical object of the plurality of physical objects to the at least one additional user device, at least one additional list including at least one additional subset of the plurality of physical objects,

programmatically construct at least one additional graphical map of the single geographical location indicating at least one additional route from the geographical location of the at least one additional user device to each of the plurality of physical objects in the at least one additional subset, and

instruct the at least one additional user device to display the at least one additional list and the at least one additional graphical map of the single geographical location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first route, the second route, and the at least one additional route are configured to minimize a combined distance required for the first user device the second user device, and the at least one additional user device to reach each of the plurality of physical objects.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first route, the second route, and the at least one additional route are configured to minimize a combined traversal time required for the first user device, the second user device, and the at least one additional user device to reach each physical object of the plurality of physical objects.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the first input device is at least one of integrated within or separate from the first user device.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the second input device is at least one of integrated within or separate from the second user device.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first user device and the second user device is a mobile device.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the geographical location of the first user device and the second user device is at least one of a retail store or a warehouse.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of physical objects includes a plurality of items stocked at the geographical location of the first user device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first graphical map indicates an interior stock location of each of the plurality of products in the first subset.

19. The system of claim 7, wherein the geographical location of the first user device is the same as the geographical location of the second user device and wherein the first route and the second route include a common terminal endpoint.