TECHNIQUES FOR OPTIMIZING A SHOPPING AGENDA

• US 20140108193A1
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Goulart, Valerie
• Granted Patent: US 9,595,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

Techniques for optimizing a shopping agenda are disclosed. The techniques include receiving an electronic shopping list containing one or more items, each item indicating a product sold by a retailer. The techniques further include obtaining a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of a store associated with the retailer. The techniques further include determining one or more product waypoints based on the one or more items in the electronic shopping list and the store map, each product waypoint of the one or more product waypoints corresponding to one of the one or more items and being indicative of a location of the product indicated by the item in the store. The techniques also include determining a route traveling through each of the one or more product waypoints and providing the route for display.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a processing device, an electronic shopping list containing one or more items, each item indicating a product sold by a retailer;

obtaining, at the processing device, a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of a store associated with the retailer;

determining, at the processing device, one or more product waypoints based on the one or more items in the electronic shopping list and the store map, each product waypoint of the one or more product waypoints corresponding to one of the one or more items and being indicative of a location of the product indicated by the item in the store;

determining, at the processing device, a route traveling through each of the one or more product waypoints; and

providing, at the processing device, the route for display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the store map includes:

selecting, at the processing device, a store location from a plurality of stores, the store location being indicative of the store; and

retrieving, at the processing device, the store map from a plurality of store maps based on the selected store, each of the plurality of store maps respectively corresponding to one of the plurality of stores.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more product waypoints are obtained from a product locations database, the product locations database storing a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the store, including the one or more product waypoints, each waypoint of the plurality of waypoints indicating a specific product location of a specific product in the store.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the product locations database stores waypoints for a plurality of stores.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the processing device, an entrance waypoint indicating an entrance location of the store based on the one or more product waypoints; and

determining, at the processing device, a checkout waypoint based on the one or more product waypoints, and wherein the route is further based on the entrance waypoint and the checkout waypoint

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the checkout waypoint is further based on an amount of items in the electronic shopping list.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the checkout waypoint indicates one or more checkout stations in the store.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the route is optimized to minimize a total distance traveled between the entrance waypoint and the cashier waypoint such while traveling through all of the product waypoints.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the route is optimized to minimize a total amount of time to travel between the entrance waypoint and the cashier waypoint while traveling through all of the product waypoints

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering, at the processing device, an image of the map having the product waypoints and the route displayed therein, wherein providing the route for display includes providing the image for display.

20. The server of claim 1, wherein route determination module is further configured to render an image of the map having the product waypoints and the route displayed therein, wherein the image, including the route, is provided to mobile computing device for display.

11. A server comprising:

a store locator configured to obtain a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of a store associated with a retailer;

a route determination module configured to receive an electronic shopping list containing one or more items from a mobile computing device, each item indicating a product sold by a retailer;

a product locator module configured to determine one or more product waypoints based on the one or more items in the electronic shopping list and the store map, each product waypoint of the one or more product waypoints corresponding to one of the one or more items and being indicative of a location of the product indicated by the item in the store;

wherein the route determination module is further configured to determine a route traveling through each of the one or more product waypoints and provide the route to the mobile computing device for display.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the store locator is further configured to:

select a store location from a plurality of stores, the store location being indicative of the store; and

retrieve the store map from a plurality of store maps based on the selected store, each of the plurality of store maps respectively corresponding to one of the plurality of stores.

13. The server of claim 11, further comprising a product locations database that stores a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the store, including the one or more product waypoints, each waypoint of the plurality of waypoints indicating a specific product location of a specific product in the store, wherein the one or more product waypoints are obtained from a product locations database.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the product locations database stores waypoints for a plurality of stores.

15. The server of claim 11, wherein:

the product locator module is further configured to determine an entrance waypoint indicating an entrance location of the store based on the one or more product waypoints and a checkout waypoint based on the one or more product waypoints, and

the route determination module is further configured to determine the route based on the entrance waypoint and the checkout waypoint

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the checkout waypoint is further based on an amount of items in the electronic shopping list.

17. The server of claim 15, wherein the checkout waypoint indicates one or more checkout stations in the store.

18. The server of claim 15, wherein the route is optimized to minimize a total distance traveled between the entrance waypoint and the cashier waypoint such while traveling through all of the product waypoints.

19. The server of claim 15, wherein the route is optimized to minimize a total amount of time to travel between the entrance waypoint and the cashier waypoint while traveling through all of the product waypoints