SHOPPING LIST CREATOR AND OPTIMIZER

• US 20160048905A1
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Yuan, Mark Delun
• Granted Patent: US 10,685,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A mobile app for a mobile device includes logic for an overlay for the UI of the mobile device, and a location on the UI where the overlay is to be displayed, as specified by the user. The mobile app also comprises a scanning layer to create a list of items to be located and acquired. Instructions for locating the items, and objectives for ordering the locations of the items on the overlay are received from the user. The objectives may be for a trip to acquire the items, such as total cost, time, number of stops, preferred establishments for acquiring the items, preferred brands of the items, and other bases. The locations of the items are identified and filtered in accordance with the instructions. The locations of the items are displayed on the overlay at the area of the user interface specified by the user, according to geographical location.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for creating a list of items to be located and acquired, the method comprising:

receiving from a user of a mobile device, via a wireless communication channel, a list of items to be located and acquired;

creating an overlay for displaying the locations of the items on the user interface of the mobile device;

receiving from the user of the mobile device instructions for ordering the locations of the items on the overlay at an area of the user interface specified by the user;

identifying the locations of the items;

filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the user instructions; and

presenting the filtered locations of the items for display on the overlay in the area of the user interface specified by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions for ordering the locations of the items comprise at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives for a trip to obtain the items, the plurality of predetermined objectives including one of total cost, time, number of stops, preferred establishments for obtaining the items, and preferred brands of the items, and the overlay comprises an interactive map, the method further comprising filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the identifying the locations of items comprises searching a plurality of databases in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of objectives, the method further comprising:

presenting the filtered locations of items to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device, at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of predetermined objectives.

4. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

identifying the locations of the items by searching a plurality of databases in accordance with an alternate objective to at least one of the plurality of objectives

filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective;

presenting the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with the alternate objective; and

transmitting to the mobile device a prompt to determine whether the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective is preferred over the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of predetermined objectives.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

mining historical data of items purchased by the user to determine a shopping history of the user, wherein the shopping history includes an item type preference for at least some of the items in the historical data;

detecting an item on the list of items that does not include an item type preference for the item; and

adding the item type designation to the item that does not include an item type designation, based on the item type preference for the item in the shopping history of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

detecting use by the user of the mobile device, at one of the locations of the items, the use comprising the user selecting located items and checking the selected located items off the list of items; and

transmitting, to an information system associated with the one of the locations, an indication of the checked off items, as data to prepare a point of sale check-out list.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the one of the locations comprises a physical store, the method further comprising identifying the location of the items on the list in the physical store and providing directions as a specifically ordered path to direct a shopper to the items within the physical store.

8. One or more computer-readable hardware storage device having embedded therein a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, causes the computer to execute operations comprising:

receiving from a user of a mobile device, via a wireless communication channel, a list of items to be located and acquired;

creating an overlay for displaying the locations of the items on the user interface of the mobile device;

receiving from the user of the mobile device instructions for ordering the locations of the items on the overlay at an area of the user interface specified by the user;

identifying the locations of the items;

filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the user instructions; and

presenting the filtered locations of the items for display on the overlay in the area of the user interface specified by the user.

9. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of claim 8 wherein the instructions for ordering the locations of the items comprise at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives for a trip to obtain the items, the plurality of predetermined objectives including one of total cost, time, number of stops, preferred establishments for obtaining the items, and preferred brands of the items, and the overlay comprises an interactive map, the operations further comprising filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives.

10. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of claim 8 wherein the identifying the locations of items comprises searching a plurality of databases in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of objectives, the operations further comprising:

presenting the filtered locations of items to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device, at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of predetermined objectives.

11. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

identifying the locations of the items by searching a plurality of databases in accordance with an alternate objective to at least one of the plurality of objectives

filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective;

presenting the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with the alternate objective; and

transmitting to the mobile device a prompt to determine whether the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective is preferred over the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of predetermined objectives.

12. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

mining historical data of items purchased by the user to determine a shopping history of the user, wherein the shopping history includes an item type preference for at least some of the items in the historical data;

detecting an item on the list of items that does not include an item type preference for the item; and

adding the item type designation to the item that does not include an item type designation, based on the item type preference for the item in the shopping history of the user.

13. The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

detecting use by the user of the mobile device, at one of the locations of the items, the use comprising the user selecting located items and checking the selected located items off the list of items; and

transmitting, to an information system associated with the one of the locations, an indication of the checked off items, as data to prepare a point of sale check-out list.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the one of the locations comprises a physical store, the method further comprising identifying the location of the items on the list in the physical store and providing directions as a specifically ordered path to direct a shopper to the items within the physical store.

15. A mobile device comprising:

at least one processor and instructions accessible on a computer-readable storage medium, the instructions causing the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

receive, via a wireless communication channel, at least one message, the at least one message comprising at least one item to be located and acquired, and a designation that the message comprises items to be located and acquired; and

scan the message to detect whether the message includes the designation;

responsive to detection of the designation perform further operations comprising;

extract the at least one item to be located and acquired from the message; and

add the at least one item to a list comprising items to be located and acquired.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the scan is set to actuate and to scan when a user of the device is detected to move a predetermined distance, or at a predetermined time, or when a predetermined number of the at least one message has been received, or when the at least one message has been received from a designated person.

17. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the mobile device comprises a user interface and sends to a publication system the list of items to be located and acquired, a geometrical specification for an overlay that comprises an interactive map on which the locations of the items are to be displayed, and the specification of an area on the user interface on which the overlay is to be located.

18. The mobile device of claim 15 wherein the mobile device sends to the publication system instructions for ordering the locations of the items on an overlay at an area of the user interface specified by the user, wherein the instructions comprise at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives for a trip to obtain the items, and the plurality of predetermined objectives include one of total cost, time, number of stops, preferred establishments for obtaining the items, and preferred brands of the items.

19. The mobile device of claim 18 wherein the at least one processor receives from the publication the locations of the items filtered in accordance with the at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives.

20. The mobile device of claim 19 wherein the locations of items were identified by search of a plurality of databases in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of objectives, the at least one processor further configured to display the filtered locations of items on the overlay on the user interface, at the area of the user interface specified by the user, in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of predetermined objectives.