Shopping assistant

• US 8,150,741 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Figueroa, Joseph, Hall, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Levine, Adam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Civan, Ethan D
• Application Number:
  US12/724,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20110225068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 705/26.9
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Various embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to the dynamic calculation and presentation of efficient travel routes for in-person shoppers. For example, an adaptive shopping server system is configured to generate, for display on a shopping client device, an efficient travel route to a location of one or more user-requested merchandise items, the efficient travel route being advantageously distinct relative to other potential travel routes in consideration of a route efficiency selection criterion received from the shopping client device.

Claims

1. An adaptive shopping server system configured to generate, for display on a shopping client device, an efficient travel route to a location of a user- requested merchandise item, the efficient travel route being advantageously distinct relative to other potential travel routes in consideration of a route efficiency selection criterion received from the shopping client device, the system comprising:

a logic subsystem; and

a data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to;

provision a shopping database with facility and inventory information for one or more merchandise locations;

from the shopping client device, receive a request for a requested merchandise item;

from the shopping client device, receive the route efficiency selection criterion;

use the route efficiency selection criterion as a key for filtering the facility and inventory information, calculate an initial travel route originating at a current location of the shopping client device and including a stop at a selected requested merchandise location identified within the shopping database from one of a plurality of possible requested merchandise locations having the requested merchandise item;

send the initial travel route to the shopping client device for display on the shopping client device;

responsive to a real-time change in retail conditions, receive a report generated by a participating merchant that indicates updated retail conditions,

generate an updated travel route to a different merchandise location at a different site for obtaining the requested merchandise item in view of the updated retail conditions; and

send the updated travel route to the shopping client device for display on the shopping client device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the route efficiency selection criterion includes a plurality of selection parameters, the plurality of selection parameters comprising at least two of a time parameter, a distance parameter, or a cost parameter.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a weighting factor for scaling a relative calculation importance of each of the plurality of selection parameters is assigned to each of the plurality of selection parameters.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the route efficiency selection criterion comprises an instruction to filter the potential travel routes according to a cost of the requested merchandise item, wherein a potential travel route including a stop where the requested merchandise item has a lower cost is prioritized over a travel route including a stop where the requested merchandise item has a higher cost.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the facility and inventory information includes an estimate of customer in-line wait times for one or more merchandise locations.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the route efficiency selection criterion comprises an instruction to filter the potential travel routes according to a calculation of a time to obtain the requested merchandise item, wherein a potential travel route having a shorter total time is prioritized over a potential travel route having a longer total time, and wherein the estimates of customer in-line wait times at the plurality of possible requested merchandise locations having the requested merchandise item are included in the calculation of the time to obtain the requested merchandise item.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the facility and inventory information includes path information for paths connecting merchandise locations.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the route efficiency selection criterion comprises an instruction to filter the potential travel routes according to a distance of each potential travel route, wherein a shorter potential travel route is prioritized over a longer potential travel route.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the efficient travel route includes a location of an empty parking stall nearest to a current location of the shopping client device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to:

receive a current location of the shopping client device from the shopping client device;

identify within the shopping database a recommended merchandise location for a recommended merchandise item; and

include in the efficient travel route a stop at the recommended merchandise location.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the updated travel route is configured to trigger an audible presentation of the updated travel route at the shopping client device.

11. At a shopping server system, a method for generating an efficient travel route, for display on a shopping client device, between locations of merchandise items using facility and inventory information included in a shopping database, the method comprising:

provisioning the shopping database with the facility and inventory information for one or more merchandise locations at different sites;

from the shopping client device, receiving a request for a first requested merchandise item;

from the shopping client device, receiving a request for a second requested merchandise item;

identifying within the shopping database a first requested merchandise location for the first requested merchandise item;

identifying within the shopping database a second requested merchandise location for the second requested merchandise item;

calculating an initial efficient travel route including a stop at the first requested merchandise location and a stop at the second requested merchandise location using the facility and inventory information within the shopping database, by;

receiving a route efficiency selection criterion from the shopping client device, the route efficiency selection criterion including a plurality of selection parameters, and

assigning a weighting factor for scaling a relative calculation importance of each of the selection parameters to each of the selection parameters, a larger weighting factor being assigned to a first selection parameter and a smaller weighting factor being assigned to a second selection parameter, wherein the first selection parameter is defined as relatively more important than the second selection parameter;

sending the initial efficient travel route to the shopping client device for display on the shopping client device;

receiving a real-time change in participating merchant'"'"'s current inventory information, the participating merchant'"'"'s current inventory information indicating the participating merchant'"'"'s immediate inability to sell the first requested merchandise item at the first requested merchandise location;

generating an updated efficient travel route, the updated efficient travel route foregoing a stop at the site of the first requested merchandise location and being comparatively more efficient than the initial efficient travel route in view of the real-time change in participating merchant'"'"'s current inventory information; and

sending the updated efficient travel route to the shopping client device for display on the shopping client device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

when calculating the initial efficient travel route, using the route efficiency selection criterion as a key for filtering the facility and inventory information, wherein the initial efficient travel route is advantageously distinct relative to other potential travel routes in consideration of the route efficiency selection criterion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of selection parameters comprises at least two of a time parameter, a distance parameter, or a cost parameter.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a current location of the shopping client device from the shopping client device;

identifying within the shopping database a recommended merchandise location for a recommended merchandise item; and

including in the initial efficient travel route a stop at the recommended merchandise location.

15. An adaptive shopping server system configured to generate, for display on a shopping client device, an efficient travel route to a location of a recommended merchandise item, the efficient travel route being advantageously distinct relative to other potential travel routes in consideration of a route efficiency selection criterion received from the shopping client device, the system comprising:

a logic subsystem; and

a data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by the logic subsystem to;

provision a shopping database with facility and inventory information for one or more merchandise locations;

receive a current location of the shopping client device from the shopping client device;

identify within the shopping database a recommended merchandise location for the recommended merchandise item;

from the shopping client device, receive a request for the recommended merchandise item;

from the shopping client device, receive a request for the recommended merchandise item;

from the shopping client device, receive the route efficiency selection criterion;

using the route efficiency selection criterion as a key for filtering the facility and inventory information, calculate an initial efficient travel route originating at the current location of the shopping client device and including a stop at the recommended merchandise location identified within the shopping database from one of a plurality of possible merchandise locations having the recommended merchandise item by executing instructions to;

receive a route efficiency selection criterion from the shopping client device, the route efficiency selection criterion including a plurality of selection parameters, and

assign a weighting factor for scaling a relative calculation importance of each of the selection parameters to each of the selection parameters, a larger weighting factor being assigned to a first selection parameter and a smaller weighting factor being assigned to a second selection parameter, wherein the first selection parameter is defined as relatively more important than the second selection parameter;

send the initial efficient travel route to the shopping client device for display on the shopping client device;

responsive to a real-time change in a participating merchant'"'"'s current inventory information, receive a report generated by a participating merchant that indicates the participating merchant'"'"'s immediate inability to sell the requested merchandise item at the requested merchandise location;

generate an updated efficient travel route to a different merchandise location at a different site for obtaining the requested merchandise item, the updated efficient travel route being comparatively more efficient than the initial travel route in view of the real-time change in-the participating merchant'"'"'s current inventory information; and

send the updated efficient travel route to the shopping client device for display on the shopping client device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of selection parameters comprises at least two of a time parameter, a distance parameter, or a cost parameter.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the recommended merchandise item is identified by comparison of merchandise items in the shopping database to online shopping data for a user of the shopping client device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the efficient travel route includes a location of an empty parking stall nearest to the current location of the shopping client device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the updated efficient travel route is configured to trigger an audible presentation of the updated travel route at the shopping client device.