On-the-go shopping list

• US 8,239,276 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Gloria, Mikhak, Amir Mahmood
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Will
• Assistant Examiner(s): Palavecino, Kathleen G
• Application Number:
  US12/286,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20100082447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing shopping-related information to a consumer are provided. Embodiments of the system allow a consumer to create an electronic shopping list by scanning products. In some embodiments, shopping-related information may be obtained for items in the shopping list, such as pricing information, product quality, consumer ratings, and other information that may help a consumer to make an informed purchasing decision. Other embodiments allow a consumer to obtain and compare retail prices offered by several retailers for products in the shopping list. Still other embodiments provide a store-wide network that allows a shopper to scan items in the store, add the scanned items to a shopping list, and then check-out electronically.

Claims

1. A method of operation of an electronic device to perform electronic shopping, comprising using an electronic device to:

acquire a plurality of product identifiers corresponding with products to be purchased;

add the product identifiers to a shopping list stored in the electronic device;

transmit the shopping list to a data manager;

receive retailer information from the data manager, the retailer information comprising a plurality of retailer identifiers that each identify a retailer that sells one or more of the products to be purchased and comprising product prices at each of the identified retailers for the products to be purchased;

receive a user input that specifies a numeric value representing a number of stops for acquiring the products to be purchased; and

divide the shopping list into a number of partial shopping lists, wherein the number of partial shopping lists is determined based on the number of stops specified by a user of the electronic device and is equal to or less than the number of stops specified by the user of the electronic device, and wherein each partial shopping list is associated with a different retailer selected from the identified retailers and comprises one or more of the product identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using an electronic device to acquire one or more product identifiers comprises receiving the one or more product identifiers through a near field communication interface of the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein using an electronic device to acquire one or more product identifiers comprises receiving a user input that enters the one or more product identifiers into the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using an electronic device to receive a user input that specifies a numeric value comprises receiving a user input that increases or decreases an existing numeric value shown on a display of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein using an electronic device to divide the shopping list comprises dividing the shopping list into two or more partial shopping lists.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using an electronic device to divide the shopping list comprises selecting the associated retailers to provide a lowest total price for the products to be purchased.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein using an electronic device to divide the shopping list comprises selecting the associated retailers to provide a shortest total travel time or a shortest total travel distance between the associated retailers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein using an electronic device to divide the shopping list comprises receiving the partial shopping lists from the data manager.

9. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a product identification device configured to acquire a product identifier corresponding with a product to be purchased by a user of the handheld electronic device;

a memory comprising a software application configured to allow the user to turn on the product identification device, obtain the product identifier, and store the product identifier to a shopping list;

a wireless networking interface configured to transmit the shopping list to a data manager via a wireless network and receive product information associated with the shopping list from the data manager for a plurality of retailers, wherein the product information comprises a plurality of total prices for all of the products in the shopping list and wherein each total price corresponds to a different retailer of the plurality of retailers and comprises a total cost for all the products in the shopping list at the corresponding retailer;

data processing circuitry capable of generating a plurality of shopping trips based on the product information, wherein each of the plurality of shopping trips corresponds to a different retailer of the plurality of retailers and comprises the total cost for all of the products in the shopping list available at the corresponding retailer; and

a display configured to display the shopping list and the plurality of shopping trips.

10. The handheld electronic device of claim 9, comprising a positioning device configured to determine a geographical position of the handheld electronic device, wherein the handheld electronic device is configured to transmit the geographical position of the handheld electronic device to the data manager via the wireless network and to receive the product information pertaining to one or more retailers of the plurality of retailers located within a specified distance from the position of the handheld electronic device.

11. The handheld electronic device of claim 10, wherein the handheld electronic device is configured to receive a plurality of travel distances each corresponding to a different retailer of the plurality of retailers, and wherein each of the plurality of shopping trips comprises the travel distance between the corresponding retailer and the geographical position of the handheld electronic device.

12. The handheld electronic device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of retailers are specified by the user of the electronic device.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 9, wherein the product identification device comprises a near field communication interface.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 9, comprising a user interface configured to receive a user input that selects a shopping trip from the plurality of shopping trips, wherein the data circuitry is capable of generating a modified shopping list comprising individual prices for each of the products available at the retailer corresponding to the selected shopping trip, and wherein the display is configured to display the modified shopping list.