Patent Application
20140214589
1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to a retail environment, and in particular, examples of the present disclosure are related to employing a hand-held communications device in a retail shopping environment.
2. Background
Retail marketers offer goods for purchase by shoppers. Individual shoppers in a retail environment traverse aisles to peruse and select one or more items for purchase, which they may place in a shopping cart or otherwise convey to a checkout counter where the items are scanned or otherwise accounted for to determine a price. A shopper may generate a shopping list containing items they desire to purchase, and can be generally interested in verifying that they have successfully obtained those desired items by checking off those items on the shopping list.
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present disclosure.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art that the specific detail need not be employed to practice the present disclosure. In other instances, well-known materials or processes have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one example” or “an example” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, “one example” or “an example” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable combinations and/or sub-combinations in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, it is appreciated that the figures provided herewith are for explanation purposes to persons ordinarily skilled in the art and that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
By way of introduction, it is appreciated that a shopper engaged in retail shopping wants to verify that desired items contained on a shopping list are obtained during a trip to a retailer.
A computer-implemented process is described and includes employing a shopping list that is accessible on a hand-held communications device, the shopping list including desired items for purchasing from a retailer. The hand-held communications device is employed at the retailer to capture information associated with a selected product. The information associated with the selected product is compared with the desired items contained on the shopping list accessible to the hand-held communications device. Upon correlating the selected product with one of the desired items contained on the shopping list, the shopping list is updated to indicate the desired item has been acquired.
To illustrate,
The desired items appearing on the shopping list 30 may derive from one or more sources 20. The sources 20 for the desired items can be captured via one or more of the following, including a voice entry system 22 that is employed by the individual shopper, a store website 24 or a second-source website 26 that is visited by the individual shopper in search of goods, and from keyboard entry 28 of the hand-held communications device 10 by the individual shopper onto the shopping list 30. A store website or online service can permit a customer to create a registered account, for example, keyed to a phone number or email address, and the account can include streamlined tools for creating a shopping list, for example, including past shopping lists of the particular customer. One non-limiting example of a second-source website 26 includes a website that specializes in food recipes or construction projects, wherein the second-source website 26 may be employed to directly or indirectly populate the shopping list 30 with detailed information regarding one or more desired items. Desired items appearing on the shopping list 30 may also derive from other sources 20, including, e.g., a list generated on another hand-held communications device by an ancillary shopper that can be communicated to the hand-held communications device 10 prior to or during a shopping trip. It is appreciated that the aforementioned sources 20 are non-limiting, and that other sources may be employed with similar effect.
Referring now to
The processing device 100 can include memory, e.g., read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), storing processor-executable instructions and one or more processors that execute the processor-executable instructions. In embodiments where the processing device 100 includes two or more processors, the processors can operate in a parallel or distributed manner. The processing device 100 can execute the operating system of the hand-held communications device 10. In the illustrative embodiment, the processing device 100 also executes a customer rapid scan and checkout module 110 and a product scan module 112, and a shopping list module 113, which are described in greater detail below.
User interface 102 is a device that allows a user to interact with the hand-held communications device 10. While one user interface 102 is shown, the term “user interface” can include, but is not limited to, a touch screen, a physical keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and/or a speaker.
The communication device 104 is a device that allows the hand-held communications device 10 to communicate with another device, e.g., a remote server, via a wireless or communications network. The communication device 104 can include one or more wireless transceivers for performing wireless communication and/or one or more communication ports for performing wired communication.
The memory device 106 is a device that stores data generated or received by the hand-held communications device 10. Memory device 106 can include, but is not limited to, a hard disc drive, an optical disc drive, and/or a flash memory drive.
The locating device 107 determines a location of the hand-held communications device 10 according to processes known in the art. According to one embodiment, locating device can include an RTLS device, for example, utilizing cell phone tower signals to triangulate or otherwise determine a location of the device.
The camera 108 is a digital camera that captures a digital photograph. Camera 108 receives an instruction to capture an image, captures an image of an object, i.e., a barcode of a product, and outputs the digital photograph. The digital photograph can be a bitmap, a JPEG, a GIF, or any other suitably formatted file. The camera 108 can receive the instruction to capture the image from the processing device 100 and can output the digital photograph to the processing device 100. As disclosed herein, an object can be scanned by the hand-held communications device in order indicate that the items is being purchased and that the item should be compared to the shopping list. Such scanning can include taking a photo of a barcode located on the product. In another embodiment, scanning can include simply holding the product in front of the camera device and while the camera device captures a series of images. Image recognition programming can be used to identify a product or barcode of a product from an image or series of images, with the barcode proximity to the camera device being used as an indication that the customer intends to purchase the item and add it to the shopping cart for purchase.
The Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) 109 can determine the location of the hand-held communications device 10 by triangulating positions by using Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) radio signals from small transmitters placed throughout a building in known locations. In another embodiment, RFID device 109 can determine proximity of the device to a mobile feature, such as a store clerk, or proximity to a temporary or one-time display not loaded into a store database.
The customer rapid scan and checkout module 110 includes programming enabling a user to walk through the store, scan items for purchase, put the items into the user's shopping cart or bag, and proceed through a rapid checkout process, wherein an virtual cart list including the products scanned and put into the cart or bag are used to provide for easy payment for the products purchased. Items scanned are tallied, and according to processes disclosed herein, the store provides the customer with an ability to pay for the goods and exit the store.
Product scan module 112 monitors data from a camera device and identifies a information related to a scanned product, so that the product can be purchased. Product scan module 112 can include image recognition software to identify object information such as a barcode or logo information, or product scan module 112 processes such images so that they can be processed in a remote server to identify the object information.
Shopping list module 113 monitors a shopping list, for example, as originally entered by the shopper. Module 113 can further permit the shopper user to enter the list or modify the list. Module 113 can further track and present changes to the shopping list, for example, as items are designated as fulfilled by the processes herein.
Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure may be embodied as an apparatus, process, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “module” or “system.” Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied an any tangible medium of expression having computer-usable program code embodied in the medium.
Any combination of one or more computer-usable or computer-readable media may be utilized. For example, a computer-readable medium may include one or more of a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM) device, a read-only memory (ROM) device, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory) device, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), an optical storage device, and a magnetic storage device. Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages.
Embodiments may also be implemented in cloud computing environments. In this description and the following claims, “cloud computing” may be defined as a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned via virtualization and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction, and then scaled accordingly. A cloud model can be composed of various characteristics (e.g., on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service, etc.), service models (e.g., Software as a Service (“SaaS”), Platform as a Service (“PaaS”), Infrastructure as a Service (“IaaS”), and deployment models (e.g., private cloud, community cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud, etc.)
The processing device 100 can include memory, e.g., read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), storing processor-executable instructions and one or more processors that execute the processor-executable instructions. In embodiments wherein the processing device 100 includes two or more processors, the processors can operate in a parallel or distributed manner. In the illustrative embodiment, the processing device 100 executes one or more of a store locator module 210, a product information module 212, a shopping list coordination module 214, and a scanned item to desired item comparison module 216.
The communication device 104 is a device that allows the remote server 50 to communicate with another device, e.g., the hand-held communication device, via a network. The communication device 104 can include one or more wireless transceivers for performing wireless communication and/or one or more communication ports for performing wired communication.
The memory device 106 is a device that stores data generated or received by the remote server 50. The memory device 106 can include, but is not limited to a hard disc drive, an optical disc drive, and/or a flash memory drive. Further, the memory device 106 may be distributed and located at multiple locations. The memory device 106 is accessible to the processing device 100. In some embodiments, the memory device 106 includes a store location database 220 and a product information database 222.
In some embodiments, the store location database 220 can store the store locations of one or more stores operated or associated with a retailer. The store location database 220 may be queried using a specific location, e.g., GPS coordinates, or a general location, e.g., postal zip code or city/state, and can return one or more stores that are proximate to the specific or general location. The store location database 220 may further be configured to store maps corresponding to each store location. The store location database 220 may be queried with a store location and can return the store map corresponding to the store location.
As discussed, the processing device 100 may execute the store locator module 210. The store locator module 210 receives a location from the portable computerized device and determines one or more store locations corresponding to the received location. In some embodiments, the store locator module 210 queries the store location database 220 with the received location and receives one or more store locations that correspond to the received location. For example, the store location database 220 may return any store locations that are within a predetermined distance, e.g., 10 miles, from the received location. When more than one store location is received, the store locator module 210 may automatically select the store location nearest to the received location or may provide the store locations to the portable computerized device, thereby allowing the portable computerized device or the user to select the store location.
The product information database 222 stores information about products in inventory of one or more stores. Database 222 interacts with product information module 212 such that queries regarding products including prices, barcode labels, logos present on packaging, and other information regarding different products can be accessed. Product information related to comparing a particular item in store inventory to a general classification or information from a shopper's list can be stored in database 222, for example, storing potential descriptions for a product. In one example, potato chips can include potential modifiers “chips,” “salty snack,” “party snack,” “wheat free snack,” “popular snack,” etc. Product information database 222 can store and provide information specific to particular store locations as returned by store locator module 210.
The product information module 212 receives an object receives information from a customer scan of a barcode or other similar information and can query database 222 to determine details of a product associated with the customer scan. Such information can include a generic descriptors or modifiers of the product.
Shopping list coordination module 214 can coordinate a shopping list with shopping list module 113, for example, retrieving current information about items on the list from device 10. As items are scanned and identified, shopping list coordination module can provide the various items on the shopping list for comparison. Shopping list coordination module can further initiate an indication, for example, graphic, audio or other, to the customer that an item has been fulfilled.
Scanned item to desired item comparison module 216 includes programming to receive scanned items and any information available about the scanned item and compare the scanned item to information available from the shopping list of the customer. Wherein the shopping list contains specific items, for example, designated to a specific UPC number, module 216 can designate the item on the list as fulfilled as the particular barcode matching the item is scanned. Module 216 can be programmed to require specific matches. Module 216 can be programmed to return specific instructions to the customer if there is a close but not exact match to the shopping list, e.g. “Your Mom is asking for the 42 oz. container, not the 18 oz.” Module 216 can be programmed to identify an item on the shopping list as fulfilled if a close item is scanned, for example, assuming that the shopper made an impromptu decision to substitute one item for another, e.g., a recipe entered for chicken tacos including a desired item of 16 oz. of raw chicken could be identified as fulfilled by the shopper scanning 16 oz. of round steak. As disclosed herein, a process within module 216 for comparing a scanned item to a desired item can include taking a particular scanned item and deciding whether it fits a generic description provided in the shopping list or prompting the user for feedback or confirmation. The process provided as an example in
Portable computerized devices embodied as a hand-held communications device as disclosed herein can take a number of different embodiments. Such a device can include a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or glasses equipped to project images in a view of the user. Such a hand-held communications device can be owned by the store and permanently affixed to the shopping cart. Exemplary portable computerized devices are provided, but the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the provided examples.
Entries to a shopping list can be specific products in specific quantities. In other embodiments, entries can be more generic, leaving room for interpretation, e.g., “eggs,” “healthy snacks for the kids,” or “something to bring to the party.” Such generic entries can be matched broadly with scanned items and, for example, a prompt provided to the shopper in the store whether a presently scanned item fulfills that requirement on the list. In another embodiment, as the shopping list is being filled out, specific items available in the particular store in which the shopping will occur can be offered for selection. Specific examples can be provided, or broad categories can first be offered with then more specific examples. For example, if “ healthy snacks for the kids” is entered, the user can first be offered the following choice: fruits, vegetables, or boxed snacks. Upon the user selecting vegetables, then carrot sticks, celery, and radishes can be offered for selection. The program can utilize learning programs, such as machine learning algorithms known in the art, learning from a user's previous choices to streamline offered selections over time.
Similarly, a learning program such a machine learning algorithm can be used to efficiently match scanned items to desired items on the shopping list. In an exemplary decision, does oatmeal fulfill a desired item of breakfast cereal, the system can either ask directly whether the oatmeal fulfills the list item or can ask for feedback after the decision is made, and based upon iterations of operation of the system, oatmeal can automatically be treated as either fulfilling the breakfast cereal item or not fulfilling it. In an alternative embodiment, statistical analysis of many shoppers can be used to make efficient decisions, e.g., do most shoppers feel that oatmeal fulfills a breakfast cereal list entry.
The hand-held communications device, upon identifying that a desired item has been fulfilled, can provide feedback to the user of the device. For example, a graphic can be displayed upon the screen indicating that one of the desired items has been identified as fulfilled. In another embodiment, the device can generate a celebratory sound, for example, a selectable brief music clip.
The above description of illustrated examples of the present disclosure, including what is described in the Abstract, are not intended to be exhaustive or to be limitation to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Indeed, it is appreciated that the specific example voltages, currents, frequencies, power range values, times, etc., are provided for explanation purposes and that other values may also be employed in other embodiments and examples in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.
