Method and apparatus for interactive shopping
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorsW. Garland Phillips, Dwight R. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wireless client (100) maintains (302) a shopping list of items desired by a shopper, and then transmits (304) the shopping list to an in-store shopping system (200). The in-store shopping system receives (306) the shopping list and then generates information identifying where to find the items and further identifying where the wireless client is positioned in the store. The in-store shopping system communicates (308) the information to the wireless client, which then displays (310) the information to the shopper.
Claims18
A method of interactive shopping at a store, comprising in a wireless client of one or more wireless clients the steps of:
- maintaining a shopping list of items desired by a shopper;
- transmitting the shopping list to an in-store shopping system;
- receiving information from the in-store shopping system, the information identifying where to find the items and further identifying where the wireless client is positioned in the store;
- and
- displaying said information;
- the method further comprising in the in-store shopping system the steps of:
- receiving the shopping list;
- generating said information;
- communicating said in formation to the wireless client;
- measuring data selected from at least one of (a) how many wireless clients of said one or more wireless clients of said one or more wireless clients are present and (b) their locations;
- and
- predicting staffing requirements for a checkout counter from said data.
An in-store shopping system at a store, comprising;
- a transceiver configured to receive from a wireless client of one or more wireless clients a shopping list of items desired by a shopper;
- a processor coupled to the transceiver configured to process the shopping list to generate information identifying where to find the items and further identifying where the wireless client is positioned in the store;
- a display coupled to the processor configured to display said information;
- and
- wherein the processor is programmed to cooperate with the transceiver to transmit the information to the wireless client, measure data selected from at least one of (a) how many wireless clients of said one or more wireless clients are present are present and (b) their locations, and predict staffing requirements for a checkout counter from said data.
A wireless client for performing interactive shopping at first and second stores, the wireless client comprising:
- a user interface for maintaining a shopping list of items desired by a shopper;
- a processor coupled to the user interface for processing the shopping list;
- a transmitter coupled to the processor for transmitting the shopping list to first and second in-store shopping systems at the first and second stores;
- and
- a receiver coupled to the processor for receiving information from the first and second in-store shopping systems, said information comprising pricing information applicable to the shopping list,
- wherein the processor is programmed to:
- store the pricing information;
- provide on the user interface a price comparison between the first and second stores;
- determine for each of the items on the shopping list which of the first and second stores has a lower price;
- cooperate with the user interface to receive a predetermined command;
- and
- in response to the predetermined command, split the shopping list into first and second shopping lists, the first shopping list including only the items for which the first store has the lower price, the second shopping list including only the items for which the second store has the lower price.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.