US 9,805,409 B2Granted

System, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for allowing a customer to place orders remotely and for automatically adding goods to an order based on historical data

AssigneeWal-Mart Stores, Inc.

InventorsDavid Jon Carr, Richard Mark Ramsden

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Abstract

Techniques for allowing a customer to order goods on-line or remotely and to pick-up the goods at a desired location or store are disclosed. The techniques include receiving a customer order. The customer order includes at least one good. The techniques further include populating a virtual basket with a preset list of goods as a function of reference time data and time data associated with the preset list of goods.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

an information server including a memory device configured to store information related to customer orders and information associated with each customer in an associated customer record, each customer record including a preset list of goods and associated time data;
an order server in communication over a network with the information server and being associated with a facility, the order server being configured to receive a customer order, the order server being further configured to store the customer order in the memory device, wherein the order server is configured to establish reference time data associated with the customer order, to compare the reference time data with the time data associated with the preset list of goods, and to populate a virtual basket with the preset list of goods if the reference time data matches the time data associated with the preset list of goods;
an order fulfillment system coupled to the order server and to the information server and being located at the facility, the order fulfillment system being configured to receive the customer order placed by a customer and to assist in assembling the customer order for the customer;
an optical sensor located at a predetermined location within an order pick-up area associated with the facility to capture images of license plates of motor vehicles entering the order pick-up area;
and
an optical character recognition unit coupled between the order server and the optical sensor and configured to receive the images from the optical sensor to establish an associated motor vehicle license plate number for each captured image and to send the associated motor vehicle license plate number to the order server;
wherein:
the order server compares the associated motor vehicle license plate numbers with an associated customer motor vehicle license plate number;
and
if the associated customer motor vehicle license plate number matches one of the associated motor vehicle license plate numbers received from the optical character recognition unit, the order server provides instructions for the customer order to be delivered to a motor vehicle associated with the customer.

7 more elements

A method, comprising:

storing, in a memory device on an information server, information related to customer orders and information associated with each customer in an associated customer record, each customer record including a preset list of goods and associated time data;
receiving, by an order server over a network, from a customer, using a customer device coupled to the order server and the information server and associated with a facility, a customer order;
establishing, by the order server, reference time data associated with the customer order;
comparing, by the order server, the reference time data with the time data associated with the preset list of goods;
populating, by the order server, a virtual basket with the preset list of goods if the reference time data matches the time data associated with the preset list of goods;
storing, by the order server, the customer order in the memory device;
receiving, at an order fulfillment system, the customer order placed by the customer, from the order server and assisting assembly of the customer order for the customer;
providing an optical sensor located at a predetermined location within an order pick-up area associated with the facility to capture images of license plates of motor vehicles entering the order pick-up area;
providing an optical character recognition unit coupled between the order server and the optical sensor and configured to receive the images from the optical sensor to establish an associated motor vehicle license plate number for each captured image and to send the associated motor vehicle license plate number to the order server;
and
comparing by the order server the associated motor vehicle license plate numbers with an associated customer motor vehicle license plate number;
and if the associated customer motor vehicle license plate number matches one of the associated motor vehicle license plate numbers received from the optical character recognition unit, the order server provides instructions for the customer order to be delivered to a motor vehicle associated with the customer.

9 more elements

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:

store, in a memory device of an information server, information related to customer orders and information associated with each customer in an associated customer record, each customer record including a preset list of goods and associated time data;
receive, over a network from a customer using a customer device in communication with an order server and the information server and associated with a facility, a customer order;
establish, by the order server, reference time data associated with the customer order;
compare, by the order server, the reference time data with the time data associated with the preset list of goods;
populate, by the order server, a virtual basket with the preset list of goods if the reference time data matches the time data associated with the preset list of goods;
store, by the order server, the customer order in the memory device;
receive, at an order fulfillment system, the customer order placed by the customer, from the order server and assist assembly of the customer order for the customer;
provide an optical sensor located at a predetermined location within an order pick-up area associated with the facility to capture images of license plates of motor vehicles entering the order pick-up area;
and
provide an optical character recognition unit coupled between the order server and the optical sensor and configured to receive the images from the optical sensor to establish an associated motor vehicle license plate number for each captured image and to send the associated motor vehicle license plate number to the order server;
wherein:
the order server compares the associated motor vehicle license plate numbers with an associated customer motor vehicle license plate number;
and if the associated customer motor vehicle license plate number matches one of the associated motor vehicle license plate numbers received from the optical character recognition unit, the order server provides instructions for the customer order to be delivered to a motor vehicle associated with the customer.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A system, comprising:

an information server including a memory device configured to store information related to customer orders and information associated with each customer in an associated customer record, each customer record including a preset list of goods and associated time data;
an order server in communication over a network with the information server and being associated with a facility, the order server being configured to receive a customer order, the order server being further configured to store the customer order in the memory device, wherein the order server is configured to establish reference time data associated with the customer order, to compare the reference time data with the time data associated with the preset list of goods, and to populate a virtual basket with the preset list of goods if the reference time data matches the time data associated with the preset list of goods;
an order fulfillment system coupled to the order server and to the information server and being located at the facility, the order fulfillment system being configured to receive the customer order placed by a customer and to assist in assembling the customer order for the customer;
an optical sensor located at a predetermined location within an order pick-up area associated with the facility to capture images of license plates of motor vehicles entering the order pick-up area;
and
an optical character recognition unit coupled between the order server and the optical sensor and configured to receive the images from the optical sensor to establish an associated motor vehicle license plate number for each captured image and to send the associated motor vehicle license plate number to the order server;
wherein:
the order server compares the associated motor vehicle license plate numbers with an associated customer motor vehicle license plate number;
and
if the associated customer motor vehicle license plate number matches one of the associated motor vehicle license plate numbers received from the optical character recognition unit, the order server provides instructions for the customer order to be delivered to a motor vehicle associated with the customer.

7 more elements