System and method for implementing an edge queuing platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12572934-B2
Application number	US-202217811083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2022
Priority date	Jul 7, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

This application relates to a system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for implementing a queuing platform. In some embodiments, a user request is received and it determined whether the user request matches predetermined criteria. Embodiments can include assigning the user request to an item queue and issuing a ticket. In further embodiments, the ticket is validated and an access token is transmitted to the user device based on the validation of the ticket. A checkout request corresponding to the at least one user request is received and validated. In some embodiments, the user request is transmitted from the item queue to a checkout engine to complete a purchase of the item based on the validation of the access token received in the checkout request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a processor; and a non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed cause the processor to:
receive at least one user request for an item from a user device;
determine whether the at least one user request matches one or more predetermined criteria;
in accordance with a determination that the at least one user request for the item matches the one or more predetermined criteria:
assign the at least one user request to an item queue;
in response to assigning the at least one user request to the item queue, transmit a ticket to the user device, wherein the ticket comprises queue position information indicative of a position of the at least one user request in the item queue;
validate the ticket transmitted to the user device;
in response to validating the ticket transmitted to the user device, transmit an access token, distinct from the ticket, to the user device;
receive, from the user device, a checkout request corresponding to the at least one user request in the item queue, wherein the checkout request comprises the access token;
in response to receiving the checkout request, determine whether the access token received in the checkout request corresponds to an expected access token for the item queue; and
transmit the at least one user request from the item queue to a checkout engine to complete a purchase of the item in accordance with a determination that the access token received in the checkout request corresponds to the expected access token for the item queue; and

in accordance with a determination that the at least one user request for the item does not match the one or more predetermined criteria and that the at least one user request corresponds to a bot request:
associate the at least one user request with a blocked ticket to block the bot request;
keep the blocked ticket in the item queue using a false wait time; and
forgo transmitting the at least one user request associated with the blocked ticket from the item queue to the checkout engine.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for determining whether the access token corresponds to the expected access token for the item queue cause the processor to:
compare the access token to the expected access token for the item queue; and forward the corresponding user request to an enterprise network to purchase the item if the access token is valid, otherwise, transmit a message to the user device to join the item queue if the access token is not valid.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more predetermined criteria comprises at least one of a uniform resource locator (URL) path, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) header, or a post body of the at least one user request.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
transmit the false wait time to the user device based on the determination of the bot request.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the determination of the bot request is based on identifying at least one of a customer identifier, internet protocol (IP) address, a join rate, account order history information, account creation information, or common shipping address.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is located within a content delivery network (CDN) coupled to an enterprise network, wherein the enterprise network comprises the checkout engine.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to provide an indication of an amount of time to checkout the item corresponding to the at least one user request based on the access token.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to track virtual inventory of the item, wherein the virtual inventory is based at least in part on a conversion rate, an expiration of a soft reservation, a cancellation rate, or a fraudulent transaction for the item.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to modify a queue admission rate for the at least one user request based at least in part on the virtual inventory.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the assignment of the at least one user request to the item queue is based on an admission count and the virtual inventory.

11 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving at least one user request for an item from a user device; determining whether the at least one user request matches one or more predetermined criteria; in accordance with a determination that the at least one user request for the item matches the one or more predetermined criteria:
assigning the at least one user request to an item queue;
in response to assigning the at least one user request to the item queue, transmitting a ticket to the user device, wherein the ticket comprises queue position information indicative of a position of the at least one user request in the item queue;
validating the ticket transmitted to the user device;
in response to validating the ticket transmitted to the user device, transmitting an access token to the user device;
receiving, from the user device, a checkout request corresponding to the at least one user request in the item queue, wherein the checkout request comprises the access token;
in response to receiving the checkout request, determining whether the access token received in the checkout request corresponds to an expected access token for the item queue; and
transmitting the at least one user request from the item queue to a checkout engine to complete a purchase of the item in accordance with a determination that the access token received in the checkout request corresponds to the expected access token for the item queue; and
in accordance with a determination that the at least one user request for the item does not match the one or more predetermined criteria and that the at least one user request corresponds to a bot request:
associating the at least one user request with a blocked ticket to block the bot request;
keeping the blocked ticket in the item queue using a false wait time; and
forgoing transmitting the at least one user request associated with the blocked ticket from the item queue to the checkout engine.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein determining whether the access token corresponds to the expected access token for the item queue comprises:
comparing the access token to the expected access token for the item queue; and forwarding the corresponding user request to an enterprise network to purchase the item if the access token is valid, otherwise, transmitting a message to the user device to join the item queue if the access token is not valid.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more predetermined criteria comprises at least one of a uniform resource locator (URL) path, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) header, or a post body of the at least one user request.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transmitting the false wait time to the user device based on the determination of the bot request.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the determination of the bot request is based on identifying at least one of a customer identifier, internet protocol (IP) address, a join rate, account order history information, account creation information, or common shipping address.

16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising providing an indication of an amount of time to checkout the item correspond

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Peddinti Ravi Kumar
• Niesz Jason Bradley
• Ricon Or
• Guerra Joel Anastacio
• Chan Raymond
• Bauer Kevin Elliot
• Ubaid Danilo Kulaif
• Zhang Jiawei
• Prasad Neeraj
• Reddy Kiran

Classifications

• G06Q30/0637

  requiring approval before final submission, e.g. parental approval · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G06Q20/401 Primary

  Transaction verification · CPC title

• G06Q30/0609 Primary

  Qualifying participants for shopping transactions (payment transaction verification G06Q20/401) · CPC title