Multi-shopper cooperative shopping experience apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016260145-A1
Application number	US-201615061792-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided for use in providing a multi-shopper cooperative shopping experience. Some embodiments provide a multiple customer shopping apparatus, comprising: a control circuit and a memory storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to: associate both a local customer and a remote customer with a single motorized transport unit that removably couples with a movable item container such that the local and remote customers are simultaneously associated with the motorized transport unit; and provide a cooperative shopping experience between both the local customer and the remote customer while both the local customer and the remote customer are simultaneously associated with the motorized transport unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A multiple customer cooperative shopping apparatus, comprising:
a control circuit corresponding to a shopping facility; a memory coupled to the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to:
associate both a local customer and a remote customer with a single motorized transport unit configured to removably couple with a movable item container such that the local customer and the remote customer are both simultaneously associated with the motorized transport unit at the same time during at least a portion of a period of time that the local customer is associated with the motorized transport unit, wherein the local customer is physically located at the shopping facility, and the remote customer is located remote from the shopping facility and is associated with the motorized transport unit through the remote customer's user interface unit that is communicationally coupled with the control circuit through a distributed network; and
provide a cooperative shopping experience between both the local customer and the remote customer while both the local customer and the remote customer are simultaneously associated with the motorized transport unit.

2 . The cooperative shopping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is separate from the motorized transport unit and the movable item container, and configured to wirelessly communicate with at least the motorized transport unit.

3 . The cooperative shopping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit, in providing a cooperative shopping experience, is further configured to:
establish communications between the local customer and the remote customer; and provide, through the distributed network, the remote customer with product information of one or more products corresponding to a location of the movable item container within the shopping facility.

4 . The cooperative shopping apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit, in providing the product information, is further configured to obtain video content from a video recording unit cooperated with the movable item container, and communicate the video content over the distributed network to the remote customer's user interface unit.

5 . The cooperative shopping apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit, in obtaining video content, is configured to direct the capture of the video content corresponding to the product in response to a spoken command received from the local customer through an audio unit cooperated with the movable item container and wirelessly communicated to the control circuit.

6 . The cooperative shopping apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to obtain additional video content captured by a user interface unit of the local customer, and communicate the additional video content over the distributed network to the remote customer's user interface unit.

7 . The cooperative shopping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
receive, over the distributed network from the remote customer, a shopping list of the remote customer identifying one or more products; and notify, through a user interface unit cooperated with the movable item container, the local customer of the remote customer's shopping list.

8 . The cooperative shopping apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
merge, in response to authorization from the local customer, the remote customer's shopping list with a shopping list of the local customer.

9 . The cooperative shopping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
receive a request from the remote customer to cause the movable item container to be moved from a current position; and wirelessly communicate, in response to authorization from the local customer, a movement command to the motorized transport unit to be implemented by the motorized transport unit to cause movement of the motorized transport unit and the movable item container consistent with the movement command.

10 . The cooperative shopping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:
determine, in response to authorization from the local customer and based on a mapping of the shopping facility and a determined current position of the motorized transport unit, one or more relevant movement commands to cause the motorized transport unit to move within the shopping facility in response to a request received from the remote customer corresponding to a first product; and wirelessly communicate the one or more movement commands to the motorized transport unit to be implemented by the motorized transport unit to cause movement of the motorized transport unit consistent with the movement command.

11 . A method of providing a cooperative shopping experience, comprising:
by a control circuit of a shopping facility: associating both a local customer and a remote customer with a single motorized transport unit configured to removably couple with a movable item container such that the local customer and the remote customer are both simultaneously associated with the motorized transport unit at the same time during at least a portion of a period of time that the local customer is associated with the motorized transport unit, wherein the local customer is physically located at the shopping facility, and the remote customer is located remote from the shopping facility and is associated with the motorized transport unit through the remote customer's user interface unit that is communicationally coupled with a control circuit through a distributed network; and providing a cooperative shopping experience between both the local customer and the remote customer while both the local customer and the remote customer are simultaneously associated with the motorized transport unit.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is separate from the motorized transport unit and the movable item container, and configured to wirelessly communicate with at least the motorized transport unit.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the providing the cooperative shopping experience comprises:
establishing communications between the local customer and the remote customer; and providing, through the distributed network, the remote customer with product information of one or more products corresponding to a location of the movable item container within the shopping facility.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the providing the product information, comprises obtaining video content from a video recording unit cooperated with the movable item container, and communicating the video content over the distributed network to the remote customer's user interface unit.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
wirelessly receiving, at the control circuit, a command from the local customer through the movable item container to capture the video content; wherein the obtaining the video content comprises directing, from the control circuit, the capturing of the video content corresponding to the product in response to the command received from the local customer.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
obtaining additional video content captured by a user interface unit of the local customer; and communicating the additional video content over the distributed network to the remote customer's user interface unit.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further compris

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• High Donald R
• Atchley Michael D
• Winkle David C

Classifications

• G01S1/7034

  Mounting or deployment thereof · CPC title

• G01S2201/02

  Indoor positioning, e.g. in covered car-parks, mining facilities, warehouses · CPC title

• G01S1/7038

  Signal details · CPC title

• E01H5/12

  Apparatus or implements specially adapted for breaking, disintegrating, or loosening layers of ice or hard snow {with or without clearing or removing (E01H5/10 takes precedence); Roughening ice or hard snow by means of tools (by means of gritting materials E01H10/00; roughening or breaking-up pavements E01C23/08, E01C23/12)} · CPC title

• G06Q30/0613

  using intermediate agents · CPC title