System for adjusting map navigation path in retail store and method of using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470532-B2
Application number	US-201514610696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Jan 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A system and method includes selecting a product to be located in a retail store, obtaining a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of the retail store, and presenting the store map overlaid with an icon and an initial navigation path on a graphical display of the mobile device, wherein the store map represents the retail store and the icon and the initial navigation path are positioned overlaid on the map to designate a physical location of the product, and suggesting at least one product on-route of the initial navigation path, adjusting the initial navigation path to include the at least one suggested product, and presenting the initial navigation path and the adjusted navigation path positioned overlaid on the store map to the mobile device for display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a computer system configured to provide output of a retail store to a mobile device of a customer;
the computer system being configured to receive a selected product to be located in the retail store inputted by the customer into a mobile application running on the mobile device, to perform a search on a plurality of products records corresponding to a plurality of products located in the retail store, to identify one or more of the product records relevant to the selected product, to obtain a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of the retail store, and to transmit a representation of the store map and the one or more product records identified as one or more search results;
the computer system being configured to provide the one or more search results as a list to the mobile device, each of the one or more search results including an icon being associated with a physical location of the product in the retail store, and to present the store map overlaid with the icon and initial navigation path on a graphical display of the mobile device to the icon, wherein the store map represents the retail store and the icon and initial navigation path are positioned overlaid on the map to designate a physical location of the product selected for the retail store; and
the computer system being configured to suggest at least one product including another icon on-route of the initial navigation path, adjust the initial navigation path to include the at least one suggested product, present the initial navigation path and the adjusted navigation path positioned overlaid on the store map to the mobile device, and to display the initial navigation path to the icon and the adjusted navigation path to include the another icon on the graphical display of the mobile device.

2. A system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said computer system includes a server having a route determination module monitoring a current location of the customer, acquiring the in-store location for the product, and providing the initial navigation path from the current location to the in-store location, the initial navigation path being configured for display to the customer on the mobile device.

3. A system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said computer system includes a server having a route determination module monitoring a current location of the customer, acquiring the in-store location for the suggested product, and providing the adjusted navigation path from the current location to the in-store location, the adjusted navigation path being configured for display to the customer on the mobile device.

4. A system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said computer system includes a map server to generate a map showing the physical location of the product on the map.

5. A system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said computer system includes a product location database that stores a plurality of waypoints corresponding to the retail store, including the one or more product waypoints, each waypoint of the plurality of waypoints is the icon indicating a specific product in the retail store, wherein the one or more product waypoints are obtained from the product location database.

6. A system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said computer system includes a route determination module further configured to render an image of the map having the product waypoint and the navigation path displayed therein, wherein the image, including the navigation path, is provided to the mobile device for display.

7. A system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the product selected is searched within the retail store using the mobile application on the mobile device.

8. A system, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein products in the retail store are provided as a list of search results based on a search query.

9. A system, as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the name of the product is provided as part of the search query.

10. A system, as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the location of the retail store is provided as part of the search query.

11. A method comprising the steps of:
receiving, by a computer system, a selected product to be located in a retail store inputted into a mobile application running on a mobile device by a customer using the mobile device;
performing a search, by the computer system, on a plurality of products records corresponding to a plurality of products located in the retail store;
identifying, by the computer system, one or more of the product records relevant to the selected product;
obtaining, by the computer system, a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of the retail store;
transmitting, by the computer system, a representation of the store map and the one or more product records identified as one or more search results;
providing, by the computer system, the one or more search results as a list to the mobile device, each of the one or more search results including an icon being associated with a physical location of the product in the retail store and presenting the store map overlaid with the icon and a navigation path on a graphical display of the mobile device, wherein the store map represents the retail store and the icon and the initial navigation path to the icon are positioned overlaid on the map to designate a physical location of the product selected for the retail store; and
suggesting, by the computer system, at least one product including another icon on-route of the initial navigation path, adjusting the initial navigation path to include the at least one suggested product, presenting the initial navigation path and the adjusted navigation path positioned overlaid on the store map to the mobile device and displaying the initial navigation path to the icon and the adjusted navigation path to include the another icon on the graphical display of the mobile device.

12. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including the steps of providing a database containing information on products within the retail store.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including the steps of generating a map showing the physical location of products in the retail store.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including the steps of monitoring a current location of the customer, acquiring the in-store location for the product, and providing the initial navigation path from the current location to the in-store location, the initial navigation path being configured for display to the customer on the mobile device.

15. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including the steps of monitoring a current location of the customer, acquiring the in-store location for the suggested product, and providing the adjusted navigation path from the current location to the in-store location, the adjusted navigation path being configured for display to the customer on the mobile device.

16. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including the steps of rendering an image of the map having the icon as a product waypoint and the navigation path displayed therein, wherein the image, including the navigation path, is provided to the mobile device for display.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including the steps of selecting the product within the retail store using the mobile application on the mobile device.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 11 , including the steps of listing products in the retail store as search results based on a search query.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the name of the product is provided a

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Pellow Benjamin
• Poplawski Emily
• Aase Stephen

Classifications

• G06Q30/0625

  by formulating product or service queries, e.g. using keywords or predefined options · CPC title

• G06Q30/0639 Primary

  Locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility · CPC title

• G01C21/206 Primary

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title