User interaction in a retail environment

Abstract

A system for automatically determining the location of a user-specified item within a plurality of possible independent inventory systems is described where each inventory system is located in a different unique geographic location. The system comprises a user profile database comprising a plurality of user records associated with a plurality of different users; at least one of the user records comprising a list of items that are required by a corresponding user; an availability database for providing information relating to the availability of specific items at each of the plurality of inventory systems, a central server for interacting with a mobile telecommunications device. The server comprises: an updating engine for regularly updating the availability database with supply or usage information received from the plurality of inventory systems; the supply or usage information regarding the number of items currently available at the location of each inventory system; and a processingengine for receiving a request from the mobile device from the location associated with one of the inventory systems, the request comprising a current location identifier and a user identifier. The processing engine is arranged to: search the user profile database for a matching user record corresponding to the user identifier; retrieve from the matching user record the list of items for that user; search the availability database using a unique identifier of each item of the list and the current location identifier to determine whether the inventory system at the current location of the mobile device has any of the items on the list; and transmit a reply to the request, the reply comprising information about which items on the user's list are present at the current location of the mobiledevice.

Description

Background technique [0001] Retail businesses often need to operate from a physical location (eg, in a high street store) and also need to maintain an online interface to conduct a commercially viable business. Often, these two elements of the business are distinct and separate, with limited interaction between customer behavior from one element and customer behavior in the other. Current attempts to connect these two elements often rely on customers actively requesting this interaction, such as by purchasing an item online and requesting it to be delivered to a brick-and-mortar store. The interaction is rarely automatic. [0002] Similarly, the brick-and-mortar experience presented to a customer typically cannot be customized like the online experience because the customer's preferences cannot currently be stored in the same manner as online. Contents of the invention [0003] Aspects of a system are presented for providing an automated connection between user behavior in ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0002] Similarly, the brick-and-mortar experience presented to a customer typically cannot be customized like an online experience because that customer's preferences cannot currently be stored in the same way as online

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