Local Shopping Assistant with Dynamic Map and Price Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Shopping for groceries and household items can be frustrating due to the need to search for desired items in multiple stores and the difficulty in finding the best deals, often leading to higher prices.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes a processor and memory to assist local shopping by receiving geographical location and item lists, determining nearby stores with the items, calculating cart values, and presenting a dynamic map with store icons and prices, allowing customers to easily find the best deals and availability without visiting multiple stores.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If customers search for items in multiple stores manually, then they can find the best deals, but the process becomes laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a digital intermediary (the shopping assistance system) that mediates between the customer and multiple stores. This intermediary automatically queries store inventories and prices through a network, eliminating the need for customers to manually visit or call each store. The system processes this information and presents it in a user-friendly format, acting as an intelligent mediator that saves time while maintaining comprehensive deal information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual shopping process (physically visiting stores, manually checking shelves, calling stores) with an automated digital system. The system uses electronic queries through a network to obtain inventory and pricing information from multiple stores simultaneously, substituting the mechanical manual search process with automated digital communication and data processing.
2Reliability
If customers visit multiple stores to check availability, then they can ensure they get all desired items, but the process becomes frustrating and laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the functionality of multiple stores into a single digital interface. Instead of customers needing to visit or contact multiple stores separately, the system combines inventory information from all queried stores into one consolidated display. This merging of information sources provides comprehensive availability checking while maintaining ease of operation through a single user interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The shopping assistance system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it queries inventory availability, retrieves pricing information, determines geographical proximity, and presents comparative data all through a single interface. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for customers to perform separate manual checks across multiple stores, ensuring reliable availability information while greatly improving operational ease.
3Loss of information
If customers manually compare prices across stores, then they can find the best deals, but the process is time-consuming and laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous automated inquiry with stores to retrieve pricing and inventory information. Rather than requiring customers to perform discrete manual price checks, the system establishes ongoing digital communication channels with stores that continuously provide updated information. This continuous action ensures comprehensive price information is always available while dramatically improving shopping efficiency through automated data collection and processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for assisted local shopping that allows a user to check availability of items in local stores and get best deals. The method includes steps of receiving geographical location of a user and a distance value from the geographical location to determine a geographical area of interest to the user. Stores within this geographical area can be enquired by the system for the availability of items in a cart created by the user. Stores having said items can be presented to the user. The system can also determine cart value for each selected store and display the cart value along with the respective store on a geographical dynamic map to the user.