Retail Product Search Linking Inventory Data to In-Store Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for systems and methods that enhance the user experience in product searching, particularly in locating and navigating to products at local retailers, including real-time availability, inventory, price, and store location information, and providing detailed in-store navigation.
Innovation Solution
A computing system and method that utilizes hardware processors and machine-readable instructions to provide a product search feature, outputting search results and navigation information to a visual display, including local and in-store navigation details, using technologies such as augmented reality and geolocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mobile apps provide comprehensive product information and search capabilities, then user convenience and accessibility are improved, but the time required to locate specific products in-store increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by providing product search results with availability, inventory, price, and store location information before the user enters the store. Users can identify which products are available at which locations in advance, so when they arrive at the store, they can immediately navigate to the correct locations without searching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary element - a computing system with visual display that provides navigation information and in-store location details. This intermediary translates the user's product search request into specific navigation directions and location identifiers within the store, bridging the gap between online search and physical product location.
2Measurement precision
If the system provides detailed in-store navigation information, then product location accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system is segmented into distinct functional components: a product search feature for querying product information, a results generation component for processing search queries, and a visual display component for presenting navigation information. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently without requiring the entire system to be complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing system performs multiple functions using a unified architecture: it provides product search capabilities, generates search results with availability and pricing information, displays navigation directions to the store, and shows in-store location identifiers. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized devices while maintaining high location accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing system and method are provided to locate and provide detailed navigation to products at local retailers. The system includes one or more hardware processors and associated memory configured by machine-readable instructions to: provide a product search feature configured to be accessed by a user; generate product search results, based upon a user product search request input to the product search feature, including an availability, inventory, price and store location, of a searched product; output the search results to a visual display for selection by the user; output to the visual display, based upon a chosen result of the product search results selected by the user, navigation information providing local navigation to the corresponding store location; and output to the visual display, based upon the chosen result, in-store location identifying details providing in-store navigation to the corresponding in-store product location.