Unified Mobile Transaction System for In-Store and Online Purchases

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems for retail transactions lack an efficient method to combine in-store and online purchases into a single transaction, particularly failing to handle situations where in-store items are out of stock, and do not effectively provide targeted marketing and product recommendations to customers.

Innovation Solution

A system that allows users to initiate transactions on mobile devices, scan in-store items, and add online items, processing payment in a single transaction. If an in-store item is out of stock, the excess quantity can be ordered online, and the system provides recommendations for related products, including substitutes, which can be added to the transaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a customer scans in-store items and adds them to a transaction on a mobile device, then the transaction process is simplified and speed is improved, but the system cannot handle out-of-stock items effectively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction processing speedVSAvoidhandling out-of-stock items

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines in-store and online transactions into a single unified transaction process. The mobile device system integrates scanning in-store items with the ability to add online-only items, allowing customers to complete both purchase types in one transaction flow. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining fast in-store scanning while adding online fulfillment capability for out-of-stock items.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile device serves as an intermediary between the customer and the retail system. It stores transaction data locally and communicates with both in-store inventory systems and online fulfillment systems. This intermediary capability allows the system to handle out-of-stock items by routing them to online fulfillment while maintaining fast in-store scanning operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the system only processes in-store transactions, then the operation is simple and fast, but it cannot provide targeted marketing and product recommendations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction processing efficiencyVSAvoidcustomer purchase data for marketing

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by scanning in-store items and capturing purchase data before the transaction is completed. This preliminary data collection enables the system to analyze customer purchasing behavior and generate targeted marketing recommendations in advance, while maintaining efficient transaction processing through automated data capture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by analyzing purchase data from both in-store and online transactions to generate personalized product recommendations. This feedback loop uses customer purchase history and item data to provide targeted marketing, resolving the contradiction between processing efficiency and marketing capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If the system combines in-store and online items in a single transaction, then product availability is increased and customer convenience is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct availability optionsVSAvoidtransaction system structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device transaction system is designed with multi-functionality to handle both in-store and online items within a single transaction. The same mobile device application can scan physical items, access online inventory, and process both fulfillment types through unified payment processing. This universality increases product availability options without proportionally increasing perceived system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9336549B2Systems and methods for performing in-store and online transactions

Publication Date: 2016.05.10 WALMART APOLLO LLC

AI summary

Items are added to a transaction on a user mobile device. In-store items may be added by scanning and on-line only items may be added to the transaction. Payment for the transaction may be invoked on the mobile device and processed in a single transaction. A verification code may be transmitted to the mobile device, scanned by an employee device, which uses the code to obtain a listing of the items of the transaction. The employee device sends verification to the server, which, in response, sends an electronic receipt to the mobile device. Recommendations for online products, including possible substitutions are provided. Where a desired quantity of an in-store item exceeds available inventory, an online order for the excess quantity may be added to the transaction.