Voice-Assisted Goods Delivery Flows for Hands-Free Ordering

Solution Overview

Problem

Users face difficulties in ordering goods online due to physical or situational limitations that make typing cumbersome or dangerous, such as broken wrists or driving a vehicle.

Innovation Solution

A voice-assisted delivery system that determines user intent from audio or text data and executes predefined flows for tasks like curbside pickup, locker storage, inventory checks, or drone delivery using a digital assistant and audio analyzer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users type into a smartphone or computing device to order goods online, then the ordering process can be completed, but it becomes difficult or dangerous for users with physical conditions (broken wrists or fingers) or situational constraints (driving a vehicle)

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of orderingVSAvoidphysical injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical typing action with voice-based input. Users speak their orders naturally without needing to physically type, eliminating the harm associated with typing while maintaining the ordering function. The voice assistant captures spoken commands and processes them through intent recognition and flow matching to complete the ordering workflow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a voice assistant as an intermediary between the user and the ordering system. The voice assistant captures user intent through speech, processes it through intent recognition and flow matching, and executes the appropriate ordering actions. This intermediary layer allows users to interact with the system naturally through speech without directly manipulating the interface, making ordering safe and accessible for users with physical limitations or situational constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If users type into a device to order goods, then the ordering can be completed, but it becomes burdensome for users who cannot easily type

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveordering efficiencyVSAvoiduser convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical typing process with voice-based input, allowing users to naturally speak their orders instead of manually typing. This substitution dramatically improves both productivity by enabling faster order placement and ease of operation by removing the burden of typing, making the system accessible to users with physical limitations or situational constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The voice assistant enables users to service themselves by directly speaking their orders without needing to navigate complex interfaces or type extensively. The system automatically processes the spoken input through intent recognition and flow matching to complete the ordering workflow, making the process efficient and convenient for users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If the system processes audio data through digital assistant and audio analyzer, then user intent can be accurately determined, but data exposure to merchants increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintent recognition accuracyVSAvoiddata privacy

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a voice assistant as an intermediary between the user and the ordering system. The voice assistant captures user intent through speech, processes it through intent recognition and flow matching, and executes the appropriate ordering actions. This intermediary layer allows users to interact with the system naturally through speech without directly manipulating the interface, making ordering safe and accessible for users with physical limitations or situational constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12423654B1Systems and methods for voice assisted goods delivery

Publication Date: 2025.09.23 WALGREEN CO

AI summary

The following relates generally to voice assisted delivery of goods. In some embodiments, a digital assistant receives audio data, and determines an intent from the audio data. The digital assistant may then match the determined intent to a flow of a set of flows, where the set of flows may include at least one of: (i) requesting curbside pickup of an item, (ii) requesting locker storage of the item, (iii) requesting an indication of locations that the item is available, (iv) requesting an indication of an inventory of a retail store, (v) requesting ads for an additional item that is related to the item, (vi) requesting a status of an order for the item, (vii) requesting drone delivery of the item from a retail store to a residence, or (viii) requesting drone delivery of the item from a warehouse to the residence. The matched flow of the set of flows may then be executed.