Method and system for automatically mapping retail locations
阅读说明：本技术 用于对零售位置自动制图的方法和系统 (Method and system for automatically mapping retail locations ) 是由 V.R.科塔 B.L.谢尔曼 H.W.弗利诺 C.C.因格拉姆 于 2018-06-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种产品位置系统,包括计算设备以及计算机可读存储介质。所述系统识别与零售商相关联的零售位置,接收要被定位在零售位置中的目标产品的指示,使用所述指示来查询产品数据存储体,以识别目标产品和目标产品在零售位置中的位置,检索零售位置的地图,其中该地图包括一个或多个电子文件和嵌入式元数据,修改该地图以包括与目标产品的位置相关联的视觉指示,以及使修改后的地图经由客户端电子设备而被显示,以使得示出目标产品在零售位置中的位置的视觉指示经由客户端电子设备对用户可见。(A product location system includes a computing device and a computer-readable storage medium. The system identifies a retail location associated with a retailer, receives an indication of a target product to be located in the retail location, queries a product data store using the indication to identify the location of the target product and the target product in the retail location, retrieves a map of the retail location, wherein the map includes one or more electronic files and embedded metadata, modifies the map to include a visual indication associated with the location of the target product, and causes the modified map to be displayed via a client electronic device such that the visual indication showing the location of the target product in the retail location is visible to a user via the client electronic device.)
1. A product location system comprising:
a computing device; and
a computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
a retail location associated with a retailer is identified,
receiving an indication of a target product to be located in the retail location, wherein the product location system receives the indication from a product location program of a client electronic device in communication with the computing device via a communication network,
querying a product data store using the indication to identify the target product and a location of the target product in the retail location,
retrieving a map of the retail location, wherein the map includes one or more electronic files and embedded metadata,
modifying the map to include a visual indication associated with the location of the target product, an
Causing the modified map to be displayed via the client electronic device such that a visual indication showing the location of the target product in the retail location is visible to a user via the client electronic device.
2. The product location system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to generate a map of the retail location.
3. The product location system of claim 2, wherein the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to generate the map of retail locations comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
obtaining physical data associated with the retail location;
obtaining product placement information associated with the retail location, wherein the product placement information includes one or more planograms;
grouping the one or more planograms into one or more groups;
applying one or more rotations to one or more planograms in the one or more groups;
creating one or more aisle objects, wherein each aisle object includes an indication of one or more groups that contain sides of an aisle of the retail location;
embedding a unique identifier as metadata into the aisle object, wherein the unique identifier corresponds to an aisle number in the retail location; and
creating the map, wherein the map comprises scalable vector graphics and an extensible markup language document, the document containing one or more of the planogram and the aisle object.
4. The product location system of claim 1, wherein the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to identify a retail location comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
receiving a current location from a location sensor of the client electronic device; and
one or more retail locations are identified by searching a retail location data store for one or more retail locations within a certain distance from the current location.
5. The product location system of claim 4, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to select a retail location that is closest to the current location.
6. The product location system of claim 1, wherein the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to identify a retail location comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
identifying a user associated with the client electronic device; and
an originating retail location is identified from a consumer profile associated with the user.
7. The product location system of claim 1, wherein the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to receive an indication of a target product to be located comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to receive generic product code associated with the target product from the client electronic device.
8. The product location system of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to receive an indication of a target product to be located comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to receive, from the client electronic device, one or more search terms for the target product provided to the client electronic device as typed text, and
the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to query a product data store using the indication to identify the target product comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to query the product data store using one or more of the one or more search terms.
9. The product location system of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to receive an indication of a target product to be located comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to receive, from the client electronic device, one or more search terms of the target product provided to the client electronic device as voice input, and
the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to query a product data store using the indication to identify the target product comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to query the product data store using one or more of the entered search terms.
10. The product location system of claim 1, wherein the one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to receive an indication of a target product to be located comprise one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
identifying a user associated with the client electronic device; and
searching a historical purchase data store for one or more products previously purchased by the user from a retailer.
11. The product location system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
identifying a starting position;
generating a set of directions from the starting location to the location of the target product; and
causing the set of directions to be displayed via the client electronic device.
12. A method, comprising:
by a computing device of a product location system:
a retail location associated with a retailer is identified,
receiving an indication of a target product to be located in the retail location, wherein the indication is received from a product location program of a client electronic device in communication with the computing device via a communication network,
querying a product data store using the indication to identify the target product and a location of the target product in the retail location,
retrieving a map of the retail location, wherein the map includes one or more electronic files and embedded metadata,
modifying the map to include a visual indication associated with the location of the target product, an
Causing the modified map to be displayed via the client electronic device such that a visual indication showing the location of the target product in the retail location is visible to a user via the client electronic device.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a map of the retail location.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the map of retail locations comprises:
obtaining physical data associated with the retail location;
obtaining product placement information associated with the retail location, wherein the product placement information includes one or more planograms;
grouping the one or more planograms into one or more groups;
applying one or more rotations to one or more planograms in the one or more groups;
creating one or more aisle objects, wherein each aisle object comprises an indication of one or more groups that include sides of an aisle of the retail location;
embedding a unique identifier as metadata into the aisle object, wherein the unique identifier corresponds to an aisle number in the retail location; and
creating the map, wherein the map comprises scalable vector graphics and an extensible markup language document, the document comprising one or more of the planogram and the aisle object.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein causing the computing device to identify a retail location comprises:
receiving a current location from a location sensor of the client electronic device; and
one or more retail locations are identified by searching a retail location data store for one or more retail locations within a certain distance from the current location.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing the computing device to select a retail location that is closest to the current location.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying a retail location comprises:
identifying a user associated with the client electronic device; and
an originating retail location is identified from a consumer profile associated with the user.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving an indication of a target product to be located comprises receiving a universal product code associated with the target product from the client electronic device.
19. The method of claim 12, wherein:
receiving an indication of a target product to be located includes: receiving one or more search terms for the target product from the client electronic device, the search terms being provided to the client electronic device as typed text, an
Querying a product data store using the indication to identify the target product comprises: querying the product data store using one or more of the one or more search terms.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein:
receiving an indication of a target product to be located includes receiving one or more search terms of the target product from the client electronic device, the search terms provided to the client electronic device as voice input, an
Querying a product data store using the indication to identify the target product comprises querying the product data store using one or more of the entered search terms.
21. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving an indication of a target product to be located comprises:
identifying a user associated with the client electronic device; and
searching a historical purchase data store for one or more products previously purchased by the user from the retailer.
22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
identifying a starting position;
generating a set of directions from the starting location to the location of the target product; and
causing the set of directions to be displayed via the client electronic device.
Background
It can be difficult for a consumer or sales employee assisting the consumer to quickly find a particular product in a retail location. This is especially true for large retailers who own large and diverse product lines or who own locations where their space has recently been refurbished or reorganized. While the signage of the general product category can generally direct consumers to the correct portion of the retail location, electronically pinpointing the exact location of a particular product at the retail location and providing directions to such location more effectively assists consumers in navigating through the retail location and provides a more efficient and consumer friendly shopping experience.
Disclosure of Invention
The present disclosure describes a system for internal automated mapping of retail locations. The system generates a data object that includes embedded metadata corresponding to a retail location (e.g., a product location, a physical feature, or a landmark). The data objects may be used to generate an electronic map of the retail location. The map may be used to identify the location of one or more products within the retail location. The system provides a visual representation of the location of the product to the user. The system may also provide step-by-step directions to the location of the product to the user. The system may provide such information to the user in response to a product search, as part of an email message to the user, or in conjunction with an electronic digital assistant, among other things.
In one embodiment, a product location system includes a computing device and a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium includes one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to identify a retail location associated with a retailer, receive an indication of a target product to be located in the retail location, wherein the product location system receives an indication from a product location program of a client electronic device in communication with the computing device via a communication network, queries a product data store using the indication, to identify the target product and the location of the target product in the retail location, retrieve a map of the retail location, wherein the map includes one or more electronic files and embedded metadata, modifying the map to include a visual indication associated with a location of a target product, and causing the modified map to be displayed via the client electronic device such that the visual indication showing the location of the target product in the retail location is visible to the user via the client electronic device.
The system may cause the computing device to generate a map of the retail location. The system may generate a map of the retail location by obtaining physical data associated with the retail location and obtaining product placement information associated with the retail location, wherein the product placement information includes one or more planograms. The system may group the one or more planograms into one or more groups, apply one or more rotations to one or more planograms in the one or more groups, and create one or more aisle objects, where each aisle object includes an indication of one or more groups of sides of an aisle that includes the retail location. The system may embed a unique identifier as metadata into an aisle object, wherein the unique identifier corresponds to an aisle number in a retail location, and create a map, wherein the map includes scalable vector graphics and an extensible markup language document that includes one or more of the planogram and the aisle object.
In one embodiment, the system may identify the retail location by receiving an indication of the retail location from the client electronic device. In one embodiment, the system may identify the retail location by: the method further includes receiving the current location from a location sensor of the client electronic device, and identifying one or more retail locations by searching a retail location data store for one or more retail locations within a certain distance from the current location. The system may select the retail location closest to the current location. In various embodiments, the system may cause a list of the identified retail locations to be displayed at the client electronic device, and may receive a selection of one of the retail locations from the client electronic device.
The system may identify the retail location by: a user associated with the client electronic device is identified, and an originating retail location is identified from a consumer profile associated with the user. In various embodiments, the system may receive a universal product code associated with a target product from a client electronic device.
The system may receive one or more search terms for the target product from the client electronic device that are provided to the client electronic device as typed text and query a product data store using one or more of the one or more search terms.
In one embodiment, the system may receive one or more programming instructions from the client electronic device for one or more search terms of the target product provided to the client electronic device as voice input and query a product data store using one or more of the entered search terms.
The system may receive an indication of a target product to be located by: the method includes identifying a user associated with the client electronic device and searching a historical purchase data store for one or more products previously purchased by the user from a retailer.
Alternatively, the system may identify a start location, generate a set of directions from the start location to a location of the target product, and cause the set of directions to be displayed via the client electronic device. The system may identify a default starting location as the starting location. In various embodiments, the system identifies the starting location by: the current location of the client electronic device is determined by identifying a wireless access point to which the client electronic device is connected in the retail location.
In one embodiment, the product location system may locate products in a retail location by: the method includes receiving a notification from an inventory management system that inventory on shelves of a product in a retail location is low, in response to receiving the notification, retrieving a map of the retail location, modifying the map to include a visual indication associated with the product location, causing the modified map to be displayed at one or more client electronic devices associated with the retail location, and causing a low inventory notification to be displayed at the one or more client electronic devices.
In various embodiments, the product location system may locate products in a retail location by: receiving instructions from an electronic digital assistant associated with a user relating to a target product sold by a retailer, identifying a retail location associated with the retailer, querying a product data store using the instructions to identify the target product and a location of the target product in the retail location, retrieving a map of the retail location, modifying the map to include a visual indication associated with the location of the target product; and causing the modified map to be displayed via a client electronic device associated with the user.
In one embodiment, the product location system may locate products in a retail location by: receiving an indication from a wireless access point in a retail location that a consumer electronic device has been detected, wherein the indication includes a unique identifier associated with the consumer electronic device, identifying a user associated with the client electronic device using the unique identifier associated with the client electronic device, accessing a historical purchase data store to determine whether the user purchased one or more products at the retail location within a past period of time, accessing a consumer profile data store to determine whether a profile of the user indicates that the retail location is a starting location associated with the user, and causing a map of the retail location to be displayed via the client electronic device in response to determining that the user did not purchase one or more products at the retail location within the past period of time and that the retail location is not the starting location associated with the user.
Drawings
Fig. 1A and 1B illustrate example methods of generating a map of retail locations, in accordance with various embodiments.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example planogram according to an embodiment.
Fig. 3 illustrates an example map of a retail location according to an embodiment.
Fig. 4 illustrates an example system for locating products in a retail location, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 5 illustrates an example method for locating a product in a retail location, according to an embodiment.
Fig. 6 illustrates an example map showing the location of particular products in a retail location, according to an embodiment.
Fig. 7A and 7B illustrate examples of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) that may be displayed to a user of a product positioning program, according to an embodiment.
Fig. 8 shows a diagram illustrating an example location service according to an embodiment.
FIG. 9 illustrates an example inventory management system and product location system, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 10 illustrates an example method of generating an inventory alert, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 11 illustrates an example notification system according to an embodiment.
Figure 12 illustrates a product location system in communication with an electronic digital assistant application according to an embodiment,
FIG. 13 illustrates an example method of generating a map in relation to a to-do list, according to an embodiment.
FIG. 14 illustrates a block diagram of example hardware that may be used to contain or implement program instructions, according to an embodiment.
Fig. 15 and 16 illustrate example shelf diagram illustrations in accordance with various embodiments.
Fig. 17 shows an example flow according to an embodiment.
Detailed Description
As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. As used herein, the term "including" means "including but not limited to".
An "electronic device" or "computing device" refers to a device that includes a processor and memory. Each device may have its own processor and/or memory, or the processor and/or memory may be shared with other devices, as in a virtual machine or container (container) arrangement. The memory may contain or receive programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform one or more operations in accordance with the programming instructions. Examples of electronic devices include personal computers, servers (local or cloud-based), mainframes, virtual machines, containers, gaming systems, televisions, and mobile electronic devices such as smartphones, personal digital assistants, cameras, tablets, laptops, media players, and the like. In a client-server arrangement, the client device and the server are both electronic devices, with the server containing instructions and/or data that the client device accesses via one or more communication links in one or more communication networks. In a virtual machine arrangement, a server may be an electronic device, and each virtual machine or container may also be considered an electronic device. In the following discussion, a client device, server device, virtual machine, or container may be referred to simply as a "device" for brevity.
The terms "processor" and "processing device" refer to hardware components of an electronic device that are configured to execute programming instructions. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the singular terms "processor" or "processing device" are intended to include embodiments of a single processing device and embodiments of a plurality of processing devices that together or jointly perform processing.
The terms "memory," "memory device," "data store," "data storage facility," and the like all refer to a non-transitory device having stored thereon computer-readable data, programming instructions, or both. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the terms "memory," "memory device," "data store," "data storage facility," and the like are intended to include embodiments of a single device, embodiments in which multiple memory devices store a set of data or instructions together or jointly, and various sectors within such devices.
"retail location" refers to an environment in which goods, products, etc. are sold, stored, or otherwise made available. Example retail environments may include, but are not limited to, retail store locations, warehouses, and the like.
Fig. 1A illustrates an example method of generating a map of retail locations, according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1A, the system may identify 100 physical data associated with a retail location. Physical data refers to information relating to a floor plan or physical layout of a retail location. Examples of physical data may include, for example, coordinates, dimensions, or locations of rooms (e.g., sales spaces, toilets, closets, restrooms, etc.), doors and windows, entrances and exits, and so forth.
Physical data associated with the retail location may be stored in one or more data storage volumes. The physical data may be stored as raw data, such as measurements or coordinates. The physical data may also be stored as one or more maps, such as architectural maps, architectural plans, computer-aided design maps, and the like. Physical data may be keyed (key) into a data store to a particular retail location. For example, the data store may be a relational database that stores physical data keyed to a unique identifier representing a particular retail location. The system may identify 100 physical data associated with the retail location by searching one or more data stores for physical data associated with the retail location. For example, the system may identify 100 physical data associated with a retail location by searching a data store for physical data associated with a unique identifier associated with a particular retail location.
The system may identify 102 product placement information for one or more products in the retail location. The product placement information may include a planogram (planogrm) to which the product belongs, coordinates associated with the planogram to which the product belongs, coordinates where the product is located in the retail environment or within the planogram, coordinates where the product is located in the display (e.g., shelf location), and so forth. A planogram refers to an electronic visual representation that indicates the placement of one or more products on one or more shelves. A planogram (or planogram object, as that term is used in this disclosure) may be an electronic data structure represented as a schematic (diagram), model, picture, image, or the like, showing the placement of one or more products on one or more shelves or other displays and/or the orientation (e.g., one or more angles) of one or more products relative to a display, such as the front surface of the display. FIG. 2 illustrates an example planogram according to an embodiment.
Product placement information associated with a retail location may be stored in one or more data stores. The product placement information may be stored as raw data, such as shelf identifiers, coordinates of the products on the shelves, coordinates associated with a planogram corresponding to the products, and so forth. One or more planograms may be stored by one or more data stores.
Table 1 shows a portion of an exemplary data bank in accordance with an embodiment. As shown in table 1, product placement information may be entered into a data store to a particular product and/or a particular retail location. For example, the data store may be a relational database that stores product placement information that is keyed to a unique identifier representative of a particular retail location and/or a unique identifier associated with a particular product. As shown in Table 1, a product identified as SKU #2341523 is associated with planogram M. Planogram M has coordinates (x1, y73, z90) within the retail location, and the product is located at coordinates (x3, y5, z7) within planogram M.
Retail location
Product identifier
Shelf diagram
Coordinates of shelf diagram
Coordinates within planogram
Retail location 1
SKU#2341523
Shelf diagram M
(x1,y73,z90)
(x3,y5,z7)
Retail location 1
SKU#2341528
Shelf diagram M
(x1,y73,z90)
(x2,y7,z9)
Retail location 1
SKU#542839
Shelf diagram R
(x4,y32,z52)
(x23,y12,z10)
TABLE 1
The system may identify 102 product placement information associated with the retail location by searching one or more data stores for product placement information associated with the retail location.
In various embodiments, the product placement information may include an electronic representation of the placement of planograms within the retail location. The shelf graphical intent may be created by user input. For example, a store designer or other user may create a planogram that includes certain products. The user may place the planogram into a position in the planogram diagram view. The shelf diagram illustration may show the positioning of the shelf diagrams relative to each other. Fig. 15 shows an example of a shelf diagram intent according to an embodiment.
Returning to FIG. 1A, the system may generate 104 a map of the retail location based on at least a portion of the identified physical data and/or the identified product placement information. The system may use measurements from the physical data and measurements and/or locations from planograms of product placement information to generate 104 a map of retail locations. The map may show details of at least a portion of the interior of the retail location. For example, the map may show the location of one or more shelves or displays, one or more aisles, one or more end frames, one or more product displays, and the like. The map may show the location of one or more exits or entrances, checkout locations, or other points of interest at a retail location.
In various embodiments, the system may generate 104 a map of the retail location by applying intelligence to at least a portion of the identified physical data and/or the identified product placement information. For example, the system may apply one or more rules or sets of rules to the identified physical data and/or the identified product placement information to generate 104 a map. For example, the system may apply one or more rules to the planogram intent to interpret and/or organize individual planograms into a retail location layout. For example, certain individual planograms shown in the planogram illustration may be merged or otherwise integrated to form an aisle. Similarly, planograms located across from one another may be identified as sides of a single aisle. FIG. 16 shows the shelf diagram illustration of FIG. 15 that has been processed by applying exemplary intelligence in accordance with an embodiment.
FIG. 1B illustrates an example method of generating 104 a map according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1B, the system may logically associate 120 the planogram into one or more groups (grouping) that form a planogram object structure. In various embodiments, the system may associate 120 planograms based on coordinates, tags, angular similarity, alignment thresholds, and the like. For example, the alignment threshold may refer to a distance or angular tolerance required in order for a particular relationship to exist between planograms or groups of planograms. As an example, an aisle planogram group may be considered a right end rack of an aisle if it is within two feet of the right edge of a planogram having a tag indicating that it is an end rack. An angle difference of approximately 90 degrees (within a threshold) from the row (row) aisle may indicate that the aisle planogram group is facing toward the center aisle. In this example, the angle refers to the number of degrees required to rotate a planogram about its relative position to the group of planograms to which it belongs in order to determine its true position (e.g., in feet) inside the retail location.
The system may apply one or more rotation applications 122 to one or more planograms in one or more groups. The rotation may be based on the angle of the planogram, as well as the relative position of the planogram within the group. The location of the planogram may refer to the location or position of the lower left corner of the planogram. For example, if the retail location is oriented such that the door is at the bottom of the map and the lower left corner is defined by coordinates (0,0), then the x-coordinate refers to the footage of drawing a vertical line from the planogram location to the left side of the retail location and the y-coordinate refers to the footage of drawing a vertical line from the planogram location to the bottom edge of the retail location that includes the door.
The relative position calculated as a vector may be the difference between the absolute position of the planogram and the absolute position of the planogram group. When the vector is rotated, the absolute coordinates of the planogram may be determined.
By way of example, a planogram group may begin 10 feet to the left of the retail location and 50 feet to the front of the retail location, and the location of a planogram associated with the group may be defined as an angle of 90 degrees 15 feet to the left of the store and 50 feet to the front. The relative position of the planogram with respect to the planogram group may be represented as (x, y) ═ 5, 0. Rotating this vector by 90 degrees may yield (0, 5). Adding it to the absolute coordinates of the planogram group may place the planogram 10 feet to the left of the retail location and 55 feet to the front of the retail location.
In one embodiment, the system may identify 124 one or more planogram groups as sides of the aisle. For example, the system may identify 124 a planogram group as a side of an aisle based on one or more rules defining aisle characteristics, such as: such as the dimensions of the group, the orientation of the group, one or more boundaries from the group to the retail location, and the like. For example, two planogram groups may be identified as sides of an aisle by meeting a minimum size requirement to be the sides of the aisle, either paired with opposing sides of similar length, or close enough to a wall. Further, for the two planogram groups now identified as aisle sides, they may be associated to form an aisle if they are similar in size, parallel within a threshold, oriented approximately 180 degrees (i.e., facing the front of the store and facing the back of the store), and separated by a distance that may be the width of a pedestrian aisle.
As another example, a rule may be: two or more planograms may be considered part of the same aisle if they are adjacent to each other. As another example, a rule may be: if a planogram is located within a threshold distance across from another planogram, the planograms are considered to be different sides of a single aisle. Additional and/or alternative rules may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.
Using the planogram group identified 124 as the side of the aisle, the system may create 126 an aisle object. The aisle object may include an indication of a planogram group including sides of the aisle.
As shown in FIG. 1B, the system may assign 128 a unique number or other identifier to each aisle object. The assigned identifier may be embedded as metadata in the aisle object. In one embodiment, the system may apply 130 metadata to one or more planograms. The metadata may include: such as a unique planogram identifier associated with one or more planograms, an orientation of a planogram relative to a central aisle, an orientation of a planogram in a retail location, an indication of whether a planogram is part of a main aisle of a retail location, an indication of whether a planogram is part of an end shelf, an indication of whether a planogram is located on a wall, an indication of whether a planogram is located at a cash register, one or more coordinates or dimensions of a retail location, a unique product identifier associated with one or more products, data associated with a cash register location and/or other landmarks of a retail location, and so forth.
In various embodiments, the system may serialize 132 the planogram object structure and the aisle objects to create an electronic map. The map may be Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and extensible markup language (XML) documents (SVG + XML) that contain one or more planogram objects, one or more aisle objects, embedded metadata, and/or any other relevant data. The system may insert one or more markers representing other landmarks at the retail location into the map. For example, the system may insert data representative of the location of one or more products, fixtures, cash registers, doors, etc. into a map.
The generated SVG + XML document may be one or more electronic files that include a visual representation of a map. As described above, the map may also include encoded XML attributes and elements containing metadata. This configuration may allow other systems to repurpose, expand, query, and/or customize maps in a powerful manner not achievable by raster images. For example, the map may be expanded by a trip tracking visualization by changing colors or adding additional visual elements. As another example, the map may be expanded to show low inventory levels in the form of a heat map, or as a visualization tool to assist in-store picking. In various embodiments, when a caller requests a raster image, the system may generate a raster-based image, such as a Portable Network Graphics (PNG) image.
The map may show product placement information for one or more products being sold by the associated retail location. Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary map of a retail location according to an embodiment.
The system may store 106 the generated map in one or more data stores to associate it with its corresponding retail location. For example, the system may store the map in a relational database such that it is keyed into a unique identifier that represents a particular retail location.
In some embodiments, the map may be used to assist a consumer or clerk in locating a particular product in a retail location. A user of a client electronic device may access a product location program via the client electronic device. The product locator program may be an application program resident on a client electronic device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, or other electronic device). Alternatively, the product locator program may be a website accessible over a communications network via the client electronic device. The communication network may be a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a mobile or cellular communication network, an extranet, an intranet, the internet, etc.
For a clerk, the product location program can be an application that resides on one or more electronic devices (e.g., tablet computers or other retail location electronic devices) that are present at the retail location. Clerks can use these electronic devices to help consumers at retail locations find products, or consumers can use these electronic devices at retail locations to help locate products.
The user may provide input to the client electronic device in any suitable manner, including but not limited to via a touch interface, keyboard, or other input device, or by speaking input into one or more microphones of the client electronic device.
The product location program may be specific to a company (or other organization) having one or more retail locations. For example, the product location program may be associated with Acme corporation, which owns 2000 retail locations nationwide. It should be understood that the product location program may be used with different types of businesses, companies, organizations, locations, etc.
Fig. 4 illustrates an example system for locating products in a retail location, according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, system 400 can include one or more client
As shown in FIG. 4,
Product
Consumer
The consumer profile may store information that is entered into a particular consumer. For example, one or more consumer identifiers may be used to identify the consumer, such as a unique username associated with the consumer's account with the retailer, a unique identifier associated with a client electronic device that the consumer registers with the retailer, and so forth. The consumer profile may include information about the consumer or potential consumer collected by one or more retail locations with the consent of the consumer or potential consumer.
Historical
Retail
FIG. 5 illustrates an example method of locating a product in a retail location according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 5, the method may include identifying 500 a particular retail location. The system may identify 500 a retail location by receiving an indication of the retail location via a product location program. For example, the user may provide a unique identifier associated with the retail location, such as a name of the retail location, an address of the retail location, or a unique identifier associated with the retail location. As another example, a user may provide a location, such as a zip code. The system may access a retail location data volume or other data storage volume to determine if any retail locations exist within a certain distance of the zip code. The system may present options to the user via the product location program, if any, and the user may select the correct retail location.
As another example, the product location program may access a location sensor of the client electronic device, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS), to determine the current location of the client electronic device and the user. The product locator program may automatically select the nearest retail location. Alternatively, the product location program may determine whether there are any retail locations within a certain distance of the current location. The system may present options to the user via the product location program, if any, and the user may select the correct retail location.
As yet another example, the product location program may identify a retail location associated with a particular user. For example, a user may create a consumer profile stored in one or more data stores. As part of the consumer profile, the user may identify a "home" retail location. The starting retail location may refer to a retail location in which the user often shops, a retail location closest to the user's location, and so forth.
Returning to FIG. 5, the system can identify 502 a product to be located at the identified retail location. The system may receive an indication of a product by receiving a scan of a bar code or Universal Product Code (UPC) associated with the product to identify 502 the product. For example, the electronic device may include bar code scanner software that allows the electronic device to scan UPCs or other bar codes. As another example, the electronic device may communicate with a scanner that scans a UPC or other bar code.
The system may receive an indication of a product by receiving one or more search terms related to the product. For example, the product location program may prompt the user to enter one or more search terms to identify a product to be located. The search terms may relate to the type of product, the name of the product, the brand of the product, a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) number, and the like. The system may receive a search term (e.g., typed text or voice (spoken) word/phrase), and may query one or more product data stores using at least a portion of the search term. The product data store stores information about one or more products sold by one or more retail locations. The product information may include, but is not limited to, a product brand, a product name, a product description, an associated UPC, a price, a SKU, an indication of one or more retail locations at which the product is sold, and/or a status of whether the product is currently in stock at a particular retail location.
The system may search the product information to identify one or more products that satisfy the query. For example, if the user searches for "cat food," the system may identify all cat food products sold at the retail location. As another example, if the user searches for "Cat food for company X," the system may identify all of the Cat food products manufactured by company X and sold by the retail location. Additional and/or alternative queries may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.
In another embodiment, the system may receive an indication of a product by identifying one or more products previously purchased by the user from the retailer. Purchase history information for one or more consumers may be stored in one or more historical purchase data stores. The purchase history information may include information about one or more products purchased by the consumer from the retailer over a period of time. The purchase history information may include a unique identifier associated with the consumer, such as a loyalty program identifier, a user name, the consumer's name or address, and the like. The purchase history information may include the name of the product purchased by the consumer from the retailer, a unique identifier associated with the product, the product type, the retail location at which the product was purchased (or an indication that the product was purchased through the retailer's commerce platform, if applicable), the price of the product, and so forth. The system may present the user with a list of one or more products among the products previously purchased by the user, and may receive a selection of a particular product from the user.
Returning to FIG. 5, the system may identify S04 one or more locations of the identified product at the identified retail location. In various embodiments, the products may be located in two or more different locations in the retail location. For example, a product may have a primary location (such as a certain shelf space) and a secondary location (such as an end shelf) at a retail location. The system may identify 504 all locations of the product. Alternatively, the system may identify the primary location of the product.
The system may search the product placement data store for location information for the identified product at the retail location. For example, the system may query a product placement data store for information about where products are located at relevant retail locations. The location information may include an indication of a planogram to which the identified product belongs. The location information may include an aisle in which the product is located at the retail location, an indication of a particular shelf in which the product is located at the retail location, coordinates at which the product is located in the retail location, and so forth.
As an example, the system may search a data store, such as a product placement data store, for the identified product. The system identifies a planogram to which the identified product belongs. The system may retrieve one or more coordinates associated with the identified planogram from a data store, such as a product placement data store. The coordinates indicate where the planogram is located within the retail location. The system may also retrieve one or more coordinates indicating where the identified product is located within the identified planogram. These coordinates indicate the location of the identified product as seen from a forward view of the planogram (e.g., a shelf view).
The system may retrieve 506 a map associated with the identified retail location from one or more data stores. The map may show a bird's eye view of the retail location. Alternatively or additionally, the map may show a forward shelf view.
The system may modify 508 the retrieved map to include an indication of the location of the identified product in the retail location. For example, the system may modify the map to show an indication of the identified product at coordinates associated with a planogram to which the identified product belongs. In various embodiments, the system may modify the map by embedding metadata into the SVG + XML document so that the map shows the location of the identified product. The map may be a map showing a bird's eye view of the product location in a retail location, such as shown in fig. 6.
The system may modify 508 the map showing the forward shelf view of the shelf map to which the identified product belongs to show the location of the identified product within the shelf map. For example, the system may modify 508 the forward facing planogram map to include an indicator representing the coordinates of the identified product within the planogram. Fig. 7B illustrates an exemplary forward shelf view map, according to an embodiment.
The indication may be a visual indication of where the identified product is located, such as a logo, symbol, color, etc. The indication may show the relative position of the product on one or more displays. For example, the indication may show the position of the product relative to the aisle (e.g., a proximal end of the aisle, a middle of the aisle, a distal end of the aisle). FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary map showing locations of particular products, according to an embodiment.
The system may cause 510 to display a map showing the location of the identified product to the user. The map may be displayed to the user via a display device of the electronic device.
In an embodiment, the system may generate directions (directions) to the location of the identified product. The system may identify a starting location from which to provide directions. The starting location may be a static location, such as the front of a retail location or an entrance. Alternatively, the starting location may be the user's current location within the retail location.
The retail location may include wireless access points throughout at least a portion of the retail location. A wireless access point refers to a hardware electronic device that allows wireless-enabled electronic devices to connect to a wired network. The wireless access points may be stand-alone devices located at various ones of the retail locations. Alternatively, the wireless access points may be components of routers that are similarly positioned throughout the retail location.
The product location system may determine which wireless access point the client electronic device is accessing in the retail location. The product location system may maintain or have access to a data store that includes a list of electronic device/wireless access point connections. The product location system may search the list for the unique identifier of the client electronic device and may identify the wireless access point to which it is connected. The product location system may use the location of the wireless access point to which the client electronic device is connected as a starting location for the purpose of providing directions.
The system may determine a route from the starting location to the location of the identified product. The system may apply one or more routing or routing algorithms to the map to determine a route from the starting location to the location of the identified product. The route may be the shortest possible route, taking into account the placement of displays, shelves, etc. The system may provide directions to the user. The directions may be provided as text, such as written step-by-step directions from a starting location to the location of the identified product. The directions may be provided in an audio format. For example, one or more audio files containing directions from the start location to the location of the identified product may be played to the user via one or more speakers of the user's client electronic device. The system may generate the audio file by translating the written directions into an audio format.
The directions may direct the user to the precise location of a product. For example, the directions may inform the user that the product is located on line 5 of the display. The system may obtain the location information from a product placement data store.
In one embodiment, the system may retrieve an image associated with the location of the identified product. The image may be an image showing the location or position of the identified product on a shelf or other display. For example, the image may be a portion of a planogram showing the location or position of the identified product on the shelf or display. As another example, the image may be a photograph showing the location or position of the identified product on a shelf or other display.
The system may retrieve images from one or more data stores that store product placement information. As described above, the product placement information may be stored such that it is associated with a particular product and a particular retail location. The system may search the data store for product placement information associated with the identified product and the identified retail location, and may retrieve an image from the product placement information. The system may cause the retrieved image to be displayed to the user via the client electronic device.
In various embodiments, the system may retrieve a product description associated with the identified product. The product description may describe the identified product in more detail, explain the intended use of the identified product, provide an indication of use of the identified product, and so forth. The system may retrieve the product description from the product data store.
FIG. 7A illustrates an example of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that may be displayed to a user of a product location program, according to an embodiment. As shown in fig. 7A, a product description, directions, a map showing the location of the identified product, and an image of the identified product location (for the identified retail location) may be displayed as part of the same GUI. It should be understood that any combination of these features may be displayed as part of the GUI within the scope of the present disclosure. It is also understood that any of these features may be displayed via a separate or separate GUI within the scope of this disclosure. FIG. 7B illustrates another example GUI that can be displayed to a product location program according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7B, the GUI may include a shelf view of the product location or other forward facing shelf view.
In various embodiments, the system may cause a description of the product, a map showing the location of the product, directions to the location of the product, and/or an image of the product at the location of the product to be displayed to the user in response to the user activating a hyperlink or other link. For example, the system may send an email to the user with a hyperlink that, when selected, causes information associated with one or more products to be displayed to the user. The system may send an email only to users who agree to receive communications from the retailer.
The email may be sent to the user for various reasons. For example, if the user's home retail location has been renovated or reorganized and the location of products or other merchandise has been changed, the system may send an email to the user. The message may inform the user of the change and where one or more products may be found in the new layout or configuration. As another example, if a user changes or updates the user's starting retail location, an email message may be sent to the user.
The email message may include one or more hyperlinks associated with one or more products that the user has previously purchased from the retailer. The product may be a product that the user previously purchased from a particular retail location. For example, the system may access a historical purchase data store to identify one or more products that a particular user has purchased. The system may identify one or more products that the user purchased within a certain period of time. The system may identify one or more products that the user has purchased from a particular retail location.
For one or more of the products, the system may generate an email message to the user. For one or more of the previously purchased items, the system may generate a hyperlink to information related to the previously purchased item at the particular retail location, and may embed the hyperlink in an email message to the user. Selecting the hyperlink may redirect the user to a website or may open a product locator program and may display information to the user regarding the location of the product in the retail location. For example, a GUI similar to that shown in FIG. 7 may be presented to the user. Fig. 8 shows a diagram illustrating an exemplary location service according to an embodiment.
In various embodiments, the product location system may communicate with an inventory management system. Fig. 9 shows a diagram illustrating an example of such a system 900 according to an embodiment. The
An inventory management system may store, monitor, and track inventory of products across one or more retail locations. Inventory management systems may track inventory on shelves, inventory in storage rooms, warehouses, and the like. The inventory management system may communicate with a point of sale (POS)
The
FIG. 10 illustrates an example method of generating an inventory alert, according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the inventory management system receives 1000 purchase information from a POS system. The inventory management system updates 1002 its records based on the purchase information. For example, the inventory management system may decrement the inventory of products for a particular retail location based on the received purchase information. For example, the inventory management system may receive purchase information indicating that two products with SKU #3824990 were sold at retail location 1. The inventory management system maintains a product inventory data store indicating that retail location 1 currently has 42 products with that SKU. The inventory management system subtracts this number from the number sold to update its record to reflect that retail location 1 now has 40 products with that SKU. The inventory management system may similarly update 1002 the product inventory of the products added to the inventory at the retail location. For example, if a retail location receives new stock goods, if products are returned to the retail location and can be resold, and so on.
The inventory management system may determine 1004 if the amount of inventory on the shelves of the product at the retail location falls below a certain threshold. In response to determining that the amount of inventory on the shelf falls below the threshold, the inventory management system may send 1006 a notification to the product location system. The notification may include information identifying the product(s) with low inventory. This information may include a SKU number or other unique product identifier.
The product location system receives 1008 the notification. The product location generates 1010 a map showing the location of one or more products indicated in the notification at the relevant retail location. The product location may be mapped in a manner similar to that described above.
The product location system may cause 1012 to display the map on one or more client electronic devices associated with one or more employees or representatives of the retail location, such as, for example, a clerk of the retail location. For example, the product location system may access a data store that indicates which client electronic devices are associated with which retail locations. The client electronic device can be associated with a unique identifier, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and the like. The product location may identify one or more client electronic devices associated with the retail location, and may cause
After the employee has replenished the inventory, the employee may clear the notification. The employee may clear the notification by providing input to the employee's client electronic device. For example, the employee may make a selection on the GUI, press a button, slide a notification, etc., to clear the notification. In response, the client electronic device may send a notification to the product location system that inventory has been replenished. The product location system may send a notification to the inventory management system that inventory has been replenished.
In various embodiments, the product location system may communicate with an electronic digital assistant (or virtual assistant) application, as shown in FIG. 12. An electronic digital assistant (or virtual assistant) application refers to an application program that understands natural language and performs electronic tasks for a user.
One example of such a task is requiring the electronic digital assistant to create a to-do list for the user. A to-do list refers to a list of tasks that the user wants to complete. An example of a to-do list may be a shopping list.
FIG. 13 illustrates an example method of generating a map in relation to a to-do list, according to an embodiment. The electronic digital assistant can receive 1300 input from the user to start the to-do list. The user may instruct the electronic digital assistant to add the purchase of dog food at the retail location to the to-do list. In some embodiments, the user may specify the dog food to purchase, for example, by the name of the dog food, the brand of the dog food, and so forth. Alternatively, the user may simply specify the dog food.
The digital electronic assistant can receive 1302 the instructions and can parse 1304 the instructions. The electronic digital assistant may parse the
In response to determining that the instruction includes one or more trigger words, the electronic digital assistant can notify 1306 a product location system associated with the relevant retailer or retail location. For example, the electronic digital assistant may send a notification to the product location system. The notification may include an indication of the user and the instruction. The user indication may be an identifier, such as a name, username, or other unique identifier, that identifies the user to the product location system.
The product location system may receive 1308 the notification. The product location system may identify one or more products specified in the notification. For example, if the notification only includes the user identifier and the trigger word "dog food," the product location system may access the historical purchase data store to determine which dog food the user has previously purchased or recently purchased. If a certain brand or type of dog food is included in the notification, the product location system may use the information from the notification to search the product data store to identify the product.
The product location system may determine 1310 a relevant retail location for purchase. The product location system may determine that the retail location where the user previously purchased the product is the associated retail location. As another example, the product location system may determine that the user's starting retail location is the relevant retail location. As yet another example, the product location system may determine a current location of the user's client electronic device. For example, a product location program of a user's client electronic device may access a GPS or other location tracker of the client electronic device and may send the location to a product location system. The product location system may determine that the retail location closest to the user's current location is the associated retail location.
The product location system can determine 1312 the location of the identified product at the relevant retail location and can generate 1314 a map of the retail location showing the location of the product, as described above. The product location system may cause 1314 a map to be displayed to the user. For example, when a user opens a product location program via a client electronic device, the product location system may cause a map (and/or one or more directions) to be displayed to the user. As another example, the product location system may cause a map to be displayed at the client electronic device when the product location system determines that the client electronic device is located within a distance from the retail location. For example, a product location program of a user's client electronic device may access a GPS or other location tracker of the client electronic device and may transmit the location to a product location system. The product location system may cause a map to be displayed at the client electronic device if the current location of the user is within a distance from the retail location. As another example, the product location system may cause a notification to be displayed at the user's client electronic device to notify the user that a map is available.
In various embodiments, the system may use an electronic shopping list to determine a preferred route for shoppers to follow through retail locations to purchase items on the shopping list. The product location program may include a shopping list function that allows a user to create a shopping list for a retail location. The user may select or otherwise identify one or more products to purchase at the retail location, and the product location program may create a shopping list of the products. For example, the product location program may allow the user to search for one or more products, or select one or more products from a list to add to a shopping list. As another example, the product location program may receive or access a user's shopping list that the user created using a different program in communication with the product location program.
The product location system determines the location of one or more products on the shopping list in the retail location. The system may retrieve a map of retail locations and use a routing or routing algorithm to generate directions to the location of one or more products in the retail locations. The directions may follow a route starting from a starting location. In one embodiment, the directions may be directions that minimize the walking distance required to locate the product. For example, regardless of the order of the products on the shopping list, the system may present directions that minimize the distance that needs to be traversed. The system may also cause a visual depiction of the route to be displayed via the user electronic device, such as, for example, a highlighted route shown on a map of the retail location.
As an example, the system may determine the location of products on a shopping list in a retail location. These locations may be coordinates associated with a planogram to which the product belongs. The system may use one or more routing or routing algorithms, a map of retail locations, and the locations of the products to determine the shortest route through the retail locations to access the location of each product on the list. The system may cause the directions to be displayed on the electronic device of the user.
In various embodiments, the system may cause a map of the store location to be displayed to the user in response to determining that the user may need assistance in locating the product. Fig. 17 illustrates an example flow according to various embodiments.
For example, as described above, the retail location may include one or more wireless access points throughout at least a portion of the retail location. When a user enters a retail location, the user's electronic device may communicate with one or more wireless access points in the retail location. For example, a user may configure their electronic device to allow communication with a wireless access point. The wireless access point may detect the presence of the electronic device of the user when the electronic device is within range of the wireless access point. The system may search the list for the unique identifier of the client electronic device and may identify the wireless access point to which it is connected. The system may access a data store, such as a consumer profile data store, to identify a user associated with the detected electronic device. Once the system identifies the user, the system may determine whether the user has purchased a product at the retail location based on information in the consumer profile data store, the historical purchase data store, and/or one or more other data stores. For example, the system may determine whether the retail location at which the user is located is the user's starting retail location. As another example, the system may determine from the historical purchase data store whether the user has purchased any products from a retail location within a period of time. If the system determines that the retail location is not the user's starting retail location and/or that the user has not purchased any products from the retail location for a period of time, the system may cause a map of the retail location to be displayed to the user via the user's electronic device.
As another example, the system may cause a map of the retail location to be displayed in response to determining that the user has wandered in or around one of the retail locations for a certain period of time. For example, the system may determine that the user's electronic device is being detected by the same wireless access point for a certain period of time (such as, for example, five minutes). Additional and/or alternative time ranges may be used within the scope of the present disclosure. In response to determining that the user is loitering, the system may cause a map of the store and/or a forward shelf view map of one or more shelves in the user's electronics area to be displayed via the user's electronics.
In various embodiments, if the system determines that the user is loitering, the system may send an electronic notification to an electronic device associated with one or more employees of the retail location. The notification may alert the employee user that assistance may be needed.
According to various embodiments, the wireless access point may also communicate with devices other than consumer electronic devices. For example, a user may take their pet to a pet store retail location. The pet may wear an electronic collar that may communicate with one or more wireless access points when in the retail location. In response to detecting the electronic collar, the system may send a notification to the electronic devices of one or more employees in the retail location. The notification may alert the employee to the presence of the pet in the retail location. The employee may then provide treats for the pet or otherwise take care of the pet and/or the user.
Fig. 14 depicts a block diagram of hardware, such as a cloud-based server, electronic device, virtual machine, or container, that may be used to contain or implement program instructions.
The hardware may also include a
The above described features and functions, and alternatives, may be combined in many other different systems or applications. Various alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements will occur to those skilled in the art, and the disclosed embodiments are intended to cover each and every one.
- 上一篇：一种医用注射器针头装配设备
- 下一篇：资源搜索方法及相关产品