Checkout and/or ordering systems and methods
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus are disclosed provide various enhancements and/or improvements to the conventional shopping process used by brick-and-mortar stores. In some embodiments, a customer may use a mobile computing device, such as a smart phone, to select and pay for items in a brick-and-mortar store. Such shopping process may permit the customer to purchase numerous items without the using of shopping basket or a wheeled shopping cart. The shopping process may further permit the customer to pay for items and leave the store with such items without waiting in a checkout line.
1. A method utilizing a mobile computing device of a customer to enhance shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, the method comprising:
reading, with the mobile computing device, a machine-readable code that identifies an item on display in the brick-and-mortar store;
in response to said reading the machine-readable code, the mobile computing device updating a virtual cart for the customer to include the item identified by the machine-readable code;
transmitting, from the mobile computing device, a finalized request that identifies one or more items that have spent a predetermined time in the virtual cart for a store associate to gather; and
receiving payment for the one or more items in the virtual cart via the mobile computing device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reading the machine-readable code comprises capturing, with a camera of the mobile computing device, a bar code, a Quick Response (QR) code, an Augmented Reality (AR) code, or another code placed on the item or otherwise associated with the item on display.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reading the machine-readable code comprises reading, with a reader of the mobile computing device, a radio frequency identifier (RFID), a near field communication (NFC) code, and/or another code placed on the item or otherwise associated with the item on display.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, from the mobile computing device, an indication that identifies one or more items in the virtual cart which the customer has requested to pick-up from a pick-up location.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, from the mobile computing device, an indication that identifies one or more items in the virtual cart which the customer has requested be shipped to a specified address.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, from the mobile computing device, an indication that identifies one or more items in the virtual cart which the customer plans to carry and which are not to be gathered by the store associate.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, with the mobile computing device, a proof of purchase for the one or more items in the virtual cart in response to said receiving payment; and
presenting, with the mobile computing device, the proof of purchase at a verification location prior to the customer carrying the one or more items out of the brick-and-mortar store.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, with the mobile computing device, a recommendation for another item based on the one or more items in the virtual cart; and
presenting the recommendation for the another item via the mobile computing device.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
tracking, with an e-commerce system, a plurality of mobile devices associated with a plurality of store associates to ascertain a location for each store associate of the plurality of store associates; and
automatically assigning via the e-commerce system a store associate of the plurality of store associates to gather the one or more items based on the location of the store associate.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the finalized request, selecting, with an e-commerce system, a store associate from a plurality of store associates based on whether the one or more items to be gathered is in a vicinity of other items to be gathered by the store associate.
11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions, that in response to being executed, result in a mobile computing device of a customer:
reading a machine-readable code that identifies an item on display in a brick-and-mortar store;
in response to said reading the machine-readable code, adding the item identified by the machine-readable code to a virtual cart for the customer;
after expiration of a predetermined time in the virtual cart, transmitting a request for a store associate to gather the item that has spent the predetermined time in virtual cart; and
effecting payment for the item.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, further result in the mobile computing device reading the machine-readable code by capturing, with a camera of the mobile computing device, a bar code, a Quick Response (QR) code, an Augmented Reality (AR) code, or another code placed on the item or otherwise associated with the item on display.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, further result in the mobile computing device reading the machine-readable code by reading, with a reader of the mobile computing device, a radio frequency identifier (RFID), a near field communication (NFC) code, and/or another code placed on the item or otherwise associated with the item on display.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, further result in the mobile computing device transmitting an indication that identifies one or more items in the virtual cart which the customer has requested to pick-up from a pick-up location.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, further result in the mobile computing device transmitting an indication that identifies one or more items in the virtual cart which the customer has requested be shipped to a specified address.
16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, further result in the mobile computing device transmitting an indication that identifies one or more items in the virtual cart which the customer plans to carry and which are not to be gathered by the store associated.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, further result in the mobile computing device:
receiving a proof of purchase for the one or more items in the virtual cart in response to said receiving payment; and
presenting the proof of purchase at a verification location prior to the customer carrying the one or more items out of the brick-and-mortar store.
18. A shopping system for a brick-and-mortar store having a plurality of items on display, the system comprising:
an e-commerce system; and
a mobile computing device configured to:
read a machine-readable code that identifies an item on display;
in response to reading the machine-readable code, adding the item identified by the machine-readable code to a virtual cart for a customer;
finalize an item in the virtual cart for the customer after the item has spent a predetermined time in the virtual cart; and
communicate with the e-commerce system to request the finalized item be gathered and transferred to a pick-up location while the customer is still shopping,
effectuate payment for the item after the customer is done shopping, and
receive proof of purchase for the paid item.
19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a plurality of mobile devices associated with a plurality of store associates;
a plurality of wireless base stations configured to receive signals from the plurality of mobile devices;
wherein the e-commerce system is configured to:
track the plurality of mobile devices and the associated plurality of store associates based on signals received by the plurality of wireless base stations;
ascertain a location for each store associate of the plurality of store associates based on the received signals; and
assign a store associate of plurality of store associates to gather the item based on the location of the store associate.
20. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a plurality of mobile devices associated with a plurality of store associates;
a plurality of wireless base stations configured to receive signals from the plurality of mobile devices;
wherein the e-commerce system is configured to:
track the plurality of mobile devices and the associated plurality of store associates based on signals received by the plurality of wireless base stations;
ascertain a location for each store associate of the plurality of store associates based on the received signals, and in response to the finalize request; and
select a store associate from a plurality of store associates based on whether the item to be gathered is in a vicinity of other items to be gathered by the store associate.