IP Library Granted Patent US 12,488,367
Granted Patent B2
US 12,488,367 · App. 18/414,895 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Drive up incentivization engine in an order fulfillment system

Inventors: Gagan Mahajan (Minneapolis, MN); Anshul Chawla (Minneapolis, MN); Balaji Varadarajan (Minneapolis, MN); Nicholas Johnson (Minneapolis, MN)
Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
G06Q30/0235G06Q10/0836
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,488,367
App. No.
18/414,895
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosed technology provides for incentivizing a user to pick up an order at an fulfillment location. A method can include receiving, at a mobile device, information for picking up an order at a fulfillment location and and incentization information from a server system, where the incentivization information includes information for an incentive associated with picking up the order at the fulfillment location during an incentivization window. The method can include changing a display of the computing device to display information for picking up the order during the incentivization window, receiving a second communication from the computing device indicating that the computing device has arrived at the fulfillment location, and changing the display of the computing device to display a confirmation of the incentivization information based on whether the particular timepoint at which the computing device arrived at the fulfillment location is within the incentivization window.

Claims (38)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a first communication from a server system including information for picking up an order at a fulfillment location at a plurality of timeframes, wherein the computing device is logged into an account of the user, wherein the information for picking up the order includes indications of one or more items and an identifier associated with the account of the user;

determining, by the server system, that the order is associated with an incentive based on the user selecting a timeframe of the plurality of time frames, wherein the incentive is based on one or more items of the order being a perishable item, a seasonal item, or both;

receiving, by the computing device, incentivization information from the server system including information for the incentive associated with picking up the order at the fulfillment location during an incentivization window, wherein the incentivization window is a timeframe from the plurality of timeframes associated with an incentive;

changing a display of the computing device to display information for picking up the order at the fulfillment location based on the user selecting the incentivization window;

receiving, by the server system, a second communication from the computing device indicating that the computing device has arrived at the fulfillment location at a particular timepoint based on a location of the computing device; and

changing the display of the computing device to display a confirmation of the incentivization information based on whether the particular timepoint at which the computing device arrived at the fulfillment location is within the incentivization window.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the timeframes of the plurality of timeframes is associated with an incentive.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication includes a field for an order identifier, a field for an identifier associated with the account of the user, and at least one field for an identifier of the incentivization information.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the incentive is associated with one or more items, a time of year, a guest abandonment prediction, or a combination thereof.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the quest abandonment prediction is a prediction of the likelihood that the user will not pick up the order, and wherein the guest abandonment prediction is generated by a trained neural network.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the incentive comprises a monetary credit to the account of the user, a discount on a current order, a discount on a future order, a discounted item associated with the fulfillment location, a free item associated with the fulfillment location, or a combination thereof.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the incentive is associated with the timeframe of the incentivization window being a low traffic timeframe, wherein the low traffic timeframe is associated with a relatively low amount of other users picking up orders during the timeframe.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to changing a display of the computing device to display information for picking up the order at the fulfillment location based on the incentivization window, changing a display of a second computing device to display information associated with the order and an indicator that indicates that the order is associated with the incentivization information.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the second computing device is associate with an employee of the fulfillment location.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

in response to receiving, by the server system, a second communication from the computing device indicating that the computing device has arrived at the fulfillment location, changing a display of the second computing device to indicate the particular timepoint at which the computing device indicated to have arrived at the fulfillment location.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

confirming, by one of an employee using the second computing device, the second computing device, or the server system, that the time point indicated by the computing device indicated to have arrived at the fulfillment location is within the incentivization window.

12 . A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

computer memory containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a first communication from a server system including information for picking up an order at a fulfillment location at a plurality of timeframes, wherein the computing device is associated with an account of the user, wherein the information for picking up the order includes indications of one or more items and an identifier associated with the account of the user;

determining, by the server system, that the order is associated with an incentive based on the user selecting a timeframe of the plurality of time frames, wherein the incentive is based on one or more items of the order being a perishable item, a seasonal item, or both;

receiving, by the computing device, incentivization information from the server system including information for the incentive associated with picking up the order at the fulfillment location during an incentivization window, wherein the incentivization window is a timeframe from the plurality of timeframes selected by the user;

changing a display of the computing device to display information for picking up the order at the fulfillment location based on the incentivization window;

receiving, by the server system, a second communication from the computing device indicating that the computing device has arrived at the fulfillment location at a particular timepoint based on a location of the computing device; and

changing the display of the computing device to display a confirmation of the incentivization information based on whether the particular timepoint at which the computing device arrived at the fulfillment location is within the incentivization window.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the timeframes of the plurality of timeframes is associated with an incentive.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first communication includes a field for an order identifier, a field for an identifier associated with the account of the user, and at least one field for an identifier of the incentivization information.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the incentive is associated with one or more items, a time of year, a guest abandonment prediction, or a combination thereof.

16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the guest abandonment prediction is a prediction of the likelihood that the user will not pick up the order, and wherein the guest abandonment prediction is generated by a trained neural network.

17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the incentive comprises a monetary credit to the account of the user, a discount on a current order, a discount on a future order, a discounted item associated with the fulfillment location, a free item associated with the fulfillment location, or a combination thereof.

18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the incentive is associated with the timeframe of the incentivization window being a low traffic timeframe, wherein the low traffic timeframe is associated with a relatively low amount of other users picking up orders during the timeframe.

19 . The system of claim 12 , the operations further comprising:

in response to changing a display of the computing device to display information for picking up the order at the fulfillment location based on the incentivization window, changing a display of a second computing device to display information associated with the order and an indicator that indicates that the order is associated with the incentivization information.

20 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the second computing device is associate with an employee of the fulfillment location.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2024
From: MAHAJAN, GAGAN; CHAWLA, ANSHUL; VARADARAJAN, BALAJI; JOHNSON, NICHOLAS
To: TARGET BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 067560/0546 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250232329A1 · Jul 17, 2025
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