Systems and methods for directing a user to a location of interest

1. A system for directing a shopper to an item of interest in a store, comprising:

a floor surface at a store configured with indicators constructed and arranged to communicate with each other to identify a path for guiding a store visitor from a current location to a location of an item of interest, wherein the floor surface indicators include both color indicators that illuminate to identify the path and tactile indicators that automatically and selectively protrude from the floor surface along the path in response to a receipt of a signal from a controller of a store computer;

a mobile device application executed by a mobile electronic device, the mobile device application generating a request for locating the item of interest; and

a special-purpose processor of the store computer that calculates the path from the current location of the store visitor to the location of the item of interest in response to the request received from the mobile device application, wherein the indicators identify the path in response to the special-purpose processor calculating the path and communicating with the controller to illuminate the color indicators and to output the signal to the tactile indicators to automatically and selectively protrude from the floor surface.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the path is a shortest available path.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the floor surface forms a plurality of paths, each path for a different store visitor.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein each path illuminates a different color.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a timing mechanism that inactivates the indicators after a predetermined period of time.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the timing mechanism is controlled by the mobile device application.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the special-purpose processor accesses a database that includes a stored map of the store and a record that includes the location of the item of interest to determine the path.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the special-purpose processor redirects the store visitor to the item of interest along a different available path when a determination is made that the path does not include sufficient indicators for forming the path.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the floor provides visual information in addition to the identified path.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the indicator includes a pressure sensor that distinguishes the store visitor from an object.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein a region of the floor surface at the location of the item of interest inactivates the color and tactile indicators along the path when a force is sensed at the location of the item of interest.

12. A method for directing a shopper to an item of interest in a store, comprising:

processing a request for guiding a store visitor to an item of interest;

identifying a path from a current location of the store visitor to the item of interest; and

activating a plurality of indicators in a floor surface to identify the path, wherein the indicators include both color indicators that illuminate the path and tactile indicators that automatically and selectively protrude from the floor surface along the path.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising redirecting the shopper to the item of interest along a different available path when a determination is made that the path does not include sufficient indicators for forming the path.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising inactivating the indicators after a predetermined period of time.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein an end of the path at the item of interest inactivates the color and tactile indicators along the path when a force is sensed at the item of interest.