List-based selection system and methods for using the same
A system and methods for enabling a user to create a list of items on a portable computing device, to communicate with external devices to locate each of the items available on the list within a geographically limited area, to provide users with visual or aural cues as to the location of items on the list, to progress through the list of items as each item is selected or rejected, and providing discounts toward, information about, or alternatives to the available items on the list.
1. A method for enabling a user of a portable computing device to locate and select one or more goods or services within a geographic area from a list of goods or services, comprising the steps of:
communicating the list of goods or services to a computer system including information about a plurality of goods or services within the geographic area, availability information about the one or more goods or services among the plurality of goods or services, and physical location information about the one or more goods or services among the plurality goods or services available within the geographic area;
receiving a list of available goods or services on the portable computing device from the computer system based on a comparison of the list of goods or services against the availability information;
displaying a first location indicator on the portable computing device for an available good or service from the list of available goods or services;
receiving a status for the available good or service; and
displaying a next location indicator on the portable computer device for one or more next available goods or services from the list of available goods or services after receiving a status for one or more prior available goods or services on the list of available goods or services.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the status for the available good or service and the status for the one or more prior available goods or services indicate whether the user has accepted or rejected the available good or service or the one or more prior available goods or services.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first location indicator is displayed on a map depicting at least some portion of the geographic area.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining a position of the portable computing device within the geographic area.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the information about the plurality of goods or services is selected from the group consisting of pricing information, alternative information, coupon information and promotional information, further comprising the step of displaying the pricing information, the alternative information, the coupon information or the promotional information to the user.
6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the pricing information alternative information, the coupon information and the promotional information are based on the list of goods or services communicated to the computer system.
7. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the step of displaying the pricing information, the alternative information, the coupon information or the promotional information is based on a position of the portable computing device within the geographic area.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the list of available goods or services is organized based on a position of the portable computing device within the geographic area.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the information about the plurality of goods or services includes additional information about the one or more goods or services within the geographic area.
10. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the additional information includes information comparing one good or service on the list of goods or services to one or more other goods or services within the geographic area.
11. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the status for the available good or service and a status for the one or more next available goods or services indicate the user has accepted the available good or service or the one or more next available goods or services, wherein the additional information includes price information based on the status for the available good or service and the status for the one or more next available goods or services.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 , further comprising the step of providing a total cost based on the price information.
13. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising the step of comparing the total cost to a user budget.
14. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising the step of communicating the total cost to a check-out system.
15. The method as recited in claim 14 , further comprising the step of communicating payment information to the check-out system.
16. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the geographic area is selected from the group consisting of a store, a warehouse, a shopping mall, a sport park, a stadium, a college campus, a metropolitan area, a city center, and a geographically limited area.
17. A method for enabling a user of a portable computing device to locate and set a status for one or more goods or services with a geographic area from a list of goods or services, comprising the steps of:
communicating the list of goods or services to a computer system including information about a plurality of goods or services within the geographic area, availability information about the one or more goods or services among the plurality of goods or services, and physical location information about the one or more goods or services among the plurality goods or services available within the geographic area;
receiving a list of available goods or services on the portable computing device from the computer system based on a comparison of the list of goods or services against the availability information;
displaying a map depicting at least some portion of the geographic area and a physical location indicator on the portable computing device for a first available good or service from the list of available goods or services;
setting the status for the first available good or service; and
displaying the map and a next physical location indicator on the portable computer device for one or more next available goods or services from the list of available goods or services after setting the status for one or more prior available goods or services on the list of available goods or services.
18. The method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising the step of determining a position of the portable computing device within the geographic area, wherein the steps of displaying are based on the position.
19. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the information about the plurality of goods or services includes pricing information, further comprising the step of displaying the pricing information.
20. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the information about the plurality of goods or services includes alternative information based on the list of goods or services, further comprising the step of displaying the alternative information.
21. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the information about the plurality of goods or services includes promotional information based on the list of available goods or services, further comprising the step of displaying the promotional information.
22. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the information about the plurality of goods or services includes coupon information based on the list of available goods or services, further comprising the step of displaying the coupon information.
23. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the information about the plurality of goods or services includes alternative information, promotional information and coupon information, further comprising the steps of:
determining a position of the portable computing device within the geographic area; and
displaying the alternative information, the promotional information and the coupon information based on the position.
24. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the step of setting the status includes receiving an input indicating whether the user has accepted or rejected the first available good or service or the one or more prior available goods or services.
25. The method as recited in claim 24 , further comprising the step of providing a total cost of goods or services based on the input.
26. The method as recited in claim 25 , further comprising the step of communicating the total cost to a check-out system.
27. The method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising the step of communicating payment information to the check-out system.
28. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the geographic area is selected from the group consisting of a store, a warehouse, a shopping mall, a sport park, a stadium, a college campus, a metropolitan area, a city center, and a geographically limited area.