Patents Assigned to Walgreen Co.
  • Patent number: 10318907
    Abstract: A method for automatically mapping a store layout includes identifying a path for traversing a retail area and capturing images of the retail area at various points along the path. The images may be analyzed to identify visual characteristics which may be compared to a template of retail products in a template library. When an object depicted in the image matches with a retail product in the template library, the object may correspond to the retail product. Additionally, a retail department for the object may also be identified. The retail department may be compared to the retail product corresponding to the object, and when the retail product is not associated with the retail department, another retail product which is associated with the retail department may be identified as corresponding to the object. A map of the store layout may be generated based on the identified retail products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignees: WALGREEN CO., The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
    Inventors: John M. Bergstrom, Jonas Cleveland, Dinesh Thakur, Philip Dames, Cody Philips, Terry Kientz, Kostas Daniilidis, Vijay Kumar
  • Patent number: 10311536
    Abstract: A method and system may provide an automated pharmacy processing system which automatically processes an electronic prescription by converting the electronic prescription into a pharmacy prescription record. In this way, an electronic prescription can be filled by a pharmacist without manual data entry. The system receives an electronic prescription and compares data from the electronic prescription with entries in one or more pharmacy database(s). When there is a match between the electronic prescription data and an entry in the one or more pharmacy database(s), the system populates the pharmacy prescription record with data from the matching pharmacy database entry. If all of the data fields from the pharmacy prescription record have been populated the pharmacist can fill the electronic prescription.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Mohsin O. Ansari, Jill M. Kunicki, Paul K. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10270920
    Abstract: The method and system allow a user to launch a client application on an web-enabled device and subsequently to navigate to an image source screen within the client application. After receiving an image source selection from the user, the client application retrieves images from the selected image source. The client application displays the retrieved images available for printing to a user, and in response to receiving a selection of an image, the client application transmits the image to a proprietary server. Moreover, upon receiving print order information, the client application additionally executes a location awareness application that determines a current location of the web-enabled device and subsequently, determines a proximal retail store to the current location of the web-enabled device. Thereafter, the remote printing system creates and transmits a print order that includes the selected image to the retail store for pickup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Tim P. McCauley, Mathew Alexander, Joseph M. Rago
  • Patent number: 10235347
    Abstract: Methods and systems for generating adaptive electronic communications such as e-mails for access by a plurality of different electronic devices. According to aspects, the methods and systems may facilitate the design of an adaptive communication through the ordering of modules specifying the markup of various display content such as text and images, where the adaptive communication includes multiple layouts that are designed according to various display characteristics of accessing devices. The systems and methods add media queries to the adaptive communications that specify which of the layouts that an accessing device should display to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Nicholas F. Jenkins, Joshua L. Holden, Neer Spinner, Stefan R. Clark, Marina Karassellos, Chelsea Coolsaet
  • Patent number: 10235499
    Abstract: A method for refilling prescriptions including granting access to a website including content from a first server coupled to a network; verifying a username and password entry from a customer; and granting the customer access to a secured portion of the website after verification; generating a prescription order selection display for the customer; generating a display for the customer to allow the customer to access pharmacy data; when the customer selects the prescription order selection, generating one or more prescription order displays to allow the customer to refill a particular prescription; when the customer refills a particular prescription, sending a confirmation of the refill of the particular prescription to the customer; when the customer chooses to access pharmacy data, generating one or more pharmacy data access displays for the customer wherein the customer is allowed to access at least one of a personal prescription history or specific drug information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Michael Bleser, Tim McCauley, George Riedl, Ron Weinert
  • Patent number: 10210311
    Abstract: The method and system may provide a service that allows a customer to order refills of one or more prescription medications in a quick and hassle-free manner from a remote location using a computer or mobile device. The customer replies to an electronic refill reminder that includes refill-eligible prescription numbers and a refill reminder identifier. The system receives the refill reply electronic message from the customer and validates the refill reminder identifier associated with the refill reply electronic message. The system then generates a refill order number associated with the refill reminder identifier, retrieves one or more prescription numbers associated with the refill reminder identifier, and transmits the generated refill order number and retrieved one or more prescription numbers for fulfillment. The customer receives a refill order confirmation electronic message from the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventor: Anshuman Taneja
  • Patent number: 10204372
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for enhancing an in-store experience for a user of an electronic device. According to certain aspects, the electronic device initiates an in-store mode of an application when the electronic device is located within a retail store, where the in-store mode may enable certain functionalities having certain capabilities. The electronic device may detect when it connects to a network within the retail store and, in response, may indicate enhanced capabilities of the functionalities. The user may select an enhanced capability, and the electronic device may facilitate the associated functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago
  • Patent number: 10205835
    Abstract: Methods and systems for preventing the cropping of faces depicted by digital photographs are provided. To this end, the methods and systems may automatically detect the presence of faces depicted by the digital photographs and generate a facial boundary for the faces. The methods and system may also generate a crop boundary at which the photograph is cropped. In some scenarios, the systems and methods attempt to locate the crop boundary on the digital photograph to prevent omitting a portion of the facial boundary. Additionally or alternatively, users are provided an interface to manually set a location for the crop boundary. The user is warned if the crop boundary omits a portion of the facial boundary. The digital photographs and crop boundaries are sent to a printer to generate a physical print of the digital photographs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Joseph Zizzo, Benjamin Weiss
  • Patent number: 10192417
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and techniques for mitigating retail theft include securing items at a receptacle of a retailer via an electronic lock, and providing a transceiver that is proximate to the secured items and that transmits a beacon which may be detected by a personal electronic device (PED) of a customer. Based on a wireless transmission between the PED and the transceiver, a customer's identity may be determined and the customer's risk profile may be accessed. A risk score corresponding to the customer accessing the secured item may be determined based on the customer's risk profile and optionally based upon a profile of the secured item. If the risk score is indicative of an acceptable risk, a trigger to remotely unlock the electronic lock may be sent, thereby remotely and automatically allowing qualified customers to access secured items. An item's removal may be detected and tracked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Kartik Subramanian, Andrew Schweinfurth, Raymond Kim
  • Patent number: 10187375
    Abstract: A cryptographic services management engine may provide a single point of interaction for both users and administrators to manage and consume cryptographic services. Such an engine may allow centralized control over cryptography parameters, ensuring enterprise security standards are maintained while abstracting the complexity and potential for error away from users. Automating cryptographic maintenance tasks may avoid outages caused by expired or incorrect certificates, and improve reliability and predictability of critical infrastructure services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventor: Kurt Kincaid
  • Patent number: 10163150
    Abstract: Techniques for providing a seamless user experience across electronic and physical retail stores of a retailer include storing, locally with a session corresponding to a user's visit to the retailer's electronic store, indications of items that were viewed and/or focused on by the user at the electronic store. At least some of said indications may be transferred to a centralized data storage of the retailer for persistence after the session is terminated. Subsequently, an electronic device operated by the user may determine its location and determine, based on its location, a particular physical retail store of the retailer. Via communications with one or more retailer servers, items that were recently viewed by the user at the electronic store may be identified, and indications thereof may be presented on the display of the electronic device in conjunction with information corresponding to the recently viewed items at the particular physical store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago
  • Patent number: 10074084
    Abstract: In a method for advanced identification of a customer of a pharmacy, identification information of the customer is received at a first pharmacy computing device after an arrival of the customer at a pharmacy location and before an arrival of the customer at a pharmacy pick-up area of the pharmacy location. An identification of the customer is generated based on the received identification information. The identification of the customer is sent to a second pharmacy computing device. Using the second pharmacy computing device, and based on the second pharmacy computing device receiving the identification, an indication is provided to a pharmacy employee that the customer has arrived at the pharmacy location to pick up a previously prepared pharmacy order and that the pharmacy employee is to obtain the previously prepared pharmacy order for pick-up by the customer before the arrival of the customer at the pharmacy pick-up area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Nimesh S. Jhaveri, Archana Dhruve, Heather K. Hill, Dejan Kozic, Laura Jean Tebbe, Susan G. Heald, Warit Tulyathorn, Mark A. Jones, Sara B. Frisk, Jennifer M. Levin, Jennifer A. Comiskey, David T. Blanchard
  • Patent number: 10074076
    Abstract: A method and system may provide a new prescription order interface and service which allows a customer to order one or more new prescription medications in a quick and easy manner from a remote location using a computer or a mobile device. The customer provides a new paper prescription image that includes the prescription data for a pharmacy to fill the new prescription order. The new paper prescription image is received by a server and a default pickup store and a default pickup time are determined. The server also determines whether there is a high risk that the new prescription order is fraudulent. The new prescription system and method may be accessed through a series of web pages and/or via an application running on a web-enabled device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Jon Turkington, Adam Crouch, Rich Majka, Atul Singh
  • Patent number: 10068221
    Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus, and non-transitory media are disclosed to perform state-based changes on a mobile computing device. A mobile computing device may display one or more images that are indicative of a state of the mobile computing device, such as a barcode. A mobile computing device may measure characteristics of electromagnetic (EM) radiation, such as laser light from a laser scanner, received through its camera. By comparing changes in the intensity of the EM radiation over a time interval and/or a wavelength of the EM radiation to one or more threshold intensities and/or wavelength ranges, one or more trigger conditions may be identified. The one or more trigger conditions may cause the mobile computing device to execute one or more actions, which may be dependent on the present state of the mobile computing device. The actions may include various functions used in conjunction with a retailer-based mobile phone application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Gregory B. Thomas, Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago
  • Patent number: 10031974
    Abstract: A method for searching assigned planograms corresponding to a floor plan includes receiving an indication of a type of search to conduct and a search parameter. The computer-implemented method further includes searching determining if the search is for a planogram or for a product contained within a planogram. When the search is for a planogram, the property of the planogram corresponding to the search type is compared to the search parameter. When the search is for a product, the property of each product contained within each planogram corresponding to the search type is compared to the search parameter. A list of all planograms matching the search parameter or containing a product that matches the search parameter is generated. The list is interpreted by a display device running a store layout application to depict the matching planograms in a first color and non-matching planograms in a second color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Erteza A. Abdullah, Joshua P. Barrington, Scott Sorenson
  • Patent number: 9998614
    Abstract: The method and system allow a user to launch a client application on an web-enabled device and subsequently to navigate to an image source screen within the client application. After receiving an image source selection from the user, the client application retrieves images from the selected image source. The client application displays the retrieved images available for printing to a user, and in response to receiving a selection of an image, the client application transmits the image to a proprietary server. Moreover, upon receiving print order information, the client application additionally executes a location awareness application that determines a current location of the web-enabled device and subsequently, determines a proximal retail store to the current location of the web-enabled device. Thereafter, the remote printing system creates and transmits a print order that includes the selected image to the retail store for pickup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Tim P. McCauley, Mathew Alexander, Joseph M. Rago
  • Patent number: 9904903
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed to determine customer's prescription information and their position while waiting in a drive-thru lane. The drive-thru lane may have one or more transmitters installed at predetermined locations. By utilizing an application installed on each customer's mobile computing device, each mobile computing device may transmit customer information and ranging data when within range of one or more of the transmitters. The ranging data may include an indication of a range between each of the customer's mobile computing device and one or more proximate transmitters. By correlating the customer information to prescription information from recently filled and/or called in prescriptions, each customer's prescription order may be retrieved. Furthermore, by analyzing the ranging data, the position of each customer in the drive-thru lane may be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Nicholas L. Eby
  • Patent number: 9858545
    Abstract: A method for assigning a planogram to a new fixture on a floor plan includes receiving an indication of which planogram to relocate and an indication of a target fixture that the planogram will be relocated upon. The computer-implemented method further includes determining where on the target fixture the selected planogram will be place and causing databases storing assignment data to be updated to reflect the new location. Once the databases are updated to reflect the relocation, the contents of the database are analyzed by a display device running a store layout application to depict the relocated planogram on the target fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Erteza A. Abdullah, Joshua P. Barrington, Scott Sorenson
  • Patent number: 9824323
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed to detect whether an interaction has occurred between a customer and one or more store employees. By analyzing a how long a communication device used by the customer was within a threshold range of one or more devices worn by store employees, an interaction between the customer and one or more store employees may be identified. Employees whom the customer interacted with may be identified by processing transmission parameters broadcasted by the devices worn by the store employees. Thus, all employees in which a customer interacted with while visiting a store may be identified. The customer may be asked for feedback via the communication device upon detection that a customer has completed a transaction and/or left the store. Using the solicited feedback provided by the customer, various types of reports may be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Tim McCauley, Nicholas Eby
  • Patent number: D832290
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Quynh Chieu H. Tran, Satya Chandra Mouli Kota, Timothy P. McCauley