Abstract: A retail purchasing computer system associated with a retailer is described herein. The retail purchasing computer system includes a retail server computer including a processor coupled to a memory device. The retail server computer receives, from the mobile computing device, a signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by the retailer, accesses an item database and retrieves item information associated with the item identifier, and transmits a signal including the item information to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device displays the item information and the operational input on the touchscreen upon receiving the signal including the item information from the retail server. The retail server computer receives a purchase signal including the item identifier and a unique user ID, transmitted when a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the touchscreen.

Abstract: A computer-implemented process is described and includes employing a shopping list that is accessible on a hand-held communications device, the shopping list including desired items for purchasing from a retailer. The hand-held communications device is employed at the retailer to capture information associated with a selected product. The information associated with the selected product is compared with the desired items contained on the shopping list accessible to the hand-held communications device. Upon correlating the selected product with one of the desired items contained on the shopping list, the shopping list is updated to indicate the desired item has been acquired.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for processing transactions at an in-store POS where some of the items of the transaction have not been retrieved, i.e. the customer neglected to add a needed item to a shopping cart. A customer selects a product on a user computing device and invokes display of an optical code corresponding to an unretrieved product. A point of sale (POS) device then scans the optical code to add the product to the transaction. The POS device or user computing device may transmit an alert to a representative computing device instructing a store representative to retrieve the product and deliver it to the POS or some other location.

Abstract: The present disclosure extends to displaying a portion of an image representation of a paper receipt, the image portion corresponding to a selected item from a completed transaction. In embodiments, an “eReceipt,” a digital representation of a paper receipt, is transmitted to and displayed on a customer computing device, such as an app installed on a smartphone. The eReceipt may include a list of items purchased at the transaction and additional information related to the transaction and/or items purchased. In response to the customer selecting one of the items listed on the eReceipt, a snippet of the image of the paper receipt is displayed, the snippet depicting the line item from the paper receipt that represents the selected item.

Abstract: A computer-implemented process is useful for inspecting a shopping cart in preparation for a rapid checkout from a retail store, the shopping cart including items scanned for purchase by the customer during a shopping trip in the retail store. The process includes monitoring, within a computerized server, an initiation of a rapid checkout by the customer and generating, within a computerized processor, an inspection list for a store employee based upon the initiation. The inspection list includes a summary of items scanned by the customer.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing a product to a user includes determining that an item obtained by a mobile computing device corresponding to the user is indicative of an oversized item. A first notification is generated indicating the oversized item and retrieval information related to the oversized item. The first notification is transmitted to a first facility computing device corresponding to a first facility attendant. When the user completes a transaction for the purchase of the oversized product at one of the point of sale terminal, terminal information related to the point of sale terminal is obtained. A second notification is generated related to the terminal information. The second notification is transmitted to a second facility computing device corresponding to a second facility attendant.

Abstract: A method to provide an active parking system includes receiving, at a portable computerized device, parking preferences of a user for a parking facility of a retail store, determining, within a parking space index server, an availability status of each of a plurality of parking spaces of the parking facility, identifying, within a computerized device, a preferred parking location for the user based upon the parking preferences and the availability statuses, and displaying, at a computerized display, directions for the user to navigate to the preferred parking location.

Abstract: Embodiments for determining a completing a purchase transaction at a waypoint where a customer is located within a retail store are disclosed. The embodiments include determining waypoint of the customer, receiving waypoint data including the location of the customer positions within the retail store and a shopping list identifying items that the customer desires to purchase, and completing the purchase transaction for the items at the waypoint.

Abstract: A computer-implemented process aiding a customer scan and rapid checkout process can include monitoring a shopping cart basket weight. The process includes monitoring, in a computerized processor installed to a shopping cart of a customer, a signal from a weight device configured to monitor the shopping cart basket weight. The process further includes automatically generating a basket weight output value based upon the shopping cart basket weight. The basket weight output value includes one of a check against an expected weight of an item from a database, a billing statement total for a bulk good, a check against an expected total order weight to confirm presence of an un-scanned item in the shopping cart basket, and a check against unsafe use of the shopping cart. The process further includes providing a message based upon the basket weight output value.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for generating reminders to shoppers to purchase products. Using a customer's current location, products stocked at that location are identified and compared to the customer's purchase history. Items regularly purchased by the customer found among the products stocked at the location are identified. Upon departing the location without adding the product to an electronic shopping cart an alert may be generated to remind the customer to purchase the product. In some embodiment, an alert is generate for a product found in the purchase history if an elapsed time since purchase of the product exceeds an expiration period or purchase period for that product. The methods disclosed herein may be used in the context of a self-checkout using an electronic shopping cart and navigational aids to facilitate retrieval of items on a shopping list.

Abstract: The current disclosure extends to normalizing UPCs so the normalized UPCs can be readily compared against each other and used for item lookups in a local cache. Embodiments of the present disclosure include a UPC cache on a user's mobile device, such as a smartphone. In such embodiments, a UPC that is normalized following processes set forth in the present disclosure may act as a cache key for related product information stored in the cache. By conducting item lookups in a local cache, requests for that data can be served faster than if the data were stored on a remote server.

Abstract: A plurality of items is positioned in a volume scanned by a three-dimensional non-optical imaging system. The imaging system generates a three-dimensional voxel image of the volume. Voxel regions are identified and surfaces of voxel regions are analyzed to identify a symbol printed thereon. The symbols are resolved into product identifiers, which are then added to a transaction and payment for the transaction is processed. The imaging system may be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, computed tomography (CT) scanning system, terahertz (T wave) imaging system, or other imaging system.

Abstract: A retail purchasing computer system associated with a retailer is described herein. The retail purchasing computer system includes a retail server computer including a processor coupled to a memory device. The retail server computer receives, from the mobile computing device, a signal including an item identifier associated with an item for sale by the retailer, accesses an item database and retrieves item information associated with the item identifier, and transmits a signal including the item information to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device displays the item information and the operational input on the touchscreen upon receiving the signal including the item information from the retail server. The retail server computer receives a purchase signal including the item identifier and a unique user ID, transmitted when a predefined number of consecutive touch inputs of the operational input by the user via the touchscreen.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for using a mobile computing device corresponding to a user to purchase a product being offered for sale by a user includes, when the mobile computing device has selected an item indicating the product, obtaining item information related to the item. Item display data is generated based on the item information and transmitted to the mobile computing device. The item display data prompts the mobile computing device to display the item information and an operational input in a graphical user interface of the mobile computing device. A command is received in response to a prescribed number of actions input by the user to the operational input. The command causes a purchasing server to perform one or more operations.

Abstract: A method for providing an item suggested by a retailer to a user prior to an upcoming transaction at a point of sale terminal includes detecting a presence of the user at an item impulse device in a facility of retailer, wherein the item impulse device is located proximate to the point of sale terminal. When the presence of the user is detected at the item impulse device and prior to the upcoming transaction a purchase history of the user and one or more items the user currently possesses are obtained. The item suggested the retailer for the user to purchase is determined based on at least one of the purchase history and the one or more items the user currently possesses. A notification indicating the item suggested by the retailer is generated and provided to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for integrating locally carried products into web services provided by a global server. A user computing device, such as a mobile phone, is used to scan optical codes for products. A product identifier extracted from the optical code is used to request product information from a global server system with respect to the product or to take an action with respect to the product, such as adding the product to an electronic shopping cart. For locally carried products, notice may be provided to the user computing device to scan the product using an in-store scanner. Upon scanning the optical code, the in-store scanner retrieves product information from a local server system and encodes this information in an optical code, which the user computing device scans in order to use with respect to a web service or web-integrated transaction.

Abstract: Embodiments for determining whether the activity of a customer within a retail store violates a business rules are disclosed. The embodiments include a customer performing actions within a retail store via a mobile computing device, generating at least one business rule, and comparing the customer's actions with the business rules.

Abstract: A plurality of items is positioned in a volume scanned by a three-dimensional non-optical imaging system. The imaging system generates a three-dimensional voxel image of the volume. Voxel regions are identified and surfaces of voxel regions are analyzed to identify a symbol printed thereon. The symbols are resolved into product identifiers, which are then added to a transaction and payment for the transaction is processed. The imaging system may be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, computed tomography (CT) scanning system, terahertz (T wave) imaging system, or other imaging system.

Abstract: A computer-implemented process is described and includes employing a shopping list that is accessible on a hand-held communications device, the shopping list including desired items for purchasing from a retailer. The hand-held communications device is employed at the retailer to capture information associated with a selected product. The information associated with the selected product is compared with the desired items contained on the shopping list accessible to the hand-held communications device. Upon correlating the selected product with one of the desired items contained on the shopping list, the shopping list is updated to indicate the desired item has been acquired.

Abstract: A computer-implemented process for a customer to scan items for purchase and proceed to a rapid checkout can be operated within a processor of a portable computerized device. The process includes monitoring a scan of an item to be purchased, the scan comprising an image captured by a camera device of the portable computerized device, commanding deactivation of the camera device after execution of the scan, monitoring an indication by a user of the portable computerized device that an item is to be scanned, and commanding activation of the camera device based upon the monitored activation.