Patents by Inventor Michael Gilbert Ebener

Michael Gilbert Ebener has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12518243
    Abstract: A system comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: initiating a return request for one or more items; display on the first electronic device one or more windows of time for a driver to arrive at an address; receiving a selection of at least one of the one or more windows of time for the driver; assigning the driver to pick up the one or more items from the address; causing a second electronic device of the driver to display the address; and receiving one or more acceptance scans for the one or more items from the second electronic device of the driver. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2026
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Patent number: 12387168
    Abstract: A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: receiving an order list for delivery at a delivery address; determining an estimated order collection time; continuously monitoring, in real-time, a respective location of each delivery driver of one or more delivery drivers of at least one delivery service by receiving the respective location of each delivery driver of the one or more delivery drivers from a respective delivery driver electronic device of each delivery driver; and instructing a first delivery driver of the one or more delivery drivers to pick up one or more items in the order list and deliver the one or more items to the delivery address. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Deepak Deshpande, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener, Arnon Katz, Prakash Seetharaman
  • Patent number: 12248978
    Abstract: A system comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining, using a predictive analysis, an estimated collection time to collect one or more items of an order; receiving a mobile check-in from an electronic device indicating that a pickup is en-route to pick-up the order from the store; tracking a location of the pickup; periodically determining an estimated travel time for the pickup to travel to the store from the location, as tracked; and transmitting instructions for the one or more employees of the store to begin collecting the one or more items of the order on a store interface Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Publication number: 20240220918
    Abstract: A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations: receiving, from electronic devices of users, orders for pickup at a location during a first window of time; determining whether a congestion level at the location exceeds a predetermined level of congestion during the first window of time based on congestion data of the location; and after the congestion level at the location is determined to not exceed the predetermined level of congestion during the first window of time, transmitting a pickup request to cause an electronic device of a pickup driver to display the pickup request, wherein at least one order is fulfilled. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2024
    Publication date: July 4, 2024
    Applicant: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Patent number: 11941577
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: receiving, from one or more electronic devices of one or more users, one or more orders for pickup at a location during a first window of time; at a first time during the first window of time, determining when a designated pickup area at the location exceeds a predetermined level of congestion using: (1) continuously received mobile check-ins at the location; and (2) congestion data of the designated pickup area at the location; and when the designated pickup area at the location does not exceed the predetermined level of congestion during the first window of time, as determined at the first time, causing a pickup electronic device of a pickup to display a pickup request at the location to fulfill at least one order of the one or more orders during the first window of time. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Publication number: 20230394423
    Abstract: A system including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: receiving an order list for delivery at a delivery address; determining an estimated order collection time; continuously monitoring, in real-time, a respective location of each delivery driver of one or more delivery drivers of at least one delivery service by receiving the respective location of each delivery driver of the one or more delivery drivers from a respective delivery driver electronic device of each delivery driver; and instructing a first delivery driver of the one or more delivery drivers to pick up one or more items in the order list and deliver the one or more items to the delivery address. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Deepak Deshpande, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener, Arnon Katz, Prakash Seetharaman
  • Publication number: 20230297944
    Abstract: A system comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: initiating a return request for one or more items; display on the first electronic device one or more windows of time for a driver to arrive at an address; receiving a selection of at least one of the one or more windows of time for the driver; assigning the driver to pick up the one or more items from the address; causing a second electronic device of the driver to display the address; and receiving one or more acceptance scans for the one or more items from the second electronic device of the driver. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Applicant: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Publication number: 20230267530
    Abstract: A system comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: determining, using a predictive analysis, an estimated collection time to collect one or more items of an order; receiving a mobile check-in from an electronic device indicating that a pickup is en-route to pick-up the order from the store; tracking a location of the pickup; periodically determining an estimated travel time for the pickup to travel to the store from the location, as tracked; and transmitting instructions for the one or more employees of the store to begin collecting the one or more items of the order on a store interface Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Patent number: 11734642
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: receiving a request from a user; determining, using a regression analysis, an estimated order collection time for a collection of the one or more items of the order list by at least one collector; continuously monitoring a respective location of each respective delivery driver; continuously determining a respective estimated order pickup time for each respective delivery driver; and instructing the first delivery driver of the one or more delivery drivers to pick up the one or more items and deliver the one or more items to the delivery address. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Deepak Deshpande, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener, Arnon Katz, Prakash Seetharaman
  • Patent number: 11694153
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving a return request for an item from a customer electronic device of a customer, determining that the return request is available for a pickup return option for (1) pickup, by a driver, of the item at an address associated with the customer and (2) transportation, by the driver, of the item from the address to the store, and, if the customer selects a pickup return option: assigning the driver to pick up the item from the address and transport the item to the store, receiving a return scan for the item from a store electronic device at the store or from a driver electronic device, and initiating a refund to the customer for the item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Patent number: 11669886
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform receiving, at the one or more processors, an order from a customer electronic device; determining, using employee device data collected from one or more electronic devices of one or more employees of a store in a predictive analysis, an estimated collection time required for an employee of the one or more employees of the store to collect the one or more items of the order; receiving a check-in from an electronic device indicating that a pickup is en-route to pick-up the order; when the electronic device authorizes location tracking, tracking a location of the pickup after receiving the check-in from the electronic device; periodically determining, at one or more time intervals, an estimated travel time for the pickup to travel to the store from the location, as tracked; and when the estimated collection time is approxima
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Publication number: 20220004982
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform receiving a request from a user, wherein the request can comprise: (1) an order list of one or more items; and/or (2) a delivery address for a delivery of the one or more items of the order list to the user; determining, using a regression analysis, an estimated order collection time for a collection of the one or more items of the order list by at least one collector, wherein the regression analysis can use: one or more independent variables affecting the estimated order collection time; respective coefficients of each respective independent variable of the one or more independent variables affecting the estimated order collection time; and/or a constant applicable to the at least one collector; continuously monitoring a respective location of each respective delivery driver of one or more delivery drivers of at least on
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Deepak Deshpande, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener, Arnon Katz, Prakash Seetharaman
  • Publication number: 20220004977
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving an order from a customer for a delivery of grocery items to a fulfillment location, determining a delivery compliance time for at least one item of the grocery items, receiving a pickup notification indicating that a pickup has picked up the grocery items at a first time, determining, at a second time after the first time, if a duration of time between the first time and the second time is greater than the delivery compliance time, and, if the duration of time between the first time and the second time is greater than the delivery compliance time, coordinating displaying an expiration message on a pickup interface of a pickup electronic device of the pickup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Publication number: 20220004983
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: receiving, from one or more electronic devices of one or more users, one or more orders for pickup at a location during a first window of time; at a first time during the first window of time, determining when a designated pickup area at the location exceeds a predetermined level of congestion using: (1) continuously received mobile check-ins at the location; and (2) congestion data of the designated pickup area at the location; and when the designated pickup area at the location does not exceed the predetermined level of congestion during the first window of time, as determined at the first time, causing a pickup electronic device of a pickup to display a pickup request at the location to fulfill at least one order of the one or more orders during the first window of time. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Patent number: 11126954
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving delivery orders and/or pickup orders from customers for pickup and/or delivery of the orders during a predetermined window of time, receiving an additional delivery order from an additional customer for an additional pickup and/or delivery of the additional order to the additional customer by a delivery driver during the predetermined window of time, determining if a pickup area at the store exceeds a predetermined level of congestion during the predetermined window of time, and, if the pickup area at the store does not exceed the predetermined level of congestion during the predetermined window of time, transmitting an additional delivery request to the delivery driver to fulfill the additional delivery order during the predetermined window of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Patent number: 11126953
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving an order request from a customer, transmitting an order list from the order request to an employee of the store for a collection of products on the order list at the store by the employee, determining an estimated order collection time, continuously monitoring an estimated order pickup time for a delivery driver of a third-party delivery service, and, when the estimated order pickup time for the delivery driver is substantially equal to the estimated order collection time, transmitting a delivery request to the third-party delivery service requesting the delivery driver to pick up the products from the store and deliver the products to the delivery address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Deepak Deshpande, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener, Arnon Katz, Prakash Seetharaman
  • Patent number: 11062259
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving an order from a customer for a delivery of grocery items to a fulfillment location, determining a delivery compliance time for at least one item of the grocery items, receiving a pickup notification indicating that a pickup has picked up the grocery items at a first time, determining, at a second time after the first time, if a duration of time between the first time and the second time is greater than the delivery compliance time, and, if the duration of time between the first time and the second time is greater than the delivery compliance time, coordinating displaying an expiration message on a pickup interface of a pickup electronic device of the pickup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Publication number: 20210133859
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform receiving, at the one or more processors, an order from a customer electronic device; determining, using employee device data collected from one or more electronic devices of one or more employees of a store in a predictive analysis, an estimated collection time required for an employee of the one or more employees of the store to collect the one or more items of the order; receiving a check-in from an electronic device indicating that a pickup is en-route to pick-up the order; when the electronic device authorizes location tracking, tracking a location of the pickup after receiving the check-in from the electronic device; periodically determining, at one or more time intervals, an estimated travel time for the pickup to travel to the store from the location, as tracked; and when the estimated collection time is approxima
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener
  • Publication number: 20210073717
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage devices storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform receiving one or more orders from one or more customers, each respective order of the one or more orders comprising one or more respective items for sale at a store; and for each respective order of the one or more orders from each respective customer of the one or more customers: determining a respective order completion time based on at least one of: (1) respective availabilities of one or more store associates of the store; and (2) a respective pick time estimation for the respective order as determined by a regression analysis performed on respective historical data for available associates of the one or more store associates; and facilitating displaying, on a respective electronic device of the respective customer, the respective order completion time. Other embodiments are disclosed herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener, Pratosh Deepak Rajkhowa, Arnon Katz
  • Patent number: 10909612
    Abstract: Systems and methods including one or more processing modules and one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of receiving an order from a customer, determining an estimated collection time required for an employee of the store to collect the order at the store, receiving a mobile check-in from an electronic device indicating that a pickup is en-route to pick up the order at the store, tracking a location of the electronic device, periodically determining, at one or more time intervals, an estimated travel time for the pickup to travel to the store from the location as tracked, and, when the estimated collection time is substantially equal in duration to the estimated travel time, coordinating displaying a collection notification on a store electronic device instructing the employee of the store to begin collecting the order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO LLC
    Inventors: Austin Lee Smith, Vidyanand Krishnan, Michael Gilbert Ebener