Patents by Inventor Nicholas L. Eby
Nicholas L. Eby 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).
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Patent number: 11942199Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus are disclosed to initialize a pharmacy application in a mobile computing device, the pharmacy application configured to prompt a user for a location acceptance via a question prompt notification. The pharmacy application may be launched in a background process of the mobile computing device, without user intervention, wherein the pharmacy application is configured to transmit a location of the mobile computing device and customer identification information to a remote pharmacy computing system, and receive a ready prescription including a pickup location at a predetermined pharmacy location from the remote pharmacy computing system. When the mobile computing device is within a proximity of the predetermined pharmacy location, the pharmacy application may display, on the mobile communication device, an indication that the ready prescription is available at the pickup location.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2019Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Timothy P. McCauley, Jon Turkington, Abhinav Dhar, Dejan Kozic, Nicholas L. Eby
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Patent number: 11853959Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 26, 2020Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Nicholas L. Eby
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Patent number: 11715124Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for identifying and communicating with a user through the user's mobile device. One example method includes receiving, from the mobile device, a user identifier associated with the user and an entity identifier associated with an entity location, the entity identifier being obtained by the mobile device from a wireless transmitter located adjacent to an entrance of the entity location; retrieving user profile data associated with the user identifier from a user database, the user profile data including a user qualifier; providing the user profile data to a display device at the entity location, the display device configured to display the user profile data, including the user qualifier; and sending at least one notification to the mobile device for display thereon, the at least one notification comprising at least one of information related to the entity location and a portion of the user profile data.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2021Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Nicholas L. Eby, Joe Rago, Kartik Subramanian
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Patent number: 11593857Abstract: Embodiments are provided for enhancing an in-store retail experience for a customer by facilitating search queries for products and services available for sale in a retail store. According to certain aspects, an electronic device may receive a search string associated with the retail store and transmit the search string to a server that may execute a corresponding search query. The server may send results from the search query to the electronic device, which may dynamically update an interface accessible by a user. The user may view the information and make appropriate selections.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2015Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Joseph M. Rago, Nicholas L. Eby
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Patent number: 11587151Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 5, 2021Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago
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Patent number: 11386481Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 15, 2019Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago
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Patent number: 11232386Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 12, 2020Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Timothy P. McCauley, Nicholas L. Eby
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Patent number: 11157596Abstract: The methods and systems may allow a user to launch a client application on an internet-enabled device, and to subsequently navigate to an image capture screen within the client application. In response to receiving a command from a user, the client application may execute a barcode scanning routine to scan a barcode, and that decodes the barcode into prescription label data. Alternatively, the prescription label data may be manually entered by a user. The automatic data access methods and systems may automatically retrieve prescription status data according to the prescription label data. The prescription status data may be indicative of a prescription from a first pharmacy, a prescription from a second pharmacy, or a prescription that has already been filled. The methods and systems either automatically refills the prescription, automatically generates a prescription transfer request, or automatically generates a prescription already filled message, based on the prescription status data.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2015Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago, Timothy P. McCauley
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Patent number: 10929919Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 6, 2018Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago
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Patent number: 10817827Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 28, 2017Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Nicholas L. Eby
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Patent number: 10817828Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed to determine customer's pick-up information and their position while waiting at a brick-and-mortar store. The brick-and-mortar store 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 pick-up information, each customer's pick-up order may be retrieved. Furthermore, by analyzing the ranging data, the position of each customer at the brick-and-mortar store may be determined. A brick-and-mortar store computing device is disclosed that may display each customer's position at the brick-and-mortar store along with their pick-up order information.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Nicholas L. Eby
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Patent number: 10621536Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 20, 2019Date of Patent: April 14, 2020Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Timothy P. McCauley, Nicholas L. Eby
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Patent number: 10467573Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 27, 2017Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Timothy P. McCauley, Nicholas L. Eby
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Patent number: 10204372Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 2, 2015Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago
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Patent number: 10163150Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 7, 2016Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago
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Patent number: 10068221Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 29, 2014Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Gregory B. Thomas, Nicholas L. Eby, Joseph M. Rago
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Patent number: 9904903Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 31, 2014Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: WALGREEN CO.Inventors: Benjamin Weiss, Nicholas L. Eby