Systems And Methods For Location-Based Notifications For Shopping Assistance

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for location-based notifications for shopping assistance. One disclosed method includes the steps of receiving a list of items for a shopping list; obtaining a location of at least one of the items in the list; responsive to a determination that a proximity of a user device to the location is within a threshold proximity of the location: generating a notification signal based on the proximity of the user device to the location; and outputting the notification signal to cause the user device to output a notification.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a list of items for a shopping list;   obtaining a location of at least one of the items in the shopping list within a store;   determining a vector associated with a state of a user device, wherein the vector indicates movement of the user device toward or away from the location or that the user device is substantially stationary;   responsive to a determination that a proximity of the user device to the location is within a threshold proximity of the location and a determination to generate a haptic effect based on the vector:
 generating a notification signal based on the proximity of the user device to the location, wherein the notification signal comprises a haptic signal; and 
 outputting the haptic signal to cause the user device to output a haptic effect. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the haptic signal comprises determining a parameter of the haptic signal based on a magnitude of the proximity of the user device to the location. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to indicate a direction to the location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to indicate a quantity of the at least one item to obtain. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user device comprises a first user device, and further comprising, subsequent to outputting the notification signal:
 receiving an input on the user device; and   in response to receiving the input, providing additional information about the location to a second user device.   
     
     
         7 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the user device, that the user device is within a threshold proximity of the location based on a near-field communication or detection of an RFID tag for the at least one item. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the user device, that the user device is within a threshold proximity of the location based on an image captured by a camera of the user device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the user device, that the user device is within a threshold proximity of the location based at least in part on a received WiFi signal or a received GPS signal. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user device comprises a wearable device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wearable device comprises one of a virtual or augmented reality headset, a wristwatch device, or an earpiece device. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user device comprises a smartphone. 
     
     
         19 . A device comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium;   a sensor configured to output sensor signals;   a haptic output device; and   a processor in communication with the non-transitory computer-readable medium and the haptic output device, the processor configured to:
 access a list of items for a shopping list; 
 obtain a location of at least one of the items in the shopping list; 
 determine a location of the device based at least in part on a sensor signal received from the sensor; 
 determine a vector associated with a state of the device, wherein the vector indicates movement of the device toward or away from the location or that the device is substantially stationary; 
 in response to a determination that a proximity of the device to the location is within a threshold proximity of the location based on the determined location of the device:
 generate a haptic signal based on the proximity of the device to the location; and 
 transmit the haptic signal to the haptic output device to cause the haptic output device to output a haptic effect. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the device is affixed to a shopping cart or a shopping basket. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code executable by a processor and configured to cause a processor to:
 receive a list of items for a shopping list;   obtain a location of at least one of the items in the shopping list;   determine a vector associated with a state of a user device, wherein the vector indicates movement of the user device toward or away from the location or that the user device is substantially stationary;   responsive to a determination that a proximity of the user device to the location is within a threshold proximity of the location and a determination to generate a haptic effect based on the vector:
 generate a notification signal based on the proximity of the user device to the location, wherein the notification signal comprises a haptic signal; and 
   output the haptic signal to cause the user device to output a haptic effect.   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to indicate a direction to the location. 
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to indicate a quantity of the at least one item to obtain. 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the user device comprises a wearable device. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the wearable device comprises one of a virtual or augmented reality headset, a wristwatch device, or an earpiece device. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the device comprises a wearable device. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the wearable device comprises one of a virtual or augmented reality headset, a wristwatch device, or an earpiece device.