Shopping list creator and optimizer

Abstract

A mobile app for a mobile device includes logic for an overlay for the UI of the mobile device, and a location on the UI where the overlay is to be displayed, as specified by the user. The mobile app also comprises a scanning layer to create a list of items to be located and acquired. Instructions for locating the items, and objectives for ordering the locations of the items on the overlay are received from the user. The objectives may be for a trip to acquire the items, such as total cost, time, number of stops, preferred establishments for acquiring the items, preferred brands of the items, and other bases. The locations of the items are identified and filtered in accordance with the instructions. The locations of the items are displayed on the overlay at the area of the user interface specified by the user, according to geographical location.

1 . A computer implemented method for creating a list of items to be located and acquired, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a user of a mobile device, via a wireless communication channel, a list of items to be located and acquired;   creating an overlay for displaying the locations of the items on a user interface of the mobile device;   receiving, from the user of the mobile device, input comprising instructions for ordering the locations of the items on the overlay at an area of the user interface specified by the user;   identifying the locations of the items;   filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the instructions; and   presenting the filtered locations of the items for display on the overlay in the area of the user interface specified by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions for ordering the locations of the items comprise at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives for a trip to obtain the items, the plurality of predetermined objectives including one of total cost, time, number of stops, preferred establishments for obtaining the items, and preferred brands of the items, and the overlay comprises an interactive map, further comprising filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of predetermined objectives. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the identifying the locations of items comprises searching a plurality of databases in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of objectives, the method further comprising:
 presenting the filtered locations of items to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device, at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of predetermined objectives.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 identifying the locations of the items by searching a plurality of databases in accordance with an alternate objective to at least one of the plurality of objectives;   filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective;   presenting the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with the alternate objective; and   transmitting to the mobile device a prompt to determine whether the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective is preferred over the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the at least one of the plurality of predetermined objectives.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 mining historical data of items purchased by the user to determine a shopping history of the user, wherein the shopping history includes an item type preference for at least some of the items in the historical data;   detecting an item on the list of items that does not include an item type preference for the item; and   adding an item type designation to the item that does not include the item type designation, based on the item type preference for the item in the shopping history of the user.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting use by the user of the mobile device, at one of the locations of the items, the use comprising the user selecting located items and checking the selected located items off the list of items; and   transmitting, to an information system associated with the one of the locations, an indication of the checked off items, as data to prepare a point of sale check-out list.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an input based on a gesture from the user of the mobile device, at one of the locations of the items, the gesture corresponding to the user selecting at least one located item for removal from the list of items; and   transmitting, to an information system associated with the one of the locations, an indication of removal of the selected located item from the list of items.   
     
     
         8 . One or more computer-readable hardware storage device having embedded therein a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, causes the computer to execute operations comprising:
 receiving, from a user of a mobile device, via a wireless communication channel, a list of items to be located and acquired;   creating an overlay for displaying the locations of the items on a user interface of the mobile device;   receiving, from the user of the mobile device, input comprising instructions for ordering the locations of the items on the overlay at an area of the user interface specified by the user;   identifying the locations of the items;   filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the instructions; and   presenting the filtered locations of the items for display on the overlay in the area of the user interface specified by the user.   
     
     
         9 . The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions for ordering the locations of the items comprise at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives for a trip to obtain the items, the plurality of predetermined objectives including one of total cost, time, number of stops, preferred establishments for obtaining the items, and preferred brands of the items, and the overlay comprises an interactive map, the operations further comprising filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives. 
     
     
         10 . The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of  claim 8 , wherein the identifying the locations of items comprises searching a plurality of databases in accordance with at least one of a plurality of objectives, the operations further comprising:
 presenting the filtered locations of items to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device, at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives.   
     
     
         11 . The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
 identifying the locations of the items by searching a plurality of databases in accordance with an alternate objective to at least one of the plurality of objectives;   filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective;   presenting the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with the alternate objective; and   transmitting to the mobile device a prompt to determine whether the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective is preferred over the filtered locations of the items in accordance with at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives.   
     
     
         12 . The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
 mining historical data of items purchased by the user to determine a shopping history of the user, wherein the shopping history includes an item type preference for at least some of the items in the historical data;   detecting an item on the list of items that does not include an item type preference for the item; and   adding an item type designation to the item that does not include the item type designation, based on the item type preference for the item in the shopping history of the user.   
     
     
         13 . The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
 detecting use by the user of the mobile device, at one of the locations of the items, the use comprising the user selecting located items and checking the selected located items off the list of items; and   transmitting, to an information system associated with the one of the locations, an indication of the checked off items, as data to prepare a point of sale check-out list.   
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer-readable hardware storage device of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving an input based on a gesture from the user of the mobile device, at one of the locations of the items, the gesture corresponding to the user selecting at least one located item for removal from the list of items; and   transmitting, to an information system associated with the one of the locations, an indication of removal of the selected located item from the list of items.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising:   receiving, from a user of a mobile device, via a wireless communication channel, a list of items to be located and acquired;   creating an overlay for displaying the locations of the items on a user interface of the mobile device;   receiving, from the user of the mobile device, input comprising instructions for ordering the locations of the items on the overlay at an area of the user interface specified by the user;   identifying the locations of the items;   filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the instructions; and   presenting the filtered locations of the items for display on the overlay in the area of the user interface specified by the user.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions for ordering the locations of the items comprise at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives for a trip to obtain the items, the plurality of predetermined objectives including one of total cost, time, number of stops, preferred establishments for obtaining the items, and preferred brands of the items, and the overlay comprises an interactive map, the operations further comprising filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the identifying the locations of items comprises searching a plurality of databases in accordance with at least one of a plurality of objectives, the operations further comprising:
 presenting the filtered locations of items to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device, at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 identifying the locations of the items by searching a plurality of databases in accordance with an alternate objective to at least one of the plurality of objectives;   filtering the locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective;   presenting the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective to the mobile device for display on the overlay on the user interface of the mobile device at the area of the user interface specified by the user, the items being located on the overlay in accordance with the alternate objective; and   transmitting to the mobile device a prompt to determine whether the filtered locations of the items in accordance with the alternate objective is preferred over the filtered locations of the items in accordance with at least one of a plurality of predetermined objectives.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 mining historical data of items purchased by the user to determine a shopping history of the user, wherein the shopping history includes an item type preference for at least some of the items in the historical data;   detecting an item on the list of items that does not include an item type preference for the item; and   adding an item type designation to the item that does not include the item type designation, based on the item type preference for the item in the shopping history of the user.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 detecting use by the user of the mobile device, at one of the locations of the items, the use comprising the user selecting located items and checking the selected located items off the list of items; and   transmitting, to an information system associated with the one of the locations, an indication of the checked off items, as data to prepare a point of sale check-out list.