Employing A Shopping List On A Hand-Held Communications Device At A Retailer

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented process for scanning products in a retail store and updating a shopping list based upon the scanned products, the process comprising:
 employing a hand-held communications device to capture information associated with a selected product; and   within a computerized processor,
 comparing the information associated with the selected product with a plurality of desired items contained on the shopping list, wherein the shopping list is accessible to the hand-held communications device; and 
 upon correlating the selected product with one of the desired items contained on the shopping list, updating the shopping list to indicate the desired item has been acquired. 
   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein employing the hand-held communications device to capture information associated with the selected product comprises employing a scanning device of the hand-held communications device to scan a universal product code associated with the selected product. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising generating the shopping list on the hand-held communications device, the shopping list comprising the plurality of desired items for purchase. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein correlating the selected product with one of the desired items contained on the shopping list comprises:
 comparing the information associated with the selected product with the desired items contained on the shopping list; and   identifying the selected product as fulfilling one of the desired items on the shopping list based upon correspondence between the information for the selected product and the terms employed for the desired item on the shopping list.   
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein identifying the selected product as fulfilling the desired item is further based upon one of referencing statistical data regarding the historical results of the selected product fulfilling the desired item and a learning program including analysis of historical decisions of a customer using the hand-held communications device. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein correlating the selected product with one of the desired items contained on the shopping list comprises:
 employing a query box, the query box depicting the selected product and one of the desired items on a screen of the hand-held communications device;   querying whether the selected product matches the desired item; and   determining whether the selected product matches the desired item based upon an answer to the query.   
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein querying whether the selected product matches the desired item comprises employing text on the screen of the hand-held communications device to query whether the selected product matches the desired item. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein querying whether the selected product matches the desired item comprises employing audio of the hand-held communications device to query whether the selected product matches the desired item. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising generating the shopping list on the hand-held communications device. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein generating the shopping list on the hand-held communications device comprises generating the shopping list employing information from a second-source website. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein generating the shopping list on the hand-held communications device comprises generating the shopping list employing a keyboard entry of the hand-held communications device. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein generating the shopping list on the hand-held communications device comprises generating the shopping list employing voice entry to the hand-held communications device. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating the shopping list through a registered online account; and   downloading the list to the hand-held communications device.   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring an entry to the shopping list; and   if the entry is a generic description of a group of items, offering specific items available in the retail store for selection to the shopping list.   
     
     
         15 . A computerized server for comparing and item scanned for purchase in a retail store to a plurality of desired items from a shopping list, the server comprising:
 a shopping list coordination module receiving the shopping list including the plurality of desired items; and   a scanned item to desired item comparison module
 receiving identification of the item scanned for purchase; 
 comparing the identification of the item scanned to the plurality of desired items; and 
 identifying that one of the desired items is fulfilled based upon the comparing; 
   
       wherein the shopping list coordination module further initiates an indication a customer that the desired item has been identified as fulfilled. 
     
     
         16 . The computerized server of  claim 15 , wherein the scanned item to desired item comparison module identifying that one of the desired items is fulfilled comprises the module identifying that a universal product code of the one of the desired items matches the scanned item. 
     
     
         17 . The computerized server of  claim 15 , wherein the scanned item to desired item comparison module identifying that one of the desired items is fulfilled comprises the module identifying that the scanned item includes a stored descriptor that matches a generic description of the one of the desired items. 
     
     
         18 . A software application monitoring items scanned for purchase at a retail store and checking the items off of a shopping list, the application comprising:
 in a processor of a hand-held communications device,
 monitoring the shopping list including a plurality of desired items; 
 monitoring a scanned item for purchase; 
 comparing the scanned item to the shopping list; 
 identifying one of the desired items as fulfilled based upon the comparing; and 
 generating a display graphic indicating to a user of the communications device that fulfilled desired item has been fulfilled. 
   
     
     
         19 . The software application of  claim 16 , further comprising generating a sound when one of the desired items is identified as being fulfilled.