US 12,236,392 B2
Communications protocol method
Tina M. Kurtz, Rogers, AR (US); Kyle F. Graham, Rogers, AR (US); David M. Nelms, Rogers, AR (US); and Stephanie Garman, Fayetteville, AR (US)
Assigned to Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed by Walmart Apollo, LLC, Bentonville, AR (US)
Filed on Oct. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/380,794.
Application 18/380,794 is a continuation of application No. 15/413,693, filed on Jan. 24, 2017, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/286,751, filed on Jan. 25, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0054445 A1, Feb. 15, 2024
Int. Cl. G06Q 30/00 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0836 (2023.01); G06Q 30/0601 (2023.01); H04W 4/021 (2018.01)
CPC G06Q 10/0836 (2013.01) [G06Q 30/0633 (2013.01); H04W 4/021 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for communicating amongst a control circuit, a smartphone, and a mobile communications device via a communication protocol, comprising the steps of:
transmitting location information from the smartphone to the control circuit;
at the control circuit, comparing the location information against a predetermined distance threshold;
determining, at the control circuit, whether the smartphone is within a predetermined distance of a particular facility as a function of comparing the location information against the predetermined distance threshold;
in response to determining that the smartphone is within the predetermined distance of the particular facility, determining, at the control circuit, whether a temporal flag is active for the smartphone;
in response to determining that the temporal flag is active for the smartphone, not responding to the smartphone;
in response to determining that the smartphone is within the predetermined distance of the particular facility, that an item is available for a user of the smartphone, and that the temporal flag is not active, transmitting an in-app alert to the smartphone;
in response to receiving the in-app alert, and at the smartphone, presenting to the user via the smartphone an opportunity to indicate whether the user will now pick up the item or not pick up the item;
at the smartphone, and in response to detecting that the user has selected not picking up the item, transmitting a corresponding not-now message to the control circuit;
at the control circuit, and in response to receiving the corresponding message indicating that the user has selected not picking up the item, setting the temporal flag;
at the smartphone, and in response to detecting that the user has selected picking up the item, transmitting a corresponding affirmative message to the control circuit;
at the control circuit, and in response to receiving the corresponding affirmative message indicating that the user has selected picking up the item, transmitting a prompt message to the mobile communications device to alert an associate that the user will be picking up the item.