Patent Publication Number: US-11386481-B1

Title: Systems and methods for facilitating enhanced device functionalities within a retail store

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/790,242, filed Jul. 2, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This application generally relates to enhancing an in-store retail experience for a customer. In particular, this application relates to leveraging network connections for various enhanced functionalities that may be facilitated by portable electronic devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Portable electronic devices such as smart phones and tablet devices are becoming more ubiquitous as underlying technology and device capability improves. These devices incorporate numerous components that support various device functions and applications. For example, current smart phones include imaging components that support digital image capture, where the smart phones are capable of storing numerous digital images. 
     Often, users desire to have a set of digital images printed. There are existing applications and platforms that enable users to initiate digital image printing directly from electronic devices. However, these applications and platforms have uniform capability regardless of the environment of the user or the electronic device itself. For example, an application may set the maximum amount of images that a user can print at ten (10), regardless of where the electronic device is located or to what type of network the electronic device is connected. 
     There is therefore an opportunity to offer an improved and enhanced experience for users to facilitate remote digital image printing from an electronic device. In particular, there is an opportunity to adjust remote image printing capability in certain situations in which users may benefit from the adjusted capability. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method in an electronic device of enhancing an in-store experience within a retail store is provided. The method may include initiating, by a processor, an application associated with the retail store on the electronic device, displaying, via a user interface, an interface associated with an in-store mode of the application, the interface indicating a functionality having an initial capability, and detecting that the electronic device connects to a network associated with the retail store. The method may further include, modifying the interface to indicate an enhanced capability of the functionality in response to detecting that the electronic device connects to the network, receiving a selection of the functionality having the enhanced capability, and executing the functionality having the enhanced capability. 
     In another embodiment, an electronic device may be provided. The electronic device may include a communication module configured to connect to a network associated with a retail store, a user interface configured to display content, a memory storing a set of computer-executable instructions, and a processor interfacing with the communication module, the user interface, and the memory. The processor may be configured to execute the set of computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to initiate an application associated with the retail store, cause the user interface to display an interface associated with an in-store mode of the application, the interface indicating a functionality having an initial capability, detect that the electronic device connects, via the communication module, to the network associated with the retail store, and, in response to detecting that the electronic device connects to the network, cause the user interface to modify the interface to indicate an enhanced capability of the functionality. The processor may be further configured to receive, via the user interface, a selection of the functionality having the enhanced capability, and execute the functionality having the enhanced capability. 
     In a further embodiment, a computer-implemented method in an electronic device of facilitating printing of digital images in a retail store is provided. The method may include initiating, by a processor, an application associated with the retail store on the electronic device, displaying, via a user interface, an interface associated an in-store mode of the application, the interface indicating a functionality for printing digital images having an initial capability, and detecting that the electronic device connects to a network associated with the retail store. The method may further include modifying the interface to indicate an enhanced capability of the functionality for printing digital images in response to detecting that the electronic device connects to the network, receiving a selection of the functionality for printing digital images having the enhanced capability, generating a digital image print order indicating a set of digital images, and submitting, via the network, the digital image print order to a server associated with the retail store, the server configured to facilitate printing of the set of digital images according to the digital image print order. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed embodiments, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments. 
         FIGS. 1A-1D  illustrate various front end and back end devices and components, and connections therebetween, in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  depicts an exemplary layout of a retail and supported connections, in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a signal diagram associated with facilitating enhanced device capability within a retail store, in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIGS. 4-10  depict exemplary user interfaces associated with an application that supports enhanced device capability within a retail store, in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 11  depicts a flowchart of a method for enhancing an in-store experience within a retail store, in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The systems and methods disclosed here relate generally to enabling enhanced features for users who are in a particular environment or setting. According to certain aspects, the environment or setting may be a retail store that offers various goods or services for sale. The enhanced features may therefore provide an improved in-store experience for users, where the enhanced features may increase certain abilities and efficiencies that may relate to in-store features or functionalities. An electronic device may be capable of facilitating the features and enabling a user to make various selections and control operation of the features. 
     According to embodiments, the electronic device may support a dedicated application that is associated with an entity (e.g., a retail store or a retail chain), where the application may offer various modes depending on a context of the user and/or the electronic device itself. In an implementation, the application may detect that it is located within a particular retail store and may accordingly initiate an “in-store” mode that enables the user to view certain information or facilitate certain functionalities that are adapted to be carried out within the retail store. For example, one of the functionalities may be to initiate a print order for digital images, where in-store printers may print the digital images for pickup by the users at the retail store. 
     The application may further enable enhanced or improved features within the in-store mode in response to the electronic device connecting to an in-store network (e.g., a wireless local area network (WLAN) of the retail store). Connection to the in-store network may afford the electronic device with an improved data transfer rate, increased transmission bandwidth, and/or other benefits of the connection. Accordingly, the enhanced or improved features may utilize the in-store network and realize the benefits thereof. For example, within the in-store mode, the user may be able to submit a print order for ten (10) digital images when the electronic device is not connected to the in-store network; however when the electronic device is connected to the in-store network, the user may be able to submit a print order for an increased amount of fifty (50) digital images. Of course, the application may reflect the enhanced or improved feature(s), such as within a user interface, in response to the electronic device connecting to the in-store network. 
     The embodiments as discussed herein therefore offer benefits to users of the electronic devices as well as to retailers. In particular, users are able to take advantage of the enhanced or improved features when in a certain environment or setting which caters to the enhanced or improved features, which generally improves in-store experiences for the users. Further, by offering the enhanced or improved features, retailers are able to build brand loyalty, increase customer retention, and generally increase in-store customer traffic and sales resulting therefrom. It should be appreciated that other advantages and benefits are envisioned. 
     The systems and methods discussed herein therefore address a challenge that is particular to electronic devices. In particular, the challenge relates to the general inability of electronic devices to be aware of their current environments or settings. In some situations, then, electronic devices are unable to offer certain improved functionalities that may be afforded by a particular network to which the electronic devices may connect. This is particularly apparent in functionalities which may result in improved experiences for users of the electronic devices. Instead of being limited by functionalities programmed within applications, the electronic devices of the present embodiments may detect certain network connections and dynamically enable enhanced or improved features that the network connections are capable of supporting. Further, as an example, the electronic devices have the capability to prioritize digital image print orders when the orders are placed when the electronic devices are connected to certain networks. Accordingly, the systems and methods are necessarily rooted in computer technology in order to overcome the noted shortcomings that specifically arise in the realm of electronic devices. 
     Similarly, the systems and methods provide improvements in a technical field, namely, e-commerce. Instead of the systems and methods merely being performed by hardware components using basic functions, the systems and methods employ complex steps that go beyond the mere concept of simply retrieving and combining data using a computer. In particular, the hardware components detect a current environment or setting as well as available network connections within that current environment or setting, dynamically increase the capabilities of certain e-commerce functionalities based on the network connections, and facilitate the e-commerce functionalities via the network connections. This combination of elements impose meaningful limits in that the operations are applied to improve e-commerce by enabling electronic device users to facilitate enhanced or improved e-commerce features that utilize current network capabilities in a meaningful and effective way. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates an overall system  100  including various components configured to implement the various embodiments. The system  100  may include a combination of hardware and software components, as well as various data communication channels for communicating data between and among the various hardware and software components. The system  100  may be roughly divided into front-end components  102  and back-end components  104 . The front-end components  102  may be primarily disposed within a retail network  110  that may include one or more retail stores  112 . The retail stores  112  may be located, by way of example rather than limitation, in separate geographic locations from each other, including different areas of the same city, different cities, or even different states. According to the present embodiments, each of the retail stores  112  may be a “brick and mortar” store that may include one or more physical buildings or structures, where each of the retail stores  112  may accommodate shoppers and customers. A brick and mortal store may be distinguished from an on-line store or website, or a mail-order store. 
     The front-end components  102  may include a number of workstations  128 . The workstations  128  may be local computers located in the various retail stores  112  throughout the retail network  110  and may be capable of executing various applications, such as handing digital image print orders. Retail store personnel (not shown) may use the workstations  128  to access customer information, access images, and payment information, and/or other data. 
     The retail network  110  may also include one or more warehouses or central-printing facilities  118 . The warehouses or central-printing facilities  118  may distribute image prints to the various retail stores  112  in the retail network  110 , or may distribute image prints directly to customers. Internet-enabled devices (or client devices)  206 - 216  (e.g., personal computers, cellular phones, smart phones, internet-enabled televisions, etc.) may be communicatively connected to the retail stores  112  and to a system  140  through one or more digital networks  130 , as described below. 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the front-end components  102  may also comprise a plurality of facility servers  126  disposed at the plurality of retail stores  112  instead of, or in addition to, a plurality of workstations  128 . Each of the retail stores  112  may include one or more facility servers  126  that may facilitate communications between the workstations  128  of the retail stores  112  via the digital network(s)  130 , and may store information for a plurality of customers/employees/accounts/etc. associated with each facility. Of course, a local digital network  184  may also operatively connect each of the workstations  128  to the facility server  126 . Unless otherwise indicated, any discussion of the workstations  128  may also refer to the facility servers  126 , and vice versa. Moreover, environments other than the retail stores  112  may employ the workstations  128  and the servers  126 . 
     The front-end components  102  may communicate with the back-end components  104  via the digital network(s)  130 . One or more of the front-end components  102  may be excluded from communication with the back-end components  104  by configuration or by limiting access due to security concerns. For example, the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  may be excluded from direct access to the back-end components  104 . In some embodiments, the retail stores  112  may communicate with the back-end components via the digital network(s)  130 . In other embodiments, the retail stores  112  and the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  may communicate with the back-end components  104  via the same digital network  130 , but digital access rights, IP masking, and other network configurations may deny access to the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216 . 
     The digital network(s)  130  may be a proprietary network, a secure public Internet, a virtual private network or some other type of network, such as dedicated access lines, plain ordinary telephone lines, satellite links, combinations of these, etc. Where the digital network  130  comprises the Internet, data communication may take place over the digital network  130  via an Internet communication protocol. In addition to one or more servers  202  (described below), the back-end components  104  may include the central processing system  140 . 
     Of course, the retail stores  112  may be communicatively connected to different back-end components  104  having one or more functions or capabilities that are similar to the central processing system  140 . The central processing system  140  may include one or more computer processors  162  adapted and configured to execute various software applications and components of the remote printing system  100 , in addition to other software applications. The central processing system  140  may further include a database  146 . The database  146  is adapted to store data related to the operation of the system  100  (e.g., customer profile data, past print purchases, images uploaded to the customer accounts, etc.) The central processing system  140  may access data stored in the database  146  when executing various functions and tasks associated with the operation of the remote printing system  100 . 
     Although  FIG. 1A  depicts the remote printing system  100  as including the central processing system  140  in communication with three retail stores  112 , and various internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  it should be understood that different numbers of processing systems, retail stores, and devices may be utilized. For example, the digital network(s)  130  (or other digital networks, not shown) may interconnect the central processing system  140  to a plurality of included central processing systems  140 , hundreds of retail stores  112 , and thousands of internet-enabled devices  206 - 216 . According to the disclosed example, this configuration may provide several advantages, such as, for example, enabling near real-time uploads and downloads of information as well as periodic uploads and downloads of information. This may provide for a primary backup of all the information generated in supported functionalities. Alternatively, some of the retail stores  112  may store data locally on the facility server  126  and/or the workstations  128 . 
       FIG. 1A  also depicts one possible embodiment of the central processing system  140 . The central processing system  140  may have a controller  155  operatively connected to the database  146  via a link  156  connected to an input/output (I/O) circuit  166 . It should be noted that, while not shown, additional databases may be linked to the controller  155  in a known manner. 
     The controller  155  may include a program memory  160 , the processor  162  (which may be called a microcontroller or a microprocessor), a random-access memory (RAM)  164 , and the input/output (I/O) circuit  166 , all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus  165 . It should be appreciated that although only one microprocessor  162  is shown, the controller  155  may include multiple microprocessors  162 . Similarly, the memory of the controller  155  may include multiple RAMs  164  and multiple program memories  160 . Although the I/O circuit  166  is shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit  166  may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s)  164  and the program memories  160  may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example. A link  135  may operatively connect the controller  155  to the digital network  130  through the I/O circuit  166 . 
     The program memory  160  may also contain machine-readable instructions (i.e., software)  171 , for execution by the processor  162 . The software  171  may perform the various tasks associated with operation of the retail store or retail stores, and may be a single module  171  or a plurality of modules  171 A,  171 B. While the software  171  is depicted in  FIG. 1A  as including two modules,  171 A and  171 B, the software  171  may include any number of modules accomplishing tasks related to retail store operation. The central processing system  140  may implement a server application  113  for providing data to a user interface application  111  operating on the workstations  128 . 
     For purposes of implementing the system  100 , a user may interact with the server  202  and the retail store systems (e.g., the central processing system  140 ) via one of the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  (e.g., mobile device application, etc.), a specialized application, or a plurality of web pages.  FIG. 1B  depicts the server  202  connected via the network  130  to the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  through which a user may initiate and interact with the system  100  (as shown in  FIG. 1A ). The internet-enabled devices (or generally, “electronic devices”)  206 - 216  may include, by way of example, a tablet computer  206 , an internet-enabled cell phone  208 , a personal digital assistant (PDA)  210 , a smart phone  212 , a laptop computer  214 , a desktop computer  216 , a portable media player (not shown), and/or others. Of course, any internet-enabled device  206 - 216  appropriately configured may interact with the remote printing system  100 . 
     The internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  need not necessarily communicate with the network  130  via a wired connection. In some instances, the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  may communicate with the network  130  via wireless signals  220  and, in some instances, may communicate with the network  130  via an intervening wireless or wired device  218 , which may be a wireless router, a wireless repeater, a base transceiver station of a mobile telephony provider, etc. Each of the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  may interact with the server  202  to receive web pages or server data from the server  202  and may display the web pages or server data via a client application (described below). For example, the mobile device  212  may display a home screen  222  (i.e., the root or start page at which users enter the client application) of the client application to the user, may receive an input from the user, and may interact with the server  202  depending on the type of user-specified input. It will be appreciated that although only one server  202  is depicted in  FIG. 1B , multiple servers  202  may be provided for the purpose of distributing server load, serving different web pages, implementing different portions of the retail store web interface, etc. These multiple servers  202  may include a web server, an entity-specific server (e.g. an Apple® server, etc.), a server that is disposed in a retail or proprietary network, an independent third-party server that is not under the control of the entity, or others. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1C , the server  202 , like the facility server  126 , may include a controller  224 . Similar to the controllers  155  and  170 , the controller  224  may include a program memory  226 , a microcontroller or a microprocessor (MP)  228 , a random-access memory (RAM)  230 , and an input/output (I/O) circuit  234 , all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus  232 . In some embodiments, the controller  224  may also include, or otherwise be communicatively connected to, a database  239  or other data storage mechanism (e.g., one or more hard disk drives, optical storage drives, solid state storage devices, etc.). The database  239  may include data such as customer web profiles, product data, mobile device application data, web page templates and/or web pages, and other data that may be used to interact with the user through the network  130 . 
     As discussed with reference to the controllers  155  and  170 , it should be appreciated that although  FIG. 1C  depicts only one microprocessor  228 , the controller  224  may include multiple microprocessors  228 . Similarly, the memory of the controller  224  may include multiple RAMs  230  and multiple program memories  226 . Although the  FIG. 1C  depicts the I/O circuit  234  as a single block, the I/O circuit  234  may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The controller  224  may implement the RAM(s)  230  and the program memories  226  as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example. 
     In addition to being connected through the network  130  to the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216 , as depicted in  FIG. 1B ,  FIG. 1C  illustrates that the server  202  may also be connected through the network  130  to the central processing system  140  and/or one or more facility servers  126 . As described below, the connection of the server  202  to the central processing system  140  may assist in facilitating various functionalities. As a result, the server  202  may act as a routing or interfacing server between the plurality of internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  and a destination server, namely, the central processing system  140 . For example, the server  202  may be configured to communicate with the central processing system  140  and with the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  via a multitude of protocols, such as packet-switched protocols, web services, web APIs (Application Programming Interface), etc. The server  202  may also convert (if necessary) and route client application data (not shown) to the appropriate server, such as the central process system  140  for example. Additionally, the server  202  may act as the destination server and need not route any data from the internet-enabled device  206 - 216 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1C , the program memory  226  and/or the RAM  230  may store various applications for execution by the microprocessor  228 . For example, a user-interface application  236  may provide a user interface to the server  202 , which user interface may, for example, enable a network administrator to configure, troubleshoot, or test various aspects of the server&#39;s operation, or otherwise to access information thereon. A server application  238  may operate to populate and transmit client application data and web pages to the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216 , receive information from the user transmitted back to the server  202 , and forward appropriate data to the central processing system  140  and the facility servers  126 . 
     Like the software  171  of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the server application  238  may be a single module  238  or a plurality of modules  238 A,  238 B. While the server application  238  is depicted in  FIG. 1C  as including two modules,  238 A and  238 B, the server application  238  may include any number of modules that may facilitate tasks related to implantation of the server  202 . By way of example, the module  238 A may populate and transmit the client application data and/or may receive and evaluate inputs from the user to receive a data access request, while the module  238 B may communicate with one or more of the back end components  104  to fulfill a data access request. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1D , the mobile device  212  (or any of the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216 ) may include a display  240 , a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit  244 , a communication unit  258 , an image capture device  256 , a user-input device (not shown), and, like the server  202 , a controller  242 . Similar to the controllers  155  and  224 , the controller  242  includes a program memory  246 , one or more microcontroller or a microprocessor (MP)  248 , a random-access memory (RAM)  250 , and an input/output (I/O) circuit  254 , all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus  252 . 
     The program memory  246  may include an operating system  260 , a data storage  262 , a plurality of software applications  264 , and a plurality of software routines  268 . The operating system  260 , for example, may include one of a plurality of mobile platforms such as the iOS®, Android™, Palm® webOS, Windows Mobile/Phone, BlackBerry® OS, or Symbian® OS mobile technology platforms, developed by Apple® Inc., Google® Inc., Palm® Inc. (now Hewlett-Packard Company®), Microsoft Corporation®, Research in Motion® (RIM), and Nokia®, respectively. The data storage  262  may include data such as user profiles, application data for the plurality of applications  264 , routine data for the plurality of routines  268 , and other data necessary to interact with the server  202 , the facility servers  126 , or the server applications  113  through the digital network  130 . In some embodiments, the controller  242  may also include, or otherwise be communicatively connected to, other data storage mechanisms (e.g., one or more hard disk drives, optical storage drives, solid state storage devices, etc.) that may reside within the mobile device  212 . 
     The GPS unit  244  may use “Assisted GPS” (A-GPS), satellite GPS, or any other suitable global positioning protocol or system that locates the position of the mobile device  212 . For example, A-GPS utilizes terrestrial cell phone towers or Wi-Fi hotspots (e.g., wireless router points) to more accurately and more quickly determine location of the mobile device  212  while satellite GPS generally may be more useful in more remote regions that may lack cell towers or Wi-Fi hotspots. The communication unit or module  258  may communicate with the server  202  via any suitable wireless communication protocol network, such as a wireless telephony network (e.g., GSM, CDMA, LTE, etc.), a WLAN network (or other similar network according to 802.11 standards), a WiMAX network, a Bluetooth network, and/or others. 
     The image capture device  256  may be a built-in camera within the mobile device  212  or may be an external camera, such as a webcam, that is communicatively coupled with the mobile device  212  (or any other internet-enabled device  206 - 216 ). The user-input device or generally a user interface (not shown) may include a “soft” keyboard that is displayed on the display  240  of the mobile device  212 , an external hardware keyboard communicating via a wired or a wireless connection (e.g., a Bluetooth keyboard), an external mouse, or any other suitable user-input device. The user interface (which may include the display  240 ) may be configured to present information to the user and/or receive inputs from the user, and may accordingly include a set of I/O components (e.g., capacitive or resistive touch sensitive input panels, keys, buttons, lights, LEDs, cursor control devices, haptic devices, and others). In embodiments, the display  240  may be a touchscreen display using singular or combinations of display technologies and can include a thin, transparent touch sensor component superimposed upon a display section that is viewable by a user. For example, such displays include capacitive displays, resistive displays, surface acoustic wave (SAW) displays, optical imaging displays, and the like. 
     As discussed with reference to the controllers  155  and  224 , it should be appreciated that although  FIG. 1D  depicts only one microprocessor  248 , the controller  242  may include multiple microprocessors  248 . Similarly, the memory of the controller  242  may include multiple RAMs  250  and multiple program memories  246 . Although the  FIG. 1D  depicts the I/O circuit  254  as a single block, the I/O circuit  254  may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The controller  242  may implement the RAM(s)  250  and the program memories  246  as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example. 
     The one or more processors  248  may be adapted and configured to execute any one or more of the plurality of software applications  264  and/or any one or more of the plurality of software routines  268  residing in the program memory  242 , in addition to other software applications. One of the plurality of applications  264  may be a client application  266  that may be implemented as a series of machine-readable instructions for performing the various tasks associated with receiving information at, displaying information on, and transmitting information from the mobile device  212 . One of the plurality of applications  264  may be a native web browser  270 , such as, for example, Apple&#39;s Safari®, Google Android™ mobile web browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer® for Mobile, Opera Mobile™, that may be implemented as a series of machine-readable instructions for receiving, interpreting, and displaying web page information from the server  202 , the facility servers  126 , or the server applications  113  while also receiving inputs from the user. 
     Another application of the plurality of applications may include a location awareness application  276  that may be implemented as a series of machine-readable instructions for receiving, interpreting, and displaying location information of the mobile device  212  (or any other internet-enabled device  206 - 216 ) from the GPS unit  244 . One of the plurality of routines may include an image capture routine  272  that coordinates with the image capture device  256  to retrieve image data for use with one or more of the plurality of applications, such as the client application  266 , or for use with other routines. Another routine in the plurality of routines may include an image display routine  274  that receives and interprets image data of any type or format for display. Likewise, the image display routine  274  may coordinate with the image capture routine  272  to obtain image data and process the image data into a displayable format for use with the client application  266 . 
     A customer or generally a user may launch the client application  266  from an internet-enabled device, such as one of the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216 , to access the server  202  cooperating with the central processing system  140  and the retail network  110 . Additionally, the customer or the user may also launch or instantiate any other suitable user interface application (e.g., the web browser  270 , or any other one of the plurality of software applications  264 ) to access the server  202 , the facility servers  126 , or the server applications  113 . Generally, the term “user” is used when referring to a person who is operating one of the internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  and is not exclusive of the term “customer.” As described above, one or both of the databases  146  and  182 , illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , respectively, may include various information about the retail store&#39;s customers and the images printed by the retail store, as well as basic biographical information about the customer, such as a customer name, a customer address, a customer phone number, and the like. Customer records are among the exemplary data that the system  100  may store on the databases  146  and  182 . 
     In general, a computer program product in accordance with an embodiment includes a computer usable storage medium (e.g., standard random access memory (RAM), an optical disc, a universal serial bus (USB) drive, or the like) having computer-readable program code embodied therein, wherein the computer-readable program code is adapted to be executed by the processor  248  (e.g., working in connection with the operating system  260 ) to facilitate the functions as described herein. In this regard, the program code may be implemented in any desired language, and may be implemented as machine code, assembly code, byte code, interpretable source code or the like (e.g., via C, C++, Java, Actionscript, Objective-C, Javascript, CSS, XML, and/or others). 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , depicted an example layout of an example retail store  212  (such as the retail store  112  as described with respect to  FIG. 1A ). In the example depicted in  FIG. 2 , the retail store  212  is a pharmacy that may include different departments or sections (as shown: photo, pharmacy, health, and food/drink); however it should be appreciated that other types of retail stores and general environments are envisioned. Each of the different departments or sections may include various components, devices, or the like. For example, as depicted in  FIG. 2 , the photo section may include one or more printers  289  that may be configured to print digital images. 
     Customers or users  280 ,  282  may enter the retail store, browse in the various departments or sections, and/or purchase any desired goods or services. Each of the customers  280 ,  282  may be equipped with a respective electronic device  281 ,  283  (such as one of the Internet-enabled devices  206 - 216  as described with respect to  FIG. 1A ). Each electronic device  281 ,  283  may be any type of portable electronic device, for example, a notebook computer, a mobile phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a tablet computer, a multimedia player, an MP3 or MP4 player, a digital or analog broadcast receiver, a remote controller, or any other electronic apparatus. 
     According to embodiments, the retail store  212  may support various wireless local area network s (WLAN) and wireless personal area networks (WPAN) to which the electronic devices  281 ,  283  may connect. In one particular implementation, the retail store  212  may include one or more wireless access points (AP)  284  to which the electronic devices  281 ,  283  may connect via a WLAN connection. Accordingly, when the electronic devices  281 ,  283  are connected to the AP  284 , the electronic devices  281 ,  283  may be connected to the local area network implemented within the retail store  212  (i.e., the retail store  212  may be an Internet “hotspot”). 
     The retail store  212  may also be configured with a plurality of transmitters  285 ,  286 ,  287 ,  288  or “beacons” that may be disposed throughout the area of the retail store  212 . Although  FIG. 2  depicts the retail store  212  supporting four (4) transmitters  285 - 288 , it should be appreciated that the retail store  212  may support fewer or additional transmitters. The plurality of transmitters  285 - 288  may be disposed in various locations of the retail store  212  (e.g., each department may include a single transmitter). Each of the plurality of transmitters  285 - 288  may be secured to various components of the retail store  212  (e.g., shelves, ceiling, etc.). Each of the plurality of transmitters  285 - 288  may include any combination of hardware and software components, including a module for transmitting or broadcasting signals. Further, each of the plurality of transmitters  285 - 288  may be configured to be powered by a battery or via another power source. 
     According to embodiments, each of the plurality of transmitters  285 - 288  may support one or more short-range communication protocols such as radio-frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth®, Bluetooth® low energy (BLE), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), near field communication (NFC), ZigBee, other protocols defined under the IEEE 802 standard, and/or other technologies. Each of the plurality of transmitters  285 - 288  may also be configured to broadcast or transmit a signal that may include any stored data. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of transmitters  285 - 288  may continuously broadcast a signal that may include a unique identifier of the corresponding transmitter  285 - 288 . 
     The signals that the transmitters  285 - 288  broadcast may have an associated detection range depending on the type of communication protocol. Generally, Bluetooth® signals have a range of 100 meters and BLE signals have a range of 50 meters. The detection range of the signal that the transmitters  285 - 288  broadcast may also vary and may be programmable. For example, the range of a first signal that is broadcast by the transmitter  285  may be fifteen (15) meters while the range of a second signal that is broadcast by the transmitter  286  may be twenty-five (25) meters. 
     When one of the electronic devices  281 ,  283  is within broadcast range of one of the transmitters  285 - 288 , the electronic devices  281 ,  283  can detect and receive the signal. In particular, a communication module of the electronic devices  281 ,  283  that supports a short range communication protocol (e.g., a BLE chip) can detect and receive the signal. For example,  FIG. 2  depicts the electronic device  281  detecting the signal broadcast by the transmitter  285 . 
     According to embodiments, the electronic devices  281 ,  283  (and any application executing thereon) may facilitate various functionalities in response to detecting certain connections within the retail store  212 . In particular, the electronic devices  281 ,  283  may detect one or more of the transmitters  285 - 288 , and/or may connect to (or may detect the availability of) the access point  284 , and may enable various functionalities based on the connections and/or the availabilities of the connections. 
       FIG. 3  depicts a signal diagram  300  associated with facilitating certain functionalities based on connections within a retail store. In particular, the signal diagram  300  depicts facilitating a print order for digital images.  FIG. 3  includes an electronic device  310 , a server  325 , and a printer  330 . Each of the server  325  and the printer  330  may be located within or associated with a retail store or similar environment. Further, a user may operate the electronic device  310  within the retail store or similar environment. 
     The signal diagram  300  may begin when the electronic device  310  initiates ( 332 ) an application stored thereon, where the application may be associated with the retail store or an associated retail chain. For example, if the retail store is a pharmacy, then the application may be offered by the associated pharmacy company. The application may enable the user to facilitate various operations and generally make selections through the electronic device  310 , such as via a user interface of the electronic device  310 . During operation of the application, the electronic device  310  may connect to, send data to, and receive data from, a back-end server that may be separate from the server  325 , such as the server  202  as discussed with respect to  FIG. 1A . 
     The application may support an “in-store mode” that may offer various in-store functionalities associated with the retail store, where the in-store functionalities may be tailored to the user&#39;s experience within the retail store. For example, various of the in-store functionalities may include a product locator, a product scanner, a weekly ad viewer, a coupon clipper, and a shopping list viewer. Before initiating the in-store mode, the electronic device  310  may detect ( 334 ) its presence within the retail store. According to embodiments, the electronic device  310  may detect in-store presence using a variety of techniques. 
     In one implementation, the electronic device  310  may identify its location (e.g., via a GPS module) and, using a geolocation technique, determine that it is located near or within the retail store. The electronic device  310  may retrieve any location data associated with the retail store from the back-end server associated with the application or may locally access the relevant location data, where the electronic device  310  may compare its location to the retrieved location of the retail store. The electronic device  310  may be configured to continuously monitor its location, and may automatically determine when it is located near or within the retail store. 
     In another implementation, the electronic device  310  may detect a signal from an in-store transmitter or “beacon” via a short-range communication, and may examine information retrieved from the in-store transmitter to determine that the electronic device  310  is located near or within the retail store. In a further implementation, the electronic device  310  may detect that a WLAN associated with the retail store is available, and thus that the electronic device  310  is located near or within to the retail store. In particular, the electronic device  310  may detect one or more available WLAN connections each having an associated service set identification (SSID) that identifies the corresponding network. It should be appreciated that additional techniques of detecting in-store presence are envisioned. 
     After detecting its in-store presence, the electronic device  310  may initiate ( 336 ) the in-store mode associated with the application, where the in-store mode may offer various functionalities that may be specific to the user&#39;s presence within the retail store. In one implementation, the electronic device  310  may automatically initiate the in-store mode in response to determining its in-store presence (e.g., in response to detecting the availability of an in-store WLAN). In another implementation, the electronic device  310  may prompt the user to select whether to enter the in-store mode. 
     After initiating the in-store mode and indicating the various available features or functionalities, the electronic device  310  may determine ( 338 ) whether it is connected to an in-store network. In one implementation, the in-store network may be a WLAN, and the electronic device  310  may connect to the WLAN via an access point, as described with respect to  FIG. 2 . In another implementation, the in-store network may be a file transfer protocol (FTP) connection. Generally, any compatible electronic device that is within (or in some cases, in proximity to) the retail store may connect to the WLAN. In some implementations, the electronic device may initiate the in-store mode in response to connecting to the in-store network. 
     If the electronic device  310  is connected to the in-store network (“YES”), processing may proceed to ( 344 ) or to other functionality. In contrast, if the electronic device  310  is not connected to the in-store network (“NO”), the electronic device may connect ( 340 ) to the in-store network, which effectively connects the electronic device  310  to the server  325 . In an implementation, the electronic device  310  may automatically connect to the in-store network, such as if the electronic device  310  has stored the SSID of the in-store network. Further, multiple retail stores may maintain consistent SSIDs such that the electronic device  310  may automatically connect to the in-store network of any retail store in which it is located, even if the electronic device  310  has previously not connected to that in-store network. 
     After connecting to the in-store network, the electronic device  310  may modify ( 342 ) the in-store mode of the application to reflect the connection to the in-store network. According to embodiments, the modified in-store mode may offer additional, improved, enhanced, and/or otherwise modified functionalities. In one particular implementation, connection to the in-store network may increase the amount of digital images that the user may request to be printed, may increase the resolution quality of digital images that the user may request to be printed, and/or may enable other modifications. In modifying the in-store mode, the electronic device  310  may indicate, in the user interface, the modified functionality(ies). For example, the electronic device  310  may indicate, in the user interface, that the amount of digital images that the user may request to be printed has increased from ten (10) to thirty (30). For further example, the electronic device  310  may indicate, in the user interface, that the resolution quality of the digital images that the user may request to be printed has increased from 750×1334 pixels to 1080×1920 pixels. 
     In one particular implementation, at ( 344 ), the electronic device  310  may receive a request for a digital image print order. For example, the user may select a print selection displayed in the user interface as part of the modified in-store mode, where the print selection may indicate the increased capability resulting from the connection to the in-store network. In response to receiving the request, the electronic device may populate ( 346 ) information for the digital image print order. In one implementation, the electronic device may locate or identify any digital images recently captured by the electronic device  310 , where the electronic device may locate or identify the maximum amount of recent digital images. In another implementation, the electronic device  310  may enable the user to select a set of digital images for printing. 
     Further, the electronic device  310  may populate the pick-up address for the print order as the address of the retail store in which the electronic device  310  is located, and may populate the personal information of the user (e.g., name, phone, email, payment information) using any registered information of the user that may be accessed by the application. Additionally, the electronic device  310  may identify or determine the aspect ratios of the identified or selected images and may designate an appropriate size(s) for the printed images. For example, the electronic device  310  may designate any images having a square aspect ratio as 4″×4″ print images and may designate any images having a 3:2 aspect ratio as 4″×6″ print images. Moreover, the electronic device  310  may calculate and display a total charge for the order based on the amount of images, the sizes of the images, the price for each image, and/or other factors. 
     The electronic device  310  may receive (block  348 ) a submission of the digital image print order. In particular, the user may select a corresponding submit selection that is displayed in the user interface of the electronic device  310 . In an implementation, the electronic device  310  may also enable the user to agree to any terms and conditions and/or may enable the user to register for relevant communications (e.g., emails) associated with the retail store. 
     After the receiving the submission of the digital image print order, the electronic device  310  may transmit ( 350 ) the digital image print order and the populated information to the server  325  via the in-store network. The server  325  may submit ( 352 ) the digital image print order to the printer  330 . In an optional implementation, the server  325  may also request a prioritized queue position for the digital image print order, whereby the printer  330  may prioritize the digital image print order over other print orders that are not submitted via the in-store network. After receiving the digital image print order, the printer  330  may print ( 354 ) the digital images according to the digital image print order. If the digital image print order is prioritized, the printer  330  may print the digital images before printing additional orders that may be in the print queue, even if those additional orders were submitted before the digital image print order. 
     The server  325  may also support local or push notifications related to the status of the digital image print order. For example, the server  325  may send push notifications to the application of the electronic device  310  indicating a place in the print queue, that the order is being printed, and/or that the photos are ready to be picked up by the user. It should be appreciated that other delivery methods for the notifications (e.g., text message, email) are envisioned. 
       FIGS. 4-10  depict example interfaces associated with the described embodiments. An electronic device (such as the electronic device  310  as described with respect to  FIG. 3 ) may be configured to display the example interfaces via a user interface. In an implementation, the example interfaces may be associated with a dedicated application, for example an application offered for download by a retail chain. Each of the example interfaces may enable a user of the electronic device to make selections, input data or information, and generally facilitate operation of the functionalities indicated in the example interfaces. It should be appreciated that the graphical content of the example interfaces is exemplary, and that the example interfaces may include alternate, additional, and fewer graphical content. 
       FIG. 4  depicts an example interface  400  that may be associated with a home screen of the application, which may be separate from an in-store mode of the application. The interface  400  may include a set of selections associated with various functionalities that may be supported by the application. The interface  400  may also include a banner  456  that indicates an availability of an in-store mode. The banner  456  may indicate the retail store with the available in-store mode (as shown: 16 W Adams St.). As discussed herein, the electronic device may detect availability of the in-store mode via various techniques, such as geolocation, detection of an in-store transmitter, detecting the availability of an in-store network, and/or other techniques. The user may select the banner  456  and, in response to detecting the selection, the electronic device may initiate the in-store mode. In some implementations, the electronic device may automatically initiate the in-store mode. 
       FIG. 5  depicts an example interface  500  associated with the in-store mode. The electronic device may display the interface  500  in response to detecting the selection of the banner  456  by the user. In some implementations, the electronic device may automatically initiate the in-store mode (and may accordingly automatically display the interface  500 ) in response to detecting the availability of the in-store mode. The interface  500  may indicate that the in-store is active via a banner  558  that may be located at the top of the interface  500 . Further, the interface  500  may indicate various information associated with an account of the user such as, for example, an amount of available reward points or dollars. The interface  500  may further indicate various functionalities that may be selectable by the user such as, for example, a product locator, a product scanner, a weekly ad viewer, a coupon clipper, and a shopping list viewer. 
     Additionally, the interface  500  may indicate a network connection status  557  as well as a print capability  555 . The network connection status  557  may indicate whether the electronic device is connected to the in-store network (as shown in  FIG. 5 : not connected). The print capability  555  may indicate an amount of digital images that the user is able to include in a digital image print order, based on the network connection status  557 . As depicted in  FIG. 5 , because the electronic device is not connected to the in-store network, the amount of digital images indicated in the print capability  555  is ten (10) images. 
       FIG. 6  depicts an example interface  600  indicating the availability of the in-store network. In particular, the interface  600  includes a window  659  indicating that connecting to the in-store network may improve the user experience, along with a selection to initiate connecting the electronic device to the in-store network. In one implementation, selecting “OK” in the window  659  may cause the electronic device to enable the user to turn on Wi-Fi capability, after which the electronic device may connect to the in-store network (either automatically or enabling the user to manually connect). In some implementations, the electronic device may automatically detect the availability of the in-store network without displaying the window  659  (such as if Wi-Fi is already enabled), and may connect to the in-store network (either automatically or enabling the user to manually connect). 
       FIG. 7  depicts an example interface  700  that the electronic device may display after connecting to the in-store network. Accordingly, the interface  700  may include a network connection status  757  that indicates that the electronic device is connected to the in-store network. Additionally, the interface  700  may include a print capability  755  that indicates a modified amount of digital images that the user is able to include in a digital image print order. In particular, the print capability  755  indicates that the amount of digital images that the user is able to include in a digital image print order has increased from ten (10) to twenty (20). The user may initiate a digital image print order by selecting the print capability  755 . 
       FIG. 8  depicts an example interface  800  that the electronic device may display in response to initiating a digital image print order (e.g., in response to the user selecting the print capability  755  of the interface  700 ). The interface  800  may be in the form of a summary of the digital image print order and may indicate any relevant information associated with the order. In particular, the interface  800  may indicate an address  861  of the retail store in which the electronic device is located (i.e., the retail store having the in-store network to which the electronic device is connected). The interface  800  may further indicate a set of contact information of the user who initiated the digital image print order. In an implementation, the electronic device may locate or identify any recently-captured digital images to add to the order, as indicated by a window  860  of the interface  800 . In particular, because the print capability  755  indicates twenty (20) digital images, the electronic device may identify twenty (20) recently-captured images to add to the order. It should be appreciated that the electronic device may enable the user to select which digital images to add to the digital image print order. 
       FIG. 9  depicts an example interface  900  that the electronic device may display after identifying the digital images to add to the digital image print order (or after the user has selected the digital images to add). The interface  900  includes an order summary  963  that may indicate a quantity of digital images, a size of the prints for the digital images, and a dollar amount for the digital image print order. As discussed herein, the electronic device may designate the different print sizes based on the respective aspect ratios of the digital images added to the order, or based on other properties. The interface  900  may further include an option  965  that may enable the user to select to receive digital communications (e.g., emails). Further, the interface  900  may include an option  964  that may enable the user to agree to any terms and conditions. 
     The interface  900  may additionally include a submit selection  966  that, upon selection by the user, may cause the electronic device to submit the digital image print order for printing according to the order information.  FIG. 10  depicts an example interface  1000  that may indicate, via a window  1067 , that the electronic device has submitted the digital image print order, such as to a server of the retail store via the in-store network. In operation, the server may cause one or more printers that may be located within the retail store to print the digital images according to the digital image print order. In an implementation, the server may cause the one or more printers to prioritize the submitted digital image print order. Accordingly, the user may be able to pick up the printed images without having to leave the retail store. 
       FIG. 11  is a flow chart of an example method  1100  of enhancing an in-store experience within a retail store. The method  1100  may be performed by an electronic device that supports an application associated with the retail store. It should be appreciated that the method  1100  is merely exemplary and may include alternative or additional functionalities. 
     The method  1100  may begin when the electronic device initiates (block  1105 ) the application associated with the retail store. In embodiments, a user of the electronic device may select to initiate the application. The electronic device may determine (block  1110 ) whether it is located within the retail store. The electronic device may detect an in-store location according to a variety of techniques, including geolocating, detecting an available in-store network, receiving a communication from an in-store transmitter, or others. 
     If the electronic device is not located within the retail store (“NO”), processing may return to block  1110  or proceed to other functionality. If the electronic device is located within the retail store (“YES”), the electronic device may initiate (block  1115 ) an in-store mode of the application. According to embodiments, the in-store mode may offer various functionalities that may supplement or help the user with shopping for goods and services or generally navigating the retail store. One of the functionalities may be enabling the user to submit a digital image print order for a set of digital images to be printed within the retail store. Accordingly, the electronic device may display (block  1120 ) an interface indicating a functionality for printing digital images having an initial capability. In one scenario, the initial capability may correspond to an initial allowable amount of digital images to include in the digital image print order. It should be appreciated that other capabilities associated with the functionality for printing digital images are envisioned. 
     The electronic device may determine (block  1125 ) whether it is connected to a network of the retail store. In particular, the network may be a WLAN, and the electronic device may automatically connect to the network or the user may manually cause the electronic device to connect to the network. If the electronic device is not connected to the network (“NO”), processing may return to block  1125  or proceed to other functionality. If the electronic device is connected to the network (“YES”), the electronic device may modify (block  1130 ) the interface indicating the functionality for printing digital images having an enhanced capability. According to the scenario described above, the enhanced capability may correspond to an increased allowable amount of digital images to include in the digital image print order, where the increased allowable amount is greater than the initial allowable amount. It should be appreciated that other enhanced capabilities associated with the functionality for printing digital images are envisioned. 
     The electronic device may receive (block  1135 ) a selection of the functionality for printing digital images having the enhanced capability. In particular, the user may make the selection via a user interface. In response to receiving the selection, the electronic device may generate (block  1140 ) a digital image print order indicating a set of digital images. The electronic device may enable the user to select the set of digital images or the electronic device may identify any recently-captured images, where the amount of digital images in the set of digital images may reflect the enhanced capability of the functionality for printing digital images. In some implementations, the electronic device may generate the digital image print order by automatically populating information including an address of the retail store, user information associated with the user, image print sizes according to aspect ratios of the set of digital images, and/or other information. 
     The electronic device may submit (block  1145 ), via the network, the digital image print order to a server associated with the retail store. According to embodiments, the server may communicate with one or more printers that may be configured to print the set of digital images according to the digital image print order. In one embodiment, the electronic device may request the server to prioritize a queue position of the digital image print order so that the one or more printers may prioritize the printing of the set of digital images over other print orders that were not submitted via the in-store network. 
     This disclosure is intended to explain how to fashion and use various embodiments in accordance with the technology rather than to limit the true, intended, and fair scope and spirit thereof. The foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment(s) were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principle of the described technology and its practical application, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the technology in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the embodiments as determined by the appended claims, as may be amended during the pendency of this application for patent, and all equivalents thereof, when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.