System and method for tracking

• US 10,025,964 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald R., McHale, Brian Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US15/241,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20170061181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10732 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10762 Relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for tracking people in a retail store. The system uses the retail store'"'"'s digital map, video cameras, unique identifiers, video analytics, geo location technology and a customer'"'"'s mobile device. The unique identifiers may be labels on hats using, for example, invisible ink or magnetic ink. The digital map of the retail store is used to track people. The user of the tracking system is able to track their party throughout the store even if the other people in the party do not have a mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for customers in a retail store of tracking at least one additional person comprising:

providing a customer with a tracking application for a mobile computing device;

providing the customer with a unique code for each of the at least one additional person, wherein the unique code is visible through video recognition on each of the at least one additional person; and

activating the unique code on the mobile computing device of the customer by first scanning the unique code and associating the unique code with the tracking application, wherein location of the unique code is tracked on the mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique code is on a garment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique code is on a self stick label.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique code is anonymous.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique code is in invisible ink or magnetic ink.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the video location technology includes the retail store'"'"'s video surveillance cameras, a central computer system, video analytics, and digital store mapping.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the unique code is identified by the retail store'"'"'s video surveillance cameras.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital store mapping is of the retail store.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer is outside the retail store when tracking the at least one additional person.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique code works only in the retail store.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer is also provided a unique code visible with video recognition.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer is tracked with LED smart lighting.