Method for monitoring and analyzing behavior and uses thereof

• US 10,360,571 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpha Modus, Corp.
• Original Assignee: Alpha Modus, Corp.
• Inventors: Garel, Michael, Wang, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US14/335,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 705 729
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

Systems for monitoring and analyzing behavior in various applications and uses thereof. Generally, the systems (and uses thereof) are for monitoring and analyzing consumer purchasing behavior in real-time to drive sales via engaging digital customer experiences. In embodiments, the disclosed system can include a retail store system that features and includes MAC address tracking, user eye tracking, object identification of goods on shelves, open API, advertising broker rules engine. In addition, the system can include a customer engagement with interactive output displays including displays with demographic intelligence, displays with demographics and MAC-panels throughout store at product, displays with demographics and MAC-single panel or few panels scattered throughout store, automated customer assistance at shelf, customer purchase at shelf.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) using one or more information monitoring devices to gather information about persons in a group of persons at a location, wherein

(i) the persons are each in proximity of at least one of the one or more information monitoring devices at the location, wherein

(ii) the one or more information monitoring devices are operably connected to (A) a server, (B) one or more databases, or (C) both,

(iii) the one or more information monitoring devices comprise one or more video image devices;

(iv) the step of gathering information using the one or more information monitoring devices comprises gathering a demographic characteristic of the persons in the group of persons using the one or more video image devices, wherein the demographic characteristic is selected from a group consisting of gender of the persons, approximate age of the persons, and combinations thereof,

(v) the step of gathering information using the one or more information monitoring devices comprises gathering a sentiment characteristic of the persons in the group of persons using the one or more video image devices,

(vi) the step of gathering information using the one or more information monitoring devices comprises gathering a tracking characteristic of the persons in the group of persons, wherein the tracking characteristic of the persons is selected from a group consisting of movement of the persons relative to the one more information monitoring devices, eye movement of the persons tracked by the one or more video image devices, and combinations thereof,

(b) providing an opt-out option to the persons in the group of persons, wherein after receipt of an affirmation of the opt-out option from an opt-out person, the opt-out person is in the subset of the opt-out persons,

(c) analyzing in real time using (A) the server, (B) the one or more databases, or (C) both the information gathered by the information monitoring devices of the persons in the group of persons, except for the subset of opt-out persons who have affirmatively opted-out, wherein the analyzed information comprises the demographic characteristic of the persons, the sentiment characteristic of the persons, and the tracking information of the persons;

and

(d) providing a response in real time based upon the analyzed information gathered by the information monitoring devices, wherein the response is selected from a group consisting of

(i) engaging the person based upon the analyzed information of the person, wherein the engaging is performed using one or more displays and content being displayed on the one or more displays is selected based upon the analyzed information,

(ii) sending a communication to a second person at the location who can then in real time directly interact with the person regarding at least a portion of the analyzed information,

(iii) providing marketing or advertising information to the person in real time based upon the analyzed information, wherein the marketing or advertising information is either provided to the person by a display at the location or by sending the marketing or advertising information to the mobile device of the person, and

(iv) providing a coupon to the person in real time based upon the analyzed information, wherein the coupon is either a printed out coupon or is a digital coupon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server comprises a server located at the location operatively connected to cloud services.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

(a) the one or more information monitoring devices comprises at least three receivers located in or by the location for receiving information about the location of the person at a given time;

(b) the step of gathering comprises using the at least three receivers to determine a distance between the person and the receiver at the given time;

(c) the step of analyzing comprises using the distances between the person and the at least three receivers to track the person as the person moves about the location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising one or more displays operatively connected with the server, wherein the one or more displays engages persons at the location based upon the information gathered by the one or more information monitoring devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is a retail store.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of analyzing comprises analyzing behavior of customers in the retail store in real-time.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising one or more displays operatively connected with the server, wherein the one or more displays engages the customers based upon the information gathered by the one or more information monitoring devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein

(a) the displays are interactive displays, and

(b) the interactive displays are information monitoring devices.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of analyzing comprises determining what product within the retail store the customer is viewing.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more displays provide information to the customer based upon the information gathered by the one or more information monitoring devices.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of analyzing recognizes repeat customers of the retail store.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein

the method further comprises generating a report based upon the analyzed behavior of the customers.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein

the method further comprises registering the customer to a loyalty program, wherein the registration comprises information of the customer that is used to analyze behavior.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of analyzing comprises analyzing the customer behaviors for comparative product analysis.

15. The method of claim 6 further comprising sending a communication to an employee of the retail store to signal the employee to interact with the customer based upon the analyzed behavior of the customer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication comprises an identification of a product being sought by the customer and materials about such product.

17. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing marketing and advertising messages to the customer based upon the information gathered by the one or more information monitoring devices.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the information monitoring devices are selected from a group consisting of computing devices, user input and output devices, displays, POS devices, cameras, sensors;

WIFI devices;

in-store customer devices;

output devices;

system for communicating to user devices, and kiosks.

19. The method of claim 6 further comprising using a coupon printer operatively connected to the server to print out a coupon for a customer based upon the information gathered by the one or more information monitoring devices.

20. A method comprising:

(a) initiating an marketing campaign at a location directed to persons having a particular demographic characteristic, wherein the particular demographic characteristic is selected from a group consisting of a particular gender, a particular approximate age, and combinations thereof,

(b) using one or more information monitoring devices to gather information about the persons in the group of persons at the location, wherein

(i) the persons are each in proximity of at least one of the one or more information monitoring devices, wherein

(ii) the one or more information monitoring devices are operably connected to (A) a server, (B) one or more databases, or (C) both,

(iii) the one or more information monitoring devices comprise one or more video image devices;

(iv) the step of gathering information using the one or more information monitoring devices comprises gathering a demographic characteristic of the persons in the group of persons using the one or more video image devices, wherein the demographic characteristic is selected from a group consisting of gender of the persons, approximate age of the persons, and combinations thereof,

(v) the step of gathering information using the one or more information monitoring devices comprises gathering a tracking characteristic of the persons in the group of persons, wherein the tracking characteristic of the persons is selected from a group consisting of movement of the persons relative to the one more information monitoring devices, eye movement of the persons tracked by the one or more video image devices, and combinations thereof,

(c) analyzing using (A) the server, (B) the one or more databases, or (C) both the information gathered by the information monitoring devices, wherein the analyzed information comprises the demographic characteristic of the persons and the tracking information of the persons,

(d) utilizing the analyzed information to determine the effectiveness of the advertisement campaign directed to persons having the particular demographic characteristic, and

(e) adjusting the marketing campaign in response to the determination of the effectiveness of the marketing campaign, wherein the adjusting of the marketing campaign is selected from a group consisting of expanding the marketing campaign to one or more additional locations, ceasing the marketing campaign, and modifying one or more of product mix, inventory, and placement to increase the effectiveness of the marketing campaign.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein

(a) the location is one or more retail stores, and

(b) the persons in the group of persons are customers shopping in the one or more retail stores.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the method determines what product within the one or more retail stores the customers are viewing.

21. The method of 20, wherein

(a) the step of gathering information using the one or more information monitoring devices comprises gathering a sentiment characteristic of the persons using the one or more video image devices, and

(b) the analyzed information further comprises the sentiment characteristic of the persons.

22. The method of 20, wherein the tracking characteristic comprises eye movement of the persons by the one or more video image devices.

23. The method of 20, wherein the tracking characteristic comprises movement of the persons relative to the one more information monitoring devices.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more information monitoring devices track media access control (MAC) addresses of mobile devices carried by the persons in the group of persons in a location about the one or more information monitoring devices.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein

(d) the one or more information monitoring devices comprises at least three receivers located in or by the location for receiving information about the location of the persons at a given time;

(e) the step of gathering comprises using the at least three receivers to determine a distance between the persons and the receiver at the given time;

(f) the step of analyzing comprises using the distances between the persons and the at least three receivers to track the persons as the persons move about the location.