Personalized marketing incentives based on historical information and mobility monitoring

• US 10,438,245 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Adinarayan, Geetha, Shi, Shaw-Ben S., Sivakumar, Gandhi, Tsai, Meng Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Elchanti, Tarek
• Application Number:
  US14/870,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20170091823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1453, 705 1458, 705 1423, 705 1413, 705 44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

One embodiment for determining a marketing incentive for a user of an electronic device. In one embodiment, a computer processor detects a first electronic device within a retail environment utilizing a second electronic device that also identifies information associated with the first electronic device. In one embodiment, a computer processor determines a behavior associated with the first electronic device based, at least in part, on movement of the first electronic device within the retail environment. In one embodiment, a computer processor identifies data associated with the retail environment that includes information associated with a retailer associated with the retail environment and information associated with the first electronic device. In one embodiment, a computer processor determines a first marketing incentive based, at least in part, on the determined behavior associated with the first electronic device and the identified data associated with the retail environment.

Claims

1. A computer program product for managing aspects of an area associated with a merchant;

the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therein, the program code readable/executable by a computer processor to;

detect a first electronic device within a retail environment that includes the area related to the merchant, wherein the first electronic device is wirelessly detected utilizing at least one instance of a second electronic device that identifies information associated with the first electronic device;

identify a plurality of instances of the second electronic device and respective locations of the instances of the second electronic device associated with the area related to the merchant, wherein a distance associated with at least one instance of the second electronic device wirelessly detects the first electronic device extends beyond the area related to the merchant;

determine a behavior associated with the first electronic device based on movement of the first electronic device within the retail environment with respect to the area related to the merchant by monitoring the first electronic device utilizing one or more instances of the second electronic device;

identify data associated with the merchant, wherein the identified data associated with the merchant includes a floorplan of the area related to the merchant and inventory information associated with the merchant;

dynamically determining a set of zones that electronically partition the area related to the merchant based on the identified plurality of instances of the second electronic device, the respective locations the instances of the second device, and a change to the inventory information associated with the merchant, wherein a zone of the set of zones is defined relative to one or more instances of the second electronic device, wherein at least a second zone is included within a first zone; and

wherein electronically partitioning the area related to the merchant into the determined set of zones further comprises program code to;

identify respective instances of the second electronic device to update based on the identified information associated with the merchant;

store updated information related to determining boundaries associated with the set of zones that electronically partition the area related to the merchant within the identified respective instances of the second electronic device;

initiate execution of an algorithm within the identified respective instances of the second electronic device to update the boundaries that electronically partitions the area related to the merchant into the set of zone; and

determine a first marketing incentive based on the determined behavior associated with the first electronic device, the identified inventory information associated with the merchant, and the identified data associated with the merchant, and

further based on information associated with the first electronic device moving among two or more zones.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein program code to wirelessly detect the first electronic device the program code further being readable/executable by a computer processor to:

determine an identity of the first electronic device utilizing the second electronic device based on information obtained from the first electronic device, wherein the first electronic device corresponds to a user.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the identified data associated with the merchant further includes:

historical information;

one or more algorithms that determine the set of zones related to the area of the merchant;

one or more conditions that affect communicating a marketing incentive to the first electronic device;

information related to one or more instances of the second electronic device within the area related to the merchant and associated with the floorplan; and

information related to a distribution of items of merchandise of the merchant relative to the determined set of zones.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein program code to determine the behavior associated with the first electronic device further comprises program code further being readable/executable by a computer processor to:

track a motion of the first electronic device relative to one or more instances of the second electronic device, wherein the motion includes;

(i) distance of the first electronic device relative to the one or more instances of the second electronic device;

(ii) direction of the motion of the first electronic device relative to the one or more instances of the second electronic device;

(iii) a speed of the motion of the first electronic device relative to the one or more instances of the second electronic device; and

(iv) duration of the motion of the first electronic device within the zone defined relative to the one or more instances of the second electronic device; and

analyze the motion of the first electronic device based on the identified data associated with the area related to the merchant, behavioral analytics, and one or more merchant algorithms.

5. The computer program product of claim 2, the program code further being readable/executable by a computer processor to:

determine an identity of the user of the first electronic device;

determine a second marketing incentive based, at least in part, on the identity of the user of the first electronic device and the identified data associated with the merchant; and

communicate, to an instance of the second electronic device, at least one of the first marketing incentive and the second marketing incentive, for communication to the first electronic device.

6. The computer program product of claim 2, the program code further being readable/executable by a computer processor to:

determine that an identity of the user of the first electronic device cannot be identified;

determine a third marketing incentive based, at least in part, on the identity of the first electronic device and the identified data associated with the merchant; and

communicate at least one of the first marketing incentive and the third marketing incentive to at least one of the first electronic device and a third electronic device that is associated with the merchant, and wherein the third electronic device includes one or more of;

an automated checkout station that can wirelessly detect the first electronic device;

a point-of-sales terminal that can wirelessly detect the first electronic device; and

a customer service representative that is assigned the third electronic device that can wirelessly detect the first electronic device.

13. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instances of the second electronic device are transceivers that communicate wirelessly with the first electronic device and are a portion of a positioning system of the merchant utilized for real-time monitoring of an electronic device of a user.

14. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein dynamically modifying one or more zones includes changing a size, one or more boundaries corresponding to one or more zones, a description, and one or more parameters assigned to the identified respective instances of the second electronic device to update.

7. A computer system for managing aspects of an area associated with a merchant, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media; and

program code stored on the computer readable storage media having program code embodied therein, the program code readable/executable for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, comprises the program code to;

detect a first electronic device within a retail environment that includes the area related to the merchant, wherein the first electronic device is wirelessly detected utilizing at least one instance of a second electronic device that identifies information associated with the first electronic device;

identify a plurality of instances of the second electronic device and respective locations of the instances of the second electronic device associated with the area related to the merchant, wherein a distance associated with at least one instance of the second electronic device wirelessly detects the first electronic device extends beyond the area related to the merchant;

determine a behavior associated with the first electronic device based on movement of the first electronic device within the retail environment with respect to the area related to the merchant by monitoring the first electronic device utilizing one or more instances of the second electronic device;

identify data associated with the merchant, wherein the identified data associated with the merchant includes a floorplan of the area related to the merchant and inventory information associated with the merchant;

dynamically determining a set of zones that electronically partition the area related to the merchant based on the identified plurality of instances of the second electronic device, the respective locations of the instances of the second device, and a change to the inventory information associated with the merchant, wherein a zone of the set of zones is defined relative to one or more instances of the second electronic device, wherein at least a second zone is included within a first zone; and

wherein electronically partitioning the area related to the merchant into the determined set of zones further comprises program code to;

identify respective instances of the second electronic device to update based on the identified information associated with the merchant;

store updated information related to determining boundaries associated with the set of zones that electronically partition the area related to the merchant within the identified respective instances of the second electronic device;

initiate, execution of an algorithm within the identified respective instances of the second electronic device to update the boundaries that electronically partitions the area related to the merchant into the set of zone; and

determine a first marketing incentive, based on the determined behavior associated with the first electronic device, the identified inventory information associated with the merchant, and the identified data associated with the merchant, and further based on information associated with the first electronic device moving among two or more zones.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein program code to wirelessly detect the first electronic device the program code further being readable/executable by a computer processor to:

determine an identity of the first electronic device utilizing the second electronic device based on information obtained from the first electronic device, wherein the first electronic device corresponds to a user.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the identified data associated with the merchant further includes:

historical information;

one or more algorithms that determine the set of zones related to the area of the merchant;

one or more conditions that affect communicating a marketing incentive to the first electronic device;

information related to one or more instances of the second electronic device within the area related to the merchant and associated with the floorplan; and

information related to a distribution of items of merchandise of the merchant relative to the determined set of zones.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein program code to determine the behavior associated with the first electronic device further comprises program code further being readable/executable by a computer processor to:

track a motion of the first electronic device relative to one or more instances of the second electronic device, wherein the motion includes;

(i) distance of the first electronic device relative to the one or more instances of the second electronic device;

(ii) direction of the motion of the first electronic device relative to the one or more instances of the second electronic device;

(iii) a speed of the motion of the first electronic device relative to the one or more instances of the second electronic device; and

(iv) duration of the motion of the first electronic device within the zone defined relative to the one or more instances of the second electronic device; and

analyze the motion of the first electronic device based on the identified data associated with the area related to the merchant, behavioral analytics, and one or more merchant algorithms.

11. The computer system of claim 8, the program code further being readable/executable by a computer processor to:

determine an identity of the user of the first electronic device;

determine a second marketing incentive based, at least in part, on the identity of the user of the first electronic device and the identified data associated with the merchant; and

communicate, to an instance of the second electronic device, at least one of the first marketing incentive and the second marketing incentive, for communication to the first electronic device.

12. The computer system of claim 8, the program code further being readable/executable by a computer processor to:

determine that an identity of the user of the first electronic device cannot be identified;

determine a third marketing incentive based, at least in part, on the identity of the first electronic device and the identified data associated with the merchant; and

communicate at least one of the first marketing incentive and the third marketing incentive to at least one of the first electronic device and a third electronic device that is associated with the merchant, and wherein the third electronic device includes one or more of;

an automated checkout station that can wirelessly detect the first electronic device;

a point-of-sales terminal that can wirelessly detect the first electronic device; and

a customer service representative that is assigned the third electronic device that can wirelessly detect the first electronic device.

15. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of instances of the second electronic device are transceivers that communicate wirelessly with the first electronic device and are a portion of a positioning system of the merchant utilized for real-time monitoring of an electronic device of a user.

16. The computer system of claim 7, wherein dynamically modifying one or more zones includes changing a size, one or more boundaries corresponding to one or more zones, a description, and one or more parameters assigned to the identified respective instances of the second electronic device to update.