Analyzing layouts using sensor data

• US 10,521,784 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bell, Bruce, Partridge, Brian, Abu-Ghaida, Ghassan, Dhingra, Amar, Bautista, Alfred, Yien, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Iwarere, Oluseye
• Application Number:
  US15/495,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20180308082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 705 734, 705347, 705333, 705 21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR

Abstract

This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for analyzing sensor data to identify a bottleneck location within a physical establishment, and then providing a recommendation based on the bottleneck location. For instance, a payment service may analyze a layout of a physical establishment using sensor data representing movements of users within the physical establishment. Based on the analysis, the payment service can identify a location within the physical establishment in which movements of the users correspond to one another. For instance, the payment service can identify that the users are located at a similar location within the physical establishment at a given time period. The payment service can then generate and provide a message that indicates a location for moving an object such that users can utilize new routes through the physical establishment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices and via one or more sensors of a first electronic device associated with and in possession of a first user, first location data representing at least first movements of the first user within a physical establishment of a merchant;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices and via one or more sensors of a second electronic device associated with and in possession of a second user, second location data representing at least second movements of the second user within the physical establishment;

determining, by the one or more computing devices and based at least in part on the first location data and the second location data, a clustering location within the physical establishment, wherein the clustering location relates to a point where a first geographical location associated with a first route of travel of the first user through the physical establishment is within a threshold distance of a second geographical location associated with a second route of travel of the second user through the physical establishment;

responsive to determining the clustering location and based at least in part on additional data representing a layout of the physical establishment, the layout including at least an initial geographical location of one or more objects within the physical establishment;

identifying, by the one or more computing devices, an object of the one or more objects that is proximate to the clustering location; and

determining, by the one or more computing devices, an optimal geographical location within the physical establishment for placing the object that serves to increase the distance at the clustering location between the first route of travel and the second route of travel; and

providing, by the one or more computing devices and to a device associated with the merchant, a message suggesting that the object be placed at or near the optimal geographical location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the object comprises:

determining, based at least in part on the layout, that at least one of the first route or the second route is caused at least in part by the initial geographical location of the object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first route includes at least a first starting point and a first ending point;

the second route includes at least a second starting point and a second ending point; and

determining that at least one of the first route or the second route is caused at least in part by the initial geographical location of the object comprises determining that the initial geographical location is between a line that connects the first starting point to the first ending point or between a line that connects the second starting point to the second ending point.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first route includes at least a starting point and an ending point;

and

further comprising determining another route within the physical establishment between the starting point and the ending point,

wherein identifying the object is further based on determining that the initial geographical location of the object is located along the other route.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the optimal geographical location for placing the object comprises determining at least one geographical location that is not located along the other route.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from individual electronic devices of a plurality of users, third location data representing respective movements of the plurality of users within the physical establishment;

determining, based at least in part on the third location data, a number of times that respective geographical locations associated with routes of travel of the plurality of users are within the threshold distance of the clustering location; and

determining that the number of times exceeds a threshold,

wherein identifying the object is further based on determining that the number of times exceeds the threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the object includes at least one of:

a chair within the physical establishment;

a table within the physical establishment;

a television within the physical establishment;

or

an electronic device within the physical establishment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first user or the second user comprises at least one of an employee of the merchant or a customer of the merchant.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices are associated with a payment service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more objects comprise one or more tables.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device associated with the merchant is a point-of-sale (POS) device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computing devices and from the POS device, an indication that the object is now located at or near the optimal geographical location within the physical establishment; and

updating the additional data such that the layout indicates that the object is located at or near the optimal geographical location within the physical establishment.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from individual electronic devices of a plurality of users, third location data representing respective movements of the plurality of users within the physical establishment;

determining, based at least in part on the third location data, a number of times that respective geographical locations associated with routes of travel of the plurality of users are within the threshold distance of the clustering location;

determining that the number of times exceeds a threshold; and

determining that the clustering location includes a bottleneck location within the physical establishment based at least in part on determining that the number of times exceeds the threshold.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the second movements, a third route of travel of the second user within the physical establishment,

wherein determining the clustering location comprises analyzing the first route with respect to the second route to identify that the first geographical location and the second geographical location are within the threshold distance of the clustering location.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the optimal geographical location comprises determining at least one geographical location for placing the object that is not located along the second route.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first route includes a starting location and an ending location, and the method further comprising:

determining a third route within the physical establishment that starts at the starting location, ends at the ending location, and does not include the first location,

wherein the message further suggests the third route.

17. One or more computing devices comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via one or more sensors of a first electronic device associated with and in possession of a first user, first location data representing at least first movements of the first user within a physical establishment of a merchant;

receiving, via one or more sensors of a second electronic device associated with and in possession of a second user, second location data representing at least second movements of the second user within the physical establishment;

determining, based at least in part on the first location data and the second location data, a clustering location within the physical establishment, wherein the clustering location relates to a point where a first geographical location associated with a first route of travel of the first user through the physical establishment is within a threshold distance of a second geographical location associated with a second route of travel of the second user through the physical establishment;

responsive to determining the clustering location and based at least in part on additional data representing a layout of the physical establishment, the layout including at least an initial geographical location of one or more objects within the physical establishment;

identifying an object of the one or more objects that is proximate to the clustering location; and

determining an optimal geographical location within the physical establishment for placing the object that serves to increase the distance at the clustering location between the first route of travel and the second route of travel; and

providing, to a device associated with the merchant, a message suggesting that the object be placed at or near the optimal geographical location.

18. The one or more computing devices of claim 17, wherein the one or more computing devices are associated with a payment service.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, program the one or more processors to:

receive, via one or more sensors of a first electronic device associated with and in possession of a first user, first location data representing at least first movements of the first user within a physical establishment of a merchant;

receive, via one or more sensors of a second electronic device associated with and in possession of a second user, second location data representing at least second movements of the second user within the physical establishment;

determine, based at least in part on the first location data and the second location data, a clustering location within the physical establishment, wherein the clustering location relates to a point where a first geographical location associated with a first route of travel of the first user through the physical establishment is within a threshold distance of a second geographical location associated with a second route of travel of the second user through the physical establishment;

responsive to determining the clustering location and based at least in part on additional data representing a layout of the physical establishment, the layout including at least an initial geographical location of one or more objects within the physical establishment;

identify an object of the one or more objects that is proximate to the clustering location; and

determine an optimal geographical location within the physical establishment for placing the object that serves to increase the distance at the clustering location between the first route of travel and the second route of travel; and

provide, to a device associated with the merchant, a message suggesting that the object be placed at or near the optimal geographical location.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions further program the one or more processors to:

receive, from individual electronic devices of a plurality of users, third location data representing respective movements of the plurality of users within the physical establishment;

determine, based at least in part on the third location data, a number of times that respective geographical locations associated with routes of travel of the plurality of users are within the threshold distance of the clustering location;

determine that the number of times exceeds a threshold; and

determine that the clustering location includes a bottleneck location within the physical establishment based at least in part on determining that the number of times exceeds the threshold.