In-store field-of-view merchandising and analytics

• US 10,672,041 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert Alan, Craine, Ari, Bedingfield, Sr., James Carlton
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US15/488,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20170221088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment

Abstract

Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to aspects of in-store field-of-view merchandising and analytics. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a system receives a message from a user device. The message can include an orientation of the user device and a location of the user device within an environment, such as a store. The system can obtain a potential field-of-view of a user associated with the user device. The system can determine, based upon the orientation, the location of the user device and the potential field-of-view of the user, an estimated field-of-view of the user. The system can query a database to look-up items located within the estimated field-of-view. The system can receive, in response to the query, a query response identifying an item located within the estimated field-of-view of the user within the environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving, from a visual orientation system, an estimated field-of-view of a customer, wherein the estimated field-of-view is determined by the visual orientation system,

sending, to a user device associated with the customer, a request for orientation and location information for use in determining what, if any, items are located within the estimated field-of-view so that a customer service person is made aware of what the customer is currently viewing,

determining, based upon the orientation and location information received from the user device in response to the request, what, if any, items are located within the estimated field-of-view, and

establishing, with the user device associated with the customer, a communications session over which the customer service person can provide assistance to the customer based, at least in part, upon the estimated field-of-view of the customer and what, if any, items are located within the estimated field-of-view.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications session facilitates a text-based chat session, a voice session, or a video session between the customer and the customer service person.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the estimated field-of-view of the customer comprises receiving the estimated field-of-view of the customer in response to input received from the customer service person;

wherein the input is provided by the customer service person in response to information obtained from the user device; and

wherein the information indicates that the customer is having difficulty with an aspect of a shopping experience.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, from the user device, a customer request;

and wherein establishing the communications session comprises establishing the communications session in response to the customer request received from the user device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the assistance comprises assisting the customer with locating a specific item of the items based, at least in part, upon the estimated field-of-view.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, from a visual orientation system, by a store analytics system comprising a processor, an estimated field-of-view of a customer, wherein the estimated field-of-view is determined by the visual orientation system;

sending, by the store analytics system, to a user device associated with the customer, a request for orientation and location information for use in determining what, if any, items are located within the estimated field-of-view so that a customer service person is made aware of what the customer is currently viewing;

determining, by the store analytics system, based upon the orientation and location information, what, if any, items are located within the estimated field-of-view; and

establishing, by the store analytics system, with the user device associated with the customer, a communications session over which the customer service person can provide assistance to the customer based, at least in part, upon the estimated field-of-view of the customer and what, if any, items are located within the estimated field-of-view.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the communications session facilitates a text-based chat session, a voice session, or a video session between the customer and the customer service person.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving, by the store analytics system, the estimated field-of-view of the customer comprises receiving, by the store analytics system, the estimated field-of-view of the customer in response to input received from the customer service person;

wherein the input is provided by the customer service person in response to information obtained from the user device; and

wherein the information indicates that the customer is having difficulty with an aspect of a shopping experience.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving, from the user device, a customer request;

and wherein establishing, by the store analytics system, the communications session comprises establishing the communications session in response to the customer request received from the user device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the assistance comprises assisting the customer with locating a specific item of the items based, at least in part, upon the estimated field-of-view.

11. A computer storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a system, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a visual orientation system, an estimated field-of-view of a customer, wherein the estimated field-of-view is determined by the visual orientation system;

sending, to a user device associated with the customer, a request for orientation and location information for use in determining what, if any, items are located within the estimated field-of-view so that a customer service person is made aware of what the customer is currently viewing;

determining, based upon the orientation and location information, what, if any, items are located within the estimated field-of-view; and

establishing with the user device associated with the customer, a communications session over which the customer service person can provide assistance to the customer based, at least in part, upon the estimated field-of-view of the customer and what, if any, items are located within the estimated field-of-view.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the communications session facilitates a text-based chat session, a voice session, or a video session between the customer and the customer service person.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the estimated field-of-view of the customer comprises receiving the estimated field-of-view of the customer in response to input received from the customer service person;

wherein the input is provided by the customer service person in response to information obtained from the user device; and

wherein the information indicates that the customer is having difficulty with an aspect of a shopping experience.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, from the user device, a customer request;

and wherein establishing the communications session comprises establishing the communications session in response to the customer request received from the user device.