SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CUSTOMER RECOGNITION USING WIRELESS IDENTIFICATION AND VISUAL DATA TRANSMISSION
First Claim
1. An electronic shopping system for use in a retail facility, the system comprising:
- an entrance/exit sensor, positioned to identify the presence of a customer as the customer moves through the entrance/exit of a retail facility;
digital visual image recording means for capturing a visual image of a customer as they pass through an entrance/exit of the retail facility, the image recording means capturing a customer'"'"'s visual image in response to a trigger signal provided by the entrance/exit sensor;
an interrogator unit, including an antenna, positioned in proximity to the entrance/exit of the retail facility, each interrogator defining an interrogation area characterized by a radiation field;
a portable customer ID card including at least a memory storage area, the memory storage area holding at least a customer indicia, the customer indicia being communicated to the interrogator unit when a customer moves in proximity to the interrogation area; and
a control unit, coupled to the interrogator, sensor and image recording means, the control unit for receiving at least the customer indicia from the interrogator unit, the control unit causing the customer indicia to be bundled with that customer'"'"'s visual image into a customer specific data set.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic shopping system, providing for customer recognition using wireless identification and visual data transmission to point-of-sale terminals and other terminal types located in a commercial establishment. A customer'"'"'s visual image is taken as a customer enters the establishment and, that customer'"'"'s identification number is obtained from a customer identification card, if the customer possesses such a card. The visual image data is bundled with the customer'"'"'s demographic profile data, transaction history data and the customer'"'"'s current accrued store loyalty or incentive points into a customer data record. The customer data record is forwarded to point-of-sale terminals, store workstations, mobile terminals, or other I/O devices capable of displaying multiple customer records. The establishment staff is able to access each of the customer records in order to visually identify customers as they enter the establishment, without the customers needing to announce themselves or otherwise advertise their presence. A customer'"'"'s visual image can also be acquired as a customer accesses a check-in kiosk terminal prior to beginning a shopping excursion. The acquired customer visual image is bundled with customer preference data and made available to the establishment'"'"'s staff for visual recognition of each individual customer.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. An electronic shopping system for use in a retail facility, the system comprising:
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an entrance/exit sensor, positioned to identify the presence of a customer as the customer moves through the entrance/exit of a retail facility;
digital visual image recording means for capturing a visual image of a customer as they pass through an entrance/exit of the retail facility, the image recording means capturing a customer'"'"'s visual image in response to a trigger signal provided by the entrance/exit sensor;
an interrogator unit, including an antenna, positioned in proximity to the entrance/exit of the retail facility, each interrogator defining an interrogation area characterized by a radiation field;
a portable customer ID card including at least a memory storage area, the memory storage area holding at least a customer indicia, the customer indicia being communicated to the interrogator unit when a customer moves in proximity to the interrogation area; and
a control unit, coupled to the interrogator, sensor and image recording means, the control unit for receiving at least the customer indicia from the interrogator unit, the control unit causing the customer indicia to be bundled with that customer'"'"'s visual image into a customer specific data set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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13. In an electronic shopping system for use in a retail facility, a method for assisting the facility'"'"'s sales staff to identify particular customers as they enter/leave the facility and to recognize such customers visually, the method comprising:
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positioning an entrance/exit sensor in proximity to the entrance/exit of a retail facility, so as to identify the presence of a customer as the customer moves through the entrance/exit;
capturing a visual image of a customer as they pass through the entrance/exit of the retail facility, the customer'"'"'s image recorded in response to a trigger signal provided by the entrance/exit sensor;
providing an interrogator unit, including an antenna, positioned in proximity to the entrance/exit of the retail facility, each interrogator defining an interrogation area characterized by a radiation field;
providing a portable customer ID card including at least a memory storage area, the memory storage area holding at least a customer indicia, the customer indicia being communicated to the interrogator unit when a customer moves in proximity to the interrogation area;
receiving the customer indicia; and
bundling the captured visual image of the customer together with the customer indicia into a customer specific data set.
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25. An electronic shopping system for use in a retail facility, the system comprising:
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a portable customer ID card including at least a memory storage area, the memory storage area holding at least a customer indicia;
a kiosk terminal including a customer ID card interface unit, the customer indicia being communicated to the kiosk terminal through the customer ID card interface unit;
digital visual image recording means for capturing a visual image of a customer, the image recording means capturing a customer'"'"'s visual image in response to a trigger signal provided by the customer ID card interface unit; and
a control unit, coupled to the interface unit and image recording means, the control unit for receiving at least the customer indicia from the interface unit, the control unit causing the customer indicia to be bundled with that customer'"'"'s visual image into a customer specific data set.
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Specification