Anonymous electronic marketing method and system

• US 20030236702A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hoblit, Robert S.
• Application Number:
  US10/177,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236702A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

Aspects for anonymous electronic marketing are described. The aspects include detecting the presence of one or more articles of digital apparel from the consumer by a processing system. Identifying data of the one or more articles is utilized by the processing system to determine attributes of the one or more articles. Providing a profile of the consumer based on the attributes follows, and information is provided to the consumer based on the profile.

Claims

1. A method for anonymous electronic marketing, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a presence of at least one article of digital apparel on a consumer by a processing system;

(b) utilizing data of the at least one article by the processing system to determine attributes of the at least one article;

(c) providing a profile of the consumer based on the attributes by the processing system; and

(d) providing information to the consumer based on the profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing system comprises a kiosk, the kiosk comprising a system that accepts consumer inquiries and responds with shopping information of interest to satisfy the consumer inquiries.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the kiosk further comprises a touch-screen sensitive computer system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting step (a) further comprises the step of (a1) detecting presence of an RFID signal from the at least one article.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the utilizing step (b) further comprises the step of (b1) utilizing the data to access a database and locate the attributes associated with the at least one article.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising utilizing another processing system to access the database.

7. A system for anonymous electronic marketing, the system comprising:

a consumer wearing one or more articles of digital apparel;

a database system for storing attributes associated with digital apparel; and

at least one processing system for receiving inquiries from the consumer, for identifying presence of the one or more articles, for accessing the database system to form a profile of the consumer based on the attributes, and for responding to the inquiry with targeted market information based on the profile.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one processing system further comprises a touch-screen sensitive computer system.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one processing system identifies presence of the one or more articles by detecting presence of an RFID signal from the one or more articles.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the RFID signal further comprises an identifying data value.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processing system utilizes the identifying data value to locate the attributes in the database system.

12. A method for anonymous electronic marketing, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying that a consumer is wearing at least one digital apparel;

(b) determining attributes associated with the at least one digital apparel identified; and

(c) profiling the consumer based on the attributes to deliver information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the identifying step (a) further comprises the step of (a1) initiating an interaction session between the consumer and a processing system with detection of identifying data from the at least one digital apparel items in the processing system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the identifying data further comprises an identifying value assigned to each of the at least one digital apparel item.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein an RFID signal transmits the identifying data.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the determining attributes step (b) further comprises the step of (b1) utilizing the identifying data to locate data from a database associated with the at least one digital apparel items.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the profiling step (c) further comprises the step of (c1) determining a characterization of the consumer based on the located data.