BIOMETRIC AID FOR CUSTOMER RELATIONS

• US 20080004892A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intertech Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intertech Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Zucker, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US11/771,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20080004892A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system for welcoming a customer to a retail outlet to be used by a greeter comprising a customer recognition system (CRS) operatively associated with the greeter. When a customer is recognized by the CRS, the CRS sends a message to the greeter comprising information about the customer. The greeter may then welcome the customer with a personalized greeting.

Claims

1. A system for welcoming a customer to a retail outlet to be used by a greeter comprising:

a customer recognition system (CRS);

said CRS being operatively associated with said greeter;

whereby when a customer is recognized by said CRS, said CRS sends a message to said greeter comprising information about said customer;

whereby said greeter welcomes said customer with a personalized greeting.

2. The system for welcoming a customer according to claim 1 wherein said CRS is comprised of:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a database is operatively associated with said CPU;

a camera is operatively associated with said CPU;

a biometric face recognition program is operatively associated with said CPU;

where said camera is set up to take an image and the image is compared by the biometric face recognition program with images of known individuals.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said database contains images of known individuals obtained from the group comprising:

local government offices, state government offices, national government offices, foreign government offices, affiliated businesses, non-affiliated businesses, in-store cameras, out-of-store cameras, or combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a credit/debit card reader is operatively associated with said CPU and said camera;

where said camera is set up to take an image of said customer and associate said image with information obtained by said credit/debit card reader to store in said database.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said camera is at a checkout counter.

6. The system of claim 2 further comprising a plurality of cameras operatively associated with said CPU.

7. The system of claim 2 further comprising a program to recognize known undesirables operatively associated with said CPU and said biometric face recognition program.

8. The system of claim 2 further comprising a program to recognize images of individuals authorized to use a credit/debit card which is operatively associated with said CPU and said biometric face recognition program.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein said database contains images of known individuals or known undesirables obtained from the group comprising:

local government offices, state government offices, national government offices, foreign government offices, affiliated businesses, non-affiliated businesses, in-store cameras, out-of-store cameras, or combinations thereof.

10. The system for welcoming a customer according to claim 1 further comprising a terminal operatively associated with said CPU;

wherein said greeter may enter additional information about said customer to store on said database.

11. The system for welcoming a customer according to claim 10 wherein said terminal is comprised of an input terminal and an output terminal.

12. The system of claim 2 wherein said camera further comprising either cross hairs or a laser pointer to select the image wanted.

13. The system of claim 2 further comprising a program to track the shopping habits of a customer operatively associated with said CPU.

14. A method of welcoming a customer to a retail outlet to be used by a greeter comprising the steps of:

providing a customer recognition system (CRS);

said CRS being operatively associated with said greeter;

imaging said customer with said CRS;

determining said customer'"'"'s identity using said customer image and said CRS;

sending a message from said CRS to said greeter containing said customer identity and customer information when a positive identification is made;

greeting said customer with a personal greeting.

15. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

providing a credit/debit card reader operatively associated with said CRS;

obtaining information about said customer from said credit/debit card reader;

associating said customer image with said information obtained from said credit/debit card reader;

storing said customer image and said information obtained by said credit/debit card reader in said CRS.

16. A method of welcoming a customer to a retail outlet to be used by a greeter comprising the steps of:

providing a customer recognition system (CRS);

said CRS being operatively associated with said greeter;

imaging said customer with a camera;

determining said customer'"'"'s identity using a biometric face recognition program by comparing a customer'"'"'s image with images in a database;

sending a message from said database to said greeter containing said customer identity and customer information when a positive identification is made;

greeting said customer with a personal greeting.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

providing a program to recognize known undesirables operatively associated with said CPU and said biometric face recognition program;

imaging said customer with said camera;

identifying known undesirables using said program to recognize known undesirables and said biometric face recognition program;

notifying security at said retail outlet when one or more known undesirables are identified.

18. The method according to claim 16 further comprising the step of:

providing a terminal operatively associated with said greeter and said CPU;

adding additional information about said customer to said CRS.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the steps of:

talking to said customer; and

imputing additional data about said customer into said database by said clerk through said terminal.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

providing a camera with either cross hairs or a laser pointer to pinpoint the image wanted;

selecting a customer to image with said CRS.