Method and system for automated volume adjustments for a marketing system

• US 20090123004A1
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RetailDNA LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: RetailDNA LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Van Luchene, Andrew, Otto, Jonathan, Mueller, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US11/985,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20090123004A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/104
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level

Abstract

A method for adjusting volume for a marketing system, including the steps of: determining, using a processor in a general-purpose computer, a parameter associated with the marketing system; generating, using the processor, a volume control level based on the parameter; and controlling, using the processor and an interface element for the computer, an audio output portion of a sales offer from an audio component of the marketing system such that the audio output portion matches the volume control level. The general-purpose computer is arranged to perform the steps of determining, generating, and controlling. In a preferred embodiment, the parameter is an ambient noise level proximate the marketing system and determining a parameter includes measuring the ambient noise level proximate the marketing system. In a first embodiment, the parameter is a temporal parameter. A system for adjusting volume for a selling system.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting volume for a selling system, comprising the steps of:

determining, using a processor in a general-purpose computer, a parameter associated with the selling system;

generating, using the processor, a volume control level based on the parameter; and

,

controlling, using the processor and an interface element for the computer, an audio output portion of a sales offer from an audio component of the selling system such that the audio output portion matches the volume control level, wherein the general-purpose computer is arranged to perform the steps of determining, generating, and controlling.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameter is an ambient noise level proximate the selling system and wherein determining a parameter includes measuring the ambient noise level proximate the selling system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameter is a temporal parameter and wherein determining a parameter includes determining a current temporal parameter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameter is a volume of transactions during a specified time period in a retail location in which the sales system is located and wherein determining a parameter includes determining the volume of transactions.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the specified time period is a current time or a previous period of time.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the selling system is associated with a point of sale (POS) device, the parameter is the identity of personnel operating the POS device, and determining a parameter includes identifying the personnel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameter is an identity of a customer engaged with the selling system and wherein determining a parameter includes identifying the customer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein identifying the customer includes retrieving a volume preference for the customer from a memory element for the computer and wherein generating a volume control level includes using the volume preference as the volume control level.

10. The method of claim 8 including the steps of:

transmitting a query to the selling system, using the processor and the interface element, for presentation to the customer regarding a preferred volume level; and

,

storing a response to the query, received from the selling system via the interface element, using the interface element and the processor, in a memory element for the computer, wherein the query includes a volume preference for the customer and wherein the general-purpose computer is specially programmed to perform the steps of transmitting and storing and wherein determining a volume level includes using the volume preference as the volume level.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the parameter is a profitability associated with operation of the selling system and wherein determining a parameter includes determining profitability associated with a volume control level.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining profitability includes using a set of rules and an artificial intelligence program to determine profitability.

4. The method of claim 4 wherein the temporal parameter is a time of day or a day of week.

13. A system for adjusting volume for a selling system, comprising:

a parameter determination element, in a processor of a specially programmed general-purpose computer, arranged to determine a parameter associated with the selling system;

a generating element in the processor arranged to generate a volume control level based on the parameter; and

,

a control element in the processor arranged to control, via an interface element for the computer, an audio output portion of a sales offer from an audio component of the selling system such that the audio output portion matches the volume control level.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the parameter is an ambient noise level proximate the selling system and the system includes a noise sensing element arranged to generate and transmit a signal proportional to an ambient noise level proximate the selling system and wherein the parameter determination element is arranged to accept the signal via the interface element.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the parameter is a temporal parameter and wherein the parameter determination element is arranged to determine a current temporal parameter.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the temporal parameter is a time of day or a day of week.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the parameter is a volume of transactions during a specified time period in a retail location in which the sales system is located and wherein the parameter determination element is arranged to determine the volume of transactions.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the specified time period is a current time or a previous period of time.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the selling system is associated with a point of sale (POS) device, the parameter is the identity of personnel operating the POS device, and the parameter determination element is arranged to identify the personnel.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the parameter is the identity of a customer engaged with the selling system and wherein the parameter determination element is arranged to identify the customer.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the parameter determination element is arranged to use a volume preference for the customer, retrieved from a memory element for the computer, as the volume control level.

22. The system of claim 20 including:

a query element in the processor arranged to transmit, using the interface element, a query to the selling system for presentation to the customer regarding a preferred volume level;

a response element in the processor arranged to store in a memory element for the computer, a response to the query received via the interface element wherein the query includes a volume preference for the customer and wherein the parameter determination element is arranged to use the response as the volume level.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the parameter is a profitability associated with operation of the selling system and wherein the parameter determination element is arranged to determining profitability associated with a volume control level.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the parameter determination element is arranged to determine profitability using a set of rules and an artificial intelligence program.