CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR MONITORING SYSTEM, METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20090192882A1
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: NARAHASHI, Masaki, IKUMI, Tomonori, KOISO, Takashi, TAKAHATA, Masami
• Application Number:
  US12/393,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20090192882A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A flow line storage stores flow line data of each customer obtained by tracking a behavior of each customer in a store, by adding time data on an estimated time of payment made by each customer. A transaction data storage stores transaction data for each customer including records of items purchased by each customer, by adding time data on an estimated time of payment made by each customer. A combination unit determines a combination in which a difference between time data is minimum, for each piece of flow line data stored in the flow line storage and each piece of transaction data stored in the transaction data storage. A correlating unit correlates the flow line data and transaction data combined by the combination unit.

Claims

1. A customer behavior monitoring system comprising:

a flow line storage which stores flow line data on each customer obtained by tracking a behavior of each customer in a store, by adding time data on an estimated time of payment made by each customer;

a transaction data storage which stores transaction data for each customer including records of merchandise purchased by each customer, by adding time data on an estimated time of payment made by each customer;

a combination unit which determines a combination in which a difference between the time data is minimum, for each piece of flow line data stored in the flow line storage and each piece of transaction data stored in the transaction data storage; and

a correlating unit which correlates the flow line data and transaction data combined by the combination unit.

2. The customer behavior monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the flow line storage stores the flow line data for each customer, by further adding terminal identifying information to identify a payment terminal estimated to have handled payment by each customer,

the transaction data storage stores the transaction data for each customer, by further adding terminal identifying information to identify a payment terminal estimated to have handled payment by each customer, and

the combination unit determines a combination in which piece of the terminal identifying information match and a difference between the time data is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

3. The customer behavior monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a time correction unit which corrects time data added to the transaction data and flow line data, based on time correction data for correcting a difference in time data,

wherein the combination unit determines a combination, in which a difference between the time data after correction is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

4. The customer behavior monitoring system according to claim 2, further comprising a time correction unit which corrects time data added to the transaction data and flow line data, based on time correction data for correcting a difference in time data,

wherein the combination unit determines a combination in which pieces of the terminal identifying information match and a difference between the time data after correction is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

5. The customer behavior monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first combination unit which determines a combination in which a difference between the time data is minimum, for said each flow line data and said each piece of transaction data;

a correction data creation unit which creates time correction data for correcting a time difference occurred in a certain period, from a difference between the time data in each combination of flow line data and transaction data combined by the first combination unit;

a time correction unit which corrects the time data of the transaction data and flow line data, based on the time correction data created by the correction data creation unit; and

a second determination unit which determines a combination in which a difference between the time data after correction is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

6. The customer behavior monitoring system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first combination unit which determines a combination in which a difference between the time data is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data;

a correction data creation unit which generates time correction data for correcting a time difference occurring in a certain period, a difference between the time data in each combination of flow line data and transaction data combined by the first combination unit;

a time correction unit which corrects the time data of the transaction data and flow line data, based on the time correction data created by the correction data creation unit; and

a second determination unit which determines a combination in which a difference between the time data after correction is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

7. The customer behavior monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the combination unit selects flow line data together with time data from the flow line storage, sets a time range around the time of the time data, retrieves transaction data given time data indicating a time within the time range from the transaction data storage, and calculates a time difference between the time data, and makes a combination of flow line data and transaction data in which the time difference is minimum.

8. The customer behavior monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the combination unit selects flow line data together with time data from the flow line storage, sets a first time range around the time of the time data, retrieves transaction data given time data indicating a time within the first time range, from the transaction data storage, and calculates a time difference between the time data, and makes a combination of flow line data and transaction data in which the time difference is minimum, and then selects flow line data not combined with transaction data together with time data from the flow line storage, sets a second time range larger than the first time range, around the time of the time data, and retrieves transaction data given time data indicating a time within the second time range, of the transaction data not combined with flow line data, from the transaction data storage.

9. The customer behavior monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the combination unit selects flow line data together with time data and terminal identifying information from the flow line storage, retrieves transaction data having the same terminal identifying information from the transaction data storage, and calculates a difference between the time data, and makes a combination of flow line data and transaction data in which the time difference is minimum, and then selects flow line data not combined with transaction data together with time data and terminal identifying information from the flow line storage, replaces the terminal identifying information with terminal identifying information about another payment terminal, and retrieves transaction data having terminal identifying information after the replacement, in which a difference between the time data is minimum, of the transaction data not combined with flow line data, from the transaction data storage.

10. A customer behavior monitoring method comprising:

a flow line storage stores flow line data of each customer obtained by tracking behavior of each customer in a store, by adding time data on an estimated time of payment made by each customer;

a transaction data storage stores transaction data for each customer including records of merchandise purchased by each customer, by adding time data on an estimated time of payment made by each customer;

a combination unit determines a combination in which a difference between the time data is minimum, for each piece of flow line data stored in the flow line storage and each piece of transaction data stored in the transaction data storage; and

a correlating unit correlates the flow line data and transaction data combined by the combination unit.

11. The customer behavior monitoring method according to claim 10, wherein the flow line storage stores the flow line data for each customer, by further adding terminal identifying information to identify a payment terminal estimated to have handled payment by each customer,

the transaction data storage stores the transaction data for each customer, by further adding terminal identifying information to identify a payment terminal estimated to have handled payment by each customer, and

the combination unit determines a combination, in which pieces of the terminal identifying information match and a difference between the time data is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

12. The customer behavior monitoring method according to claim 10, further including a time correction unit that corrects time data added to the transaction data and flow line data, based on time correction data for correcting a difference in time data,

wherein the combination unit determines a combination, in which a difference between the time data after correction is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

13. The customer behavior monitoring method according to claim 11, further comprising a time correction unit that corrects time data added to the transaction data and flow line data, based on time correction data for correcting a difference in time data,

wherein the combination unit determines a combination, in which the terminal identifying information is matched and a difference between the time data after correction is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

14. A customer behavior monitoring program for enabling a flow line management system which manages flow line data of each customer obtained by tracking a behavior of each customer in a store, by adding time data on an estimated time of payment made by each customer, and a computer connected to a transaction management system which manages a transaction of each customer by adding time data on an estimated time of payment made by each customer, to transaction data for each customer having records of items purchased by each customer, to realize:

a function of determining a combination in which a difference between the time data is minimum, for each piece of flow line data managed by the flow line management system and each piece of transaction data managed by the transaction monitoring system; and

a function of correlating the flow line data and transaction data combined by the function of determining a combination.

15. The customer behavior monitoring program according to claim 14, wherein terminal identifying information to identify a payment terminal estimated to have handled payment by each customer is added to flow line data for each customer managed by the flow line management system,

terminal identifying information to identify a payment terminal estimated to have handled payment by each customer is added to transaction data for each customer managed by the transaction monitoring system, and

the function of determining a combination determines a combination, in which pieces of the terminal identifying information match and a difference between the time data is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

16. The customer behavior monitoring program according to claim 14, enabling the computer to further realize a function of correcting time data in the transaction data and flow line data, based on time correction data for correcting a difference in time data,

wherein the function of determining a combination determines a combination, in which a difference between the time data after correction is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

17. The customer behavior monitoring program according to claim 15, enabling the computer to further realize a function of correcting time data in the transaction identification list and flow line identification list, based on time correction data for correcting a difference in time data,

wherein the function of determining a combination determines a combination, in which pieces of the terminal identifying information match and a difference between the time data after correction is minimum, for said each piece of flow line data and said each piece of transaction data.

18. A customer behavior monitoring system comprising:

a selling space storage which stores information to identify a selling space for each merchandise;

a correlating unit which correlates flow line data obtained by tracking each member of a group, with transaction data including records of items purchased by customers visiting a store as a group;

a selling space acquisition unit which acquires information to identify a merchandise selling space for each item of purchased merchandise included in the transaction data, from the selling space storage;

a flow line retrieving unit which retrieves flow line data passing through a selling space identified by the information acquired by the selling space acquisition unit, from the flow line data correlated with the transaction data; and

a flow line correlating unit which correlates the flow line data retrieved by the flow line retrieving unit, with each item of purchased merchandise included in the transaction data.

19. The customer behavior monitoring system according to claim 18, wherein the selling space storage stores information indicating an area of merchandise selling space for each merchandise, which is assumed to be reached by a hand of a customer.

20. A customer behavior monitoring program for enabling a computer having a selling space storage which stores information to identify a selling space for each item of merchandise, to realize:

a function of correlating flow line data obtained by tracking each member of a group, with transaction data including records of items purchased by customers visiting a store as a group;

a function of acquiring information to identify a merchandise selling space for each item of purchased merchandise included in the transaction data, from the selling space storage;

a function of retrieving flow line data of passage through a selling space identified by the information acquired by the acquiring function, from the flow line data correlated with the transaction data; and

a function of correlating the flow line data retrieved by the retrieving function, with each item of purchased merchandise included in the transaction data.