MANAGING RESOURCES USING RESOURCE MODIFIERS

• US 20130238378A1
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: CHENG, LILI, CHICKERING, DAVID M., FLAKE, GARY W., GOUNARES, ALEXANDER G., HORVITZ, ERIC J., MEEK, CHRISTOPHER A., CONNOLLY, MICHAEL, JAIN, KAMAL
• Application Number:
  US13/873,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238378A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• 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 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-storage media are provided for employing environment and resource data to facilitate management of shopper traffic and resource allocation. Shopper traffic information is received from environmental sensors located in or nearby a business establishment. Resource information associated with the business establishment is also received. A traffic modifier is determined based on the shopper traffic information and the resource information; the traffic modifier is used to influence the behavior of shoppers with respect to the business establishment. As well, a resource modifier for the business establishment is also determined based on a projected result of dissemination of the traffic modifier.

Claims

1. A system that employs environment and resource data to facilitate efficient management of shopper traffic and resource allocation, the system comprising:

an environment monitoring component that receives shopper traffic information associated with one or more shoppers from environmental sensors located in or nearby a business establishment;

a resource monitoring component that monitors one or more resources associated with the business establishment;

a traffic modifier management component that determines a traffic modifier by simultaneously utilizing the shopper traffic information and the resource information, the traffic modifier comprising an advertisement configured to influence a behavior of the one or more shoppers with respect to the business establishment; and

a resource modifier component that determines a resource modifier for the business establishment based on a projected result of dissemination of the traffic modifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the environment monitoring component monitors physical traffic in or around the business establishment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the shopper traffic information comprises demographic and objectives information associated with the one or more shoppers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the environment monitoring component further monitors online shopper traffic that is facilitated by a computer network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the environment monitoring component receives a shopper account ID associated with at least one of the one or more shoppers, the at least one of the one or more shoppers being known to the business establishment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the resource monitoring component further monitors one or more resources associated with a disparate business establishment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the traffic modifier is configured to drive the one or more shoppers to the business establishment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the traffic modifier is configured to divert the one or more shoppers away from the business establishment.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the traffic modifier is a conditional incentive that is only redeemable at a disparate business establishment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the traffic modifier is only redeemable after a period of time depending on the one or more resources associated with the business establishment.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the traffic modifier is transmitted to a display proximal to the business establishment.

12. One or more computer-storage media having computer executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by one or more computing devices, facilitate a method for efficiently managing shopper traffic and resource allocation, the method comprising:

receiving shopper traffic information from one or more environmental sensors located in or nearby a business establishment;

receiving resource information associated with the business establishment;

determining a traffic modifier using the shopper traffic information and the resource information, the traffic modifier comprising an advertisement configured to influence a behavior of one or more shoppers; and

determining a resource modifier based on a projected result of dissemination of the traffic modifier, the resource modifier comprising an indication that the business establishment should adjust one or more of its resources.

13. The media of claim 12, further comprising communicating the resource modifier to the business establishment.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein the resource information associated with the business establishment comprises one or more of inventory, personnel, schedule, equipment or a budget.

15. The media of claim 14, wherein the budget comprises an advertising budget.

16. The media of claim 12, further comprising receiving resource information associated with a disparate business establishment.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein determining the traffic modifier using the shopper traffic information and the resource information further comprises using the resource information associated with the disparate business establishment to determine the traffic modifier.

18. The media of claim 17, further comprising determining a resource modifier for the disparate business establishment based on the projected result of the dissemination of the traffic modifier.

19. The media of claim 18, further comprising communicating the resource modifier to the disparate business establishment.

20. A computerized method carried out by a computing device having one or more processors for managing shopper traffic and resource allocation based at least in part upon environment and resource data, the method comprising:

receiving demographic and objectives information for one or more shoppers using environmental sensors located in or nearby a business establishment;

receiving resource information associated with the business establishment, the resource information comprising inventory, equipment, personnel, a schedule, and a budget associated with the business establishment;

utilizing the demographics and objectives information and the resource information to determine a traffic modifier comprising an advertisement configured to influence a behavior of the one or more shoppers;

based on a predicted result of dissemination of the traffic modifier, determining a resource modifier comprising an indication to adjust one or more of the resources associated with the business establishment; and

communicating the resource modifier to the business establishment.