DETERMINING TO AUDIT A CUSTOMER UTILIZING ANALYTICS

• US 20140214608A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Pedley, Douglas James, Cancro, Richard Neil, Acker, Joel Bennett Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

Embodiments for determining whether the activity of a customer within a retail store violates a business rules are disclosed. The embodiments include a customer performing actions within a retail store via a mobile computing device, generating at least one business rule, and comparing the customer'"'"'s actions with the business rules.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a processing device, an activity notification associated with activity of a customer within a retail store;

generating, at the processing device, a business rule associated with the activity of the customer within the retail store;

determining, at the processing device, if the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule; and

transmitting, at the processing device, an audit notification to audit the customer if the determining determines that the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the activity of the customer within the retail store includes an action, the action being at least one of scanning an identifier of an item to add the item to a shopping list, removing the item from the shopping list, and scanning the identifier of the item to receive further information associated with the item.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the activity of the customer includes a waypoint and timestamp in response to the action of the customer within the retail store.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the business rule is associated with the shopping list.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the business rule is associated with a shrinkage rate of the retail store.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining if the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule includes comparing the activity of the customer within the retail store to the business rule.

7. The customer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining if the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule is determined in response to the customer completing a transaction at the retail store.

8. The customer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking, at the processing device, the activity of the customer via a mobile computing device associated with the customer.

9. A server comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an activity notification associated with activity of a customer within a retail store;

a processor configured to generate a business rule associated with the activity of the customer within the retail store and determine if the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule; and

a transmitter configured to transmit an audit notification to audit the customer if the determining determines that the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the activity of the customer within the retail store includes an action, the action being at least one of scanning an identifier of an item to add the item to a shopping list, removing the item from the shopping list, and scanning the identifier of the item to receive further information associated with the item.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the activity of the customer includes a waypoint and timestamp in response to the action of the customer within the retail store.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein the business rule is associated with the shopping list.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the business rule is associated with a shrinkage rate of the retail store.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein the determining if the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule includes comparing the activity of the customer within the retail store to the business rule.

15. The server of claim 9, wherein the determining if the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule is determined in response to the customer completing a transaction at the retail store.

16. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to track the activity of the customer via a mobile computing device associated with the customer.

17. A mobile computing device comprising:

a graphical user interface configured to receive an action in response to activity of a customer within a retail store;

a waypoint module configured to determine coordinates of the mobile computing device, wherein the waypoint module determines the coordinates of the mobile computing device in response to the action;

a transmitter configured to transmit an action notification including data associated with the activity of the user and the waypoint of the mobile computing device where the action was performed; and

receiving an audit notification if it is determined that the activity of the customer within the retail store violates a business rule.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the action being at least one of scanning an identifier of an item to add the item to a shopping list, removing the item from the shopping list, and scanning the identifier of the item to receive further information associated with the item.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the determining if the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule includes comparing the activity of the customer within the retail store to the business rule.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the determining if the activity of the customer within the retail store violates the business rule is determined in response to the customer completing a transaction at the retail store via the graphical user interface.