METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SIMULATING AGENT BEHAVIOR IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

• US 20150310447A1
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RetailNext, Inc.
• Original Assignee: RetailNext, Inc.
• Inventors: Shaw, George
• Granted Patent: US 10,977,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/3308 using simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

Systems and methods for simulating behavior of agents in a virtual environment are described. Observed customer behavior data for a retail space may be received. A model for customer behavior in the retail space is generated, the model including probabilities for customer responses to a plurality of stimuli. A virtual customer agent is built based on the model for customer behavior. A virtual retail space is built and modified, the modified virtual retail space including at least one different design feature from the virtual retail space. In the modified virtual retail space, the virtual customer agent is simulated performing a predetermined list of tasks based on the probabilities for the customer responses. Simulated customer behavior data, including responses of the virtual customer agent to the modified virtual retail space, may be generated based on the simulation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, observed customer behavior data for a retail space;

generating, by the processor, a model for customer behavior in the retail space based on the observed customer behavior, the model comprising probabilities for customer responses to a plurality of stimuli in the retail space;

building, by the processor, a virtual customer agent based on the model for customer behavior;

building, by the processor, a virtual retail space, the virtual retail space being a virtual representation of the retail space;

modifying, by the processor, the virtual retail space such that the modified virtual retail space includes at least one different design feature from the virtual retail space;

simulating, by the processor, the virtual customer agent performing a predetermined list of tasks in the modified virtual retail space, the virtual customer agent'"'"'s performance of each task being based on the probabilities for the customer responses contained in the model for customer behavior; and

generating, by the processor, simulated customer behavior data based on the simulating the virtual customer agent performing the predetermined list of tasks, the simulated customer behavior data comprising responses of the virtual customer agent to the modified virtual retail space.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, observed associate behavior data for the retail space, the associate being an employee working in the retail space;

generating, by the processor, a model for associate behavior in the retail space based on the observed associate behavior, the model comprising probabilities for associate responses to the plurality of stimuli in the retail space;

building, by the processor, a virtual associate agent based on the model for associate behavior;

simulating, by the processor, the virtual associate agent performing a predetermined list of tasks in the modified virtual retail space, the virtual associate agent'"'"'s performance being based on the probabilities for the associate responses contained in the model for customer behavior; and

generating, by the processor, simulated associate behavior data based on the simulating the virtual associate agent performing the predetermined list of tasks, the simulated associate behavior data comprising the responses of the virtual associate agent to the virtual retail space.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising validating, by the processor, the model for customer behavior, the validating comprising:

simulating, by the processor, the virtual customer agent performing a predetermined list of tasks in the virtual retail space, the virtual agent'"'"'s performance being based on the probabilities for the customer responses contained in the model for customer behavior;

generating, by the processor, simulated customer behavior data for validation based on simulating the virtual customer agent performing the predetermined list of tasks in the virtual retail space, the simulated customer behavior data for validation comprising responses of the virtual customer agent to the virtual retail space; and

comparing, by the processor, the simulated customer behavior data for validation with the observed customer behavior data to assess the quality of the model for customer behavior.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating, by the processor, a metric that quantifies how closely the simulated customer behavior data for validation resembles the observed customer behavior data;

and adjusting the model for customer behavior when the metric is less than a predetermined threshold for the metric.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the observed customer behavior data is gathered by observing customers for a predetermined period of time in the retail space, the observing comprising generating data based on observed customer responses to the plurality of stimuli in the retail space.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one different design feature includes changing the size of the virtual retail space.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one different design feature includes adjusting a location of a product within the virtual retail space.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulated customer behavior data includes simulated sales data.

9. The method of claim 1, the received observed customer behavior data comprising observed customer behavior data from a plurality of retail stores, the plurality of retail stores having a common feature with the retail space, the generating the model for customer behavior in the retail space further comprising probabilities for customer responses to a plurality of stimuli in the plurality of retail stores.

10. The method of claim 9, the plurality of stimuli in the plurality of retail stores comprising stimuli absent from the retail space.

11. The method of claim 9, the observed customer behavior data from the plurality of retail stores comprising suggested layouts for the retail space based on at least one of sales of an item and conversion of the item.

12. The method of claim 1, the model for customer behavior in the retail space further comprising limitations on the virtual customer agent based on laws of physics.

13. The method of claim 1, the model for customer behavior in the retail space further comprising an ability for the virtual customer agent to apply logical rules, the virtual customer agent'"'"'s performance of each task being further based on applying the logical rules to the particular task in view of the modified virtual retail space.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor for performing a method for enhancing a signal, the method comprising:

receiving observed customer behavior data for a retail space;

generating a model for customer behavior in the retail space based on the observed customer behavior, the model comprising probabilities for customer responses to a plurality of stimuli in the retail space;

building a virtual customer agent based on the model for customer behavior;

building a virtual retail space, the virtual retail space being a virtual representation of the retail space;

modifying the virtual retail space such that the modified virtual retail space includes at least one different design feature from the virtual retail space;

simulating the virtual customer agent performing a predetermined list of tasks in the modified virtual retail space, the virtual customer agent'"'"'s performance of each task being based on the probabilities for the customer responses contained in the model for customer behavior; and

generating simulated customer behavior data based on the simulating the virtual customer agent performing the predetermined list of tasks, the simulated customer behavior data comprising responses of the virtual customer agent to the modified virtual retail space.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

receiving observed associate behavior data for the retail space, the associate being an employee working in the retail space;

generating a model for associate behavior in the retail space based on the observed associate behavior, the model comprising probabilities for associate responses to the plurality of stimuli in the retail space;

building a virtual associate agent based on the model for associate behavior;

simulating the virtual associate agent performing a predetermined list of tasks in the modified virtual retail space, the virtual associate agent'"'"'s performance being based on the probabilities for the associate responses contained in the model for customer behavior; and

generating simulated associate behavior data based on the simulating the virtual associate agent performing the predetermined list of tasks, the simulated associate behavior data comprising the responses of the virtual associate agent to the virtual retail space.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the observed customer behavior data is gathered by observing customers for a predetermined period of time in the retail space, the observing comprising generating data based on observed customer responses to the plurality of stimuli in the retail space.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one different design feature includes changing the size of the virtual retail space.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one different design feature includes adjusting a location of a product within the virtual retail space.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the simulated customer behavior data includes simulated sales data.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, the received observed customer behavior data comprising observed customer behavior data from a plurality of retail stores, the plurality of retail stores having a common feature with the retail space, the generating the model for customer behavior in the retail space further comprising probabilities for customer responses to a plurality of stimuli in the plurality of retail stores.