Methods and Systems for Assisting Customers Shopping at Real-World Shopping Venues

• US 20170053330A1
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin, Moreau, Stphane, Soni, Sachin, Duggal, Ashish, Dhawan, Anmol
• Granted Patent: US 10,140,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

Systems and methods disclosed herein offer assistance to customers shopping at a real-world shopping venue carrying mobile devices connected to a communication network. This involves tracking a physical action of a customer present at the real-world shopping venue and determining to offer assistance to the customer based on the tracked physical action. Based on determining to offer assistance to the customer, a notification is sent to a mobile device of the customer. The notification identifies that live support is available to assist the customer while the customer is present at the real-world shopping venue.

Claims

1. A method for offering assistance to customers shopping at a real-world shopping venue carrying mobile devices connected to a communication network, the method comprising:

tracking, by a processing device, a physical action of a customer present at the real-world shopping venue, wherein the physical action is not an activity that provides input or control of an electronic device user interface;

determining, by the processing device, to offer assistance to the customer based on the tracked physical action; and

based on determining to offer assistance to the customer, sending a notification to a mobile device of the customer, the notification identifying that live support is available to assist the customer while the customer is present at the real-world shopping venue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the physical action comprises determining a customer location using a beacon, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device, or Near Field Communication (NFC) device in the real-world shopping venue to send or receive signals with a mobile device of the customer, wherein a location of the beacon, RFID device, or NFC device when the signals are sent or received is used to determine the customer location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking the physical action comprises identifying that the customer interacted with a particular product based on an accelerometer attached to the particular product.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking the physical action comprises:

determining that the customer spent more than a threshold amount of time at a particular location or section within the real-world shopping venue;

or

identifying that a movement pattern of the customer satisfies a criteria.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking the physical action comprises determining that:

the customer made a recurring visit to a particular location or section of the real-world shopping venue, or to interact with a particular product or category;

or

the customer is moving out of a particular section of the real-world shopping venue.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining to offer assistance is based on:

a customer location or activity determined based on interpreting images from a camera or video camera;

information from an Internet of Things-type sensor;

information from a beacon;

information from a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip;

or

previous online interactions.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining to offer assistance is further based on prior actions of the customer in the real-world shopping venue.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identify a support person based on the tracked physical action or a user profile associated with the customer; and

connecting the support person to provide assistance to the customer while the customer is present at the real-world shopping venue.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

connecting a support person to provide assistance to the customer while the customer is present at the real-world shopping venue; and

providing context information to the support person, the context information comprising information about the tracked physical action.

10. A method for offering assistance to customers shopping at a real-world shopping venue, the method comprising:

identifying, by a processing device, that a customer is interested in a product or a product category by;

identifying a section of the real-world shopping venue offering the product category, the section identified using signals emitted by a beacon in the section to determine that a mobile device of the customer is present in the section for more than a threshold period of time or that the mobile device of the customer has returned to the section after a prior visit to the section;

or

identifying a movement of the product by the customer based on an accelerometer attached to the product;

based on the identified product or product category, identifying a support person to provide assistance to the customer and context information to provide to the support person to provide assistance to the customer; and

based on identifying that the customer is interested in the product or product category, sending a notification to the mobile device of the customer, the notification identifying that the support person is available to assist the customer while the customer is present at the real-world shopping venue.

11. A method for identifying support persons to provide assistance to customers shopping at a real-world shopping venue carrying mobile devices connected to a communication network, the method comprising:

tracking, by a processing device, a physical action of a customer present at the real-world shopping venue, wherein the physical action is not an activity that provides input or control of an electronic device user interface;

identifying, by the processing device, a support person to provide assistance to the customer based on the tracked physical action; and

connecting the support person and the customer while the customer is present at the real-world shopping venue.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein connecting the support person comprises connecting the support person in a live chat session to the customer on a mobile device of the customer while the customer is present at the real-world shopping venue.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein:

identifying the support person comprises identifying which of a plurality of support persons will provide in-person contact based on locations associated with each of the plurality of support persons; and

connecting the support person comprises initiating in-person contact between the support person and the customer.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein connecting the support person comprises:

identifying another customer who has consented to provide support in exchange for an incentive; and

connecting the customer and another customer.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein identifying the support person comprises:

identifying an area of expertise or type of product based on the tracked physical action; and

identifying the support person based on experience of the support person in the area of expertise.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein identifying the support person is based on:

information about online interactions of the customer; and

actions of the customer in the real-world shopping venue.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the support person is connected with the customer in response to a request initiated on a mobile device of the customer.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing context information to the support person based on the tracked physical action, wherein the context information combines information about online interactions with information about customer actions in the real-world shopping venue.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the context information combines information about online interactions with information about customer actions in the real-world shopping venue.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the context information identifies:

a section of the real-world shopping venue where the customer is present;

a related section of the real-world shopping venue that the customer previously visited;

a competitor brand of a product that the customer interacted with at the real-world shopping venue;

cross selling information;

or

features of a product or category in which the customer is determined to be interested based on an eye tracking sensor.