Active profiling system for tracking and quantifying customer conversion efficiency

• US 7,085,774 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Infonox On The Web
• Original Assignee: Infonox On The Web
• Inventors: Maskatiya, Vali, Banerjee, Ashim, Shah, Safwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/944,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1-1041, 705/14, 705/26, 705/43, 235/383
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and system are provided for compiling a customer profile. A database that includes identification information for customers is maintained. Customers who physically visit a first entity are identified from the information maintained in the database. Some of those customers execute a transaction with the first entity and some of those customers do not execute a transaction with the first entity.

Claims

1. A method for compiling a customer profile, the method comprising:

maintaining a database that includes identification information for a plurality of customers;

identifying customers who physically visit a first entity from the database information, wherein some of such customers execute a transaction with the first entity and some of such customers do not execute a transaction with the first entity;

for each customer who executes a transaction with the first entity, recording particulars of such each customer'"'"'s visit and particulars of the transaction in the database as part of a record affiliated with an identification of such each customer; and

for each customer who does not execute a transaction with the first entity, recording particulars of such each customer'"'"'s visit in the database as part of a record affiliated with an identification of such each customer.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising developing the customer profile from the database information and from identifying the customers who physically visit the first entity.

3. The method recited in claim 2 wherein developing the customer profile comprises accessing an external database.

4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein identifying customers comprises identifying customers biometrically.

5. The method recited in claim 4 wherein identifying customers biometrically comprises identifying a facial feature of customers.

6. The method recited in claim 4 wherein identifying customers biometrically comprises identifying a voice pattern of customers.

7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein identifying customers comprises identifying customers with a card.

8. The method recited in claim 7 wherein the card was not originally issued for identifying customers who physically visit the first entity.

9. The method recited in claim 7 wherein the card comprises a magnetic stripe and wherein identifying customers with the card comprises reading the magnetic stripe.

10. The method recited in claim 7 wherein the card comprises a bar code and wherein identifying customers with the card comprises reading the bar code.

11. The method recited in claim 7 wherein identifying customers with the card comprises optically reading at least a portion of the card.

12. The method recited in claim 1 wherein identifying customers comprises identifying customers with a personal identification number.

13. The method recited in claim 1 wherein identifying customers who physically visit the first entity comprises identifying customers with a physical station associated with a first organization, the method further comprising identifying customers who visit a second entity from the database information, the second entity being associated with a second organization, wherein some of such customers who visit the second entity execute a transaction with the second entity and some of such customers who visit the second entity do not execute a transaction with the second entity.

14. The method recited in claim 13 wherein identifying customers who physically visit the first entity comprises identifying customers biometrically.

15. The method recited in claim 13 further comprising determining a customer conversion efficiency for at least one of the first and second entities.

16. The method recited in claim 13 further comprising determining a customer conversion efficiency for a combination of the first and second entities.

17. The method recited in claim 13 further comprising administering a customer loyalty program to incentivize customers to provide the identification information.

18. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a customer conversion efficiency for the first entity, wherein the customer conversion efficiency comprises a ratio of a number of customers who visit the first entity and execute a transaction with the first entity to a total number of customers who visit the first entity.

19. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising determining a customer conversion efficiency for at least part of the first entity, wherein the customer conversion efficiency comprises a ratio of a number of customers who visit the part of the first entity and execute a transaction with the part of the first entity to a total number of customers who visit the part of the first entity.

20. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising administering a customer loyalty program to incentivize customers to provide the identification information.

21. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the first entity comprises a shop.

22. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the first entity comprises an establishment.

23. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising identifying customers who visit an internet site affiliated with the first entity, wherein some such customers who visit the internet site execute a transaction with the first entity and some of such customers who visit the internet site do not execute a transaction with the first entity.

24. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising enrolling customers to obtain the identification information.

25. The method recited in claim 24 wherein enrolling customers comprises, for each such customer:

extracting a first set of biometric data regarding the customer from a verification instrument;

extracting a second set of biometric data directly from at least one feature of the customer; and

comparing the first and second sets of biometric data to determine whether the first and second sets of biometric data are derived from a single individual.

26. A method for compiling a customer profile, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of customers, enrolling such customer by;

extracting a first set of biometric data regarding the customer from a verification instrument;

extracting a second set of biometric data directly from at least one feature of the customer; and

comparing the first and second sets of biometric data to determine whether the first and second sets of biometric data are derived from a single individual;

maintaining a database that includes identification information for each of the plurality of customers;

biometrically identifying customers who visit an entity from the database information, wherein some of such customers execute a transaction with the entity and some of such customers do not execute a transaction with the entity;

for each customer who executes a transaction with the entity, recording particulars of such each customer'"'"'s visit and particulars of the transactions in the database as part of a record affiliated with such each customer;

for each customer who does not execute a transaction with the entity, recording particulars of such each customer'"'"'s visit in the database as part of a record affiliated with such each customer; and

determining a customer conversion efficiency for the entity, wherein the customer conversion efficiency comprises a ratio of a number of customers who visit the first entity and execute a transaction with the first entity to a total number of customers who visit the first entity.

27. The method recited in claim 26 further comprising administering a customer loyalty program to incentivize customers to provide the identification information.

28. A computer system for compiling a customer profile, the computer system comprising:

a storage device configured to store customer identification information;

at least one communications device configured to permit exchange of data with a plurality of stations; and

a processor in communication with the storage device and the at least one communications device, wherein the processor is configured to;

identify customers who physically visit one of the plurality of stations at a first entity, wherein some of such customers execute a transaction with the first entity and some of such customers do not execute a transaction with the first entity;

for each customer who executes a transaction with the first entity, record particulars of such each customer'"'"'s visit and particulars of the transaction in the database as part of a record affiliated with an identification of such each customer; and

for each customer who does not execute a transaction with the first entity, record particulars of such each customer'"'"'s visit in the database as part of a record affiliated with an identification of such each customer.

29. The computer system recited in claim 28 wherein the processor is further configured to develop a customer profile from the database information and from identifying the customers who physically visit the one of the plurality of stations.

30. The computer system recited in claim 29 wherein the customer profile comprises a customer conversion efficiency, wherein the customer conversion efficiency comprises a ratio of a number of customers who visit the first entity and execute a transaction with the first entity to a total number of customers who visit the first entity.

31. The computer system recited in claim 28 wherein the one of the plurality of stations is associated with a first organization and wherein the processor is further configured to identify customers who visit a second of the plurality of stations at a second entity, wherein some of such customers who visit the second of the plurality of stations execute a transaction with the second entity and some of such customers who visit the second of the plurality of stations do not execute a transaction with the second entity.

32. The computer system recited in claim 29 wherein the processor is further in communication with the internet and configured to identify customers who visit an internet site affiliated with the first entity, wherein some such customers who visit the internet site execute a transaction with the first entity and some such customers who visit the internet site do not execute a transaction with the first entity.

33. A computer system for compiling a customer profile, the computer system comprising:

storage means configured to store customer identification information;

communication means configured to permit exchange of data with a plurality of stations; and

processor means in communication with the storage means and the communication means, wherein the processor means is configured to;

identify customers who physically visit one of the plurality of stations at a first entity, wherein some of such customers execute a transaction with the first entity and some of such customers do not execute a transaction with the first entity;

for each customer who executes a transaction with the first entity, record particulars of such each customer'"'"'s visit and particulars of the transaction on the storage means as part of a record affiliated with an identification of such each customer; and

for each customer who does not execute a transaction with the first entity, record particulars of such each customer'"'"'s visit on the storage means as part of a record affiliated with an identification of such each customer.

34. The computer system recited in claim 33 wherein the processor means is further configured to develop a customer profile from the database information and from identifying the customers who physically visit the one of the plurality of stations.

35. The computer system recited in claim 34 wherein the customer profile comprises a customer conversion efficiency, wherein the customer conversion efficiency comprises a ratio of a number of customers who visit the first entity and execute a transaction with the first entity to a total number of customers who visit the first entity.

36. The computer system recited in claim 33 wherein the one of the plurality of stations is associated with a first organization and wherein the processor means is further configured to identify customers who visit a second of the plurality of stations at a second entity, wherein some of such customers who visit the second of the plurality of stations do not execute a transaction with the second entity.

37. The computer system recited in claim 33 wherein the processor means is further in communication with the internet and configured to identify customers who visit an internet site affiliated with the first entity, wherein some such customers who visit the internet site execute a transaction with the first entity and some such customers who visit the internet site do not execute a transaction with the first entity.