User-personalized media sampling, recommendation and purchasing system using real-time inventory database

• US 7,174,312 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Trans World New York LLC (Kaspien Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trans World New York LLC (Kaspien Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harper, Gregory W., Skiba, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin; Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akintola; Olabode
• Application Number:
  US10/258,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/13, 705/15, 705 35- 40
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A user-personalized product sampling, recommendation and purchasing system uses customer identification numbers and associated customer profile data to tailor specific product recommendations to a customer at a content sampling station of a retail location. The customer also can use her customer profile to receive the same information from an Internet website of the merchant. In-store sampling stations also may have the capability of checking store inventory and central warehouse inventory and providing recommendations to the customer in accordance with product availability, and optionally may provide the customer with the ability to place product orders directly through the sampling station. The recommendation system also can be used to tailor product recommendations in accordance with a rule-based model and real-time inventory data from a POS database.

Claims

1. A networked product sampling system comprising:

a plurality of sampling stations, each sampling station being positioned at a different location within a retail site, wherein each said different location is assigned a unique location identifier, and each sampling station including a display and an audio output device for playing samples of product content of products for sale by the retail site;

a retail site server; and

a database coupled to said plurality of sampling stations through the retail site server and storing sample content and meta data related to products for sale at said retail site, wherein

each of said sampling stations is assigned the location identifier that is assigned to the location at which the sampling station is positioned,

the retail site server is configured to select particular meta data to send to a sampling station based on the unique location identifier assigned to the sampling station, wherein the sampling station is configured to display the meta data after receiving the meta data from the retail site server.

2. The networked product sampling system according to claim 1, wherein said database further includes a plurality of different attractant media loops for output by said sampling stations when not being used by a customer, and said retail site server determines particular attractant media loops to be outputted at a particular sampling station in accordance with the unique location identifier associated with that sampling station.

3. The networked product sampling system according to claim 1, wherein said system is linked to a communication network linking a plurality of retail sites to a central server of a merchant.

4. The networked product sampling system according to claim 3, wherein said system is linked to a plurality of third party content and service providers over said communication network.

5. The networked product sampling system according to claim 1, wherein said particular meta data comprises product titles of products located within a predetermined zone of the location of the sampling station in said retail site.

6. The networked product sampling system according to claim 1, wherein said particular meta data comprises a list of top selling products.

7. The networked product sampling system according to claim 1, wherein said particular meta data comprises a list of sales associates'"'"' recommended products.

8. The networked product sampling system according to claim 1, wherein each sampling station has a memory storing a unique identification code, which unique identification code is different than the location identifier assigned to the sampling station.

9. The networked product sampling system according to claim 8, further comprising a second database coupled to said plurality of sampling stations through the retail site server, wherein for each said sampling station, the second database associates the unique identification code stored in the memory of the sampling station with the unique location identifier assigned to the sampling station.

10. The networked product sampling system according to claim 8, wherein for each said sampling station, the database associates the unique identification code stored in the memory of the sampling station with the unique location identifier assigned to the sampling station.

11. The networked product sampling system according to claim 8, wherein each of said sampling stations transmits data to the retail site server using a cable attached to the sampling station, wherein the sampling station also receives all of its power through said cable.

12. The networked product sampling system according to claim 11, wherein said cable is connected to the sampling station through a standard network wire connector.

13. The networked product sampling station according to claim 12, wherein the standard network wire connector is an RJ45 connector.

14. The networked product sampling system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured such that when any one of said sampling stations experiences a certain predetermined event, said sampling station displays a user interface screen that enables a user to assign a location identifier to said sampling station.

15. The networked product sampling system according to claim 14, wherein said certain predetermined event is the sampling station first being connected to a cable that provides power to the sampling station.

16. The networked product sampling system according to claim 14, wherein the screen displays a list of locations identifiers.

17. The networked product sampling system according to claim 16, wherein the sampling station includes a user interface that enables the user to select one of the listed location identifiers.

18. In a system comprising a first sampling station, as second sampling station, a retail site server, and a database accessible to the retail site server, a method comprising:

assigning a first location identifier to a first location in a retail site;

assigning a second location identifier to a second location in the retail site;

positioning the first sampling station at the first location and assigning to the first sampling station the first location identifier;

positioning the second sampling station at the second location and assigning to the second sampling station the second location identifier;

when the first sampling station is not being used by a user, transmitting from the first sampling station to the retail site server a first message;

configuring the retail site server such that, in response to receiving the first message from the first sampling station, the retail site server (i) determines the location identifier assigned to the first sampling station, (ii) uses the determined location identifier to retrieve from the database data associated with the determined location identifier, and (iii) transmits the retrieved data to the first sampling station;

when the second sampling station is not being used by a user, transmitting from the second sampling station to the retail site server a second message; and

configuring the retail site server such that, in response to receiving the second message from the second sampling station, the retail site server (i) determines the location identifier assigned to the second sampling station, (ii) uses the determined location identifier to retrieve from the database data associated with the determined location identifier, and (iii) transmits the retrieved data to the second sampling station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each said sampling station has a memory storing a unique identification code, which unique identification code is different than the location identifier assigned to the sampling station.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, for each said sampling station, a database associates the unique identification code stored in the memory of the sampling station with the location identifier assigned to the sampling station.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said unique identification code is a media access control address or a network address.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of transmitting the first message from the first sampling station to the retail site server comprises transmitting the first message through a cable attached to the sampling station, wherein the first sampling station also receives all of its power through said cable.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said cable is connected to the sampling station through a standard network wire connector.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the standard network wire connector is an RJ45 connector.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying on a display screen of the first sampling station a user interface screen that enables a user to assign a location identifier to said first sampling station in response to said first sampling station experiencing a certain predetermined event.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said certain predetermined event is the sampling station being connected to a cable that provides power to the sampling station.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the user interface screen displays a list of locations identifiers and the sampling station includes a user interface that enables the user to select one of the listed location identifiers.

28. In a system comprising a sampling station, a retail site server, and a database accessible to the retail site server, a method comprising:

positioning the sampling station within a retail site and assigning to the sampling station a location identifier;

communicatively coupling the sampling station with the retail site server;

determining whether the sampling station has been idle for at least a predetermined amount of time;

in response to a determination that the sampling station has been idle for at least the predetermined amount of time, (a) using the location identifier assigned to the sampling station to retrieve from the database data associated with the location identifier and (b) transmitting from the retail site server to the sampling station the retrieved data;

receiving the transmitted data at the sampling station; and

displaying the data on a display device of the sampling station.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said sampling station has a memory storing a unique identification code, which unique identification code is different than the location identifier assigned to the sampling station.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising using a database to associate the unique identification code stored in the memory of the sampling station with the location identifier assigned to the sampling station.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said unique identification code is a media access control address or a network address.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of determining whether the sampling station has been idle for at least a predetermined amount of time comprises determining whether the sampling station has transmitted an idle message.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising connecting a communication and power cable to the sampling station, wherein the sampling station is configured to receive all of its power through said cable and is configured to transmit messages to the retail site server by transmitting the messages through said cable, wherein said cable is connected to the sampling station through a standard network wire connector.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the standard network wire connector is an RJ45 connector.

35. The method of claim 28, further comprising displaying on a display screen of the sampling station a user interface screen that enables a user to assign a location identifier to said sampling station in response to said sampling station experiencing a certain predetermined event.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said certain predetermined event is the sampling station being connected to a cable that provides power to the sampling station.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the user interface screen displays a list of locations identifiers and the sampling station includes a user interface that enables the user to select one of the listed location identifiers.