Method and system for printing of automatically captured facial images augmented with promotional content

• US 7,283,650 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Videomining Corporation
• Inventors: Jung, Namsoon, Sharma, Rajeev
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Samir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bitar; Nancy
• Application Number:
  US10/724,302
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118, 382/131, 382/124, 400/62, 358/1.15, 235/379, 705/14, 364/521
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for printing facial images of people, captured automatically from a sequence of images, onto coupons or any promotional printed material, such as postcards, stamps, promotional brochures, or tickets for movies or shows. The coupon can also be used as a means to encourage people to visit specific sites as a way of promoting goods or services sold at the visited site. The invention is named UCOUPON. A plurality of Computer Vision algorithms in the UCOUPON processes a plurality of input image sequences from one or a plurality of means for capturing images that is pointed at the customers in the vicinity of the system in an uncontrolled background. The coupon content is matched by the customer'"'"'s demographic information, and primarily, the UCOUPON system does not require any customer input or participation to gather the demographic data, operating fully independently and automatically. The embodiment of the UCOUPON system can be integrated into any public place that requires the usage of coupons, such as existing checkout counters of the retail store environment. The UCOUPON can also be integrated into a stand-alone system, such as a coupon Kiosk system.

Claims

1. A method for printing facial images of person or a plurality of persons, from a sequence of images automatically captured by one or a plurality of means for capturing images, onto one or a plurality of coupons or any promotional printed material, comprising the following steps of:

a) capturing a plurality of the input images of said person or a plurality of persons in an uncontrolled background,

b) performing the communication between a means for processing and controlling and a product database, and processing read and write transaction to said product database,

c) performing the communication between a means for processing and controlling and a customer database and processing read and write transaction to said customer database;

d) processing said plurality of input images in order to superimpose the facial images of said person or said plurality of persons onto one or a plurality of said coupons or promotional printed material,

e) processing demographic classification for said person or said plurality of persons using said plurality of input images, and matching the content of coupons or the promotional printed material according to a plurality of the demographic information from said demographic classification, and

f) printing the coupons or the promotional printed material,

whereby the promotional printed material comprises postcards, stamps, promotional brochures, and tickets for movies or shows,

whereby the method is executed in any public place that requires the usage of said coupons, including existing checkout counters of a retail store environment, and whereby the method is executed in a stand alone system, including a kiosk system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of processing a store traffic control by allowing immediate pickup of said coupon or immediate redemption of said coupon,

wherein the store traffic control comprises a step of using said coupon to encourage said person or said plurality of persons to visit specific sites as a way of promoting goods or services sold at the visited sites.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of processing customer interaction by providing one or a plurality of interfaces,

whereby the interfaces can comprise a keyboard, mouse, touch-screen, and contact-free interface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of utilizing the data gathering services for demographics based on the computer vision technologies to provide visibility to customer traffic, composition, and behavior.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of executing the demographic classification and collecting the demographic data at various stages of coupon creation and redemption,

wherein the various stages can comprise a stage at the time of said person detection, a stage at the time of said coupon creation, and a stage at the time of said coupon redemption.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises a step of gathering the information about the customers from said plurality of demographic classification by analyzing and comparing the demographic information results from said various stages,

whereby the gathered information can comprise the information not only for returning customers but also for those who do not redeem the coupons based on the analysis and comparison of the automatic demographic classification results at said various stages, and

whereby the gathered information can also comprise the redemption rate among different demographic groups.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of generating face-based identifications of said person or said plurality of persons at the time of coupon pickup to see whether the person who picks up the coupon is the right person for the coupon or not,

whereby said person or said plurality of persons do not have to carry anything to claim the coupon.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of verifying the legitimacy of the coupon redemption,

whereby the verification prevents the problems in the paper-based conventional coupon redemption systems, including coupon fraud, duplicate redemption of the same coupon to the same customer, or inefficiency of issuing coupons to the second time customer.

16. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for verifying the legitimacy of the coupon redemption,

whereby the verification prevents the problems in the paper-based conventional coupon redemption systems, including coupon fraud, duplicate redemption of the same coupon to the same customer, or inefficiency of issuing coupons to the second time customer.

9. An apparatus for printing facial images of person or a plurality of persons, from a sequence of images automatically captured by one or a plurality of means for capturing images, onto one or a plurality of coupons or any promotional printed material, comprising:

a) means for capturing a plurality of the input images of said person or a plurality of persons in an uncontrolled background,

b) means for performing the communication between a means for processing and controlling and a product database, and processing read and write transaction to said product database,

c) means for performing the communication between a means for processing and controlling and a customer database and processing read and write transaction to said customer database;

d) means for processing said plurality of input images in order to superimpose the facial images of said person or said plurality of persons onto one or a plurality of said coupons or promotional printed material,

e) means for processing demographic classification for said person or said plurality of persons using said plurality of input images, and matching the content of coupons or the promotional printed material according to a plurality of the demographic information from said demographic classification, and

f) means for printing the coupons or the promotional printed material,

whereby the promotional printed material comprises postcards, stamps, promotional brochures, and tickets for movies or shows,

whereby the apparatus is integrated into any public place that requires the usage of said coupons, including existing checkout counters of a retail store environment, and whereby the apparatus is integrated in a stand alone system, including a kiosk system.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for processing a store traffic control by allowing immediate pickup of said coupon or immediate redemption of said coupon,

wherein the store traffic control comprises means for utilizing said coupon to encourage said person or said plurality of persons to visit specific sites as a way of promoting goods or services sold at the visited sites.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for processing customer interaction by one or a plurality of interfaces,

whereby the interfaces can comprise a keyboard, mouse, touch-screen, and contact-free interface.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for utilizing the data gathering services for demographics based on the computer vision technologies to provide visibility to customer traffic, composition, and behavior.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for executing the demographic classification and collecting the demographic data at various stages of coupon creation and redemption, wherein the various stages can comprise a stage at the time of said person detection, a stage at the time of said coupon creation, and a stage at the time of said coupon redemption.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for gathering the information about the customers from said plurality of demographic classification by analyzing and comparing the demographic information results from said various stages,

whereby the gathered information can comprise the information not only for returning customers, but also for those who do not redeem the coupons, based on the analysis and comparison of the automatic demographic classification results at said various stages, and

whereby the gathered information can also comprise the redemption rate among different demographic groups.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for generating face-based identifications of said person or said plurality of persons at the time of coupon pickup to see whether the person who picks up the coupon is the right person for the coupon or not,

whereby said person or said plurality of persons do not have to carry anything to claim the coupon.