System and method for tracking shopping behavior

• US 8,207,851 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insight Holding Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Insight Holding Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Christopher, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US11/853,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.41, 340/5.91, 340/539.13, 340/988, 340/572.2, 340/825.49, 340/572.1, 340/568.5, 340/573.1, 340/539.17, 340/539.16, 340/568.1, 342/46, 701/218, 235/385, 235/383, 235/462.13
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for tracking an interrogator relay unit disposed on a shopping cart within a store. The method comprises emitting an RF interrogation signal using the IRU; receiving, at the IRU, location data from an RFID tag in response to the RF interrogation signal; transmitting the location data, an identification information of the IRU, and timestamp data to a remote server using the IRU; and generating a behavior report using the transmitted location data, the identification information, and the timestamp data.

Claims

1. A method for tracking an interrogator relay unit (IRU) associated with a customer within a structure:

emitting an RF interrogation signal using the IRU;

receiving, at the IRU, location data from one or more RFID tags in response to the RF interrogation signal;

transmitting the location data, an identification information of the IRU, and timestamp data to a remote server using the IRU; and

generating a customer behavior report using the transmitted location data, the identification information, and the timestamp data, wherein the customer behavior report includes a travel pattern of the IRU a time duration report showing how long the IRU was at each of a plurality of locations, average time spent at various locations within the structure, and average time in the structure;

wherein the RFID tags are mounted within the structure based upon a predetermined standard that addresses the mounting location of each RFID tag and a prescribed distance between RFID tags,

wherein at least one MID tag includes an address, contact information, and a building schematic for the structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data received from an RFID tag comprises where the RFID tag is located.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating the time duration of the IRU within a transmission range of an RFID tag by analyzing the timestamp data associated with the IRU identification information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID tags are passive RFID tags.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the behavior report is generated using location data from a plurality of RFID tags.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of RFID tags are located in a store.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the location data comprises location information concerning where an RFID tag is located within the store.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the IRU is located on a mobile container used for storing shopping materials.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the identification information of the IRU to a point-of-sale device; and

transmitting a point-of-sale data package to the remote server once a sale transaction is completed using the point-of-sale device, wherein the point-of-sale data package contains information relating to the transaction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the point-of-sale data package comprises purchaser information and items purchased information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the point-of-sale data package further comprises date and time of transaction and total price of the transaction.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the purchaser information is credit card information or club member information.

13. A method for tracking an interrogator relay unit (IRU) associated with a customer comprising:

emitting RF interrogation signals at a prescribed interval using the IRU;

receiving, at the IRU, location data from a plurality of passive RFID tags in response to the RF interrogation signals;

transmitting the received location data and identification information of the IRU to a remote server using the IRU;

calculating time duration information of the IRU within a transmission range of a RFID tag using the prescribed interval and a number of times the location data from the RFID tag is transmitted along with the identification information of the IRU;

generating a customer behavior report including a travel pattern of the IRU, a time duration report showing how long the IRU was at each of a plurality of locations, average time spent at various locations within a structure, and average time in the structure;

wherein the RFID tags are mounted within the structure based upon a predetermined standard that addresses the mounting location of each RFID tag and a prescribed distance between RFID tags,

wherein at least one RFID tag includes an address, contact information, and a building schematic for the structure.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

mapping the pattern of travel of the IRU using the calculated time duration information associated with the plurality of RFID tags.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each RFID tag is a passive RFID tag.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of RFID tags is located in a store.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the location data comprises location information concerning where an RFID tag is located within the store.

18. A system for tracking shopping behavior comprising:

a plurality of passive RFID tags distributed within a structure, each RFID tag configured to contain location information regarding its position within the structure;

an IRU associated with a customer and configured to receive the location information from the plurality of RFID tags in response to interrogation signals transmitted by the IRU, wherein the IRU is configured to transmit the location information and an identification information of the IRU to a remote database; and

a report generator configured to query the remote database and to generate a customer behavior report including a travel pattern of the IRU, a time duration report showing how long the IRU was at each of a plurality of locations, average time spent at various locations within the structure, and average time in the structure;

wherein the remote database is configured to store and timestamp each location information received;

wherein the RFID tags are mounted within the structure based upon a predetermined standard that addresses the mounting location of each RFID tag and a prescribed distance between RFID tags,

wherein at least one RFID tag includes an address, contact information, and a building schematic for the structure.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the IRU is located on a mobile container configured to store shopping items.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the report generator is configured to generate the behavior report that includes the time duration of the IRU within a transmission range of one RFID tag using the timestamp data generated by the remote database.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a point-of-sale device configured to transmit purchaser information and items purchased information to the remote server once a sale transaction is completed to the remote database;

wherein the report generator is configured to generate a sale report using data received from the point-of-sale device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the purchaser information is credit card information or club member information.