Methods and apparatus for presenting personalized information to consumers in a retail environment

• US 8,364,530 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Duri, Sastry S., Elliott, Jeffrey G., Lai, Jennifer C., Liu, Xuan, Moskowitz, Paul A., Tang, Jung-Mu, Werden, Todd C., Wong, Danny Chan-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Boveja, Namrata
• Application Number:
  US12/127,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/14.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for presenting personalized information to consumers in a retail environment. A personalized price is determined for at least one product that is in physical proximity to the customer. The physical proximity may be determined, for example, by evaluating identifiers, such as RFID tags, associated with each customer and product. A personalized message can be also presented to a customer regarding at least one product that is in physical proximity to the customer. The personalized message can provide, for example, dietary or safety information relevant to the customer and at least one product in the proximity of the customer. The personalized information may be determined based on one or more personalized message rules.

Claims

1. A method for determining a price of a product for a customer, comprising:

obtaining a unique identifier of said product from an RFID tag of said product;

obtaining a unique identifier of said customer from an RFID tag of said customer;

determining a personalized price for said product in physical proximity to said customer, said personalized price providing a discount from a regular price, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on said customer RFID tag and said product RFID tag being within a field of the same RFID reader.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on an identifier associated with said customer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a physical location of said customer is determined based on one or more of biometric information and said RFID tag associated with said product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step determines said personalized price based on one or more personalized price rules.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a default price for said product until said personalized price is determined.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a difference quantity as a function of the default price and the personalized price; and

presenting the difference quantity to said customer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said personalized price is based on one or more attributes of said customer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said attributes of said customer includes one or more of a status of whether said customer belongs to a reward program, a purchase history and customer preferences.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said personalized price is based on one or more attributes of said product.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said attributes of said product includes one or more of a quantity of said product and a selection of said product and one or more specified additional products.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on physical contact between said customer and said at least one product.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on said customer and said at least one product being within said field of the same RFID reader.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on said customer and said at least one product being in the same sector of a given location.

14. A method for determining a message to present to a customer, comprising:

obtaining a unique identifier of a product from an RFID tag of said product;

obtaining a unique identifier of said customer from an RFID tag of said customer;

determining a personalized message to present to said customer regarding said product in physical proximity to said customer, said personalized message based on one or more attributes of said customer, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on said customer RFID tag and said product RFID tag being within a field of the same RFID reader.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on an identifier associated with said customer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a physical location of said customer is determined based on one or more of biometric information and said RFID tag associated with said product.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining step determines said personalized message based on one or more personalized message rules.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said attributes of said customer includes one or more of a status of whether said customer belongs to a reward program, a purchase history, and customer preferences.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said personalized message is further based on one or more attributes of said product.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said attributes of said product includes cautionary information.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said personalized message provides one or more of dietary and cautionary information relevant to said customer and said at least one product.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on one or more of physical contact between said customer and said at least one product, said customer and said at least one product being within said field of the same RFID reader, and said customer and said at least one product being in the same sector of a given location.

23. A system for determining a price of a product for a customer, said system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

obtain a unique identifier of said product from an RFID tag of said product;

obtain a unique identifier of said customer from an RFID tag of said customer;

determine a personalized price for said product in physical proximity to said customer, said personalized price providing a discount from a regular price, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on said customer RFID tag and said product RFID tag being within a field of the same RFID reader and wherein said personalized price is based on one or more attributes of said customer.

24. An article of manufacture for determining a price of a product for a customer, comprising a tangible and recordable machine readable storage medium excluding signals containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

obtaining a unique identifier of said product from an RFID tag of said product;

obtaining a unique identifier of said customer from an RFID tag of said customer;

determining one or more of a personalized price and a personalized message for at least one product in physical proximity to said customer, said personalized price providing a discount from a regular price and said personalized message based on one or more attributes of said customer, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on said customer RFID tag and said product RFID tag being within a field of the same RFID reader.

25. A system for determining a message to present to a customer, said system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

obtaining a unique identifier of a product from an RFID tag of said product;

obtaining a unique identifier of said customer from an RFID tag of said customer;

determining a personalized message to present to said customer regarding said product in physical proximity to said customer, said personalized message based on one or more attributes of said customer, wherein said physical proximity is determined based on said customer RFID tag and said product RFID tag being within a field of the same RFID reader.