Method and system for determining the impact of crowding on retail performance
First Claim
1. A method for determining impact of crowding on retail performance based on a measurement for behavior patterns of people in a store area using computer vision-based behavior analysis and segmentation measurement, comprising the following steps of:
- a) processing a plurality of input images in order to track each person among the people using a computer, by applying a computer vision-based tracking algorithm to the plurality of input images that are captured by a means for capturing images in the store area, wherein the plurality of input images are transferred to the computer via a means for video interface,b) identifying a subset of the people as a crowd based on a first path analysis of tracks by tracking each person among the people,c) measuring the behavior patterns of a person based on a second path analysis of tracks by tracking the person in relation to the crowd,d) measuring segmentation of the person in relation to the crowd,e) aggregating the measurements for the behavior patterns and segmentation over a predefined window of time, using the computer, andf) calculating a crowd index and a crowd impact index for the store area based on the measurements, using the computer,g) measuring elasticity of behavior of the people with respect to crowding,wherein the elasticity is defined as a change in behavioral response, the elasticity changes, depending on season, occasion, time-of-day, or trip type, and the elasticity is measured per segment that includes a demographic group or a group of people with a same trip type, andh) calculating an average density of sections in the store area over a predefined period of time,wherein the density is measured based on traffic counts using the computer vision-based tracking of each person,wherein the first path analysis comprises an application of a proximity rule among the tracks,wherein the crowd impact index comprises a traffic count and a shopping time index of people outside the crowd and whose shopping activity is impacted by the crowd,wherein the segmentation includes classification of demographic groups and trip types of the people, andwherein the trip types include stock-up trip, fill-in trip, quick trip, and occasion-based trip.
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Abstract
The present invention is a system, method, and apparatus for determining the impact of crowding on retail performance based on a measurement for behavior patterns of people in a store area. The present invention captures a plurality of input images of the people by at least a means for capturing images, such as cameras, in the store area. In the captured plurality of input images, each person'"'"'s shopping path is detected by a video analytics-based tracking algorithm. A subset of the people is identified as a crowd in the store area. In relation to the crowd, the behavior patterns of the target person are measured. After aggregating the measurements for the behavior patterns over a predefined window of time, the present invention can calculate a crowd index and a crowd impact index for the store area based on the measurements. A crowd index shows the level of crowd density in the store area caused by a crowd, including traffic count of the crowd in the store area. A crowd impact index comprises a traffic count of the target people who make trips to the store area and a shopping time index, such as average shopping time changes of the target people, in relation to a crowd in the measured store area.
71 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for determining impact of crowding on retail performance based on a measurement for behavior patterns of people in a store area using computer vision-based behavior analysis and segmentation measurement, comprising the following steps of:
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a) processing a plurality of input images in order to track each person among the people using a computer, by applying a computer vision-based tracking algorithm to the plurality of input images that are captured by a means for capturing images in the store area, wherein the plurality of input images are transferred to the computer via a means for video interface, b) identifying a subset of the people as a crowd based on a first path analysis of tracks by tracking each person among the people, c) measuring the behavior patterns of a person based on a second path analysis of tracks by tracking the person in relation to the crowd, d) measuring segmentation of the person in relation to the crowd, e) aggregating the measurements for the behavior patterns and segmentation over a predefined window of time, using the computer, and f) calculating a crowd index and a crowd impact index for the store area based on the measurements, using the computer, g) measuring elasticity of behavior of the people with respect to crowding, wherein the elasticity is defined as a change in behavioral response, the elasticity changes, depending on season, occasion, time-of-day, or trip type, and the elasticity is measured per segment that includes a demographic group or a group of people with a same trip type, and h) calculating an average density of sections in the store area over a predefined period of time, wherein the density is measured based on traffic counts using the computer vision-based tracking of each person, wherein the first path analysis comprises an application of a proximity rule among the tracks, wherein the crowd impact index comprises a traffic count and a shopping time index of people outside the crowd and whose shopping activity is impacted by the crowd, wherein the segmentation includes classification of demographic groups and trip types of the people, and wherein the trip types include stock-up trip, fill-in trip, quick trip, and occasion-based trip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for determining impact of crowding on retail performance based on a measurement for behavior patterns of people in a store area using computer vision-based behavior analysis and segmentation measurement, comprising:
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a) means for capturing a plurality of input images of the people by at lust a means for capturing images in the store area, b) a means for video interface that transfers the plurality of input images to a computer, and c) the computer that is programmed to perform the following steps of; processing the plurality of input images in order to track each person among the people, by applying a computer vision-based tracking algorithm to the plurality of input images that are captured by the means for capturing images, identifying a subset of the people as a crowd based on a first path analysis of tracks by tracking each person among the people, measuring the behavior patterns of a person based on a second path analysis of tracks by tracking the person in relation to the crowd, measuring segmentation of the person in relation to the crowd, aggregating the measurements for the behavior patterns and segmentation over a predefined window of time, using the computer, calculating a crowd index and a crowd impact index for the store area based on the measurements, measuring elasticity of behavior of the people with respect to crowding, wherein the elasticity is defined as a change in behavioral response, the elasticity changes, depending on season, occasion, time-of-day, or trip type, and the elasticity is measured per segment that includes a demographic group or a group of people with a same trip type, and calculating an average density of sections in the store area over a predefined period of time, wherein the density is measured based on traffic counts using the computer vision-based tracking of each person, wherein the first path analysis comprises an application of a proximity rule among the tracks, wherein the crowd impact index comprises a traffic count and a shopping time index of people outside the crowd and whose shopping activity is impacted by the crowd, wherein the segmentation includes classification of demographic groups and trip types of the people, and wherein the trip types include stock-up trip, fill-in trip, quick trip, and occasion-based trip. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification