Method and system for answering a query from a consumer in a retail store

• US 9,092,818 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Argue, Stuart, Marcar, Anthony Emile
• Primary Examiner(s): Stopp, Courtney
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARGEON, BRITTANY E
• Application Number:
  US13/756,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is disclosed herein. The method includes the step of receiving, with a processing device of a commerce server, a signal from a consumer transmitted through an augmented reality device worn by the consumer. The method also includes the step of confirming, with the processing device, the signal contains a query from the consumer. The method also includes the step of retrieving, with the processing device, a proposed answer to the query. The method also includes the step of transmitting, with the processing device, the proposed answer to the augmented reality device. The method also includes the step of verifying, with the processing device, the proposed answer is accepted by the consumer. The method also includes the step of prompting, with the processing device, the consumer to resubmit the signal if the query is not confirmed in the confirming step or if the proposed answer is not accepted in the verifying step.

Claims

1. A method of answering a query utilizing a system including an augmented reality device worn by a consumer and a commerce server having at least one processing device, the at least one processing device including a query module, a product database, a consumer status database, a retrieving module, a transmission module, a verification module and a diversion module, the method comprising:

receiving, by the query module, first and second signals from the augmented reality device, the first signal communicating audio data collected by a microphone of the augmented reality device, the second signal communicating image data collected by a camera of the augmented reality device;

identifying, by the query module, the presence of a query from the consumer within the first and/or second signals;

determining, using the consumer status database, the status of the consumer utilizing the system;

retrieving, by the retrieving module, a proposed answer to the query from the product database, the proposed answer being based at least in part on data within the first signal, the second signal, and/or the status of the consumer;

transmitting, by the transmission module, the proposed answer to the augmented reality device;

verifying, by the verification module, whether the proposed answer is accepted by the consumer;

receiving, by the query module, another first signal and/or another second signal from the consumer if the proposed answer is not accepted by the consumer;

responding, by the diversion module, to a predetermined number of unaccepted answers by the consumer by placing the consumer in real-time communication with a human provider of customer service; and

generating, through the augmented reality device, a prompt using the audio data and the image data in order to initiate the real-time communication between the consumer and the human provider of customer service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the image data corresponds to a camera facing away from the customer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data corresponds to a camera facing toward the customer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data corresponds to images collected from at least two cameras of the augmented reality device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising using the image data to determine a distance from the consumer to an object viewed by at least two cameras.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step further comprises:

transmitting, by the transmission module, the proposed answer to the augmented reality device in audio format.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step further comprises:

transmitting, by the transmission module, the proposed answer to the augmented reality device in video format.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said verifying step further comprises:

verifying, by the verification module, the proposed answer is not accepted by the consumer through an audio signal received from the augmented reality device.

9. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

determining, by the system including a position module, a consumer'"'"'s position within a retail store and a direction the consumer is facing based on the data from the second signal; and

transmitting, by the processing device, the at least one of the consumer'"'"'s position within the retail store and the direction the consumer is facing to the human provider of customer service.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

processing, by the augmented reality device, audio data generated by the consumer.

11. A consumer assistance system comprising:

a database configured to contain a product database and a customer status database, the customer status database configured to contain the status of a consumer utilizing the system;

a commerce server in communication with the database and having a processing device including;

a query module configured to identify the presence of a query within a first and a second signal received through an augmented reality device worn by the consumer and in communication with the commerce server, the first signal communicating audio data collected by a microphone of the augmented reality device, the second signal communicating image data collected by a camera of the augmented reality device;

a retrieving module configured to retrieve a proposed answer to the query from the product database, the proposed answer being based at least in part by data within the first signal, the second signal, and/or the status of the consumer;

a transmission module configured to transmit the proposed answer to the augmented reality device;

a verification module configured to determine whether the proposed answer is accepted by the consumer, wherein the query module is configured to receive another first signal and/or another second signal from the consumer if the proposed answer is not accepted by the consumer; and

a diversion module configured to send the audio data and the image data to human customer service and place, via the augmented reality device, the consumer in real-time communication with a human customer service if the query module is unable to identify the query within the first and second signals, or if the verification module determines that the proposed answer is not accepted by the customer, wherein the augmented reality device is configured to generate a prompt using the audio data and the image data in order to initiate the real-time communication between the consumer and the human provider of customer service.

12. The consumer assistance system of claim 11 further comprising:

an electronic computing device configured to communicate with said diversion module and receive the audio data and the image data.

13. The consumer assistance system of claim 12 wherein said electronic computing device is operated by the human customer service.

14. The consumer assistance system of claim 13 wherein said electronic computing device is operable to communicate with said database.

15. The consumer assistance system of claim 14 wherein said database is further defined as a product database containing identities of products in a retail store and locations of each of the products within the retail store.

16. A non-transitory information recording medium on which a computer readable program is recorded that causes a system including an augmented reality device worn by a consumer and a commerce server having at least one processing device, the at least one processing device including a query module, a product database, a consumer status database, a retrieving module, a transmission module, a verification module and a diversion module, a method comprising:

receiving, by the query module, first and second signals from the augmented reality device, the first signal communicating audio data collected by a microphone of the augmented reality device, the second signal communicating image data collected by a camera of the augmented reality device;

identifying, by the query module, the presence of a query from the consumer within the first and/or second signals;

determining, using the consumer status database, the status of the consumer utilizing the system;

retrieving, by the retrieving module, a proposed answer to the query from the product database, the proposed answer being based at least in part on data within the first signal, the second signal, and/or the status of the consumer;

transmitting, by the transmission module, the proposed answer to the augmented reality device;

verifying, by the verification module, whether the proposed answer is not accepted by the consumer;

receiving, by the query module, another first signal and/or another second signal from the consumer if the proposed answer is not accepted by the consumer;

responding, by the diversion module, to a predetermined number of unaccepted answers by the consumer by placing the consumer in real-time communication with a human provider of customer service; and

generating, through the augmented reality device, a prompt using the audio data and the image data in order to initiate the real-time communication between the consumer and the human provider of customer service.