Sensor data gathering

• US 9,460,442 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Fonzi, Bruno, Lee, Amy Catherine
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US14/839,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20160086191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A sensor data gathering environment that associates a sensor with a smart tag attached to a product. The sensor receives product identification data from the smart tag. An application, web service or a computing device associated with the sensor collects customer behavior data, such as a length of time the sensor is associated with the smart tag, the proximity of the sensor to the smart tag, the location of the sensor while in a threshold distance from the smart tag, and the like. The application, web service or the computing device associated with the sensor transmits the product identification data and the customer behavior data to a remote computing system for analysis. Based on the analysis, a message or communication is initiated to provide the customer with personalized customer service.

Claims

1. A system for sensing user manipulation of a product package by a user, the system including:

at least one short range sensor that interacts with a tag on the product package and implements a recognition time of 10 to 300 ms between a connected and disconnected state of coupling with the tag, wherein the short range is under 20 cm,

at least one wireless sensor that interacts with a device carried by the user, identifies the user, and generates data from which a position of the device carried by the user is estimated;

a correlation processor coupled in communication with the short range sensor and the wireless sensor, that implements

a correlation between recognition of a product package transition to the disconnected state and estimation of the user position to be within 1 meter of the manipulated product package at a time of the transition to the disconnected state; and

reporting of at least the correlation of the manipulated product with the user position to a further process.

2. The system of claim 1, further including:

the short range sensor using standard-compliant near field communications (NFC) to interact with the tag on the product package.

3. The system of claim 1, further including:

the short range sensor using standard-compliant near field communications (NFC) to interact with the tag on the product package and to sense a transition between the connected and disconnected state of the coupling within 10 to 300 ms of a user removing the product package from a display.

4. The system of claim 1, further including:

the further process selecting a message based on the correlation of the manipulated product with a user identity; and

the further process transmitting the selected message to the device carried by the user.

5. The system of claim 1, further including:

the wireless sensor receiving from the device a signal indicating user identification to the device of the product package.

6. The system of claim 1, further including:

the wireless sensor receiving from the device a signal indicating use of to the device to optically capture at least part of the product package.

7. The system of claim 1, further including:

the wireless sensor receiving from the device a signal indicating use of the device to wand the tag on the product package.

8. The system of claim 1, further including:

a display that projects messages to users regarding products;

the further process selecting a message for the user based on the correlation of the manipulated product with the user identity; and

the further process transmitting the selected message to the display.

9. The system of claim 1, further including:

a plurality of RF transmitters operating between 30 kHz and 300 GHz with measureable signal strength and having known positions, coupled in communication with the device; and

a position processor coupled to the wireless sensor that processes signal strength data measured by from the device and estimates a position of the device using at least the measured signal strength data.

10. The system of claim 1, further including:

a plurality of RF transmitters operating between 30 kHz and 300 GHz with measureable received signal strength and having known positions, coupled in communication with the device;

wherein the wireless sensor receives from the device at least one estimated position of the device based on using at least measured signal strength data from the plurality of RF transmitters.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless sensor receives from the device at least one estimated position of the device.

12. The system of claim 1, further including:

a plurality of RF transmitters or emanators located among shelves holding product packages, wherein the RF transmitters or emanators are detectable by the device carried by the user and signal proximity of the device to shelf locations;

wherein the wireless sensor receives from the device at least some reports of proximity to the shelf locations.

13. The system of claim 1, further including:

a plurality of RF transmitters or emanators located among shelves holding product packages, wherein the RF transmitters or emanators are detectable by the device carried by the user and signal proximity of the device to product packages;

wherein the wireless sensor receives from the device at least some reports of proximity to the product packages.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless sensor senses arrival of device carried by the user when the user enters a store.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless sensor tracks movement of the device carried by the user through a store as the user interacts with product packages.

16. A method for sensing user manipulation of a product package by a user, the method including:

sensing, using at least one short range sensor that interacts with a tag on the product package, transition between a connected and disconnected state of coupling with the tag, wherein the transition sensing has a recognition time of 10 to 300 ms and wherein the short range is under 20 cm,

receiving at a wireless sensor, from a device carried by the user, location-related data and user identity data, and forwarding the location-related and user identity data to a correlation processor;

correlating, at the correlation processor coupled in communication with the short range sensor and the wireless sensor, recognition of a product package transition to the disconnected state and estimation of a user position to be within 1 meter of the manipulated product package at a time of the transition to the disconnected state; and

reporting of at least the correlation of the manipulated product with the user identity to a further process.

17. The method of claim 16, further including:

the short range sensor using standard-compliant near field communications (NFC) to interact with the tag on the product package.

18. The method of claim 16, further including:

the short range sensor using standard-compliant near field communications (NFC) to interact with the tag on the product package and to sense the transition between the connected and disconnected state of the coupling within 10 to 300 ms of a user removing the product package from a display.

19. The method of claim 16, further including:

the further process selecting a message based on the correlation of the manipulated product with the user identity; and

the further process transmitting the selected message to the device carried by the user.

20. The method of claim 16, further including:

the further process selecting a message for the user based on the correlation of the manipulated product with the user identity; and

the further process transmitting the selected message to a stationary display in a store.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the wireless sensor receives from the device at least one estimated position of the device.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium holding computer program instructions that, when executed, implement sensing user manipulation of a product package by a user, the non-transitory computer readable medium implementing actions including:

sensing, using at least one short range sensor that interacts with a tag on the product package, transition between a connected and disconnected state of coupling with the tag, wherein the transition sensing has a recognition time of 10 to 300 ms and wherein the short range is under 20 cm,

recognizing at a wireless sensor location-related data and user identity data, received from a device carried by the user, and forwarding the location-related and user identity data to a correlation processor;

correlating, at the correlation processor coupled in communication with the short range sensor and the wireless sensor, recognition of a product package transition to the disconnected state and estimation of a user position to be within 1 meter of the manipulated product package at a time of the transition to the disconnected state; and

reporting of at least the correlation of the manipulated product with the user identity to a further process.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, further including:

the further process selecting a message based on the correlation of the manipulated product with the user identity; and

the further process transmitting the selected message to the device carried by the user.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, further including:

the further process selecting a message for the user based on the correlation of the manipulated product with the user identity; and

the further process transmitting the selected message to a stationary display in the store.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the wireless sensor receives from the device at least one estimated position of the device.