Consumer interface device system and method for in-store navigation

• US 9,811,840 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2013
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Sinclair Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Sinclair Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Sinclair, Craig M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Civan, Ethan D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shui, Ming
• Application Number:
  US13/943,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20140019300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A consumer interface device (“CID”) implemented in a retail store provides an interactive in-store shopping experience. In particular, the CID may provide in-store navigation to a desired product. The CID may receive input from a user specifying the desired product, or the CID may suggest a product and provide navigation to the desired and/or suggested product. The CID may be mounted on a shelf in a retail store and may include a microprocessor, a touchscreen, a digital storage medium, and a networking device. The CID may track the success of particular in-store advertisements with regard to particular consumers or types of consumers; provide in-store navigation to products; enable purchases via a network; and target an individual consumer or group of consumers with product content specifically directed to the respective consumers or groups of consumers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for interactive shopping at a retail store, the method comprising:

(A) displaying at a touchscreen of a consumer interface device (CID), mounted to a shelf or a kiosk via a hardware mount at a retail store so that consumers can interact with the CID, a display for navigating to a first product for sale at a retail store in response to a user selecting via the touchscreen of the CID the first product by;

(i) causing a processor of the CID, coupled to the touchscreen, to determine whether the touchscreen received user-input representing the user selecting the first product;

(ii) causing the processor to identify, based on the received user-input, the first product;

(iii) causing the processor to generate a query, the query representing a request for information associated with the first product;

(iv) causing the processor to transmit the query to an inventory system, wherein the inventory system includes data regarding one or more products available for purchase at the retail store;

(v) causing the processor to receive a response to the query;

(vi) causing the processor to determine, based on the response to the query, that the first product is available for in-store purchase;

(vii) causing the processor to receive information indicating a location of the first product within the retail store, the information including shelf placement information received from a planogram system that indicates a placement on a shelf for the first product; and

(viii) causing the processor to provide at the touchscreen of the CID the display for navigating to the first product, the display including an image of the first product on the shelf according to the shelf placement information; and

B) displaying, at the touchscreen of the CID, an interface for requesting delivery of the first product to an address outside the retail store associated with the user so that the user can purchase the first product without retrieving the first product in-store.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the processor to identify, based on the received user-input, a first product, comprises causing the processor to determine that the user-input received at the touchscreen represented a request for information regarding the first product.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising causing the processor to determine a route, within the retail store, to the first product by including one or more images corresponding to reference points on the determined route.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising causing the processor to provide, at the touchscreen, product content associated with the first product.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the product content associated with the first product comprises at least one of:

(i) a message about the first product;

(ii) one or more directions for using the first product;

(iii) a comparison to one or more second products;

(iv) a list of features of the first product;

(v) a promotion associated with the first product;

(vi) an image illustrating use of the first product;

(vii) an image illustrating a user interacting with the first product;

or

(viii) an image of the first product.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the processor to determine the user-input was received from a user interacting with the touchscreen;

causing the processor to associate the user with a unique identifier; and

causing the processor to associate a purchase decision of the user to the unique identifier, the purchase decision indicating whether the user purchased the first product at the retail store.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the processor to provide a display including a touch-sensitive graphic element, at the touchscreen;

causing the processor to detect a contact with the touchscreen at a location on the touchscreen corresponding to the touch-sensitive graphic element; and

causing the processor coupled to a digital stored medium to store, to the digital storage medium, an indicator that the navigation associated with first product has been reported as faulty.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the processor coupled to a lighting apparatus to activate the lighting apparatus such that (i) light is projected onto the first product, or (ii) signage associated with the first product is illuminated.

9. A consumer interface device for providing an interactive shopping experience in a retail store, the consumer interface device (CID) comprising:

a touchscreen mounted to a shelf or a kiosk via a hardware mount at a retail store so that consumers can interact with the CID;

a processor coupled to the touchscreen;

a networking device coupled to the processor; and

a digital storage medium, coupled to the processor, including non-transitory computer readable instructions that, when executed at the processor, cause the CID to display at the touchscreen a display for in-store navigation to a first product in response to a user selecting via the touchscreen the first product, the non-transitory computer readable instructions including instructions to cause the processor to;

(a) determine the touchscreen has received user-input representing the user selecting the first product;

(b) identify, based on the received user-input, the first product;

(c) generate one or more queries representing one or more requests for location information regarding the first product;

(d) transmit, via the networking device, the one or more queries;

(e) receive, via the networking device, one or more responses to the one or more queries that include the location information;

(f) determine, based on the one or more responses;

(i) availability of the first product for in-store purchase,

(ii) a location of the first product within the retail store, and

(iii) when the first product is located on a shelf, an indication of a position of the first product on a shelf;

(g) provide, at the touchscreen, the display for in-store navigation to the first product, wherein the touchscreen displays an image showing the position of the first product on the shelf when an indication of shelf position has been received;

and

h) display, at the touchscreen, an interface for requesting delivery of the first product to an address outside the retail store associated with the user so that the user can purchase the first product without retrieving the first product in-store.

10. The consumer interface device of claim 9, further comprising:

a housing attached to the touchscreen; and

a hardware mount for attaching the housing to a support apparatus in the retail store.

11. The consumer interface device of claim 9, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions that cause the processor to determine the touchscreen has received user-input further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

provide, at the touchscreen, a display including a touch-sensitive graphic element;

detect a contact at a location on the touchscreen, the location corresponding to the touch-sensitive graphic element provided at the touchscreen; and

determine the contact is an input.

12. The consumer interface device of claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to determine that the user-input represents a request for information regarding the first product.

13. The consumer interface device of claim 9, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to provide, at the touchscreen, product content associated with the first product.

14. The consumer interface device of claim 13, wherein the product content associated with the first product comprises at least one of:

(i) a message about the first product;

(ii) one or more directions for using the first product;

(iii) a comparison to one or more second products;

(iv) a list of features of the first product;

(v) a promotion associated with the first product;

(vi) an image illustrating use of the first product;

(vii) an image illustrating a user interacting with the first product;

or

(viii) an image of the first product.

15. The consumer interface device of claim 9, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

determine the user-input was received from a user interacting with the touchscreen;

associate the user with a unique identifier; and

transmit the unique identifier to a point-of-sale system for tracking a purchase decision of the user, the purchase decision indicating whether the user purchased the first product at the retail store.

16. The consumer interface device of claim 9, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to provide, at the touchscreen, a display for in-store navigation to the first product, comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

transmit a command to a lighting system to activate a lighting apparatus such that one or more of the following occurs;

(i) light is projected onto the first product, or (ii) signage associated with the first product is illuminated.

17. A tangible computer readable medium including non-transitory computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

determine a touchscreen of a consumer interface device (CID) has received user-input representing a user selecting a first product, the CID mounted to a shelf or a kiosk via a hardware mount at a retail store so that consumers can interact with the CID;

in response to receiving the user-input;

(a) identify, based on the received user-input, the first product;

(b) generate one or more queries representing one or more requests for information regarding the first product;

(c) transmit, via a networking device, the one or more queries;

(d) receive, via the networking device, one or more responses to the one or more queries;

(e) determine, based on the one or more responses, each of;

(i) whether the first product is available for in-store purchase,

(ii) when the first product is available for in-store purchase, a location of the first product within the retail store, and

(iii) when the first product is located on a shelf, an indication of a position of the first product on a shelf;

(f) provide, at the touchscreen, a display for in-store navigation to the first product, wherein the touchscreen displays an image showing the position of the first product on the shelf when an indication of shelf position has been received; and

(g) display, at the touchscreen, an interface for requesting delivery of the first product to an address outside the retail store associated with the user so that the user can purchase the first product without retrieving the first product in-store.

18. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions that cause the one or more processors to determine the touchscreen has received user-input further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

provide, at the touchscreen, a display including a touch-sensitive graphic element;

detect a contact at a location on the touchscreen, the location corresponding to the touch-sensitive graphic element provided at the touchscreen; and

determine the contact is an input.

19. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to determine that the user-input represents a request for information regarding the first product.

20. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to provide, at the touchscreen, product content associated with the first product.

21. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the product content associated with the first product comprises at least one of:

(i) a message about the first product;

(ii) one or more directions for using the first product;

(iii) a comparison to one or more second products;

(iv) a list of features of the first product;

(v) a promotion associated with the first product;

(vi) an image illustrating use of the first product;

(vii) an image illustrating a user interacting with the first product;

or

(viii) an image of the first product.

22. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine the user-input was received from a user interacting with the touchscreen;

associate the user with a unique identifier; and

transmit the unique identifier to a point-of-sale system for tracking a purchase decision of the user, the purchase decision indicating whether the user purchased the first product at the retail store.

23. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to provide, at the touchscreen, a display for in-store navigation to the first product, comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

transmit a command to a lighting system to activate a lighting apparatus such that one or more of the following occurs;

(i) light is projected onto the first product, or (ii) signage associated with the first product is illuminated.

24. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine the user-input was received from a user interacting with the touchscreen;

associate the user with a unique identifier;

identify a consumer profile associated with the unique identifier, the consumer profile relating to the user or a user-segment, wherein the consumer profile includes one or more of historical data or preference data; and

update the consumer profile to reflect that the user was provided in-store navigation to the first product.

25. The tangible computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine the user-input was received from a user interacting with the touchscreen;

associate the user with a unique identifier;

identify a consumer profile associated with the unique identifier, the consumer profile relating to the user or a user-segment, wherein the consumer profile includes one or more of historical data or preference data; and

select the product content, to be provided at the touchscreen, based on the consumer profile.