Systems and methods for providing content-based product recommendations

• US 10,614,504 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Bruce W., McHale, Brian G., Mattingly, Todd D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US15/488,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20170301001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for content-based product recommendations. A system for content-based product recommendations comprises a content monitoring device configured to monitor video content viewed by a user, a customer vectors database, a product vectors database; and a control circuit being configured to: detect, via the content monitoring device, a video content being viewed by the user, identify an item associated with a current segment of the video content viewed by the user, determine a product category associated with the item, determine alignments between the customer value vectors and the product characteristic vectors for each of the plurality of products in the product category, select a recommended product from the plurality of products based on the alignments between the customer value vectors and the product characteristic vectors for each of the plurality of products, and initiate an offer of the recommended product to the customer.

Claims

1. A system for content-based product recommendations comprising:

a content monitoring device comprising a sensor configured to detect audio or video output of a separate device to monitor video content viewed by a user;

a customer vectors database storing customer vectors associated with a plurality of customers;

a product vectors database; and

a control circuit coupled to the customer vectors database and the product vectors database, the control circuit being configured to;

detect, via the content monitoring device, a video content being viewed by the user;

identify an item associated with a current segment of the video content viewed by the user;

determine a product category associated with the item;

retrieve product characteristic vectors associated with a plurality of products in the product category from the product vectors database;

retrieve customer value vectors associated with the user from the customer vectors database;

determine alignments between the customer value vectors and the product characteristic vectors for each of the plurality of products in the product category;

select a recommended product from the plurality of products based on the alignments between the customer value vectors and the product characteristic vectors for each of the plurality of products; and

initiate an offer of the recommended product to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer vectors each represents at least one of a person'"'"'s values, preferences, affinities, and aspirations.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer value vectors each comprises a magnitude that corresponds to the customer'"'"'s belief in good that comes from an order associated with that value.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the content monitoring device comprises a sound sensor of a user device configured to detect sound from the video content displayed on the separate device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the content monitoring device comprises one or more of a smart television, a cable box, a video streaming device, and a network router.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the item corresponds to an item selected by the user using one or more of a remote control of a display device and a voice command sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the item associated with the current segment of the video content is identified based on one or more of:

metadata of the video content associated with the current segment, analysis of a caption text of the video content, audio analysis of an audio track of the video content, and object recognition analysis of the video content.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to cause a product ordering user interface for the recommended product to be displayed on a user interface device to the user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to add the recommended product to an automatic delivery service shipment for the user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to update the customer value vectors associated with the user in the customer vectors database based on one or more characteristics of the video content viewed by the user and/or the item.

11. A method for content-based product recommendation comprising:

detecting, via a content monitoring device comprising a sensor configured to detect audio or video output of a separate device to monitor video contents viewed by a user, a video content being viewed by the user;

identifying, with a control circuit, an item associated with a current segment of the video content viewed by the user;

determining, with the control circuit, a product category associated with the item;

retrieving product characteristic vectors associated with a plurality of products in the product category from a product vectors database;

retrieving customer value vectors associated with the user from a customer vectors database storing customer vectors associated with a plurality of customers;

determining, with the control circuit, alignments between the customer value vectors and the product characteristic vectors for each of the plurality of products in the product category;

selecting, with the control circuit, a recommended product from the plurality of products based on the alignments between the customer value vectors and the product characteristic vectors for each of the plurality of products; and

initiating, with the control circuit, an offer of the recommended product to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the customer vectors each represents at least one of a person'"'"'s values, preferences, affinities, and aspirations.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the customer value vectors each comprises a magnitude that corresponds to the customer'"'"'s belief in good that comes from an order associated with that value.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the content monitoring device comprises a sound sensor of a user device configured to detect sound from the video content displayed on the separate device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the content monitoring device comprises one or more of a smart television, a cable box, a video streaming device, and a network router.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the item corresponds to an item selected by the user using one or more of a remote control of a content display device and a voice command sensor.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the item associated with the current segment of the video content is identified based on one or more of:

metadata of the video content associated with the current segment, analysis of a caption text of the video content, audio analysis of an audio track of the video content, and object recognition analysis of the video content.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing a product ordering user interface for the recommended product to be displayed on a user interface device to the user.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

adding the recommended product to an automatic delivery service shipment for the user.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

updating the customer value vectors associated with the user in the customer vectors database based on one or more characteristics of the video content viewed by the user and/or the item.

21. An apparatus for content-based product recommendation comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium storing a set of computer readable instructions; and

a control circuit configured to execute the set of computer readable instructions which causes to the control circuit to;

detect, via a content monitoring device comprising a sensor configured to detect audio or video output of a separate device to monitor video contents viewed by a user, a video content being viewed by the user;

identify, with the control circuit, an item associated with a current segment of the video content viewed by the user;

determine, with the control circuit, a product category associated with the item;

retrieve product characteristic vectors associated with a plurality of products in the product category from a product vectors database;

retrieve customer value vectors associated with the user from a customer vectors database storing customer vectors associated with a plurality of customers;

determine, with the control circuit, alignments between the customer value vectors and the product characteristic vectors for each of the plurality of products in the product category;

select a recommended product from the plurality of products based on the alignments between the customer value vectors and the product characteristic vectors for each of the plurality of products; and

initiating an offer of the recommended product to the user.