Customer relationship management system for physical locations

• US 20040093265A1
• Filed: 11/07/2002
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novitaz, Inc.
• Inventors: Ramchandani, Jayant, Ghias, Asif
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A method for outputting information about a person includes identifying the person utilizing a wireless system upon entry into a physical location, and also includes locating the person within the physical structure. An engagement plan is retrieved based on the identification of the person and output. The engagement plan has information useful for interacting with the person. The engagement plan is created based at least in part on personal information of the person, the preferences of the person, and the past transactions of the person. A system for outputting information about a person, such as a customer, includes an object carried by the person, which is capable of being identified by a wireless system. A wireless interface communicates with the object. A computing device correlates the identification of the object with the person. An output device outputs information relating to the person.

Claims

1. A method for outputting information about a person, comprising:

identifying a person utilizing a wireless system;

retrieving an engagement plan based on the identification of the person; and

outputting the engagement plan;

wherein the engagement plan has information useful for interacting with the person;

wherein the engagement plan is created based at least in part on personal information of the person.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising generating the engagement plan upon identifying the person.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement plan is created based at least in part on a profile of the person.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement plan is created based at least in part on preferences of the person.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement plan is based at least in part on a previous interaction of the person with at least one of a website, a physical location, a catalog transaction, and a telesales interaction.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement plan includes an incentive.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement plan includes a preference of the person.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement plan includes a preferred engagement level.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement plan includes a description of an item which was part of a previous interaction of the person with at least one of a website, a physical location, a catalog transaction, and a telesales interaction.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement plan includes information for cross-selling.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the person is identified at an entrance to a defined area, wherein the engagement plan is output within a predetermined amount of time from the identification of the person.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the person is identified at a predetermined location.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless system identifies an object. carried by the person, the person being identified by a predefined association with the object.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the object is a smart card carried by the person.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the object is an RFID tag carried by the person.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the object is capable of being identified by the wireless system without requiring a line of sight to the object.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining a status of the person on a tiered scale, wherein the engagement plan is created based at least in part on the status of the person.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the determination of the status of the person on the tiered scale is based at least in part on a prior transaction history of the person.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising outputting identification information about the person for assisting a user to identify the person.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the identification information includes a visual likeness of the person.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the identification information includes a probable location of the person.

22. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising tracking physical movement of the person utilizing the wireless system.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising outputting an indicator of a physical location of the person for assisting a user in identifying the person.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising updating the personal information of the person based on the physical movement of the person.

25. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising selecting at least one of product information and product pricing based at least in part on the personal information of the person, and outputting the product information near the person.

26. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising selecting at least one of product information and product pricing based at least in part on a physical location of the person, and outputting the pricing information near the person.

27. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising correlating the person with products potentially viewed by the person using the wireless system.

28. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising correlating the person with products transported by the person using the wireless system.

29. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising activating an alert upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time, the alert being for instructing a user to check a service level of the person.

30. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising obtaining feedback from the person, the feedback being stored for use in creating a future engagement plan.

31. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving information regarding the person from a user, the information being stored for use in creating a future engagement plan.

32. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing an incentive with an amount due from the person.

33. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising identifying a product carried by the person using a cookie.

34. A system for outputting information about a person, comprising:

an object capable of being identified by a wireless system, the object being carried by a person;

a wireless interface for communicating with the object;

a computing device for correlating the identification of the object with a person; and

an output device for outputting information relating to the person.

35. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the information output is an engagement plan having information useful for interacting with the person.

36. The system as recited in claim 35, further comprising a profiler for generating the engagement plan based on personal information of the person.

37. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the object is a smart card carried by the person.

38. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the object is an RFID tag carried by the person.

39. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the output device outputs identification information about the person for assisting a user to identify the person.

40. The system as recited in claim 34, further comprising additional wireless interfaces, the wireless interfaces being for tracking physical movement of the person.

41. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein the output device outputs a physical location of the person.

42. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein product information is selected based at least in part on the personal information of the person, the product information being output near the person.

43. The system as recited in claim 34, further comprising a point of sale device for outputting an incentive with an amount due from the person.

44. A method for personalized marketing, comprising:

identifying a person utilizing a wireless system;

retrieving personal information about the person based on the identification;

determining a physical position of the person;

selecting product information based at least in part on the personal information of the person; and

outputting the product information near the physical position of the person.

45. The method as recited in claim 44, wherein the product information is selected based at least in part on the physical position of the person.

46. The method as recited in claim 45, wherein the product information is selected based at least in part on products positioned near the physical position of the person.

47. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising tracking physical movement of the person utilizing the wireless system, and selecting the product information based at least in part on products positioned near the physical position of the person.

48. The method as recited in claim 44, further comprising outputting an indicator of a physical location of the person for assisting a user in identifying the person.

49. The method as recited in claim 44, wherein the product information includes an incentive.

50. The method as recited in claim 44, further comprising retrieving an engagement plan based on the identification of the person, and outputting the engagement plan.

51. The method as recited in claim 50, wherein the engagement plan has information useful for interacting with the person.

52. The method as recited in claim 50, wherein the engagement plan is created based at least in part on personal information of the person.

53. A method for using information about a prior interaction relating to a product, comprising:

identifying a person performing an interaction with at least one of a website, an an item at a physical location, a catalog system, and a telesales system;

logging information about the interaction;

identifying the person at a later time;

outputting an engagement plan based on the interaction; and

outputting with the engagement plan a description of the interaction.

54. The method as recited in claim 53, wherein the engagement plan includes a description of the product information viewed by the person.

55. The method as recited in claim 53, wherein the engagement plan has information useful for interacting with the person.

56. The method as recited in claim 53, wherein the engagement plan is created based at least in part on personal information of the person.

57. A method for outputting information about a person, comprising:

identifying an object utilizing a computerized system;

identifying a person pre-associated with the object;

retrieving an engagement plan based on the identification of the person; and

outputting the engagement plan;

wherein the engagement plan has information useful for interacting with the person;

wherein the engagement plan is created based at least in part on personal information of the person.

58. A method for outputting information about a person, comprising:

identifying a person upon entry into a predefined area;

initiating a session upon identifying the person;

determining a location of the person within the predefined area;

servicing the person based on the location of the person in the predefined area, a profile of the person, and a past transaction of the person;

capturing behavioral details of the person during the session;

cataloguing the behavioral details of the person; and

communicating details of the session to a customer relationship management software.