Retail environment

• US 20070069014A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Heckel, Thomas, Schwartz, Robyn
• Granted Patent: US 7,357,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A retail store has responsive environment apparatus installed which is controlled by processing apparatus. Trigger event sensors coupled to the processing apparatus, are positioned throughout the store. When customers enter and move about the store, the processing apparatus senses various trigger events and in response thereto creates a micro-environment in the vicinity of each customer, catering to the characteristics of that customer. The micro-environment physically moves as the customer moves about the store. The micro-environment is dynamic in that it is engaged in a continual response loop based on the response trigger events of the customer throughout this interactive cycle with the micro-environment.

Claims

1. A retail store, comprising:

a store building having responsive environment apparatus;

a plurality of trigger event sensors positioned throughout said store building; and

processing means attached to said responsive environment apparatus and said trigger event sensors, for sensing trigger events associated with a plurality of individual customers, and therefrom actuating said apparatus to provide a separate micro-environment customized to each of said plurality of individual customers.

2. The retail store of claim 1, wherein said responsive environment apparatus is adapted to enforce a change event in the vicinity of said individual customers.

3. The retail store of claim 2, wherein said change event is selected from the group consisting of temperature changes, audio changes, display changes, pricing changes store associate interaction changes, interactive display changes, and product merchandising changes.

4. The retail store of claim 1, wherein said trigger event sensor comprises a motion, light, sound, or radio frequency detector.

5. The retail store of claim 1, wherein said trigger event sensor comprises a video camera.

6. The retail store of claim 4, wherein said detector is attached to a rack, a display, or a product.

7. The retail store of claim 1, wherein said trigger event sensor is adapted to be manually triggered by a sales associate.

8. The retail store of claim 1, wherein said micro-environment for each of said individual customers moves physically about said store building as the associated individual customer moves about said store building.

9. The retail store of claim 8, wherein said micro-environment moves about in a manner to remain positioned nearby said associated individual customer.

10. A method of operating a retail store, comprising the steps of:

providing responsive environment apparatus in a store building;

providing a plurality of trigger event sensors positioned throughout said store building; and

sensing trigger events associated with a plurality of individual customers, and therefrom actuating said apparatus to provide a separate micro-environment customized to each of said plurality of individual customers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said responsive environment apparatus is adapted to enforce a change event in the vicinity of said individual customers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said change event is selected from the group consisting of temperature changes, audio changes, display changes, pricing changes store associate interaction changes, interactive display changes, and product merchandising changes.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said trigger event sensor comprises a motion, light, sound, or radio frequency detector.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said trigger event sensor comprises a video camera.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said detector is attached to a rack, a display, or a product.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said trigger event sensor is adapted to be manually triggered by a sales associate.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said micro-environment for each of said individual customers moves physically about said store building as the associated individual customer moves about said store building.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said micro-environment moves about in a manner to remain positioned nearby said associated individual customer.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of actuating said apparatus using a computer processor programmed to sense said trigger event sensors, access a database of customer experiences driven by business rules, and make actuating decisions therefrom using micro-environment algorithms.

20. A method of deploying a retail store solution for a client, comprising the steps of:

providing plans for installing responsive environment apparatus in a store building;

providing plans for positioning a plurality of trigger event sensors throughout said store building; and

providing processing capability attached to said responsive environment apparatus and said trigger event sensors, programmed for sensing trigger events associated with a plurality of individual customers, and therefrom actuating said apparatus to provide a separate micro-environment customized to each of said plurality of individual customers.