SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF ACQUIRING ACTUAL REAL-TIME SHOPPER BEHAVIOR DATA DURING A SHOPPER'S PRODUCT SELECTION

• US 20090240571A1
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Kroger Company
• Inventors: Bonner, Brett Bracewell, Jones, Titus Arthur, Hjelm, Christopher Todd, Perkins, Dion Brent, Osborne, John Edward II
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/06 using intensity measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

The invention provides systems of acquiring actual real-time shopper behavior data during product selection by a shopper in a store. More specifically, disclosed herein are systems of using a communications network, a First Moment of Truth device and a data collections device to track actual real-time shopper behavior data relating to the presumed locations of shoppers in a store, the time spent and location of time spent by a shopper while considering a product for selection and products chosen for purchase.

Claims

1. A system of acquiring actual real-time shopper behavior data approximate to a moment of decision by a shopper in a store filled with one or more purchasable items, comprising:

a. A communications network positioned about said store;

b. At least one data collections device being in operative communication with said communications network; and

c. A First Moment of Truth device adapted to be communicatively coupled to said communications network in said store, whereby each said First Moment of Truth device collects said actual real-time shopper behavior data approximate to said moment of decision by said shopper of said one or more purchasable items.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said system transmits one or more influencing messages to said First Moment of Truth device in order to influence said shopper'"'"'s decision making before, during or after said shopper'"'"'s moment of decision of one or more purchasable items.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said shopper'"'"'s response or non-response to said one or more influencing messages is recorded and stored as part of said shopper'"'"'s real-time shopper behavior data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said influencing message delivered to said shopper by said system is delivered to said shopper through a communications device not including said First Moment of Truth device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said actual real-time shopper behavior data comprises the identity of said one or more purchasable items considered for purchase, the amount of time taken by said shopper to choose or not choose said one or more purchasable items, and said shopper'"'"'s presumed location in said store.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said actual real-time shopper behavior data comprises the identity of said one or more purchasable items chosen for purchase by said shopper.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said actual real-time shopper behavior data comprises the identity of said one or more purchasable items unchosen for purchase by said shopper.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein said actual real-time shopper behavior data is transmitted to said one or more data collections devices, wherein said data collections device is communicatively coupled to said communications network.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said data collections device acquires and organizes said actual real-time shopper data.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein each said shopper has a presumed location in said store whereby said presumed location of each said shopper has said First Moment of Truth device being held in proximate position to each said shopper.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each said First Moment of Truth device comprises a location tracking device, said location tracking device operating to create location tracking data.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said data collections device stores historical progression data, said historical progression data comprising substantially all of said location tracking data.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said location tracking data is collected by said First Moment of Truth device starting at from about the time the location tracking device is associated with said communication network to about said time said location tracking device de-associates from said communication network.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more purchasable items comprise readable media thereon for scanning by said First Moment of Truth device, said readable media containing product identity information for each said one or more purchasable items.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said communications network is a communication multi-network.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said communication multi-network comprises at least one mesh communication network and at least one star communication network.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said communication multi-network comprises multiple star communication networks.