System and method for fitting room merchandise item recognition using wireless tag

• US 6,313,745 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hikaru
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/479,307
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 340/568.1, 340/568.5, 340/568.6, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/825.35, 340/826.31, 340/10.41, 235/383, 235/385
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method for tracking and recognizing merchandise items taken into a fitting room by a customer for providing more efficient customer assistance. Each merchandise item is attached to a wireless tag including a product identifier. A fitting room is equipped with an antenna/receiver unit which interruates the wireless tag of an item taken into the fitting room to be tried-on. A store server retrieves information about the item based on the product identifier, and presents such information to a store clerk through an in-store terminal. In addition, the server develops recommendation of other products that the customer might be interested based upon the items taken into the fitting room. The server includes an analysis and recommendation engine that analyses the style, color, and brand of each of the items in the fitting room, and develops recommendations accordingly. The server presents the recommendations to a store clerk via the in-store terminal. If the customer possesses a customer ID card, the recommendation information is also based on the customer'"'"'s profile and past trial and purchase history information. An employee ID card or tag also allows the system to track employees assisting the customers.

Claims

1. An item recognition and recommendation system comprising:

an electronic tag coupled to a first item, the electronic tag including a memory storing a product identifier corresponding to the first item;

an interrogator unit positioned within a room, the interrogator unit defining an interrogation area and receiving the product identifier from the electronic tag when the electronic tag is in proximity to the interrogation area;

a processor coupled to the interrogator unit, the processor maintaining track of items taken into the room, the processor further retrieving product profile data of the first item based on the product identifier and recommending a second item based on the retrieved product profile data.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a terminal unit in communication with the processor, the terminal unit displaying the product profile data on a display screen.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a terminal unit in communication with the processor, the terminal unit displaying the second item on a display screen.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a portable customer ID card including a memory storage area for storing a customer identifier, the customer identifier for being received by the interrogator unit when the customer ID card is in proximity to the interrogation, the customer identifier further being used by the processor to retrieve a customer profile data for recommending the second item based on the customer profile data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the customer profile data includes a purchase and trial history data indicating items that the customer has previously taken into a particular room and further indicating whether any of the items have been purchased by the customer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the purchase and trial history data further identifies an employee who assisted the customer with an item taken into the particular room.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the product profile dataL includes style, brand, color, size, and price data of the item.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a product history database coupled to the processor for storing information about the first item including information about a customer who carried the first item and whether the customer purchased the item.

9. The system of claim 1 further including a sensor for identifying the presence of a customer as the customer enters the room, the sensor activating the interrogator unit when the customer is identified as being present in the room.

10. An item recognition system for recognizing an item taken into a room by a customer, the system comprising:

an electronic tag coupled to the item, the electronic tag including a memory for storing a product identifier corresponding to the item;

an interrogator unit positioned within the room, the interrogator unit defining an interrogation area and receiving the product identifier from the electronic tag when the electronic tag is in proximity to the interrogation area;

a processor coupled to the interrogator unit, the processor maintaining track of items taken into the room, the processor further retrieving product profile data of the item based on the product identifier; and

a terminal unit in communication with the processor, the terminal unit displaying the product profile data on a display screen.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the terminal unit is a hand-held mobile terminal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the product profile data includes style, brand, color, size, and price data of the item.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor recommends a second item to the customer based on the retrieved product profile data.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a portable customer ID card including a memory storage area for storing a customer identifier, the customer identifier for being received by the interrogator unit when the customer ID card is in proximity to the interrogation area and for being used by the processor for retrieving a customer profile data, the customer profile data being used by the processor for recommending the second item to the customer.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the customer profile data includes a purchase and trial history data indicating items that the customer has previously taken into a particular room and further indicating whether any of the items have been purchased by the customer.

16. In an item recognition and recommendation system having an interrogator unit positioned within a room for recognizing an item taken into the room, the recognized item being associated with a style code, color information, and brand information, a network server in communication with the interrogator unit including:

a stock information database for storing product information including a style code and color alternatives for a plurality of products;

a promotional information database for storing information on promotional and newly received products for a plurality of brands;

a client database including a customer purchase and trial history information of items taken into the room in past or present shopping trips;

a similarity analysis module in communication with the stock information database for recommending a first set of items based on the recognized item'"'"'s style code;

a color analysis module in communication with the stock information database for recommending alternative colors based on the recognized item'"'"'s color information; and

a brand analysis module in communication with the promotional information database for recommending a second set of items based on the recognized item'"'"'s brand information.

17. The network server of claim 16, wherein the similarity, color, and brand analysis modules use the customer purchase and trial history information for their recommendation.

18. The network server of claim 17 further comprising a product history database for storing information about the recognized item including information about a customer who carried the item into the particular room and whether the customer purchased the item.

19. The network server of claim 16 further comprising means for communicating the recommended items and colors to a terminal unit for display thereon.

20. A method for automatically recognizing and recommending items, the method comprising:

interrogating an electronic tag for obtaining a product identifier corresponding to a first item when a customer carries the first item into a room;

maintaining track of items taken into the room;

transmitting the product identifier to a control unit;

retrieving a product profile data of the first item based on the product identifier; and

recommending a second item based on the retrieved product profile data.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising transmitting the product profile data to a terminal unit for display thereon.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising transmitting the second item to a terminal unit for display thereon.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising retrieving a customer profile data of the customer and using the customer profile data for recommending the second item.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the customer profile data includes a purchase and trial history data indicating items that the customer has previously taken into a particular room and further indicating whether any of the items have been purchased by the customer.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the purchase and trial history data further identifies an employee who assisted the customer with an item taken into the particular room.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the product profile data includes style, brand, color, size, and price data of the item.

27. The method of claim 20 further comprising storing information about the first item including information about the customer who carried the first item and whether the customer purchased the item.

28. The method of claim 20 further comprising identifying the presence of the customer as the customer enters the room and interrogating the electronic tag when the customer is identified as being present in the room.

29. A method for automatically recognizing an item taken into a room by a customer, the method comprising:

interrogating an electronic tag for obtaining a product identifier corresponding to the item when the customer carries the item into a fitting room;

maintaining track of items taken into the room;

transmitting the product identifier to a control unit;

retrieving a product profile data of the item based on the product identifier; and

displaying the product profile data on a display screen.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the product profile data includes style, brand, color, size, and price data of the item.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising recommending a second item to the customer based on the retrieved product profile data.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of retrieving a customer profile data of the customer and using the customer profile data for recommending the second item.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the customer profile data includes a purchase and trial history data indicating items that the customer has previously taken into a particular room and further indicating whether any of the items have been purchased by the customer.

34. In an item recognition and recommendation system having an interrogator unit positioned within a room for recognizing an item taken into the room, a method for recommending other items based on the recognized item, the method comprising:

storing product information for a plurality of products in a stock information database, the product information including a style code and color alternatives for each product;

storing promotional information and new product information for a plurality of brands in a promotional information database;

storing customer purchase and trial history information in a client database indicative of items taken into the room in past or present shopping trips;

retrieving a style code for the recognized item;

recommending a first set of items from the stock information database based on the retrieved style code;

retrieving color information for the recognized item;

recommending alternative colors from the stock information database based on the retrieved color information;

retrieving brand information for the recognized item;

recommending a second set of items from the promotional information database based on the retrieved brand information.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein all recommendations are further based on the customer purchase and trial history information.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising a product history database storing information about recognized item including information about a customer who carried the item into the particular room and whether the customer purchased the item.

37. The method of claim 34 further comprising communicating the recommended items and colors to a terminal unit for display thereon.

38. An item recognition and recommendation system comprising:

an electronic tag coupled to a first item, the electronic tag including a memory storing a product identifier corresponding to the first item;

an interrogator unit positioned within a room, the interrogator unit defining an interrogation area and receiving the product identifier from the electronic tag when the electronic tag is in proximity to the interrogation area;

a processor coupled to the interrogator unit, the processor maintaining track of items taken into the room, the processor further retrieving product profile data of the first item based on the product identifier, recommending a second item based on the retrieved product profile data, and transmitting the product profile data of the first item and the recommended second item for use by a store employee in providing customer assistance.

39. An item recognition and recommendation system comprising:

an electronic tag coupled to a first item, the electronic tag including a memory storing a product identifier corresponding to the first item;

an interrogator unit positioned within a room, the interrogator unit defining an interrogation area and receiving the product identifier from the electronic tag when the electronic tag is in proximity to the interrogation area;

a client database including a customer purchase and trial history information of items taken into the room in past or present shopping trips;

a processor coupled to the interrogator unit and the client database, the processor retrieving product profile data of the first item based on the product identifier, adding the product profile data to the customer purchase and trial history information, and recommending a second item based on the customer purchase and trial history information.