DESC:FIELD OF INVENTION
This embodiment’s herein relates to mobile devices, and more particularly to a mechanism for engaging customers and retailers based on current location of the customers in an area. The present application is based on, and claims priority from, an Indian Application Number, 2366/CHE/2012 filed on 13th June, 2012 and the application has been post dated to 13th December, 2013, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND
With the technological advances in mobile communication and computing devices, these devices have become very popular due to the conveniences they provide to users. The user routinely carries such devices with them, so that they are available for use at any time, regardless of whether the user is at home, work, or traveling. In addition to mobile telephony applications, many of these devices have interactive capabilities that may be accessed to provide location information of the user. Location detection is important in mobile applications that require knowledge of whether a user is entering or passing from a geographic area. For example, in location-based marketing, it is desirable for retailers to know when the user of a mobile device is in the proximity or in a retail store. In such case, the retailers may wish, for example, to send the user a message with a coupon inviting them to come into the store or offer various location-based services.
Generally, the location-based services rely on a combination of Global Positioning System (GPS), cell tower, Wi-Fi, and the like to point the location of the services. However, there are limitations to relying on such methods as such methods only provide an accuracy of up to 50-100 meters. For example, the location of the user may be determined through the cell towers the device is communicating with and the properties of the connection the device has with each of these towers. Since mobile communications devices are constantly in communication with nearby cell towers anyway, this approach involves little incremental energy usage by the device. Unfortunately, the method often yields inaccurate results, since the density of cell towers is often insufficiently large to provide meter-level resolution of the location of the user. Further, such methods do not permit identification of the exact location of a user within a specific retailer-dense locality (such as a mall, shopping complex, retail store, and the like). For example, the GPS may be point the user is in a particular building but may not point exact floor or location of the user inside the building. Hence, the retailers are unable to identify the users within the immediate vicinity of their stores in the building. Thus, there remains a need of a system and method for accurately identifying the user current, more specifically, when the user is within the immediate vicinity of their stores or within their store.
OBJECT OF INVENTION
The principal object of the embodiments herein is to accurately identify current location of customers with respect to a physical location of retailer stores in an area and offer location-based service information from that physical location to the customer.
Another object of the embodiments herein is to engage customers and retailers based on their current location in an area.
Another object of the embodiments herein is to enable interactions between the user and at least one retail location.
These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

SUMMARY
Accordingly embodiments herein provide a method for engaging a customer device with the location-based service associated with one or more stores in an area. The method includes decoding the signal received from one or more in-store devices in the area by the customer device, where each signal includes a physical location of the store in the area, and computing current location of the customer device in accordance to the physical location of the store. Further, the method includes engaging the customer device with one or more location-based services associated with the stores in the area based on the current location of the customer device in the area.
Accordingly embodiments herein provide a method for engaging a customer device with the location-based service associated with one or more stores in an area. The method includes identifying one or more in-store devices in vicinity to the customer device in the area. Further, the method includes receiving the signal from the customer device to the in-store device, where each signal includes an identifier associated with the customer device. Further, the method includes computing current location of the customer device in accordance to the identifier at the in-store device, and engaging the customer device with one or more location-based services associated with the stores in the area based on the current location of the customer device in the area.
Accordingly embodiments herein provide a method for engaging a customer device with the location-based service associated with one or more stores in an area. The method includes scanning a code on the object in the area, where each code includes a physical location of the store in the area. Further, the method includes computing current location of the customer device in accordance to the physical location of the store, and engaging the customer device with one or more location-based services associated with the stores in the area based on the current location of the customer device in the area.
Accordingly embodiments herein provide a system for engaging a customer device with the location-based service associated with one or more stores in an area. The system includes one or more in-store devices configured to transmit a signal to the customer device, where each signal includes a physical location of the store in the area. The customer device is configured to decode the signal received from the one or more in-store devices in the area, and compute current location of the customer device in accordance to the physical location of the store. Further, the system includes a customer engagement module configured to engage the customer device with one or more location-based services associated with the stores in the area based on the current location of the customer device in the area.
Accordingly embodiments herein provide a system for engaging a customer device with the location-based service associated with one or more stores in an area. The system includes one or more in-store devices configured to receive one or more signals from the customer device, where each signal includes an identifier associated with the customer device. Further, the one or more in-store devices are configured to compute current location of the customer device in accordance to the identifier at the in-store device. Furthermore, the system includes a customer engagement module configured to engage the customer device with one or more location-based services associated with the stores in the area based on the current location of the customer device in the area.
Accordingly embodiments herein provide a system for engaging a customer with the location-based service associated with one or more stores in an area. The system includes a customer device configured to scan a code on the object in the area, where each code includes a physical location of the store in the area. Further, the customer device is configured to compute current location of the customer device in accordance to the physical location of the store. Furthermore, the system includes a customer engagement module configured to engage the customer device with one or more location-based services associated with the store in the area based on the current location of the customer device in the area.
These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 depicts a high level architecture of a system for engaging a customer and retailer(s), according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
FIG. 2 illustrates different modules of customer engagement module, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
FIG. 3 illustrates different modules of in-store device, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
FIG. 4 illustrates different modules of customer device, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for engaging a customer with retailers based on customer current location in an area, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating another method 600 for engaging a customer with retailers based on customer current location in an area, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating yet another method 700 for engaging a customer with retailers based on customer current location in an area, according to embodiments as disclosed herein; and
FIG. 8 depicts a computing environment implementing the system and method, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. Also, the various embodiments described herein are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as some embodiments can be combined with one or more other embodiments to form new embodiments. The term “or” as used herein, refers to a non-exclusive or, unless otherwise indicated. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein can be practiced and to further enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The embodiments described herein provide a system and method for engaging a customer and location-based services offered by at least one retailer store in an area. In an embodiment, the customer device can be configured to receive one or more signals from one or more in-store devices installed in one or more stores of the area. The in-store devices described herein can be for example, but not limited to, sensor, transmitter, Wi-Fi spot, Bluetooth terminal, Near-Field Communication (NFC) terminal, access point, and the like. Each signal can include the actual physical location of the store in the area. The customer device can be configured to decode the signal and compute current location of the customer device with respect to the physical location of the store in the area. In another embodiment, codes can be used to provide the physical location of one or more stores in the area. The code described herein can be a barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code, NFC sticker, or any other suitable code. For example, the retailers can provide the codes including the physical location of their store along with some offers in a poster (or banner, or any other form) in the area. The customer device can be configured to scan the code and compute current location of the customer device with respect to the physical location of the store in the area. In yet another embodiment, the customer device can be configured to automatically scan the one or more in-store device by sending a probe signal to identify the in-store devices in vicinity. Each probe signal described herein includes a unique identifier to uniquely identify the customer device in the area. In response to receiving the probe signal, the in-store device can be configured to compute the current location of the customer device. Further, a customer engagement module is configured to provide one or more location-based services based on the current location of the customer device in the area to engage the customer with the retailer.
The method and system disclosed herein is simple, dynamic, robust, and reliable for enabling interaction or engagement between the customer and retailers in a particular area. Unlike conventional system where the GPS, cell tower, and the like may not be able to accurately identify the location of the customer within a particular area, the system and method can be used to accurately track the current location of the customer in any particular area. For example, if the customer is a shopping mall including various retailers store, then the system and method can be used to accurately the location of the customer in the shopping mall to offer location-based services to the customer. In an instance, if the customer is passing from a retailer store in the mall then the retailer can interact or engage with the customer by offering the coupons, offers, or any other service to the customer. Furthermore, the proposed system and method can be implemented using existing infrastructure, components, and modules, and may not require extensive set-up or instrumentation.
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 8, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments.
FIG. 1 depicts a high level architecture of a system 100 for engaging customer and retailers, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the system 100 includes a Customer Engagement Module (CEM) 102 and an in-store device 104 connected to at least one customer 106 using a customer device (or application) 108, and at least one retailer 1101-n (hereafter referred as retailer(s) 110)
The customer device 108 described herein can be any suitable device such as for example, but not limited to, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet, a Personal Digital Assistance, a portable electronic device, or the like. The customer device 108 may enable the customer 106 to connect to the CEM 102 and the in-store device 104. Further, the customer 106 may requests for information from the CEM 102 using the customer application.
The retailer 110 described herein may refer to a merchant or organization who offers goods, product, services, and the like to the customer 106 in an area. The area described herein can be for example, a mall, a shopping district, a shopping street, a complex, and the like including retailers stores. The retailer 110 may communicate and upload information to the CEM 102 using any suitable device such as a laptop, a computer, mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet, a PDA, or any other device. The information uploaded by the retailers 110 can be for example, but not limited to, coupons, offers, discounts, events, sales, or the like available for the goods and services offered by the retailer 110.
The in-store device 104 can be configured or installed in the store of the retailer 110. The in-store devices described herein can be for example, but not limited to, sensor, transmitter, Wi-Fi spot, NFC terminal, Bluetooth terminal, access point, and the like. The in-store device 104 can be configured to accurately identify the presence of the customer at the site of the retailer 110 in the area using the customer device 108. For example, a sound emitting sensor can be placed in each store of the area. The sensor can be a microcontroller in which the identified frequency can be coded and played at a particular sample rate. The customer device 108 can be configured to receive one or more signals from the in-store devices 104 installed in the one or more stores of the area. Each signal can include the actual physical location of the store in the area. Further, in some embodiments, the in-store device can directly interact with the CEM 102.
The CEM 102 can be configured to enable the retailers 110 to communicate with the customer 106 through their customer device 108. The communication may be in the form of retailer services such as discounts, offers, coupons, deals, new arrivals, sales, featured products, locations (outlets information) of the retailers (based on the current location of the customers), merchandise available at the retailers, and the like. The CEM 102 can also be configured to enable the customer 106 to accrue points based on their interactions with the retailers (wherein the interactions may be making purchases from the retail stores, entering the retailer location (retail stores), checking out new arrivals, or any other mechanism).
The FIG. 1 shows an exemplary overview of the system 100 but, it is to be understood that another embodiment is not limited thereto. Further, the system 100 can include different modules (not shown) communicating among each other along with other hardware or software components. For example, the component can be, but not limited to, a process running in the electronic device, an executable process, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on an electronic device and the electronic device can be the component.
FIG. 2 illustrates different modules 200 of the CEM 102, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the CEM 102 can include a customer management module 202, an interfacing module 204, a retailer management module 206, a controller 208, and a database 210.
The customer management module 202 can be configured to manage the customers and their interactions with the retailers. The customer management module 202 can be configured to handle the request form the requests from the customer device 108 and provide relevant information to the customers. Further, the customer management module 202 can be configured to track the preferences of the customer, which may be set by the customer himself or may be accrued from past behavior and habits of the customer and accordingly provide the relevant information. The interfacing module 204 acts as the interface between the customer management module and the database 210, which is configured to store all preferences associated with the customer and the retailers. Furthermore, the customer management module 202 can be configured to assign points to the customers based on a plurality of factors including checking if the customer has visited a particular retailer, purchases made by the customer from the retailers, and the like. Furthermore, the customer management module 202 can be configured determine the number of points present in the account of the customer and manage loyalty cards issued by the retailers. The customer management module 202 can be configured to allow the customer to share tips and provide feedback to retailers (which may be based on a rating system).
The retail management module 206 can be configured to present an appropriate interface to the retailer 110 and allow the retailer 110 to interface with the CEM 102. The retail management module 206 configured to allow the retailer to set options related to their retail establishment such as the deals, offers, coupons, discounts, and the like available in the store. The retail management module 206 can be configured to allow the retailer 110 to set up a geo-fence around the store, wherein all customers or specific targeted customers who fit a profile present within the fence may receive notifications about the discount, coupons, new arrivals, products, sales, and the like in the store. The retail management module 206 can further be configured store the information about the retailer in the database 210 using the interfacing module 204.
The controller 208 can be configured to enable operations of the CEM 102, as per the options or rules defined by the customer and the retailer. For example, if the controller 208 detects that a customer who is 22 years old is in the vicinity of a retailer (where the retailer has set their target audience to be between the ages of 20 and 25) then the controller 208 can be configured to send a notification to the customer, wherein the notification has been set by the retailer.
FIG. 3 illustrates different modules 300 of the in-store device 104, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the in-store device 104 includes signal transmitter 302, signal receiver 304, controller 306, and memory 308.
The signal transmitter 302 can be configured to transmit a signal including physical location of the store. For example, an ultrasonic signal including location information of the retailer (which may be fetched from the memory 308). For instance, the physical location of the retailer store can be encoded into the signal and played at a sample rate of 48000 samples per second. The number of signal samples stored in the memory 308 can be n*48000/f, where n is an integer and n*48000/f can be an integer. This ensures even after playing the entire track length, when any audio is looped back, the transmitted audio appears to be a single sine wave without any frequency distortion. In an embodiment, the transmitted signal can be a single frequency signal, due to the relative motion between the signal transmitter 302 and the customer device 108. A Doppler spread can be introduced in the spectrum of received audio signal given by ?f= f*v/c, where ?f= frequency spread, f= frequency of transmitted signal, v= relative velocity of the receiver along the line joining the transmitter to receiver, and c=speed of sound. Further, the customer device 108 can be configured to decode the signal and compute current location of the customer device with respect to the physical location of the store in the area.
The signal receiver 304 can be configured to receive a signal from the customer device 108 in the vicinity. In an embodiment, the customer device 108 can be configured to automatically scan the in-store devices 104 by sending a probe signal to identify the in-store devices 104 in vicinity. Each probe signal described herein includes a unique identifier to uniquely identify the customer device 108 in the area. For example, every Wi-Fi enabled customer device can actively scan its neighborhood with IEEE 802.11 radio packets (referred to as probe requests) after periodic intervals. This radio packet can include MAC identifier of the Wi-Fi device and which is also time stamped at the time of its transmission. The signal receiver 304 can be configured to receive the probe requests from the customer device 108. In response to the probe request by the customer device 108, an access point can be used to send out a probe response containing SSID of the strongest in-store device 104 in network of the area. By monitoring the probe request packets, it is then possible to verify the physical location of the Wi-Fi enabled customer devices.
Further, the controller 306 can be configured to decode the signal and extracts the unique identifier of the customer device, and communicates it to the CEM 102. Furthermore, the CEM 102 can be configured to provide one or more location-based services based on the current location of the customer device in the area, such as to engage the customer with the retailer.
FIG. 4 illustrates different modules 400 of the customer device 108, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the customer device 108 includes location tracking module 402, scanner 404, a communication interface 406, user interface 408, controller 410, and memory 412.
The location tracking module 402 can be configured to track the customer location using a plurality of methods such as GPS of the customer device, cell-tower, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC terminal, and the like, the in-store device 104 (using an ultrasound signal broadcasted from the in-store device 104), using codes, and the like.
In an embodiment, the area in which the in-store device 104 is not being used, the scanner module 404 can be configured to verify the location of the customer by scanning a code on an image or poster. The code described herein can be a barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code, NFC sticker, or any other suitable code. The code can be configured to include the physical location of the retail store in the area. For example, the retailer may provide various offers and services in the store along with the physical location information in the form of code on posters, images, banners, and the like. The scanner module 404 can be configured to scan the code and compute current location of the customer device 108 with respect to the physical location of the store in the area. In another example, the location tracking module 402 can be configured to recognize the location using NFC by bringing the NFC-enabled customer device near to the NFC sticker placed at the store of the retailer. The QR code/NFC sticker contains the location information of the retail store. The scanner module 404 can be configured to scan the NFC sticker and compute current location of the customer device 108 with respect to the physical location of the store in the area.
Further, the presence of customers with respect to physical locations (retails stores) can also be tracked anonymously by enabling the in-store device 104 to listen to Wi-Fi signals (or Bluetooth signals, NFC signals, and the like) from the customer devices 108. The MAC address of the customer device 108 can be used as the unique identifier for the customer to uniquely identify the customer device in the area. The anonymous data can be analyzed to understand patterns like new visitors, repeated visitors and time spent inside the physical locations (retail stores, office buildings, and the like).
The communication interface 406 can be configured to enable the customer device 108 to communicate with other devices (such as the in-store device 104, CEM 102, and the like). The communication interface 406 can be configured to receive the ultrasonic signals from the in-store device 104 through the location tracking module 402. The communication interface 406 can be configured to transmit the signals to the in-store device 104, where the transmitted signal contains the unique customer identifier. This transmission may be automatic or may be controlled by the customer of the customer device 108.
The controller 408 can be configured to decode the location of the customer device 108, from either the scanned code or from the received signal or any other means. The controller 408 can be configured to communicate the current location along with the unique identification of the customer device 108 to the CEM 102. The CEM 102 can be configured to provide the one or more location-based services based on the current location of the customer device in the area to engage the customer with the retailer. The location-based services described herein can be discounts, offers, deals, coupons, new arrivals, and the like at the retailers store which can be obtained by visiting the retailer store. Further, the user interface 410 can be configured to enable the customer to view and access information related to the retailers. The customer can use the user interface 410 to view the discounts, offers, deals, coupons, new arrivals, and the like and engages with the retailer.
The modules described with respect to the FIGS. 2 through 4 are only for illustrative purpose and does not limit the scope of the invention. Further in real-time, different modules with different labels and names can be used to achieve the similar or substantially similar operations.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method 500 for engaging a customer with retailers based on customer current location in an area, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. Each store in an area can include the in-store device 104 configured to generate a signal to identify the current location of the customer device 108 in the area. The in-store devices described herein can be for example, but not limited to, sensor, transmitter, Wi-Fi spot, access point, and the like. The in-store device 104 can be configured to accurately identify the presence of the customer at the site of the retailer 110 in the area using the customer device 108. In an embodiment, at step 502, the method 500 includes receiving a signal from the in-store device associated with the retailer stores in the area. Each signal can include the actual physical location of the store in the area. The in-store device 104 can transmit a signal including physical location of the store.
At step 504, the method 500 includes decoding the signal received from the in-store device by the customer device 108. The physical location of the retailer store can be encoded into the signal and played at a predefined sample rate. Generally, frequency spectrum of an audio receiver of a customer device (such as smart phone) includes a range from 20 Hz to 20000 Hz. The spectrum does not attenuate sharply at 20000 Hz but includes a certain roll off rate due to which the spectrum gradually falls and can receive audio signals beyond 20000 Hz. Due to the insensitivity of human ear to sound of frequencies beyond 20000 Hz and due to the spectrum limitation of smart phones up to 22050 Hz, a natural choice of the bandwidth of the signal set can be from 20000Hz to 22050 Hz. The customer device 108 can receive the signal emitted by the in-store device and decodes the signal to identify the physical address of the stores in the area. The decoding of the signal can be performed using any decoding techniques known in the art. An example technique to decode the signal is described below:
Consider a total number of audio samples captured =44100*t. 2. The amplitude of the signal at frequency f can beA(f)=|?_(i=0)^(44100*t)¦?a(i) e^(-(j*2*pi*f*i)/44100) ?|. The bin corresponding to frequency f can be f*t. The frequencies corresponding to adjacent bins can be f*t ± i, i=1, 2, …, n are (f*t±i)/t. The amplitude corresponding to all bins within ± 30 Hz of frequency f Hz can be computed and denoted as A((f*t±i)/t). Calculate the mean of the computed amplitudes of the frequencies from f-30 Hz to f-10 Hz represented as A=?_i¦?A((f1*t±i)/t)?, where i takes values such that (f1*t±i)/t is an integer and f1 takes values from f-30 to f-10 Hz .This can be the mean value of the amplitude of the background noise in the neighborhood of the signal of frequency f in question.
Calculate the maximum of amplitudes (B) of all the frequencies from f-10 Hz to f+10 Hz. This is amplitude of the signal of frequency f in question after considering Doppler Effect.
Further, calculate the variance of the background noise in the neighborhood of signal of frequency f as N=?_i¦?(A((f1*t±i)/t)-A)?^2 , where i takes values such that (f1*t±i)/t is an integer and f1 takes values from f-30 to f-10 Hz . Calculate the signal to noise ratio asB/N. Repeat the steps again with a fresh audio sample. If in both the cases the ratio is greater than 9.5, declare that the signal of frequency f has been transmitted or else not. It may be noted that the threshold of 9.5 has been arrived by undertaking field trials of detecting frequencies from 20000 to 22050 Hz over a variety of customer devices (smart phones) to maximize a detection probability and minimize the probability of false detection.
At step 506, the method 500 includes computing current location of the customer device 108 in accordance to the physical location of store in the area. The current location of the customer device 108 in the area can be computed with respect to the physical location of the retailer store in the area. Unlike conventional system where the GPS, cell tower, and the like may not be able to accurately identify the location of the customer within a particular area, the system and method can be used to accurately track the current location of the customer in any particular area. For example, consider a case where the CEM 102 wants to identify if a customer has entered a Mall ABC. The in-store devices 104 in the mall emit an ultrasonic signal that has the physical location of a store in the mall ABC encoded into it. The signal can be received by the customer device 108 of the customer through an application either actively running or running in the background. The customer device 108 decodes the signal and identifies that the signal corresponds to the mall ABC, and then sends the information to the CEM 102 about the current location with respect to the physical location of the store in the mall ABC. At step 508, the method 500 includes engaging the customer device with location-based service associated with the store in the area based on the current location of the customer device in the area. The method 500 allows the CEM 102 to engage the customer with the retailer based on the current location of the customer in the area. The CEM 102 enables the retailers 110 to communicate with the customer 106 through their customer device 108. The CEM 102 may present discounts, offers, coupons, deals, new arrivals, sales, featured products, outlets information, brands available in the store, and the like information to engage the customer with the retailer.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating another method 600 for engaging a customer with retailers based on customer current location in an area, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. Generally, most of the customer device 108 (such as smart phone) is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC enabled devices, emitting probe requests to identify the other Wi-Fi devices in the network. The method 600 can be used to monitor the probe requests emitted periodically by the customer device 108 in search of strong available Wi-Fi networks. In an embodiment, at step 602, the method 600 includes identifying the one or more in-store devices in vicinity to the customer device 108 in the area. The customer device 108 can be configured to automatically scan the in-store devices 104 by sending a probe signal to identify the in-store devices 104 in vicinity. Each probe signal described herein includes a unique identifier to uniquely identify the customer device 108 in the area.
At step 604, the method 600 includes receiving the signal from the customer device 108 at the in-store device 104 in the area. The method 600 allows the signal receiver 304 to receive the probe requests from the customer device 108. In response to the probe request by the customer device 108, an access point can be used to send out a probe response containing SSID of the strongest in-store device 104 in network of the area. By monitoring the probe request packets, it is then possible to verify the physical location of the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC enabled customer devices. At step 606, the method 600 includes decoding the signal received from the in-store device by the customer device 108. The decoding of the signal can be performed using any decoding techniques known in the art.
At step 608, the method 600 includes computing current location of the customer device 108 in accordance to the physical location of store in the area. The current location of the customer device 108 in the area can be computed with respect to the physical location of the retailer store in the area. Unlike conventional system where the GPS, cell tower, and the like may not be able to accurately identify the location of the customer within a particular area, the system and method can be used to accurately track the current location of the customer in any particular area. At step 610, the method 600 includes engaging the customer device with location-based service associated with the store in the area based on the current location of the customer device in the area. The method 500 allows the CEM 102 to engage the customer with the retailer based on the current location of the customer in the area. The CEM 102 may present discounts, offers, coupons, deals, new arrivals, sales, featured products, outlets information, brands available in the store, and the like information to engage the customer with the retailer.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating yet another method 700 for engaging a customer with retailers based on customer current location in an area, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. The area in which the in-store device 104 is not being used , the method 700 uses codes such as bar codes, QR codes, NFC stickers, and the like can be used to track the location of the customer in the area. In an embodiment, at step 702, the method 700 includes scanning a code on an object in the area. The code described herein can be a bar code, a Quick Response (QR) code, NFC sticker, or any other suitable code. The code can be configured to include the physical location of the retail store in the area. For example, the retailers can provide the codes including the physical location of their store along with some offers in a poster (or banner, or any other form) in the area. The method 700 allows the customer device 108 to verify the location of the customer by scanning the code on the objects in the area.
At step 704, the method 700 includes computing current location of the customer device 108 in accordance to the physical location of store in the area. The current location of the customer device 108 in the area can be computed with respect to the physical location of the retailer store in the area. Unlike conventional system where the GPS, cell tower, and the like may not be able to accurately identify the location of the customer within a particular area, the system and method can be used to accurately track the current location of the customer in any particular area. At step 706, the method 700 includes engaging the customer device with location-based service associated with the store in the area based on the current location of the customer device in the area. The method 500 allows the CEM 102 to engage the customer with the retailer based on the current location of the customer in the area. The CEM 102 may present discounts, offers, coupons, deals, new arrivals, sales, featured products, outlets information, brands available in the store, and the like information to engage the customer with the retailer.
Further, in an embodiment, the method and system includes a creating a geo-fence around the customer device 108. The geo-fence can include the customer at its center and the fence can be created around the customer device 108 by the CEM 102. The CEM 102 can be configured to determine whether any store is within the range of the geo-fence and provide location-based services to engage the customer with the retailer. For example, any retailer that falls within the geo-fence of the customer can directly interact with the customer. The customer can opt to accept or reject such interactions.
Furthermore, in an embodiment, the method and system includes a creating a geo-fence around the in-store device 104. The geo-fence can include the retailer at its center and the fence can be created around the in-store device 104 by the CEM 102. The CEM 102 can be configured to determine whether any customer is within the range of the geo-fence to provide location-based services to engage the customer with the retailer. For example, any customer that falls within the geo-fence of the retailer may receive the offers from the retailer. The customer can opt to accept or reject such interactions.
The various steps, blocks, operations, and acts described with respect to the FIGS. 5 to 7 can be performed in sequential order, in random order, simultaneously, parallel, or a combination thereof. Further, in some embodiments, some of the steps, blocks, operations, and acts can be omitted, skipped, modified, or added without departing from scope of the invention.
FIG. 8 depicts a computing environment implementing the method of interacting with an application icon in an electronic device, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. As depicted, the computing environment 802 comprises at least one processing unit 804 that is equipped with a control unit 806 and an Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) 808, a memory 810, a storage unit 812, a clock chip 814, plurality of networking devices 816, and a plurality Input output (I/O) devices 818. The processing unit 804 is responsible for processing the instructions of the algorithm. The processing unit 804 receives commands from the control unit 806 in order to perform its processing. Further, any logical and arithmetic operations involved in the execution of the instructions are computed with the help of the ALU 808.
The overall computing environment 802 can be composed of multiple homogeneous and/or heterogeneous cores, multiple CPUs of different kinds, special media and other accelerators. The processing unit 804 is responsible for processing the instructions of the algorithm. The processing unit 804 receives commands from the control unit 806 in order to perform its processing. Further, any logical and arithmetic operations involved in the execution of the instructions are computed with the help of the ALU 808. Further, the plurality of process units may be located on a single chip or over multiple chips.
The algorithm comprising of instructions and codes required for the implementation are stored in either the memory unit 810 or the storage 812 or both. At the time of execution, the instructions may be fetched from the corresponding memory 810 and/or storage 812, and executed by the processing unit 804. The processing unit 804 synchronizes the operations and executes the instructions based on the timing signals generated by the clock chip 814. The embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented through at least one software program running on at least one hardware device and performing network management functions to control the elements. The elements shown in the FIGS. 1-8 include various units, blocks, modules, or steps described in relation with methods, processes, algorithms, or systems of the present invention, which can be implemented using any general purpose processor and any combination of programming language, application, and embedded processor.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein. ,CLAIMS:We claim:
1. A method for engaging a customer device with at least one location-based service associated with at least one store in an area, the method comprising:
decoding at least one signal received from at least one in-store device in said area by said customer device, wherein each said signal comprises at least one physical location of said at least one store in said area;
computing current location of said customer device in accordance to said at least one physical location of said at least one store; and
engaging said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in said area based on said current location of said customer device in said area.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said in-store device comprises at least one of sensor, transmitter, access point, Bluetooth terminal, Near-Field communication (NFC) terminal, and Wi-Fi spot.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:
creating a geo-fence around said customer device;
determining whether said at least one store is within said geo-fence of said customer device in said area; and
engaging said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in response to determining that said at least one store is within said geo-fence of said customer device in said area.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:
creating a geo-fence around said at least one in-store device in said area;
determining whether said customer device is within said geo-fence of said at least one in-store device; and
engaging said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in response to determining that said customer device is within said geo-fence of said at least one in-store device in said area.
5. A method for engaging a customer device with at least one location-based service associated with at least one store in an area, the method comprising:
identifying at least one in-store device in vicinity to said customer device in said area;
receiving at least one signal from said customer device by said at least one in-store device, wherein each said signal comprises an identifier associated with said customer device;
computing current location of said customer device in accordance to said identifier at said at least one in-store device; and
engaging said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in said area based on said current location of said customer device in said area.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said in-store device comprises at least one of sensor, transmitter, access point, Bluetooth terminal, NFC terminal, and Wi-Fi.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said method further comprises:
creating a geo-fence around said customer device;
determining whether said at least one store is within said geo-fence of said customer device in said area; and
engaging said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in response to determining that said at least one store is within said geo-fence of said customer device in said area.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein said method further comprises:
creating a geo-fence around said at least one in-store device in said area;
determining whether said customer device is within said geo-fence of said at least one in-store device; and
engaging said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in response to determining that said customer device is within said geo-fence of said at least one in-store device in said area.
9. A method for engaging a customer device with at least one location-based service associated with at least one store in a area, the method comprising:
scanning at least one code on at least one object in said area, wherein each said code comprises physical location of said at least one store in said area;
computing current location of said customer device in accordance to said physical location of said at least one store; and
engaging said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in said area based on said current location of said customer device in said area.
10. A method of claim 9, wherein said code comprises at least one of barcode, Quick Response (QR) code, Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), and NFC sticker.
11. A system for engaging a customer device with at least one location-based service associated with at least one store in an area, the system comprising:
at least one in-store device configured to transmit at least one signal to said customer device, wherein each said signal comprises at least one physical location of said at least one store in said area,
wherein said customer device is configured to decode at least one signal received from said at least one in-store device, and compute current location of said customer device in accordance to said physical location of said at least one store, and
a customer engagement module configured to engage said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in said area based on said current location of said customer device in said area.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein said in-store device comprises at least one of sensor, transmitter, access point, Bluetooth terminal, NFC terminal, and Wi-Fi spot.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein said customer engagement module is further configured to:
create a geo-fence around said customer device,
determine whether said at least one store is within said geo-fence of said customer device in said area, and
engage said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in response to determining that said at least one store is within said geo-fence of said customer device in said area.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein said customer engagement module is further configured to:
create a geo-fence around said at least one in-store device in said area,
determine whether said customer device is within said geo-fence of said at least one in-store device, and
engage said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in response to determining that said customer device is within said geo-fence of said at least one in-store device in said area.
15. A system for engaging a customer device with at least one location-based service associated with at least one store in an area, the system comprising:
at least one in-store device configured to:
receive at least one signal from said customer device in vicinity, wherein each signal comprises an identifier associated with said customer device, and
compute current location of said customer device in accordance to said identifier; and
a customer engagement module configured to engage said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in said area based on said current location of said customer device in said area.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein said in-store device comprises at least one of sensor, transmitter, Bluetooth terminal, NFC terminal, and Wi-Fi.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein said customer engagement module is further configured to:
create a geo-fence around said customer device,
determine whether said at least one store is within said geo-fence of said customer device in said area, and
engage said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in response to determining that said at least one store is within said geo-fence of said customer device in said area.
18. The system of claim 15, wherein said customer engagement module is further configured to:
create a geo-fence around said at least one in-store device in said area,
determine whether said customer device is within said geo-fence of said at least one in-store device, and
engage said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in response to determining that said customer device is within said geo-fence of said at least one in-store device in said area.
19. A system for engaging a customer with at least one location-based service associated with at least one store in an area, the system comprising:
a customer device configured to:
scan at least one code on at least one object in said area, wherein each said code comprises physical location of said at least one store in said area, and
compute current location of said customer device in accordance to said physical location of said at least one store; and
a customer engagement module configured to engage said customer device with at least one location-based service associated with said at least one store in said area based on said current location of said customer device in said area.

20. A system of claim 19, wherein said code comprises at least one of barcode, Quick Response (QR) code, Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), and NFC sticker.
Dated: 12th Day of December, 2013 Signature
Arun Kishore Narasani Patent Agent