Method and apparatus using consumer idle time for productive activities

42 Pages·2013·1.85 MB·English

US006810385B1
United States Patent
(12) (10) Patent N0.: US 6,810,385 B1
Brady et al. (45) Date of Patent: Oct. 26, 2004
(54) METHOD AND APPARATUS USING 5,933,813 A * 8/1999 Teicher et a1. .............. .. 705/26
CONSUMER IDLE TIME FOR PRODUCTIVE 5,963,914 A 10/ 1999 Skinner et 91
ACTIVITIES 6,094,677 A * 7/2000 Capek et a1. ............... .. 705/14
6,223,163 B1 * 4/2001 Van Luchene .. . 705/14
. . 6,401,074 B1 * 6/2002 Sleeper ........... .. .. . 705/14
(75) Inventors‘ girlie)’; ssafnJlcsseé CCAA(EIJJSS))’_ 6,456,981 B1 * 9/2002 Dejaeger et a1. ............ .. 705/14
Roger B. Bertman, Los Altos, CA FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
(US); William H. Yundt, Foster City,
CA (Us) EP 1061722 * 12/2000
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
(73) Assignee: Forecourt Communications Group,
San Jose, CA (Us) Pfaff, Fred; “Turner Takes Over Checkout”; May 1991;
Inside Media.*
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this “While You Wait, A Commercial Message”; N0V~ 1997;
patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Bank Network News; V~ 16, Il- 13*
U_S_C_ 154(k)) by 0 days_ James, Densis; “What’s In—What’s Out for In—store Adver
tising in Pharmacies”; Medical Marketing & Media; v. 29, n.
(21) Appl. N0.: 09/427,155 1-*
(22) Filed: Oct. 26, 1999 * Cited by examiner
7 Primary Examiner—Steven B. McAllister
"""""""""""""""" s (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggiero
( ) I. . . ............................ .. , , & Perle, LL'P'
(58) Field of Search ............................ .. 705/14, 26, 27,
705 / 16—25 (57) ABSTRACT
(56) References Cited An apparatus and method present to a consumer information
during consumer idle periods. Asignal indicating the start of
US. PATENT DOCUMENTS idle time is used to present to the consumer various offers.
3 739 163 A * 6/1973 Hirasawa et al 235/183 The interactions are planned based on previously acquired
4’392’119 A 7/1983 Price et a1_ ' """"" " consumer data, the current transaction, the venue of the
4:674:041 A 6/1987 Lemon et a1_ transaction, the time of day and the date of the transaction,
4,764,041 A * 8/1988 Bierhoff ___________________ __ 364/401 and the estimated time available. The method of the inven
4 7 858 7 120 A * 8/1989 Samuelson . . . . . . . . . .. 364/401 tion collects information about the customer utiliZin g a
4,959,686 A * 9/1990 spallone et a1- ---------- -- 364/401 point-of-sale terminal. Information concerning the custom
5,305,197 A 4/ 1994 AXleT et a1~ er’s transactions are accumulated and analyzed and the
53537218 A 10/1994 De Lapa ct 91' resulting information is used to improve the efficiency of the
2 ?lers t 1 customer’s neXt interaction With the system. The efficiency
5’5O2’636 A * 3/1996 C121): 6 a ' 364/401 increase results from a ?tting of a set of possible dialogues,
5’557’513 A * 9/1996 Frey et 364/401 into the idle time, so as to select a set of dialogues and their
5:761j648 A 6/1998 Golden et a1_ order that Will provide the highest value.
5,781,894 A * 7/1998 Petrecca et a1. ............ .. 705/14
5,854,897 A * 12/1998 RadZieWicZ et a1. .. 395/200.254 11 Claims, 31 Drawing Sheets
Central Server 10
6102/ 42 on BM“)

U.S. Patent 0a. 26, 2004 Sheet 2 0f 31 US 6,810,385 B1
Fig. 2. System
14
12
Clerk
Printer w
28
22
A 18 / /—\
Customer
24 ‘y ’\ Interface
4-1 23
l 40 26 /
StoreContrdler —1 / Cash Regmer v34
Printer \——/
1 6
Central Sewer
35 / / Magneti. c stn. pe \ I
I L reader ,
Share Server
iv
30
30 ' Clerk
\ 1
\
w‘ Magnetic stripe \
_______l
U.S. Patent
0a. 26, 2004 Sheet 3 0f 31 US 6,810,385 B1
Fig. 3. Central Server 10
40 44 46
CPU
. . W|de Area
42 D's" owe“) Network Adapter
Clod/
48
A \ ll
,1 l/
48
50 Program Memory 60 Data Memory
,2 \Agplica?on 62 9.“?‘Pf'f‘i'f‘f’PFPf'i'T‘T'T'f‘???T???._
54 \Data Base Software 64 _T_a_b!e_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
{Sgt ' ' ' ' ' ‘ ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ‘ ' ' ' ' ‘ - ' ' - ‘ ' ' ' ' ' Store Location Table
56 _ _ I _ _ _ _ l _ I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ I I - . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 66 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ . _ . _ . . . . _ . . . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -
\pro?le Generator 68 Credit, Debit. Loyalty... Card Table
""""""""""""""""" ' ' 70 \Customer/ Store Pro?le Table
74 \Customer Table
\Current ?me and Date
76
U.S. Patent
0a. 26, 2004 Sheet 4 0f 31 US 6,810,385 B1
Fig. 4. Store Controller 24
80 36 68
CPU
. . Local Area Wrde Area
82 0'“ Owe“) Network Adapter Network Adapter
6100/
90
/'| r y [\
</ 2
\\ ./
\1 ‘v
92 96
Program Memory 93 Data Memory
\Applicatlon 100 _________________________ - -
\Data Base Software 102 Tarts??? ___________________ _ .
""""""""""""""""" ' ' 104 \Price Table
106 \Credit, Debit, Loyalty... Card Table
108 \ocation ID
\Current ‘Home and Date
U.S. Patent 0a. 26, 2004 Sheet 5 0f 31 US 6,810,385 B1
Fig. 5. Store Server 36
1 10 114 1 16 1 18
CPU
. . Local Area Network Wide Area Network
112 0"“ Dm’qs) Adapter 1 Adapter
ClocK I
1 ?
/,/l r v1 120 V I\
/ \,
\ ,/
\ J 1i L/
122 128
124 Prog-r am- Memory 130 ‘CuDsattoam Mere mRoersyp onse Instrumentation Table
126 ________________________ _ _ 132 ................................ - .
\Dala Base software 134 \Screen Instrumentation Table
""""""""""""""""" ' ' \sm Location Table
! 136 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
‘ 138 \Credit, Debit. Loyalty... Card Table
140 \Sbre Subset - Customer 1 Store Pro?le Table
142 \Customer Table
144 Eurrent Time and Date
146 Etone Pro?le Table
148
U.S. Patent
Oct. 26, 2004 Sheet 6 0f 31 US 6,810,385 B1
Fig. 6. Point-of-Sale Terminal 50
1 4
12
Clerk 50
Printer Interface
28
PMroecmeoss or 150 28 22
152 ‘ 26 Customer
154 Application Interface
Cash Register _
Micro-computer 34
27 28 Magnetic Stripe
Clock / “ >(
Reader
A
i/ao
U.S. Patent 0a. 26, 2004 Sheet 7 0f 31 US 6,810,385 B1
Fig. 7. Customer Interface 22
34
Input Device (Key 22
Pad or Touch
Screen)
Processor
Memo 160 156 17°
1 72 Display
\ Screen
Customer lnterace ' 166
Micro-computer
28
d/ 1731 166 Magnetic Stripe
Cl‘) Reader
V28 V30
+
Y
U.S. Patent
0a. 26, 2004 Sheet 8 0f 31 US 6,810,385 B1
Fig. 8. Customer Idle Time Dialog 180
182
184
186
188 IniIaI Screen ID
190 Selection ID 1
192 Screen ID1
194 SeIec'Iion ID 2
196 Screen ID2
55mm ID n 182
Screen IDn 198
Screen ID 1
Selection ID 1.1
Screen ID 1.1
Selection ID 1.2
Screen ID 1.2
ID 1.m 182
Screen ID 1.m 193
Screen ID 1.1
1
82 Selection ID 1.1.1
ScreenlD1.1.1 ——>— "'
Saw‘ ‘D 2 SeIecIion ID 1.1.2
SeIec?on ID 2.1 Screen ID 1.1.2 ___,_ . . .
Screen ID 21 ' ' _
SSecIreecetniIoDnI2D22 2 SSecIreecetnlIcDn lD11..1.1q. q -——-—>—
ID 2.0 \ _ _ _
Screen ID 2.0 \\ —-————¢ 182
\\ Screen ID 2.1
‘~ 199
\ SeIecIion 1012.1
182 \ Screen ID 1.2.1 —+— ' ' '
I \ SeIecIion ID 1.2.2
\ Screen ID 1.2.2 . . .
Screen ID n ' I . .
SSecIreecenI iIoDn In.D1n J —>— - ‘\ \ moujg- g- p _ ,_
SSeclreecetni oInD I nD. 2n .2 I . . l _ I
Scream ID n.p _ _ _ 182
Screen ID n.p —’
Screen ID n.p
Selection ID n.1
Screen ID n.1 -——v—
Selection ID n.2
Screen ID n.2 . . .
ID n.r _ _ I
Screen ID n.r —>
U.S. Patent 0a. 26, 2004 Sheet 9 0f 31 US 6,810,385 B1
Fig. 9. Activity Dialog 200
201
202
203
204 Screen ID
2°5 Selection ID 1
206 Screen ID1
207 Selection ID 2
203 Screen 102
Selection ID n 201
Screen lDn 202
Screen ID 1
Selection ID 1.1
Screen ID 1.1
Selection ID 1.2
Screen ID 1.2
Selection ID 1.m 201
Screen ID 1.m 202
Screen ID 1.1
y 201 Selecti. on ID 1.11
S '02 Screen ID1.1.1 ————>- "'
Cree" Selection ID 1.1.2
Selection ID 2.1 Screen ID 1.1.2 _—>_ . . .
Screen ID 2.1 ——->— ' - - _
Selection ID 22 Selection ID 111: _ _ _
Screen ID 2.2 , . . . Screen ID 1.1.q —>—
Selection ID 2» ___ 201
Screen ID 2.0 ——>- —————i'
Screen 1D 2.1
202
" ' Seledion ID 1.2.1
201 Screen ID 1.2.1 —->- '
—_____—_l Selection ID 1.2.2
' Screen ID 1.2.2 . . .
Screen. ID n Selection ID 1.2.p
Selection ID n.1 . .
Screen ID n.1 --—+- ' ' - screenm1'z-p I
Selection ID n.2
Screen ID n.2 . . . I I _
Selection ID n.p _ _ . 201
Screen ID no ———>
Screen ID n.p
Selection ID n.1
Screen ID n.1 ————>- - -
Selection ID n.2
Screen ID n.2 I . . .
Selection ID n.r _ _
Screen ID n.r -——>