System and method for monitoring people in a store - Patents.com

Abstract

System and method for monitoring people in a store. The method includes monitoring people in a store using a means (301, 401, 502) for detecting people's movements, presence and / or location; determining product purchase information and / or information related to the selection of products from a shelf (210, 410, 510, 610), received from a sensor such as a POS system, a cash register, a camera system, an RFID reader, or a shelf sensor; and detecting the determined product purchase information and / or information related to the selection of products from a shelf (210, 410, 510, 610), received from a shelf map of the store and / or an electronic price label ( determining a location of products sold and / or removed from the shelves (210, 410, 510, 610) based on location information associated with the shelves (210, 410, 510, 610) and providing customer product selection event information for a particular product, for a particular product type, and / or for a particular location of the store based on the determined location of the product sold, information related to selecting a product from the shelves (210, 410, 510, 610), and monitored movements of people in the vicinity of a particular location of the store, e.g., a particular shelf (210, 410, 510, 610).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for monitoring people in a store. [Background technology]

[0002] Price information on price labels in retail stores has traditionally been changed manually whenever the price of a product is changed. The new prices are printed on paper or a corresponding material, and these labels, together with their new price markings, are manually placed in the places reserved for price labels on the shelves of the sales premises. Thus, an employee must first find the correct location of the price label to be updated, after which the previous price label is removed and discarded, and the new price label is placed in its place. The drawback of this solution is, among other things, that it is very laborious and highly error-prone. When errors occur, situations can arise where there is, for example, contradictory price information between the price information on the price labels on the shelves and the price information in the checkout system.

[0003] In order to avoid the aforementioned drawbacks, electronic systems have been developed that comprise electronic display units with electronic displays at the front edge of the shelves or on the products, and the product price information on the displays of these units can be changed centrally from the control center of the system. This makes updating the price information much easier and much faster. Depending on the system, the information on the displays can be updated by wire or wirelessly. A problem in wired systems is that conductor connections for data transfer and possibly for power supply must be arranged on each display. Since a typical store selling fast-moving consumer goods has a very large number of displays, a large number of conductors must also be present, which creates problems and imposes restrictions on the placement of, for example, price displays.

[0004] Complicated wiring is not required in a wireless system, but equivalently such a system requires a transceiver with an antenna connected to a battery-powered or accumulator-powered price display, which communicates with the system's control unit via suitable communication means.

[0005] One of the ways to strive to minimize the power consumption of the display units and therefore extend the operating time of their batteries / accumulators is that in the communication between the base station and the display unit, the transceiver located in the display unit itself does not implement active radio transmission, whereby the transmission power is generated based on the display unit's own power source, instead the display unit only reflects the radio transmission of the base station in a specific way at a specific time. The display unit can change the reflectivity of its own antenna, in which case it can acknowledge or respond to the base station message with a simple response message.

[0006] Modern radio-based wireless electronic price label systems are in power-saving mode most of the time to minimize energy consumption. They switch from power-saving mode to listening / receiving mode at certain predefined intervals and only then can messages addressed to the electronic label be received by the electronic price label. A problem in modern electronic price label systems is then that messages and commands intended for the electronic price label do not reach the electronic price label at a predefined time immediately after the electronic price label wakes up from the power-saving mode. In some electronic label systems, if a particular base station does not reach a particular electronic price label within its operating range, the search for the label must continue within the operating range of other base stations. The search for electronic price labels performed in the radio frequency electronic price label systems mentioned above is time-consuming and transmissions to other price labels cannot necessarily be performed during the search. This is particularly problematic in the case of electronic price labels that are fixed to products, since their location in the sales premises may change often.

[0007] Other separate systems are also presented in the prior art that can be used to monitor people in a store environment, but these separate prior art solutions are difficult to install and integrate into other systems and they also fail to provide reliable information about customer behavior. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The aim of the solution according to the invention is to eliminate the problems of the prior art. The method according to the invention is characterized in what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. The method according to the invention is also characterized in what is stated in the characterizing part of claims 2 to 10. The system according to the invention is characterized in what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 11, which relates to the system. The system according to the invention is also characterized in what is stated in the characterizing parts of claims 12 to 20, which relate to the system.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for monitoring people in a store, the method comprising: monitoring people movement in the store using a means for detecting people movement, presence and / or location; determining product purchase information and / or information related to picking products from a shelf, the information being received from a sensor such as a POS system, a cash register, a camera system, an RFID reader or a shelf sensor; determining a location of products sold and / or removed from a shelf based on the determined product purchase information and location information related to a shelf map of the store and / or an electronic price label associated with the products; and providing customer product selection event information for a particular product, for a particular product type and / or for a particular location of the store based on the determined location of the sold products, the information related to picking products from a shelf and the monitored movements of people in the vicinity of the particular location of the store, e.g. a particular shelf.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, customer product selection information includes information related to the number of products sold for a particular location in the store, e.g., for a particular shelf, at a particular time, e.g., during an hour and / or day, and / or how a particular product sold relative to other products.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, monitoring human movement includes monitoring where people move to, where they remain stationary, and / or how long people remain stationary in a particular location.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes determining how long people look at products before making a purchasing decision, e.g., how long they spend stationary next to a particular product that is determined to be purchased.

[0013] In one embodiment of the invention, the means for detecting human movement, presence and / or location comprises at least one sensor, such as a radar and / or a camera, disposed on a ceiling or wall of the store, on shelves and / or disposed in the store, e.g. electronic price labels disposed on shelves.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the means for detecting human movement, presence, and / or location further determines when a particular product has been removed from a shelf and / or returned to a shelf and / or provides heat mapping data for a particular shelf.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, monitoring the movement of people includes determining routes used by people within the store using means for detecting the movement, presence, and / or location of people.

[0016] In one embodiment of the invention, the means for detecting human movement, presence and / or location further determines a fill rate of at least one shelf or part of a shelf.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method includes sending a message to a mobile device of a person at a particular location based on a determination of a presence of the person at the location.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, the shelf map is static, e.g., updated manually as products are rearranged in the store, or the shelf map of the store is dynamic, e.g., updated automatically as electronic price labels are rearranged in the store, and the system senses or determines the location of the electronic price labels in the store and / or the electronic price labels sense or determine the location of the electronic price labels in the store.

[0019] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a system for monitoring people in a store, comprising means for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of people and means for determining product purchase information and / or information related to the selection of products from a shelf, such as a POS system, a cash register, a camera system, an RFID reader and / or a sensor, e.g. a shelf sensor. The system is configured to monitor human movement within the store using means for detecting human movement, presence, and / or location; determine product purchase information and / or information related to selecting a product from a shelf, which information is received from a POS system, a cash register, a camera system, an RFID reader, and / or a sensor, e.g., a shelf sensor; determine a location of products sold and / or removed from a shelf based on the determined product purchase information and location information related to a shelf map of the store and / or an electronic price label associated with the product; and provide customer product selection event information for a particular product, for a particular product type, and / or for a particular location of the store based on the determined location of the product sold, the information related to selecting a product from a shelf, and the monitored movement of people in the vicinity of a particular location of the store, e.g., a particular shelf.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the system is configured to determine customer product selection information including information related to the number of products sold for a particular location in the store, e.g., for a particular shelf, during a particular time, e.g., an hour and / or a day, and / or how a particular product sold relative to other products.

[0021] In one embodiment of the invention, the system is configured to monitor human movements by monitoring where people move, where they remain stationary, and / or how long people remain stationary in a particular location.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the system is further configured to determine how long people look at products before making a purchasing decision, e.g., how long they spend stationary next to a particular product that is determined to be purchased.

[0023] In one embodiment of the invention, the means for detecting human movement, presence and / or location comprises at least one sensor, such as a radar and / or a camera, disposed on a ceiling or wall of the store, on shelves and / or disposed in the store, e.g. electronic price labels disposed on shelves.

[0024] In one embodiment of the invention, the means for detecting human movement, presence and / or location is further configured to determine when a particular product has been removed from a shelf and / or returned to a shelf and / or to provide heat mapping data for a particular shelf.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, the system is configured to monitor the movement of people by determining the routes used by people within the store using means for detecting at least the movement, presence and / or location of people.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention, the means for detecting a movement, presence and / or location of a person is further configured for determining a fill rate of at least one shelf or part of a shelf.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, the system is further configured to send a message to a mobile device of a person at a particular location based on determining the presence of the person at the location.

[0028] In one embodiment of the invention, the shelf map is static, e.g., updated manually as products are rearranged in the store, or the shelf map of the store is dynamic, e.g., updated automatically as electronic price labels are rearranged in the store, and the system is configured to sense or determine the location of the electronic price labels in the store and / or the electronic price labels are configured to sense or determine their location in the store.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the means for detecting human movement, presence and / or location comprises a plurality of radar-based sensors, e.g., 2-4 radar-based sensors, arranged on the same structure as each other and / or configured to measure in different directions.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, the system is configured to create point cloud data from information received from radar-based sensors about a monitored area by combining information from multiple radar-based sensors.

[0031] In one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic price label system is configured to measure the location of the electronic price label by a base station of the electronic price label system configured to measure the orientation of the electronic price label, and the system is configured to combine this information to determine the location of the electronic price label.

[0032] In one embodiment of the invention, the radar type sensor(s) are disposed in association with the base station of the electronic price label system, for example within the same housing and / or structure as the base station.

[0033] The inventive solution makes it possible to obtain valuable information about what products are purchased, where they are, how long people look at the products, etc. This information can be used, for example, in management and / or in store. Also, in the inventive solution, information and data collected from multiple systems are used to provide higher quality data and more reliable customer behavior data than prior art systems.

[0034] Various other advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on the following detailed description.

[0035] The term "plurality," as used herein, refers to any positive integer starting with 2, e.g., 2, 3, or 4. The terms "first," "second," and "third" do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another.

[0036] The exemplary embodiments of the invention presented herein should not be construed as limiting the applicability of the appended claims. The verb "comprises" is used herein as a disclosure limitation that does not exclude the presence of unrecited features. The features recited according to the claims are freely combinable with each other unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0037] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims, but the invention itself, both as to its structure and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

[0038] In the following, the present invention will be described in more detail with the aid of several embodiments with reference to FIGS. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1]1 presents a schematic and simplified electronic price label system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 presents in a simplified manner a base station of an electronic price label system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] One exemplary embodiment relating to an arrangement for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of a person within a store is presented in a simplified manner. [Figure 4] One exemplary embodiment relating to an arrangement for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of people within a store viewed from above is presented in a simplified manner. [Diagram 5] One exemplary embodiment related to the arrangement of at least a part of the inventive solution in a store is presented in a simplified manner. [Figure 6] One exemplary embodiment related to the arrangement of at least a part of the inventive solution in a store is presented in a simplified manner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] In the solution of the present invention, information from different sources and sensors is collected, e.g., product location information obtained by locating electronic price labels, motion detection data from people moving in the store, e.g., collected by radar-based sensors and / or cameras, and purchase information generated, e.g., at checkout. Information from multiple sources is used to provide purchase decision related information for customers in the store, such as the period during which a customer researches different products before making a purchase decision to compare similar products to see if something particular will suit them. Other customer sales related information and e.g., visualizations, related to purchase decisions can also be provided using the solution of the present invention.

[0041] 1 presents in a schematic and simplified manner an electronic label system that can be used with the solution of the present invention. In this exemplary embodiment, an electronic price label 103 can be affixed to a product and / or to a shelf. The display 102 of the electronic price label is arranged to show information related to the product, such as, for example, the price, the product name, and possibly some other information related to the product. The electronic price label can communicate with the rest of the system via a base station 104.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic price label system may comprise at least a communication means 106, such as a central unit 105 with a radio transmitter, which can transmit, in addition to the electronic price labels, updated price information and other control data to the electronic price labels 103 via the base station 104 of the system. In addition, it may be connected to a system scanner at the checkout register, which scans the prices of the products and is connected to the checkout system, in which case the checkout system and the electronic price labels always have the same up-to-date information on the prices of the products. The central unit 105 may further be connected to other control or support systems and / or radar-based sensors, such as MIMO radar sensors. The wireless connection between the base station 104 and the electronic price labels 103 is depicted by an arrow.

[0043] The electronic price label used in the system according to an embodiment of the invention includes communication means, with the aid of which the electronic price label can communicate with the radio frequency electronic price label system. In the embodiment in question, the electronic price label also includes an identifier used in locating the location of the label, for example an RFID identifier. In the communication used with the label, the electronic price label system makes good use of both an identifier used in locating the location, such as an RFID, and a radio frequency communication, which reflects the transmission received by the electronic price label. Thus, the electronic price label system can locate, for example, the identifier of a particular electronic price label, for example by means of an RFID, and when the location of the price label in question is clear, the system can transmit information to the electronic price label, for example price information or commands, via two-way radio frequency communication, with a base station operating in the area in question. The location determination can be performed, for example, in such a way that a query is first transmitted, for example via an RFID, to the electronic price label with the means for locating the price label. When the electronic price label responds to the query, the system quickly ascertains in which operating range of which base station of the electronic price label system the electronic price label is located. The electronic price label system can then use radio frequency communication methods with the base station in question to transmit new price information and / or commands to the electronic price label, which can respond to the message by reflecting the message it receives.

[0044] The advantage of the above described arrangement is that the electronic price label can be located more quickly than in the case of a radio frequency electronic price label system, where the electronic price label responds to the base station by reflecting the message it receives, due to its identifier. When it is known in which operating range of which base station of the electronic price label system the electronic price label is located, this is more advantageous to communicate via a radio frequency electronic price label system than via, for example, an RFID system, since it uses less energy in the electronic price label. In one embodiment of the present invention, RFID is used only to detect which base station (and its coverage area) the electronic price label is located under.

[0045] In one embodiment, the direction of the electronic price label's identifier can be detected by a base station, and when multiple base stations are used to measure the electronic price label's identifier, the location of the electronic price label can be accurately identified by using the measurements of the multiple base stations, e.g., measurements of a single base station associated with the determined direction of the electronic price label from that particular base station.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, location locating is performed only when the electronic price label does not respond from its previous location or when the previous location is unknown to the system, which may be the situation, for example, when new products and their attached price labels are brought into a sales premises.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic price label system can also form a list of possible base stations specific to the price label, within the operating range of which the price label can be found. The different base stations in the list can be arranged in order, for example, based on the probability of a particular electronic price label being found within the operating range of each base station. If the label is contacted within the range of a particular base station, the priority of the base station in question can be raised in the sequential list of base stations for the particular price label. If the label cannot be contacted within the range of a particular base station, the priority of the base station in question can be lowered in the sequential list of base stations for the particular price label. Also, the results of the location localization performed using RFID or other means can be used in arranging the sequence of the base station list for a particular price label according to the range of the base station in which the electronic price label is likely to be found. In such a case, the priority of the base station of the electronic price label system, within the range of which the electronic price label is found with the aid of the means for locating the price label, can be raised in the base station list. This type of arrangement allows the electronic price label system to adapt to changing environments and keep transmissions made within range of erroneous base stations (from the perspective of a particular price label) as few as possible. The product group of the product associated with a particular price label can also be used as a sequencing criterion in the list of base stations, where the occurrence of any product group within range of a particular base station may be more probable than within the range of another base station. The life cycle phase of the product or price label associated with the price label in question can also be used as a sequencing criterion. In one embodiment of the present invention, the base station with the operating range where the electronic price label is most likely to be located, i.e. the first base station on the base station list for a particular price label, is used for the transmission.

[0048] In one embodiment of the present invention, the EPL base station can be configured to locate the location of the EPL by measuring it with different base stations from different directions. The system can have a direction of arrival detection mode in which the location of the EPL can be determined by combining the information of the measured directions of the label from different base stations, e.g., by triangulation. This solution allows the system to gather the location and / or path of the EPL. In the direction of arrival detection mode, the base station can send a command to the EPL to send a signal, e.g., a Constant Tone Extension (CTE) signal, to the base station. The base station can be equipped with an antenna array, and the direction of arrival of the signal from the EPL can be determined from the antenna array of the base station. For example, using three base stations, the location of the label can be resolved.

[0049] In the following one example of what an electronic price label that can be applied to a product can look like is presented in more detail. A receiver connected to a display and equipped with a display controller equipped with an antenna is applied to the electronic price label, as is a power source, for example a normal battery. The power source is arranged to provide electrical energy to the electronic price label and its display controller. The price information or other information visible on the display can be updated wirelessly from a central unit via the receiver and the display controller. In this embodiment, the update information and the control information are transferred by means of radio waves, but other data transfer modes are also possible. Each electronic price label forms a thin price label with a display that looks similar to a paper price label, and the required price of the product is formed together with other required markings by changing the color of the display segments. The color of the display segments, as well as the color of the background, are changed by means of an electric field formed by an electric current, as explained above.

[0050] The display of the electronic price label used in the system according to the invention can be implemented, for example, as an electronic laminated display comprising display segments forming a thin price label similar in appearance to a paper price label, where product related information, for example the price of the product together with other necessary markings, is presented by changing the color of the display segments. One layer of the display is, for example, an active ink layer. In the ink layer, there are a number of microcapsules filled with liquid, these microcapsules comprising, for example, essentially black particles with a positive surface charge and essentially white particles with a negative surface charge, the arrangement of the particles in the microcapsules being controlled with an electric field such that for desired display segments the black particles are on top, in which case these display segments appear black when viewed from above, and for other display segments the white particles are on top, in which case these display segments appear pale white when viewed from above. The background of the display is composed of the same microcapsules, so that, for example, price information can be presented as dark numbers against a light background, or vice versa, as required. For example, the electrophoretic microcapsule stack display presented in Finnish patent application FI 20050192 can be used as this type of display.

[0051] In the following, the communication of an electronic price label with a base station by reflection between the unit in question and the system which wirelessly controls it will be described in some detail and in an exemplary manner in the case of one embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] In this communication embodiment, the base station can communicate with the display units by transmitting a signal that all display units hear, and each individual display unit can identify a command specifically addressed to it based on an identifier unique to that display unit. After receiving a command addressed to itself, each individual display unit can respond to the base station by reflecting its own transmission to the base station modified by a specific time delay and by the amount of phase shift caused by a specific moment in time. Typically, after transmitting a command intended for a specific price display, the base station begins transmitting a specific type of carrier that is reflected at a specific time, e.g., with a specific phase shift, by the price display that identified the command. Thus, the base station can wait a specific period of time after transmitting an individualized command to the display in question, so that it can identify the reflected response as belonging to a specific price display. The base station can distinguish a reflected response of significantly weaker power than the transmission from its own transmission based on the phase shift generated therein by the display device.

[0053] In an exemplary arrangement, the EPL has state-changing means for changing the state of the receiver antenna between at least two states, for example, in a first state the antenna reflects well and in a second state the reflectance is poor. Correspondingly, the antenna state can be adapted by the state-changing means in such a way that in different states the antenna reflects radio waves with different phases. Thus, in this case, the EPL is adapted to change the state of the receiver antenna in order to generate reflections coded in a specific way with different time delays depending on the state of the antenna. The communication means connected to the base station interpret the different time delays as coded data signals transmitted by the EPL and, for example, the communication means identifies each EPL based on these data signals.

[0054] In its simplest form, the aforementioned coding consists in the fact that the electronic price label reflects the carrier wave transmitted by the communication means in such a way that it grounds the receiver antenna by means of the state changing means, for example at a frequency of 150 kHz, the carrier wave may have a frequency of, for example, 685 MHz, thus forming from the reflected signal a certain type of square wave. The electronic price label therefore affects the reflected signal by changing the state of the antenna. In this reflection, the phase shift suffered by the signal will most preferably be 180 degrees, which allows the best detection of low power reflections by the communication means. The electronic price labels are in a power saving mode most of the time and sometimes change their state to a receiving mode. In the receiving mode, they are able to detect messages, for example new price information, sent to them and execute the commands given to them.

[0055] After sending the command, the central unit of the device can send information about the changes in the state of the electronic price label that have occurred and / or been performed over the network, for example to a POS system. The device can also receive information, for example from a POS system, that is intended to be sent over the network to a particular electronic price label. This type of information can be, for example, price information to be shown on the display of the electronic price label or erasure information.

[0056] It will be apparent that the use of the present invention is not limited to price displays using the types of display technologies described above, but instead, the price display may be implemented using any technology known in the art. The above solutions relate specifically to how electronic price labels and electronic price label system communications can be efficiently arranged.

[0057] FIG. 2 presents in a simplified manner a base station of an electronic price label system according to some embodiments of the invention. According to these embodiments, the base station comprises communication means for two-way radio frequency communication with an electronic price label, for example fixed to a product on a shelf 210. The base station is adapted to communicate with the electronic price label in such a way that the electronic price label reflects back the transmission received from the base station. The system also comprises means for locating an identifier used in locating the location, said identifier being in the means for reading the electronic price label, for example an RFID tag. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the base station of the electronic price label system and the means for locating the price label use the same antenna. In this way, it can also be reliably deduced by the location location of which base station in which operating area the located electronic price label is placed. The system can for example alternate the traffic of the means for locating the location of the electronic price label and the base station of the electronic price label and / or distribute the operating time to different units as required.

[0058] In one embodiment of the present invention, the RFID system and the radio frequency electronic price label system can operate in substantially the same frequency range, in which case the same antenna of the base station of the electronic price label system can be used both for communications occurring via RFID and for communications occurring with the radio frequency electronic price label system. In such a case, the base station of the electronic price label system can comprise a switch adapted to alternately and / or as required connect one and the same antenna to the RFID communication means and to the communication means of the radio frequency electronic price label system.

[0059] In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the means for locating the position of the price label are arranged in relation to the base station. In the embodiment in question, the means for locating the position of the price label are an RFID reader 202 connected via wired or wireless means to the base station 201 of the electronic price label system, for example via a USB interface. The RFID reader 202 and the base station 202 are functionally separate units, but can be located in a common unit. In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the RFID reader 202 and the base station 201 use the same antenna 203.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, the means for locating the position of the electronic price label is integrated into the base station 201 of the electronic price label system. In one embodiment, the means for locating the position of the electronic price label and the base station can use the same antenna 203. The means for locating the position of the electronic price label can be an RFID reader.

[0061] Thus, the means for locating the position of the price label may be located remotely from the base station of the electronic price label system and / or they may use their own separate antenna.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic price label system may further comprise a security gate, and the alarm signal may be based on a response of the security gate when the electronic price label passes through the security gate.

[0063] In one embodiment of the invention, the electronic price label system may further comprise an RFID reader, which may be coupled to, e.g., disposed on, the exit, In this embodiment, the alarm signal may be based on a response of the RFID reader when an electronic price label including an RFID identifier is brought within a reading range of the RFID reader.

[0064] The means of detecting human movement, presence, and / or location used in the solution of the present invention may enable the system to collect, for example, customer product selection event information for particular products, product groups, and / or product types, such as which parts of the shelves people go to, which shelves and which parts of the shelves they stop at, specific locations in the store based on determined locations of sold products, information related to selecting products from shelves, and related to monitored movements of people in specific locations in the store, e.g., near specific shelves.

[0065] In one embodiment of the invention, the means for detecting movement used in the inventive solution comprise at least one sensor, such as a radar and / or a camera, arranged on the ceiling or walls of the store, on shelves and / or arranged in the store, e.g. electronic price labels arranged on shelves.

[0066] In one embodiment of the present invention, the RFID of the product or the electronic price label attached to the product can be used to track the movement of the product in the store. In this way, it is also possible to track the movement of the customer as they move with the product they carry. In this way, further customer selection information can be collected from the store environment.

[0067] Fig. 3 presents how in one exemplary embodiment the means for detecting a person's movement, presence and / or location 301 can be arranged in a store. In this exemplary embodiment the means for detecting movement 301 is arranged above the aisles between the shelves of the store so that the means for detecting a person's movement, presence and / or location can measure the area between the shelves where the person is moving. The sensors can be arranged so that they are pointed straight down or slightly tilted. The means for detecting a person's movement, presence and / or location can comprise multiple sensors, which can be connected to a control unit 310 that controls the operation of the means for detecting a person's movement, presence and / or location 301.

[0068] In one embodiment of the present invention, monitoring people's movements includes monitoring where people move, where they are stationary, and / or how long people remain stationary in a particular location, so that it can be determined how long people look at products before making a purchasing decision, for example, how long they spend stationary next to a particular product that is determined to be purchased.

[0069] In one embodiment of the present invention, the customer product selection information determined in the solution of the present invention may include information related to the number of products sold for a particular location in the store, e.g., for a particular shelf, at a particular time, e.g., during an hour and / or a day, and / or how a particular product sold relative to other products.

[0070] 4 presents in a simplified manner one exemplary embodiment relating to the arrangement of means for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of people in a store seen from above. Also, in this example, the means for detecting movement 401 are arranged above the aisles between the shelves 410 of the store, so that the means for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of people can measure the area between the shelves where people are moving. In this example, the measurement area of ​​all the means for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of people 401 arranged in the store covers essentially all the area 400 where people can move.

[0071] In one embodiment of the present invention, the system includes a shelf map of the store. The shelf map can be static, e.g., updated manually as products are rearranged in the store, or the shelf map of the store can be dynamic, e.g., updated automatically as electronic price labels are rearranged in the store, and the system senses or determines the location of the electronic price labels in the store and / or the electronic price labels sense or determine the location of the electronic price labels in the store. With this type of dynamic shelf map, the height position of the product on the shelf cannot always be automatically determined. Additional sensors, such as planar sensors disposed on the shelf or camera-based sensors pointed at the shelf, can be added to the system to also detect or define the height of the product on the shelf.

[0072] FIG. 5 presents in a simplified manner one exemplary embodiment related to arranging at least a part of the inventive solution in a store. In this example, electronic price labels are arranged on the side of a shelf 510. The electronic price labels 501 are equipped with a camera-based sensor 502 that can be used to determine product purchase information and / or information about a person picking a product from the shelf. The camera-based sensor can be arranged on essentially all electronic price labels 501 or only on some electronic price labels, for example, so that the area where the camera can monitor a person covers essentially all products in that area. In one exemplary embodiment, the camera-based sensor can be arranged separately from the electronic price labels, for example as a separate unit that can be arranged on the side of a shelf, a wall, or a ceiling.

[0073] In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor for detecting people's movements in the monitored area is a radar-based sensor or comprises at least one radar-based sensor. In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of, for example two, three or four, radar-based sensors are arranged in connection with each other, for example in one housing or structure, so that each of the sensors measures a different direction from each other. In one embodiment, the arrangement for detecting movements with a plurality of radar-based sensors is configured to measure 360 ​​degrees. In an embodiment with four radar-based sensors, each sensor measures an area of ​​90 degrees, and in an embodiment with three radar-based sensors, each sensor measures an area of ​​120 degrees. This solution allows the system to collect the location and / or path of people in the store. This arrangement can be installed, for example, on the ceiling of the monitored area.

[0074] The system can be configured to receive measurement information from all sensors of the sensor arrangement in the monitored area and create point cloud data of the store environment by combining the measurement data from all radar type sensors.

[0075] In one embodiment (and as in FIG. 6), the base station of the electronic price label system can be disposed in the same location and / or in the same structure as the radar-based sensor(s). In this way, installation in a store environment is easy as the wiring and installation can be done in one place for the means to detect movement and the base station. With this solution, the system can collect the location and / or path of people in the store, as well as the location and / or path of electronic price labels. This arrangement can be, for example, installed in the ceiling of the monitored area.

[0076] Fig. 6 presents in a simplified manner one exemplary embodiment related to the arrangement of at least a part of the inventive solution in a store. In this exemplary embodiment, the means for detecting movement are arranged in relation to the base stations BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4 of the electronic label system. Each means for detecting movement comprises four radar-based sensors, e.g. MMW radars, configured to detect the movement of a person. The radars can have a 360 degree field of view in the monitored area, since there are multiple radar-based sensors. The unit including the base station and the radar-based sensor is arranged above the aisle between the shelves 610 of the store, so that the means for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of the person can measure the area between the shelves where the person is moving. The sensors can be arranged so that they are pointed straight down or slightly tilted. The means for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of the person can be connected to a control unit that controls the operation of the means for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of the person and / or the base station. Fig. 6 also presents point cloud data from the radar-based sensor of BS1 corresponding to a person moving in the corridor. In the direction of arrival mode (described above), the base station can send a command to the electronic price label to send a signal, e.g., a Constant Tone Extension (CTE) signal, to the base station. The base station can be equipped with an antenna array, and the direction of arrival of the signal from the electronic price label can be determined from the base station's antenna array. Using the three base stations BS1, BS2, BS3, the location of the label can be determined.

[0077] With the sensors used in the solution of the present invention, a "heat map" type image at different times can be provided, from which it can be seen how many customers are moving in certain areas and corridors at a certain time. This information can be used, for example, for targeted marketing and pricing. In one embodiment of the present invention, the means for detecting people's movement, presence, and / or location can be used to determine when a particular product has been removed from the shelf and / or returned to the shelf, and / or in this way determine and / or provide heat mapping data for a particular shelf.

[0078] In one embodiment of the invention, the means for detecting human movement, presence and / or location can determine the fill rate of at least one shelf or part of a shelf, in another embodiment the fill rate can be determined using additional sensors, for example a planar sensor arranged on the shelf or a sensor such as a camera or a distance measuring sensor arranged on the opposite side of the aisle.

[0079] In the solution of the present invention, the POS system can provide information on what products were purchased, when, and where each product is located in the store from an electronic price label system or shelf maps. Combining this information and using time constraints (delay in removing a product from the shelf until checkout) allows a quote to be formed relating to purchase information related to a particular product.

[0080] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method includes sending a message to a mobile device of a person at a particular location based on a determination of a presence of the person at the location.

[0081] In one embodiment of the invention, the system, e.g., an electronic price label system, can include a route program based on a shopping list and a store map. The route determined based on the means for detecting the movement, presence, and / or location of the person can be used to determine which products cause the customer to deviate from the planned route and to compare with the planned products in the shopping list. This information can be used, for example, for targeted marketing and pricing in the store. In one embodiment of the invention, monitoring the movement of the person includes determining the route used by the person in the store using the means for detecting the movement, presence, and / or location of the person.

[0082] If a store is equipped with a sensor network including multiple sensors, customer movements can be monitored from one sensor to another and / or the paths traveled by individual customers can be stored and compared. Motion observations generated by certain types of sensors, e.g., radar-based sensors, can be supplemented with other motion tracking systems such as cameras, PIR sensors, etc.

[0083] The embodiments of the invention described hereinbefore in connection with the presented figures and the Summary of the Invention may be used in any combination with each other, and at least two of the embodiments may be combined together to form further embodiments of the invention.

[0084] The specific examples provided in the above description should not be construed as limiting the applicability and / or interpretation of the appended claims. The lists and groupings of examples provided in the above description are not exhaustive unless expressly stated otherwise.

Claims

1. 1. A method for monitoring people in a store, the method comprising: - monitoring people's movements in said store using means (301, 401, 502) for detecting people's movements, presence and / or location; determining product purchase information and / or information related to selecting a product from a shelf (210, 410, 510, 610), the information being received from a sensor, such as a POS system, a cash register, a camera system, an RFID reader, or a shelf sensor; determining the location of products sold and / or removed from shelves (210, 410, 510, 610) based on the determined product purchase information and location information associated with a shelf map of the store and / or an electronic price label (103, 501) associated with the product; providing customer product selection event information for a particular product, for a particular product type, and / or for a particular location of the store based on the determined location of a product sold, information related to selecting the product from the shelf (210, 410, 510, 610), and monitored movements of people in the vicinity of the particular location of the store.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer product selection event information includes information related to the number of products sold during a particular time period for a particular location in the store and / or how a particular product sold relative to other products.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein monitoring the movements of people includes monitoring where people move, where they stay stationary, and / or how long people stay stationary in a particular location.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the method further comprises determining how long people research products before making a purchase decision.

5. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the means (310, 401, 502) for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of a person comprises at least one sensor, such as a radar and / or a camera, arranged on a ceiling or wall of the store, on the shelves (210, 410, 510, 610) and / or on electronic price labels (103, 501) arranged in the store.

6. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the means (301, 401, 502) for detecting human movement, presence, and / or location further determines when a particular product has been removed from and / or returned to the shelf (210, 410, 510, 610) and / or provides heat mapping data for a particular shelf (210, 410, 510, 610).

7. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein monitoring the movement of people comprises using means for detecting the movement, presence, and / or location of people to determine routes used by people within the store.

8. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the means (301, 401, 502) for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of a person further determines the fill rate of at least one shelf (210, 410, 510, 610) or a portion of a shelf.

9. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the method includes sending a message to a mobile device of a person at a particular location based on the determination of the person's presence at the location.

10. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the shelf map is static or the shelf map of the store is dynamic and the system senses or determines the location of electronic price labels in the store and / or the electronic price labels sense or determine the location of the electronic price labels in the store.

11. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of a person comprises a plurality of radar-type sensors arranged on the same structure as each other and / or configured to measure in different directions.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein a base station of an electronic price label system measures the direction of the electronic price label, and the electronic price label system combines direction information from the base station to determine the location of the electronic price label.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the radar-type sensor is disposed in association with the base station of the electronic price label system.

14. 1. A system for monitoring people in a store, said system comprising: means (301, 401, 502) for detecting people's movement, presence, and / or location; and means for determining product purchase information and / or information related to product selection from shelves (210, 410, 510, 610), such as a POS system, a cash register, a camera system, an RFID reader, and / or a sensor, said system comprising: monitoring people's movements within said store using means (301, 401, 502) for detecting people's movements, presence and / or location; determining product purchase information and / or information related to selecting a product from a shelf (210, 410, 510, 610), received from the POS system, the cash register, the camera system, the RFID reader, and / or the sensor; determining the location of products sold and / or removed from shelves (210, 410, 510) based on the determined product purchase information and location information associated with a shelf map of the store and / or an electronic price label (103, 501) associated with the product; and The system is configured to provide customer product selection event information for a particular product, a particular product type, and / or a particular location of the store based on determined locations of sold products, information related to selecting the product from the shelf (210, 410, 510, 610), and monitored movements of people in the vicinity of the particular location of the store.

15. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is configured to determine customer product selection information for a particular location in the store, the customer product selection information including information related to the number of products sold during a particular time period and / or how a particular product sold relative to other products.

16. 16. The system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the system is configured to monitor the movement of people by monitoring where people move, where they stay stationary, and / or how long people stay stationary in a particular location.

17. 16. The system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the system is further configured to determine how long people research products before making a purchase decision.

18. The system according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the means (301, 401, 502) for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of a person comprises at least one sensor, such as a radar and / or a camera, arranged on a ceiling or wall of the store, on the shelves (210, 410, 510, 610) and / or on electronic price labels arranged in the store.

19. 16. The system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the means (301, 401, 502) for detecting human movement, presence, and / or location is further configured to determine when a particular product has been removed from and / or returned to the shelf (210, 410, 510, 610) and / or to provide heat mapping data for a particular shelf (210, 410, 510, 610).

20. 16. The system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the system is configured to monitor the movement of people by determining routes used by people within the store using means for detecting the movement, presence and / or location of people.

21. 16. The system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the means for detecting movement, presence and / or location of a person is further configured to determine a fill rate of at least one shelf or part of a shelf (210, 410, 510, 610).

22. 16. The system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the system is further configured to send a message to a mobile device of a person at a particular location based on the determination of the person's presence at the location.

23. 16. The system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the shelf map is static or the shelf map of the store is dynamic, and the system is configured to sense or determine the location of electronic price labels in the store and / or the electronic price labels are configured to sense or determine their location in the store.

24. 16. The system of claim 14 or 15, wherein the system is configured to create point cloud data from the information received from radar sensors about the monitored area by combining information from multiple sensors.

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