Radio frequency based consumer detection and behaviour anaeysis system for retaie safes and merchandising planning

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (1) for generating marketing metrics by tracking the movement and location of customers in the store by using radio frequency signals generated by the communication module infrastructure that is established with the aim of providing broadband data services in the form of internet access and messaging applications to customers during their visits inside the store and that will operate at millimetre wave frequencies.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] RADIO FREQUENCY BASED CONSUMER DETECTION AND

[0003] BEHAVIOUR ANAEYSIS SYSTEM FOR RETAIE SAFES AND

[0004] MERCHANDISING PLANNING

[0005] Technical Field

[0006] The present invention relates to a system for generating marketing metrics by tracking the movement and location of customers in the store by using radio frequency signals generated by the communication module infrastructure that is established with the aim of providing broadband data services in the form of internet access and messaging applications to customers during their visits inside the store and that will operate at millimetre wave frequencies.

[0007] Background of the Invention

[0008] Today, in the retail industry, the challenges that physical stores face in effectively monitoring customer movements during the digital transformation process has emerged as a major challenge. In existing studies, the derived customer behaviour patterns are incomplete, analysis regarding customers who are not connected to the access infrastructure (Wi-Fi or the like) cannot be carried out, lack of operational critical information due to the very limited use of artificial intelligence tools is experienced, and relatively low detection and positioning performances obtained with narrower band waveforms compared to the mmWave (millimetre wave) band are experienced.

[0009] For this reason, considering the studies and deficiencies included in the current technique, it is understood that there is a need for a system for providing significant advantages to retail businesses through the use of radar- like signal processing-based integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) approach, big data analysis and artificial intelligence techniques; monitoring customer locations, movement and behaviour patterns inside the store instantaneously by means of radio frequency (RF) signals and integrated sensing and communication technology; and developing the right product placement and customer- specific marketing strategies to be implemented in the short and medium term in accordance with this data; and enabling businesses to have the potential to increase customer satisfaction and revenues while increasing their operational efficiency.

[0010] The Turkish patent document no. TR2024 / 011188, an application included in the state of the art, discloses an easy shopping system. The said invention relates to an easy shopping system which will be used especially in the clothing sector and enables customers to purchase products quickly and safely without going to the checkout by means of NFC (Near Distance Communication) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technologies.

[0011] The Turkish patent document no. TR2024 / 007614, another application included in the state of the art, discloses an artificial intelligence air interface supported integrated communication and sensing service method in 5G-ADVANCED AND 6G systems. The said invention relates to a method which takes the network services offered by telecom operators beyond the ability to establish communication; performs sensing from radio frequencies by enabling the network to work like a sensor and allows operators to offer this as a service to different vertical sectors. In integrated communication and sensing, channel state information of the signals provided by the network is used. By providing this information to the network as sensing information through image processing and signal processing tools with deep learning models, the operators will be enabled to offer this information to their customers as a service. In this case, network providers will be able to increase their profitability by providing integrated communication and sensing services to different vertical sectors as AlaaS (Al as a Service). The International patent document no. WO2022159586, another application included in the state of the art, discloses indoor positioning and tracking using spatial features. In the said invention, a system and method for indoor positioning and tracking that uses sensor data, and / or wireless network fingerprinting to create a moving map of radiofrequency (RF) devices in an indoor location is described. In the invention, the moving map is continuously repaired and updated. The system incorporates user data into the moving map to enhance customer service and customer experience.

[0012] The Chinese patent document no. CN104182881, another application included in the state of the art, discloses a supermarket intelligent shopping guide system based on WIFI indoor positioning and positioning method. The said invention provides a supermarket intelligent shopping guide system based on WIFI (Wireless Fidelity) indoor positioning and a positioning method. The supermarket intelligent shopping guide system is characterized by comprising a WIFI positioning module, a server end system and an application end system; the WIFI positioning module comprises terminal equipment and APs (Access Points) distributed in every part in a supermarket; the APs are used for providing a WIF network for equipment in the supermarket and sending the position information of each AP to a server; the terminal equipment collects commodity information codes and sends the commodity information codes to the server; and the server is used for receiving information, processing the information, storing the data into a memory, receiving a request of the application end system, sending the position information to the application end system and sending commodity information and advertisements. The method and the system provided by the invention have the advantages that the commodities can be fast and effectively positioned and navigated; the commodity sale promotion information is sent to client equipment in real time; convenience is brought to customers to consume; and the cost of merchants is also reduced.

[0013] Summary of the Invention An object of the present invention is to realize a system developed with the aim of generating marketing metrics by tracking the movement and location of customers in the store by using radio frequency signals generated by the communication module infrastructure that is established with the aim of providing broadband data services in the form of internet access and messaging applications to customers during their visits inside the store and that will operate at millimetre wave frequencies.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to realize a system developed with the aim of serving the retail trade and merchandising sectors by using sub-technical fields in the form of integrated sensing and communication and machine learning in the network technologies application field.

[0015] A further object of the present invention is to realize a system developed with the aim of providing significant advantages to retail businesses through the use of radar-like signal processing-based integrated sensing and communication approach, big data analysis and artificial intelligence techniques; monitoring customer locations, movement and behaviour patterns inside the store instantaneously by means of radio frequency signals and integrated sensing and communication technology; and developing the right product placement and customer- specific marketing strategies to be implemented in the short and medium term in accordance with this data; and enabling businesses to have the potential to increase customer satisfaction and revenues while increasing their operational efficiency.

[0016] A further object of the present invention is to realize a system developed with the aim of generating marketing metrics by tracking the movement and location of customers in the store with radio frequency signals; creating a valuable tool especially for companies operating in the retail sector; providing significant benefits to retail businesses in the form of improving customer experience, reducing operational costs and increasing sales; enabling real-time customer movement analysis to be performed with radio frequency signals; giving retailers a competitive advantage by providing advantages such as correct product placement and determining customer interests; enabling businesses to increase their revenues and customer satisfaction by developing customer- specific marketing strategies.

[0017] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0018] “Radio Frequency Based Consumer Detection and Behaviour Analysis System for Retail Sales and Merchandising Planning” realized to fulfd the objectives of the present invention is shown in the figures attached, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic view of the inventive system.

[0020] Figure 2 is a view of the block diagram of the storage unit in the inventive system.

[0021] Figure 3 is a view of the block diagram of the fixed wireless communication and sensing unit in the inventive system.

[0022] Figure 4 is a view of the block diagram of the data analysis and reporting unit in the inventive system.

[0023] The components illustrated in the figures are individually numbered, where the numbers refer to the following:

[0024] 1. System

[0025] 2. Storage Unit

[0026] 2.1. Data Storage Unit

[0027] 2.2. Data Security Module

[0028] 3. Fixed Wireless Communication and Sensing Unit

[0029] 3.1. Communication Unit

[0030] 3.2. Sensing Unit

[0031] 3.3. Integration Unit

[0032] 4. Data Analysis and Reporting Unit

[0033] 4.1. Data Processing Unit 4.2. Smart Decision Unit

[0034] 4.3. Reporting Unit

[0035] The inventive system (1) developed with the aim of generating marketing metrics by tracking the movement and location of customers in the store by using radio frequency signals generated by the communication module infrastructure that is established with the aim of providing broadband data services in the form of internet access and messaging applications to customers during their visits inside the store and that will operate at millimetre wave frequencies comprises at least one storage unit (2) which is configured to store collected customer movement data securely and to make it ready for data analysis; to receive customer movement data, to organize and store the collected data and to use big data infrastructures and databases for these operations with the data storage unit (2.1) running thereon; to provide the security of the stored data, to comprise encryption and access control mechanisms, thus, to protect the data against unauthorized access with the data security module (2.2) running thereon; at least one fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) which is configured to sense customer movements; to provide communication infrastructure; to provide internet access within the store; to provide wireless access by using FWA technology in the mmWave frequency band with the communication unit (3.1) running thereon; to sense customer movements in real time by means of integrated sensing and communication technology and transmit them to the data storage unit (2.1) with radar-like analysis approaches by collecting mmWave waveforms present in the environment with the sensing unit (3.2) running thereon; to enable the communication unit (3.1) and the sensing unit (3.2) to work together and to manage the synchronization and coordination of the data with the integration unit (3.3) running thereon; and at least one data analysis and reporting unit (4) which is configured to analyze stored data and to generate meaningful metrics and reports; to process, clean and prepare for analysis the data coming from the storage unit (2) with the data processing unit (4.1) running thereon; to analyze customer behaviour and product interactions by using algorithms in the form of artificial intelligence and machine learning with the smart decision unit (4.2) running thereon; to present the analysis results to managers and users and to create visual information panels and reports with the reporting unit (4.3) running thereon.

[0036] The storage unit (2) included in the inventive system (1) is configured to store collected customer movement data securely and to make it ready for data analysis. The data storage unit (2.1) running on the storage unit (2) is configured to receive customer movement data from the fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3), to organize and store the collected data and to use big data infrastructures and databases for these operations. The data security module (2.2) running on the storage unit (2) is configured to provide the security of the stored data, to comprise encryption and access control mechanisms, thus, to protect the data against unauthorized access.

[0037] The fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) included in the inventive system (1) is configured to provide communication infrastructure, to sense customer movements and to provide internet access within the store. The communication unit (3.1) running on the fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) is configured to provide wireless access by using FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) technology in the mmWave (millimetre wave) frequency band. The sensing unit (3.2) running on the fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) is configured to sense customer movements in real time by means of integrated sensing and communication technology (ISAC) and transmit them to the data storage unit (2.1) with radar-like analysis approaches by collecting mmWave waveforms present in the environment. The integration unit (3.3) running on the fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) is configured to enable the communication unit (3.1) and the sensing unit (3.2) to work together and to manage the synchronization and coordination of the data.

[0038] The data analysis and reporting unit (4) included in the inventive system (1) is configured to analyze stored data and to generate meaningful metrics and reports. The data processing unit (4.1) running on the data analysis and reporting unit (4) is configured to process, clean and prepare for analysis the data coming from the storage unit (2), thus, to ensure the consistency and accuracy of the data. The smart decision unit (4.2) running on the data analysis and reporting unit (4) is configured to analyse customer behaviour and product interactions by using algorithms in the form of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and to use these analyses to understand customer behaviour patterns and predict future trends. The reporting unit (4.3) running on the data analysis and reporting unit (4) is configured to present the analysis results to managers and users and to create visual information panels and reports.

[0039] Industrial Application of the Invention

[0040] In the inventive system (1), the fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) senses customer movements and sends the data to the storage unit (2). The storage unit (2) organizes and securely stores the data. The data analysis and reporting unit (4) analyzes the stored data by processing it and reports the results. The mmWave FWA module (by means of the ISAC approach) provides both internet service and customer analysis by integrating both the communication task and the sensing task. The integration unit (3.3) coordinates and synchronizes the data collection process of the communication and sensing processes. The storage unit (2) provides the data to the data analysis and reporting unit (4). The data analysis and reporting unit (4) outputs meaningful results by processing these data and transmits them to the reporting unit (4.3). By means of this structure, retailers are allowed to improve their business metrics by optimizing customer behaviour and product interactions in physical stores. The storage unit (2), the data storage unit (2.1), the data security module (2.2), the fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3), the communication unit (3.1), the sensing unit (3.2), the integration unit (3.3), the data analysis and reporting unit (4), the data processing unit (4.1), the smart decision unit (4.2), and the reporting unit (4.3) included in the inventive system (1) provide information and confirmation to the user in line with the data privacy principles and operate within the scope of the Law on the Protection of Personal Data (KVKK). Within these basic concepts; it is possible to develop various embodiments of the inventive “Radio Frequency Based Consumer Detection and Behaviour Analysis System (1) for Retail Sales and Merchandising Planning”; the invention cannot be limited to examples disclosed herein and it is essentially according to claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system (1) developed with the aim of generating marketing metrics by tracking the movement and location of customers in the store by using radio frequency signals generated by the communication module infrastructure that is established with the aim of providing broadband data services in the form of internet access and messaging applications to customers during their visits inside the store and that will operate at millimetre wave frequencies; comprising at least one storage unit (2) which is configured to store collected customer movement data securely and to make it ready for data analysis; to receive customer movement data, to organize and store the collected data and to use big data infrastructures and databases for these operations with the data storage unit (2.1) running thereon; to provide the security of the stored data, to comprise encryption and access control mechanisms, thus, to protect the data against unauthorized access with the data security module (2.2) running thereon; and characterized by at least one fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) which is configured to sense customer movements; to provide communication infrastructure; to provide internet access within the store; to provide wireless access by using FWA technology in the mmWave frequency band with the communication unit (3.1) running thereon; to sense customer movements in real time by means of integrated sensing and communication technology and transmit them to the data storage unit (2.1) with radar-like analysis approaches by collecting mmWave waveforms present in the environment with the sensing unit (3.2) running thereon; to enable the communication unit (3.1) and the sensing unit (3.2) to work together and to manage the synchronization and coordination of the data with the integration unit (3.3) running thereon; and at least one data analysis and reporting unit (4) which is configured to analyze stored data and to generate meaningful metrics and reports; to process, clean and prepare for analysis the data coming from the storage unit(2) with the data processing unit (4.1) running thereon; to analyze customer behaviour and product interactions by using algorithms in the form of artificial intelligence and machine learning with the smart decision unit (4.2) running thereon; to present the analysis results to managers and users and to create visual information panels and reports with the reporting unit (4.3) running thereon.

2. A system (1) according to Claim 1; characterized by the storage unit (2) which is configured to store collected customer movement data securely and to make it ready for data analysis.

3. A system (1) according to Claim 1 or 2; characterized by the storage unit (2) which is configured to receive customer movement data from the fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3), to organize and store the collected data and to use big data infrastructures and databases for these operations with the data storage unit (2.1) running thereon.

4. A system (1) according to Claim 3; characterized by the storage unit (2) which is configured to provide the security of the stored data, to comprise encryption and access control mechanisms, thus, to protect the data against unauthorized access with the data security module (2.2) running thereon.

5. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) which is configured to provide communication infrastructure, to provide internet access within the store and to sense customer movements.

6. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) which is configured to provide wireless access by using FWA technology in the mmWave frequency band with the communication unit (3.1) running thereon.

7. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) which is configured to sense customer movements in real time by means of integrated sensing and communication technology and transmit them to the data storage unit (2.1) with radar-like analysis approaches by collecting mmWave waveforms present in the environment with the sensing unit (3.2) running thereon8. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by fixed wireless communication and sensing unit (3) which is configured to enable the communication unit (3.1) and the sensing unit (3.2) to work together and to manage the synchronization and coordination of the data with the integration unit (3.3) running thereon9. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by the data analysis and reporting unit (4) which is configured to analyze stored data and to generate meaningful metrics and reports.

10. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by the data analysis and reporting unit (4) which is configured to process, clean and prepare for analysis the data coming from the storage unit (2), thus, to ensure the consistency and accuracy of the data with the data processing unit (4.1) running thereon.

11. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by the data analysis and reporting unit (4) which is configured to analyse customer behaviour and product interactions by using algorithms in the form of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and to use these analyses to understand customer behaviour patterns and predict future trends with the smart decision unit (4.2) running thereon.

12. A system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized by the data analysis and reporting unit (4) which is configured to present the analysis results to managers and users and to create visual information panels and reports with the reporting unit (4.3) running thereon.

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