AR Mobile Device In-Person Assistance Request
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanisms for summoning in-person assistance during online shopping, such as QR scanning, face issues with reliability due to lighting conditions and maintenance requirements, and do not effectively empower customers to control interactions with sales staff, leading to inefficient sales processes and customer discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A system using augmented reality (AR) on mobile devices that allows customers to request in-person assistance through a graphic button, leveraging image classification and geo-location data to prequalify for vehicle purchases, providing detailed vehicle information, and enabling customers to control the type of assistance needed, such as test drives or financing options, without requiring maintenance or physical hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If QR scanning or physical buttons are used to summon in-person assistance, then customers can request help during online shopping, but the system becomes unreliable due to lighting conditions and maintenance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical hardware mechanisms (QR scanners, buttons, switches) with a digital/ar-based solution. The mobile device's camera and processor capture images of vehicles and generate virtual assistance requests, eliminating mechanical components that require maintenance and are sensitive to lighting conditions. This substitution of mechanical systems with electronic/software-based systems resolves the contradiction between reliability and ease of manufacture.
2Ease of operation
If traditional in-person assistance mechanisms are used, then sales staff can be summoned, but customers lose control over the timing and type of interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables customers to self-initiate and control the assistance process. The mobile device captures vehicle images, the system identifies vehicles and determines customer interest levels, and customers receive notifications to approve or decline assistance requests. This self-service approach gives customers complete control over when and how sales staff interact with them, eliminating unwanted interactions and optimizing time usage.
3Productivity
If physical assistance mechanisms are deployed, then in-person help can be requested, but the system requires ongoing maintenance and hardware management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital copies and representations instead of physical objects. Vehicle images are captured by the mobile device camera, processed to create digital identifiers, and used to track customer interest and summon assistance. This copying approach replaces physical hardware with digital data, eliminating maintenance requirements while maintaining or improving shopping process efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for requesting in-person assistance with a purchase during a mobile device digital interaction (e.g., augmented reality) with a physical object of interest. Display of a real-time view includes the physical object image as well as interfaces for interacting with the image of the physical object. The interfaces include requesting in-person purchase assistance based on a mobile device location proximate to the physical object of interest.