Beacon-Based Store Management for Timely Limited Product Notifications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing store management systems fail to timely notify users of limited products with limited sale times, leading to potential food waste, as they only display advertisements upon users entering a shopping mall and do not effectively communicate special offers or clearance items.
Innovation Solution
A method for a store management system that acquires limited product information from store terminals and communicates via a network to display privileged purchase menus on user communication terminals within the reception range of a beacon signal, adding limited products to standard menus, thereby reducing food waste and allowing users to purchase at discounted prices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the store management system displays advertisements only when users enter the shopping mall, then the system complexity is low, but the timeliness of notifying users about limited products is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by notifying users about limited products before they enter the store or while they are still in the vicinity. The notification is sent in advance of the user's actual presence at the point of purchase, allowing users to plan their visits and purchase decisions proactively rather than reactively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses beacon signal reception as feedback to determine user proximity to the store. When the communication terminal receives the beacon signal, it triggers the notification process, creating a feedback loop that automatically activates the advertisement delivery mechanism based on real-time spatial conditions.
2Loss of information
If the store management system sends advertisements to all users, then the coverage is maximized, but user annoyance increases and unwanted menu displays occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by delivering advertisements selectively to specific users based on their spatial relationship with the store. Instead of uniform mass distribution, the notification is localized to users who are actually in or near the store vicinity, making the advertisement delivery relevant and non-intrusive to the broader user population.
Solution Approach 2:
The beacon signal acts as an intermediary that mediates between the store management system and user communication terminals. It provides the spatial verification needed to determine whether a user should receive the advertisement, serving as an objective criterion that prevents both over-delivery and under-delivery of notifications.
3Loss of substance
If the store management system notifies users of limited products, then food waste is reduced, but the need for real-time location tracking increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses self-service by leveraging the user's own communication terminal and its existing beacon reception capability to determine proximity. The user's device automatically detects the beacon signal and triggers the notification process without requiring external location tracking infrastructure or complex monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical or electronic location tracking systems with a simpler beacon signal-based approach. Instead of using GPS, cameras, or RFID tags, the invention uses wireless beacon signals that can be received by standard communication terminals, substituting a complex tracking mechanism with a lightweight signal-based solution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables timely notification of limited products to users within the vicinity of the store, reducing food waste by allowing users to purchase items at reduced prices, while preventing unwanted menu displays and minimizing user annoyance.
Implementation Method 1
a device ID specifying a beacon signal transmitter disposed in the one branch store, the beacon signal transmitter transmitting a beacon signal, the beacon signal being received by the communication terminal within a reception range of the beacon signal
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes: acquiring, from a store terminal via a network, limited product information indicating a limited product for which a time available for sale in one branch store corresponding to the store terminal is limited; acquiring, from a communication terminal of a user via the network, i) a request for a purchase menu of affiliated stores and ii) a branch store identifier (ID) specifying one branch store corresponding to a device ID specifying a beacon signal transmitter disposed in the one branch store; generating, based on the limited product information, the request for the purchase menu, and the branch store ID, privileged purchase menu information corresponding to the one branch store; and outputting the privileged purchase menu information to the communication terminal.