Camera-Based Customer Interest Detection System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Companies face challenges in accurately determining customer interests for effective marketing strategies due to the dynamic nature of customer preferences, which can change frequently and may not be fully captured by traditional questionnaires, especially considering geographical, seasonal, and weather-related factors.
Innovation Solution
A camera system is installed at a location to detect customer interest by capturing images, processing them to identify faces and determine if individuals are looking at specific targets, such as digital signage, using a processor and memory to analyze face direction and position information, allowing for real-time collection of customer interests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional questionnaires are used to collect customer interests, then customer preferences can be gathered, but the data becomes outdated quickly and cannot capture latent interests due to the dynamic nature of customer preferences and defensive responses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical questionnaire system with an optical detection system using cameras and image processing algorithms. The system automatically detects customer gaze direction, facial expressions, and attention focus without requiring customer participation, thereby eliminating the time delay and information loss inherent in periodic questionnaires while capturing real-time latent interests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces camera-based visual attention detection as an intermediary between the customer and the data collection process. This intermediary passively observes and records customer behavior (gaze direction, facial orientation) without requiring direct customer input, enabling continuous real-time data collection that reflects actual interests rather than stated preferences.
2Measurement precision
If frequent questionnaires are conducted to capture changing customer interests, then more up-to-date data can be obtained, but the cost and complexity of data collection increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex frequent questionnaire administration with a simplified camera-based automated detection system. Once the camera system is installed, it continuously and passively monitors customer attention and interest indicators without requiring repeated human intervention or complex data collection protocols, thereby achieving high measurement precision with low operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service data collection where the camera automatically detects and records customer behavior patterns without requiring external coordination or complex management overhead. The automated image processing and analysis algorithms handle data collection, processing, and interpretation independently, eliminating the need for frequent manual questionnaire deployment and reducing system complexity.
3Loss of information
If questionnaires are used to collect customer interests, then some preference data can be obtained, but latent interests remain undetected due to customer defensiveness and the inability to capture true underlying preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the interactive questionnaire mechanism with a passive optical detection system that observes customer behavior without requiring any customer action or participation. The camera system detects latent interests through subtle behavioral cues such as gaze direction, facial orientation, and attention duration, eliminating the defensiveness and social desirability bias inherent in self-reported questionnaire data.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera-based detection system serves as an unobtrusive intermediary that indirectly measures customer interests through behavioral observation rather than direct questioning. This intermediary approach bypasses customer defensiveness by not requiring explicit customer responses, instead inferring latent interests from natural, unguarded behavioral indicators captured in real-time.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for detecting a person being interested in a target includes a camera configured to capture an image of a location in front of a target area, a memory configured to store instructions and position information with respect to the target area, and a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations including receiving the image from the camera, detecting a face of person within the image, detecting a face direction in accordance with the detected face, and determining whether the person looks at the target area in accordance with the detected face direction and the stored position information with respect to the target area.