In-Store Customer Tracking With Code Check-In and Exit Record Deletion
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for effective customer monitoring and management in unmanned stores, particularly in the context of unmanned retail stores with minimal staff.
Innovation Solution
An in-store customer tracking system utilizing cameras, a check-in device with a code reader, and a processing system to assign customer tracking codes, generate transaction records, and manage customer interactions, including warnings for unauthorized entry and product tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If customer tracking is implemented in unmanned stores using sensors and code readers, then customer monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides customer tracking into distinct phases: entry detection by sensor system, code reading at check-in device, in-store monitoring, and exit detection. Each phase is handled by dedicated components that report to a central processing system, making the overall complex system manageable through functional segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing system acts as an intermediary that receives data from multiple sources (sensor system, code reader), processes the information, and generates appropriate outputs (transaction records, warnings). This mediator approach simplifies the architecture by centralizing complex processing logic.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive transaction records are generated and maintained for each customer, then customer management capability is improved, but information storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only essential information needed for customer management: entry/exit timestamps, customer code, and products taken. Transaction records contain only this critical data rather than comprehensive details, reducing storage requirements while maintaining management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Transaction records are automatically deleted when customers complete their shopping and exit the store. This temporary storage approach (discarding data after use) reduces overall data volume while maintaining full customer management capability during the shopping period.
3Reliability
If real-time warnings are provided to customers without transaction records, then customer compliance is improved, but operational interruptions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of customers without proper transaction records at the moment of entry. Warnings are issued immediately upon detection, allowing customers to correct the issue (read their code) before proceeding, thus ensuring compliance without significant delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The check-in device provides immediate feedback to customers who have not properly registered their entry. This real-time feedback loop ensures compliance by alerting customers to the issue and guiding them to resolve it (read their customer code) before entering the store.
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
The system enables efficient customer monitoring and management in unmanned stores, ensuring proper entry and exit processes, product tracking, and payment processing, enhancing operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a code reader, and a processing system. The processing system is configured to assign a customer tracking code to a customer and generate a transaction data record in association with the assigned customer tracking code after the sensor system detects the customer entering the store via the entrance. The processing system is configured to, upon the code reader reading a customer code
Data Source
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AI summary
An in-store customer tracking system includes a sensor system including one or more cameras provided in a store, a check-in device including a code reader provided at an entrance region of the store, and a processing system. The processing system is configured to, upon the sensor system detecting a customer entering the entrance region, assign a customer tracking code and generate a transaction data record in association with the assigned customer tracking code. The processing system is configured to, upon the code reader reading a customer code while the sensor system detects the customer using the code reader, update the transaction data record to be associated with the read customer code. The processing system is configured to, upon the sensor system detecting the customer leaving the store, delete the transaction data record.