Person Trend Recording Device for Objective Customer Satisfaction Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for assessing customer satisfaction and interest in retail settings face challenges such as low response rates and subjective data due to the burden of questionnaires, and existing systems can only objectively measure waiting times, failing to comprehensively evaluate customer satisfaction and interest.

Innovation Solution

A person trend recording device that uses moving image analysis to detect events and temporal changes in physio-psychological indices, automatically generating trend record data to objectively evaluate customer satisfaction and interest by associating events with these changes, without imposing a burden on customers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If questionnaires are used to research customer satisfaction and interest, then customer needs and problems can be understood, but response rate is low and efficient research is difficult due to burden on respondents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomer satisfaction dataVSAvoidresearch efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual questionnaire system with an automated moving image analysis system. Cameras capture customer behaviors and physiological responses (facial expressions, eye movements, posture) which are then automatically analyzed by computer vision algorithms to generate satisfaction metrics, eliminating the need for manual questionnaire distribution and processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows customers to provide satisfaction data passively without active participation. By analyzing automatically captured moving images of customer behaviors and physiological responses, the system extracts satisfaction information without requiring customers to complete questionnaires, thereby eliminating response burden while maintaining data collection effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If questionnaires are used to research customer satisfaction, then customer feedback can be collected, but results may be intentionally controlled by respondents and objective research is not guaranteed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveobjective satisfaction dataVSAvoiddata objectivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces subjective self-reporting (questionnaires) with objective behavioral and physiological measurement through moving image analysis. The system captures facial expressions, eye movements, posture, and other non-verbal cues that involuntarily reflect true customer satisfaction levels, eliminating intentional response manipulation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces moving image analysis as an intermediary between the customer and the measurement process. Instead of directly asking customers about their satisfaction (which allows for intentional control), the system uses camera-based physiological and behavioral indicators as mediators to indirectly but objectively measure true satisfaction levels

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If automated camera systems are used to record waiting times, then objective data can be collected without burden on customers, but research items are limited and customer satisfaction and interest degree cannot be sufficiently evaluated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata collection processVSAvoidevaluation coverage

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms a single-function waiting time measurement system into a multi-functional customer satisfaction evaluation system. The same moving image capture infrastructure is used to simultaneously measure waiting times, facial expressions, eye movements, posture, and other behavioral indicators, enabling comprehensive evaluation of customer satisfaction, interest degree, and emotional responses through unified data collection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system expands from measuring only temporal parameters (waiting time) to measuring multiple dimensional parameters including physiological parameters (facial muscle movements, eye movement patterns, pupil dilation), behavioral parameters (posture, gestures, interaction frequency), and emotional parameters (expressed emotions, engagement levels), thereby comprehensively evaluating customer satisfaction and interest

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11106900B2Person trend recording device, person trend recording method, and program

Publication Date: 2021.08.31 OMRON CORP

AI summary

A person trend recording device includes: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire moving image data obtained by capturing an image of a target area; a person detector configured to detect and track a person, who acts within the target area, by analyzing the moving image data; an event detector configured to detect an event that occurs with the person during a period of tracking the person, by analyzing the moving image data; a physio-psychological index detector configured to detect a temporal change in a physio-psychological index of the person during the tracking period, by analyzing the moving image data; and a trend record generator configured to generate, as trend record data on the person, data in which at least one or more events that occur with the person are temporally associated with the temporal change in the physio-psychological index of the person.