Position-Based Virtual Store Ordering to Ease Store Congestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies do not effectively address congestion in physical stores and enhance customer convenience and sales through virtual store integration.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus and method that acquires customer position information and allows product purchases at a virtual store when certain criteria are met, enabling shopping without physically visiting the store.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If customers shop at physical stores, then product purchase convenience is provided, but store congestion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual store that replicates the physical store's product catalog and purchasing functionality. Customers can access the virtual store through terminal devices to complete purchases without physically visiting the store, thereby maintaining purchase convenience while reducing physical store congestion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual dimension parallel to the physical store. By enabling purchases through terminal devices accessing virtual store interfaces, customers operate in a digital dimension rather than physically navigating the store, thus reducing customer density in the physical space while preserving ease of purchase.
2Quantity of substance
If a virtual store is introduced to reduce congestion, then store congestion decreases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual store system is designed to leverage existing terminal devices (smartphones, tablets, computers) that customers already possess. By utilizing the processing and display capabilities of these universal devices, the system avoids requiring specialized hardware, thereby reducing overall system complexity while achieving congestion reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that manages the virtual store data and communicates with terminal devices. This centralized mediation simplifies the architecture by handling complex operations (product catalog management, order processing) on the server side, while terminal devices perform only simple display and input functions.
3Ease of operation
If position-based order reception is implemented, then customer convenience is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different position accuracy requirements based on the customer's location context. When customers are physically present in the store area, higher precision positioning enables enhanced services like location-based product recommendations. When customers are remote, standard positioning suffices for basic purchase functionality, thus reducing overall measurement precision requirements while maintaining convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus (100) includes a position information acquisition unit (102) that acquires position information of a customer, and an order reception unit (104) that receives an order for product purchase by the customer at a virtual store, when the position information satisfies a criterion.