Product Marker Scanning System for Real-Time Information Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current customer loyalty and couponing systems require consumers to make a purchase before learning about related products, limiting their ability to discover additional items in real-time.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a unique identifier on consumer goods, read by a personal data collection device, to access a database and provide related product information directly to the consumer, allowing them to explore products without a purchase, utilizing a combination of physical and virtual markers and RFID technology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a purchase is made to access product information, then product information can be obtained, but consumer ability to discover additional items in real-time is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-loads and stores comprehensive product information in databases before consumers need it. When a consumer scans a product marker, the information is immediately retrieved and displayed without requiring a purchase transaction to occur first. This preliminary preparation of information eliminates the delay between product interest and information access.
Solution Approach 2:
A mobile device application serves as an intermediary between the physical product and the consumer. The application captures images of product markers, transmits them to remote servers for processing, and receives back personalized product information. This intermediary system enables real-time information delivery without requiring direct purchase involvement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customer loyalty programs are used to provide product information, then personalized marketing can be achieved, but consumers must first make a purchase to access related products
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables consumers to independently scan product markers with their mobile devices and immediately receive personalized product information without needing to enroll in loyalty programs or make purchases. The consumer self-activates the information delivery system by simply scanning the marker, making the process universally accessible and operationally simple.
3Productivity
If couponing systems are implemented to promote related products, then future purchases can be solicited, but consumers cannot learn about related items until after a purchase is made
Solution Approach 1:
The system displays information about related products and promotional offers immediately when a consumer scans a product marker, before any purchase decision is made. This preliminary exposure to related items and potential savings enables consumers to plan future purchases with full information, increasing the effectiveness of promotional campaigns.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is provided for delivering customized information related to a specific product of interest to consumer. In practice, the consumer uses a suitably enabled portable, mobile and/or wireless device (e.g., such as a mobile camera phone) to scan or otherwise read a marker associated with a product, retail item or other article of interest. From the marker, a unique ID is obtained (i.e., the marker ID). The marker ID is then used to cross-reference a URL or other like address in a database that relates marker IDs to corresponding URLs. The target URL is returned to the consumer's device and an http session is established with a content management server at the target URL. In one suitable embodiment, the content management server obtains a SKU and/or template web page ID that are associated with the marker ID in a database. Suitably, the SKU relates to the specific product with which the marker was associated. Having in this way determined the actual specific product of interest to the consumer, customized information related thereto can be delivered to the consumer's device, e.g., via a web page optimized for the identified device. Optionally, the web page content and/or template is obtained from a database that associates the same with the template web page ID received by the content management server.