Secure Unique QR Code Carrier for Retail Interaction Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Brick-and-mortar retail stores lack the ability to effectively track and analyze customer interactions due to the absence of digital customer interaction checkpoints, leading to difficulties in identifying causes of negative reviews and managing customer data, which can result in loss of reputation and profits.
Innovation Solution
The development of secure unique QR code carriers with unique manufacturing errors, which can be used to create a system of action and interaction checkpoints to record customer interactions, and a method for generating and authenticating these QR codes to prevent forgery and ensure uniqueness, utilizing a polymer substrate with engravings and a finite state machine for forgery detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional brick-and-mortar stores use manual monitoring methods to track customer interactions, then implementation cost is low, but measurement precision and data collection effectiveness are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses QR codes as digital copies/checkpoints that represent physical customer interaction points in brick-and-mortar stores. These QR codes capture and transmit customer interaction data to online systems, enabling precise tracking without complex physical monitoring infrastructure. The QR code acts as a bridge between physical and digital measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual monitoring mechanisms with automated QR code scanning systems. Instead of employees manually observing and recording customer interactions, the system uses digital QR codes that automatically capture interaction data when scanned, substituting mechanical human monitoring with automated optical and digital systems.
2Measurement precision
If proximity sensors and cameras are deployed to monitor customer interactions, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and capital investment increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential monitoring function from complex physical surveillance systems (cameras and sensors) and consolidates it into simple QR code checkpoints. By taking out only the necessary data capture function and implementing it through QR codes, the system achieves effective monitoring without the complexity and cost of comprehensive camera and sensor deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The QR code serves as a simplified digital representation that replaces complex physical monitoring equipment. Instead of using cameras and sensors to capture customer interactions, the system uses QR codes that encode interaction data in a compact, easily scannable format, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement capability.
3Reliability
If QR codes are printed on standard materials, then manufacturing cost is low, but reliability and durability under various conditions are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material structures for QR code carriers, combining multiple layers or materials that provide both durability and manufacturability. The composite structure protects the QR code from environmental damage while maintaining the ability to produce carriers through standard manufacturing processes, balancing reliability with ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies physical parameters of the QR code carrier (such as material composition, thickness, coating properties) to enhance durability and reliability. By changing these parameters within manufacturing capabilities, the system achieves robust QR codes that withstand various conditions without requiring complex or expensive production methods.
4Reliability
If standard QR codes are used without security features, then ease of manufacture is high, but vulnerability to forgery and unauthorized duplication increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies security features to specific local areas of the QR code carrier rather than complicating the entire manufacturing process. By concentrating security measures in particular regions or aspects of the carrier (such as embedded elements, specific coating patterns, or localized features), the system achieves anti-forgery protection while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates security features through composite material construction, combining standard QR code elements with additional protective layers or materials that prevent forgery. This composite approach adds security functionality without fundamentally changing the basic manufacturing process, maintaining ease of production while enhancing reliability against unauthorized duplication.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for generating a series of connected secure, unique glyph carriers configured to interface with customizable finite state machines are described herein. In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for scanning the secure, unique glyph carriers disclosed herein. The systems and methods may include a database in communication with a finite state machine. In various configurations, the systems and methods may be used to detect a forgery of the secure, unique glyphs described herein.