Tag Association for Event Recordings in Retail

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Solution Overview

Problem

In retail environments, events such as customer service issues are often difficult to accurately recall due to lost or hard-to-find transaction details, leading to customer frustration and reluctance to report issues, as existing record-keeping methods are inefficient and inconvenient.

Innovation Solution

A method and device for associating tags with event recordings, allowing users to input timestamps, locations, and additional information via communication devices, which are then matched with event recordings for quick review, enabling accurate and efficient retrieval of relevant event portions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If traditional record-keeping methods are used to store event recordings, then the recordings can be stored for future reference, but the time required to retrieve specific event details increases and accuracy decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime to retrieve event detailsVSAvoidaccuracy of event recall

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary tagging of event recordings with metadata (location, time, entity identifiers) at the time of recording. This preliminary action enables rapid retrieval without requiring manual searching or recollection, directly reducing retrieval time while maintaining accuracy through pre-organized indices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces tags as intermediary elements that connect users to specific event recordings. These tags act as mediators between the user's query and the actual recording, eliminating the need for direct manual searching and enabling precise, rapid retrieval of event details.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If detailed event recordings are stored for all transactions, then complete information is available for review, but the complexity of managing and searching through the recordings increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of event recordVSAvoidcomplexity of record management system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments event recordings by assigning discrete tags with specific attributes (location, time, entity). This segmentation transforms a monolithic storage problem into organized, queryable units, reducing management complexity while preserving complete event information through structured metadata.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameters of event storage by adding structured metadata tags with specific attributes. This transforms unstructured recordings into parameterized data objects that can be efficiently managed and retrieved through parameter-based queries, reducing system complexity while maintaining information completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If customers are encouraged to report service issues with detailed recollections, then more feedback is obtained, but customer frustration increases due to the time required to recount events

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevolume of customer feedbackVSAvoidease of reporting issues

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables customers to self-report issues by simply providing minimal input (such as location or time), with the system automatically retrieving and presenting relevant event recordings. This self-service approach eliminates the need for customers to manually recount detailed events, reducing frustration while increasing feedback volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses tags and automated retrieval systems as intermediaries between customers and event recordings. This intermediary layer handles the complex task of finding and presenting relevant recordings, allowing customers to easily report issues without bearing the burden of detailed recollection, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8849686B2Methods, devices, and computer program products for associating a tag with a recorded event

Publication Date: 2014.09.30 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

An event recording is received. The event is associated with an event entity and occurs over an event duration at an event location. A tag is received responsive to user interaction with a communication device. The tag is associated with at least one of the particular entity associated with the event entity, a particular time period associated with the event duration, and a particular location associated with the event location. Additional information associated with the event recording is received, and the tag is matched with at least a portion of the event recording based on at least one of the particular entity, the particular time period, and the particular location associated with the received tag. The portion of the event recording matching the received tag is presented for review along with the received additional information associated with the event recording.