Unified Digital Identifier for Cross-Channel Item Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack a platform-independent data processing solution to bridge physical and digital goods distribution environments, hindering the ability of stakeholders to gain insights into consumer interactions across both environments, leading to sub-optimal inventory management and increased material waste due to misjudged item design and stocking.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that records multimodal user interactions with items in both real and digital environments using a unique unified digital code, which is encoded on machine-readable tags and digital avatars, allowing seamless tracking and data collection across physical and digital channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different identifier codes are used for physical and digital items, then each distribution channel can maintain its own identification system, but data fragmentation increases and cross-channel insights become unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a universal digital identifier code as an intermediary element that bridges physical and digital distribution channels. This unique code is encoded on machine-readable tags attached to physical items and also serves as the identifier for digital items, enabling seamless data exchange and unified tracking across both channels while preserving channel-specific identification capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal digital identifier code serves multiple functions simultaneously: it identifies physical items in real-world retail environments, identifies digital items in virtual channels, enables tracking across distribution channels, and provides a common reference for consumer interaction data regardless of whether the interaction occurred online or offline.
2Ease of manufacture
If platform-specific data processing solutions are used for physical and digital retail, then each channel can be optimized independently, but the ability to gain cross-channel consumer insights is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The universal digital identifier code acts as a mediator that enables data from different channels to be linked and aggregated. By encoding this unique code on machine-readable tags in physical stores and using it as the primary identifier in digital retail systems, the patent creates a common data reference point that allows cross-channel consumer behavior analysis while maintaining optimized platform-specific processing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If heterogeneous identifier systems are used across different manufacturers and retailers, then each entity can use its own nomenclature, but data homogenization is prevented and unified analysis becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The universal digital identifier code serves as a standardized intermediary that translates between different enterprise-specific nomenclatures and identification systems. Each manufacturer and retailer can continue using their own internal codes for operational purposes, but these local identifiers can be mapped to or associated with the universal code, enabling data homogenization and unified analysis across the industry.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and a corresponding system are disclosed for recording multimodal user interaction with an item in a networked system. The networked system includes a server device network- connected to one or more client user device(s). A data record is generated for the item, comprising data representative thereof and including at least image data depicting the item. A unique identifier code is associated with the data record, wherein the association of the unique identifier code with the image data in the record defines an avatar of the item in the system. Copies of the avatar are distributed to client user devices in the network, and the unique identifier code is encoded into a machine-readable tag secured to each physical embodiment of the item outside the network. At each client user device, each digital user interaction with an avatar and each analogue user interaction with a physical item is logged. At the server, each logged user interaction is matched against the item data record and recorded.