US 11,308,530 B2Granted

Automated personalized customer service utilizing lighting

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsLisa Seacat DeLuca, Clifford A. Pickover

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Abstract

Systems and methods for automated personalized customer service are disclosed. In embodiments, a method comprises: determining, by a computing device, at least one object from a plurality of objects within a venue matches a search query received from a user; assigning to the user, by the computing device, a select lighting type from a plurality of available lighting types, wherein the select lighting type is not available for the computing device to assign to other users while assigned to the user; providing, by the computing device, a notification to the user regarding the select lighting type; selecting, by the computing device, a target lighting device from a plurality of lighting devices within the venue, the target lighting device being associated with the at least one object; initiating, by the computing device, a first illumination event of the target lighting device based on the select lighting type.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computer device, user registration information of a user which includes information identifying the user, one or more user computer devices of the user, and user product preferences based on a user's historic purchase data;
determining, by the computing device, at least one object from a plurality of objects within a venue matches a search query received from the user via the one or more user computer devices, wherein the venue includes a plurality of multicolor-enabled lighting devices configured to selectively illuminate with one of a plurality of colors;
determining, by the computer device, objects irrelevant to the user by utilizing the search query along with the user's historic purchase data;
assigning to the user, by the computing device, a select lighting type from a pool of available lighting types, the select lighting type including at least one of the plurality of colors, wherein the select lighting type is not available for the computing device to assign to other users while assigned to the user;
providing, by the computing device, a notification to the user to look for the select lighting type, wherein the notification is a color change on a display of the one or more user computer devices;
selecting, by the computing device, a target lighting device from the plurality of multicolor-enabled lighting devices within the venue, the target lighting device being associated with the at least one object;
sending, by the computing device, first instructions to a controller of the target lighting device, thereby automatically initiating a first illumination event of the target lighting device based on the select lighting type;
sensing, by the computing device, that the user is within a predetermined distance of the at least one object;
sending, by the computing device, second instructions to the controller of the target lighting device, thereby automatically initiating a second illumination event of the target lighting device different from the first illumination event based on the determining the user is within the predetermined distance of the at least one object, wherein the second illumination event occurs for a predetermined amount of time;
guiding, by the computing device, the user to one or more objects complimentary to the at least one object;
discovering, by the computing device, patterns in relationships between the user and objects for sale within the venue as evidenced by the user's historic purchase behavior data;
estimating, by the computing device, with a degree of confidence what the user is seeking in response to the user returning to the venue based on the patterns;
and
determining, by the computing device, an associated lighting event based on the degree of confidence in response to the user returning to the venue.

11 more elements

A computer program product for automated personalized customer service, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to:

receive user registration information of a user which includes information identifying the user, one or more user computer devices of the user, and user product preferences based on a user's historic purchase data;
determine at least one object from a plurality of objects within a venue matches a search query received from the user via the one or more user computer devices, wherein the venue includes a plurality of multicolor-enabled lighting devices configured to selectively illuminate with one of a plurality of colors;
determine objects irrelevant to the user by utilizing the search query along with the user's historic purchase data;
assign a select lighting type from a pool of available lighting types to the user, the select lighting type including at least one of the plurality of colors, wherein the select lighting type is removed from the pool of available lighting types while assigned to the user;
provide a notification to the user to look for the select lighting type, wherein the notification is a color change on a display of the one or more user computer devices;
select a target lighting device from the plurality of multicolor-enabled lighting devices within the venue, the target lighting device being associated with the at least one object;
initiate a first illumination event of the target lighting device based on the select lighting type;
sense that the user is within a predetermined distance of the at least one object;
initiate a second illumination event of the target lighting device different from the first illumination event based on the determining the user is within the predetermined distance of the at least one object, wherein the second illumination event occurs for a predetermined amount of time;
guide other shoppers of the venue around a congested area within the venue during the second illumination event;
un-assign the select lighting type from the user, wherein the select lighting type is returned to the pool of available lighting types;
and
guide the user to one or more objects complimentary to the at least one object;
discover patterns in relationships between the user and objects for sale within the venue as evidenced by the user's historic purchase behavior data;
estimate with a degree of confidence what the user is seeking in response to the user returning to the venue based on the patterns;
and
determine an associated lighting event based on the degree of confidence in response to the user returning to the venue.

14 more elements

A system for automated personalized customer service, comprising:

a plurality of multicolor-enabled lighting devices configured to selectively illuminate with one of a plurality of colors;
a processor, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium associated with a computing device;
program instructions to receive user registration information of a user which includes information identifying the user, one or more user computer devices of the user, and user product preferences based on a user's historic purchase data;
program instructions to receive a search query from the user via the one or more user computer devices;
program instructions to determine objects irrelevant to the user by utilizing the search query along with the user's historic purchase data;
program instructions to determine that at least one object from a plurality of objects within a venue matches the search query;
program instructions to assign to the user a select color from the plurality of colors, wherein the select color is removed from a list of available colors once assigned to the user, and the color is selected based on a type of the search query received from the user;
program instructions to select a target lighting device from the plurality of lighting devices based on the target lighting device being associated with the at least one object;
program instructions to provide a notification to the user indicating that the user should look for the target lighting device with the select color, wherein the notification is a color change on a display of the one or more user computer devices;
program instructions to determine that the user has entered the venue;
program instructions to initiate a first illumination event of the target lighting device to illuminate the target lighting device in the select color, wherein the initiating the first illumination event of the target lighting device is based on the determining that the user has entered the venue;
program instructions to sense that the user is within a predetermined distance of the at least one object;
program instructions to automatically initiate a second illumination event of the target lighting device different from the first illumination event based on the determining the user is within the predetermined distance of the at least one object, wherein the second illumination event occurs for a predetermined time period;
program instructions to guide other shoppers of the venue around a congested area within the venue during the second illumination event;
program instructions to initiate an end to the second illumination event after the predetermined amount of time;
program instructions to initiate a default illumination setting of the target lighting device;
program instructions to guide the user to one or more objects complimentary to the at least one object;
program instructions to determine that the user has obtained the at least one object based on a predetermined period of time passing;
program instructions to determine the predetermined period of time passing because the target lighting device has been illuminated for 2 minutes;
program instructions to initiate a third illumination event based on the determination that the user has obtained the at least one object;
program instructions to discover patterns in relationships between the user and objects for sale within the venue as evidenced by the user's historic purchase behavior data;
program instructions to estimate with a degree of confidence what the first user is seeking in response to the first user returning to the venue based on the patterns;
and
program instructions to determine an associated lighting event based on the degree of confidence in response to the first user returning to the venue,
wherein the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

22 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/013,266Filed 20 Jun 2018
Published: US 2019/0392490 A126 Dec 2019
Granted: 19 Apr 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G06Q 30/0281
Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising: customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service…
F21V 21/03
Wall, ceiling, or floor bases; Fixing pendants or arms to the bases: ceiling bases, e.g. ceiling roses
G01C 21/206
Instruments for performing navigational calculations: specially adapted for indoor navigation
G06F 16/9038
Querying: presentation of query results

Family

US 2019/0392490 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Dec 2019
US 11,308,530 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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