U.S. patent application number 13/556858 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-15 for methods and systems for mapping locations of wireless transmitters for use in gathering market research data.
This patent application is currently assigned to ARBITRON INC.. Invention is credited to James M. Jensen, Jack K. Zhang.
Application Number | 20120290360 13/556858 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34920790 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120290360 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zhang; Jack K. ; et
al. |
November 15, 2012 |
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MAPPING LOCATIONS OF WIRELESS TRANSMITTERS
FOR USE IN GATHERING MARKET RESEARCH DATA
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for mapping locations of
wireless transmitters for use in gathering market research data. A
layout map includes location data representing a plurality of
locations within a market research area. Transmitter data
representing respective ones of the wireless transmitters is
provided and the transmitter data is associated with the location
data.
Inventors: |
Zhang; Jack K.; (Ijamsville,
MD) ; Jensen; James M.; (Columbia, MD) |
Assignee: |
ARBITRON INC.
COLUMBIA
MD
|
Family ID: |
34920790 |
Appl. No.: |
13/556858 |
Filed: |
July 24, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10800884 |
Mar 15, 2004 |
8229469 |
|
|
13556858 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/7.34 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0267 20130101;
G06Q 30/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/7.34 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20120101
G06Q030/02 |
Claims
1. A method for displaying map information for wireless
transmitters having associated transmitter representative data and
positioned for detecting the presence of participants in market
research, comprising: receiving data representing locations within
a research area relevant to the market research; inputting
transmitter location data in the portable device representing
selected locations of the wireless transmitters relative to the
research area; and associating data representing each wireless
transmitter with respective transmitter location data in the
portable device.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/800,884, filed Mar. 15, 2004 (Now U.S. Pat.
No. 8,229,469), titled "Methods and Systems for Mapping Locations
of Wireless Transmitters for Use in Gathering Market Research
Data," issued Jul. 24, 2012, and is incorporated by reference in
its entirety herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to methods and systems for
mapping locations of wireless transmitters for use in gathering
market research data.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Managers of commercial establishments, such as retail
stores, shopping malls, transportation centers and the like,
responsible for maximizing sales of products and services, are well
aware that the layout of their facilities has a substantial impact
on sales volume. To evaluate this impact, it is necessary to gather
data characterizing the flow of customer traffic into and within
the facility. This data will reveal the locations where customers
are present more frequently ("hot spots") and those where customer
traffic is lighter ("cold spots"). With this information, it is
possible for the manager to make changes in features that affect
accessibility, lighting, fixture space, product placement, and the
like that will improve product exposure and reduce the number
and/or size of cold spots.
[0004] The tracking data, along with product placement data are
also important to distributors of products sold in commercial
establishments. This information enables them to evaluate whether
their products are receiving sufficient attention in a retail
store, so that the cost of shelf space is justified. It also
enables them to assess whether they should request shelf space for
their products in a different location in the store.
[0005] Traditionally such traffic flow studies have been conducted
manually. One or more of the manager's employees would record the
movements of customers within the facility on a sheet representing
its layout. The accumulated data would then be reviewed by the
manager. Clearly, this is a labor-intensive way of gathering such
data. It is also potentially annoying to customers if the employees
tracking them are not very discrete.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 7,463,143, titled "Methods and Systems for
Gathering Market Research Data Within Commercial Establishments,"
assigned to the assignee of the present application and hereby
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses cost
effective and potentially less annoying techniques for gathering
market research data concerning the presence and movements of
customers in commercial establishments and elsewhere. These
techniques employ one or more wireless transmitters placed near or
within such commercial establishments. It is often necessary to map
the identities or other relevant data of the transmitters to their
locations to be able to determine the presence and movements of
customers participating in such market research studies.
[0007] A further useful application of wireless transmitters in
market research is in gathering data indicating exposure of
panelists to billboards, posters and other types of media displays
providing advertisements or other promotional information. The
wireless transmitters are placed in proximity to the media displays
to transmit a location signal which is received by a portable
monitor carried by a panelist to indicate the panelist's exposure
to the media display.
[0008] In order to carry out such marketing studies, it is often
necessary to map the identities or other relevant data of the
various wireless transmitters to their locations and/or to the
media display, product display, product or other object of
interest. It is desirable, therefore, to provide setup methods,
devices and systems for the transmitters that efficiently record
their locations or other key data in a database from which suitable
reports may be produced, using a minimum amount of effort and
expense.
SUMMARY
[0009] For this application the following terms and definitions
shall apply:
[0010] The term "data" as used herein means any indicia, signals,
marks, symbols, domains, symbol sets, representations, and any
other physical form or forms representing information, whether
permanent or temporary, whether visible, audible, acoustic,
electric, magnetic, electromagnetic or otherwise manifested. The
term "data" as used to represent predetermined information in one
physical form shall be deemed to encompass any and all
representations of the same predetermined information in a
different physical form or forms.
[0011] The term "media data" as used herein means data which is
widely accessible, whether over-the-air, or via cable, satellite,
network, internetwork (including the Internet), distributed on
storage media, or otherwise, without regard to the form or content
thereof, and including but not limited to audio, video, text,
images, animations, web pages and streaming media data.
[0012] The term "database" as used herein means an organized body
of related data, regardless of the manner in which the data or the
organized body thereof is represented. For example, the organized
body of related data may be in the form of a table, a map, a grid,
a list or in any other form.
[0013] The term "layout map" as used herein means a database of
data representing locations in an area or areas for the purpose of
market research.
[0014] The term "network" as used herein includes both networks and
internetworks of all kinds, including the Internet, and is not
limited to any particular network or inter-network.
[0015] The terms "first" and "second" are used to distinguish one
element, set, data, object or thing from another, and are not used
to designate relative position or arrangement in time.
[0016] The terms "coupled", "coupled to", and "coupled with" as
used herein each mean a relationship between or among two or more
devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks,
systems, subsystems, and/or means, constituting any one or more of
(a) a connection, whether direct or through one or more other
devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks,
systems, subsystems, or means, (b) a communications relationship,
whether direct or through one or more other devices, apparatus,
files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems,
or means, and/or (c) a functional relationship in which the
operation of any one or more devices, apparatus, files, programs,
media, components, networks, systems, subsystems, or means depends,
in whole or in part, on the operation of any one or more others
thereof.
[0017] The terms "communicate" and "communication" as used herein
include both conveying data from a source to a destination, and
delivering data to a communications medium, system or link to be
conveyed to a destination.
[0018] The term "processor" as used herein means processing
devices, apparatus, programs, circuits, systems and subsystems,
whether implemented in hardware, software or both.
[0019] The terms "storage" and "data storage" as used herein mean
data storage devices, apparatus, programs, circuits, systems,
subsystems and storage media serving to retain data, whether on a
temporary or permanent basis, and to provide such retained
data.
[0020] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a
method is provided for mapping locations of wireless transmitters
having associated transmitter representative data and positioned
for detecting the presence of participants in market research. The
method comprises providing a portable device storing data
representing locations within a research area relevant to the
market research; inputting transmitter location data in the
portable device representing selected locations of the wireless
transmitters relative to the research area; and associating data
representing each wireless transmitter with respective transmitter
location data in the portable device.
[0021] In accordance with a further aspect of the present
invention, a system is provided for mapping locations of wireless
transmitters having transmitter representative data and positioned
for detecting the presence of participants in market research. The
system comprises a portable device storing location data
representing locations within a research area relevant to the
market research; and a processor within the portable device
operative to associate the location data with data representing
respective wireless transmitters positioned at the locations.
[0022] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a method is provided for mapping locations of wireless transmitters
used in market research. The method comprises providing a layout
map including location data representing a plurality of locations
within a market research area; providing transmitter data
representing respective ones of the wireless transmitters; and
associating the transmitter data with the location data.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way
of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying
drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in
which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a floor of a retail store
for use in illustrating certain embodiments of the present
invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a table of a
database populated by means of certain embodiments of the present
invention;
[0026] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a user interface of a
portable device of an embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the portable device of FIG.
3;
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates various techniques for downloading data
from the portable device of FIGS. 3 and 4;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a table of a
database populated with data for use in market research.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] The present invention is useful for facilitating the set up
of market research studies that employ wireless transmitters to
detect the presence and/or movements of individuals participating
in such studies. These studies provide various types of data useful
to marketers, advertisers, media organizations, managers and the
like, to assess exposure to advertising and promotional efforts,
their effects on customer behavior as well as other facets of
customer behavior.
[0031] An example of devices, methods and systems useful in
conducting a traffic flow study employing wireless transmitters and
useful to a store manager as well as to the store's product
suppliers in assessing the behavior of customers in the store, is
now provided. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a floor of a retail
store having an entrance 20 and a plurality of fixtures 24
comprising shelving for products offered for sale. The fixtures 24
define aisles 28 therebetween.
[0032] A portable monitor 32 is carried on the person of a panelist
participating in a market research study to track the presence and
movements of the panelist into and within the retail store, as well
as other such retail stores participating in the study. As depicted
in FIG. 1, when the panelist enters the retail store at the
entrance 20, the portable monitor 32 carried by the panelist
receives a location signal from a radio frequency (RF) transmitter
36 positioned in proximity to the entrance 20. In certain
embodiments, acoustic transmitters, infrared light transmitters
and/or visible light transmitters are employed in place of or in
addition to one or more RF transmitters in conducting the
study.
[0033] The location signal contains data from which the presence of
the panelist at the entrance can be determined. Such data in
certain embodiments comprises a transmitter identification code
that uniquely identifies the transmitter 36. This transmitter
identification code is stored in a database where it is associated
with data identifying the location of the transmitter at the
entrance to the retail store.
[0034] The strength of the transmitted location signal, along with
the capabilities of the monitor 32 to receive and accurately decode
the data in the transmitted location signal are selected to ensure
that monitor 32 will only detect the data contained in the location
signal when it is sufficiently near the identified location. When
the monitor 32 detects the data contained in the location signal,
it either stores the data or data based thereon, together with a
time stamp indicating the time at which the data was received.
[0035] After the panelist has entered the store and then proceeds
down an aisle 28 flanked by shelves holding various products
offered for sale, the panelist comes into the range of a
transmitter 40. The portable monitor 32 carried by the panelist
then detects the data contained in a further location signal from
the transmitter 40, and stores it along with a time stamp
indicating the time of detection of the further location signal. If
the panelist lingers in the vicinity of transmitter 40, this
indicates that the panelist may be interested in purchasing a
product adjacent the transmitter.
[0036] Accordingly, periodically or from time to time the monitor
32 checks for the detection of the data contained in the same or a
different location signal. If the data of the further location
signal has again been detected, the monitor 32 stores further data
indicating a duration of the continuous presence of the panelist in
the vicinity of transmitter 40.
[0037] As the panelist pauses in the vicinity of a transmitter 56
shown in FIG. 1 near the end of a store fixture 24, the monitor
detects a further location signal from transmitter 56. The
transmitter 56 may be mounted on a product display, which serves to
attract attention to a product, which it carries or contains. As
the panelist stops by the product display, the monitor records data
indicating the duration of the panelist's presence near the product
display providing an indication of its effectiveness in attracting
consumer attention.
[0038] As the panelist proceeds down another aisle, the monitor 32
detects data contained in a location signal from a transmitter 70
placed above the aisle to estimate the amount of traffic
therethrough to detect whether the aisle is a "cold spot" in the
store. The detected data is stored by the monitor 32 in a
respective record.
[0039] Still later the panelist pauses in the vicinity of another
transmitter 78 to examine a product. Shortly thereafter, the
panelist proceeds to the checkout counter to pay for the selected
products, and then leaves the store, which is recorded in the
monitor 32 by a further detection of the location signal from
transmitter 36.
[0040] In order to carry out the market flow study as illustrated
by FIG. 1, in certain embodiments a market research installer
installs transmitters 36, 40, 56, 70, and 78 at their selected
locations. In certain embodiments, the transmitters comprise
stand-alone devices which store all necessary data for
communication with the monitor 32. In certain embodiments, the
transmitters comprise RFID tags, and/or any other suitable wireless
transmitters. In certain embodiments, the transmitters are coupled
with existing data storage and/or communication devices, such as
intelligent shelf systems. Intelligent shelf systems serve to
gather data concerning products placed on shelves or other product
presentation devices for inventory control purposes and communicate
such data as well as the identity of the shelf or other device
being monitored. The transmitter 40 is coupled with the intelligent
shelf system to obtain the data provided thereby and serves to
transmit it wirelessly to be received by the monitor 32. In such
embodiments, the transmitter 40 either is installed by the market
research installer, or constitutes a wireless transmitter forming a
part of the intelligent shelf system. An example of a market
research system that cooperates with an intelligent shelf system as
described above is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/800,883 filed concurrently herewith in the names of James M.
Jensen and Eugene L. Flanagan III, assigned to the assignee of the
present application and hereby incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety. The installer or another also records various data
associated with each installed transmitter such as client name,
geographic location of the install, location of the transmitter at
the research site, transmitter ID, the product and/or promotional
display that the transmitter was located on or near, and/or the
name of the distributor/manufacturer whose product and/or
promotional display that the transmitter was located on or
near.
[0041] In certain embodiments, market research personnel log the
locations of previously installed transmitters and data provided
thereby. Such previously installed transmitters include wireless
data communication devices which serve to wirelessly communicate
data from intelligent shelf systems, including shelf or other
product presentation device identification data and/or data
concerning products presented for sale thereby.
[0042] An example illustrating the recordation of such data is
shown by table 79 of FIG. 2 and the examples of the data and the
types of data can include more or fewer data types. The manual
entry of such data into table 79 or similar data record would be
labor intensive and prone to error due to the numerous
opportunities to incorrectly enter erroneous data. Also, timely
access to the entered data would be a problem because of the period
of time that lapses between data entry and its availability for use
by a market researcher.
[0043] The present invention addresses this challenge by providing
methods and systems for mapping locations of the wireless
transmitters quickly and efficiently by means of a portable device
that is enabled to relay the entered data in near-real time. An
embodiment of such a device is illustrated as portable device 80 of
FIG. 3. Portable device 80 is a device such as a PDA, cellphone,
laptop, organizer or the like on which a map 82 is presented to a
user, e.g., market researcher and/or market research installer.
[0044] Map 82 represents a data set displayed on portable device 80
that depicts a particular location such as that of a particular
commercial establishment, e.g. the location represented in FIG. 1.
In certain embodiments, map 82 represents locations through the use
of a coordinate system, e.g. a coordinate system controlled by a
positioning system such as the global positioning system ("GPS").
In certain embodiments, the map 82 represents a location of a
commercial establishment or objects or features therein. such as
rooms, fixtures, aisles, floors and the like. The locations can be
represented by absolute or relative data, and can be either
approximate or precise, depending on the application.
[0045] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the portable device 80 in
block diagram format. A user can enter data such as transmitter
location data, e.g., for transmitter 78, into portable device 80
through user interface 94. User interface 94 in various embodiments
comprises a keyboard, touchscreen, mouse, joystick, trackball,
voice activated interface, microphone, or the like by which a user
can enter data into portable device 80.
[0046] The entered transmitter location data is processed by
processor 98, which is in communication with user interface 94,
according to the needs of portable device 80 and the user. For
example, data entered through user interface 94 can be sent to
storage 96 for later recall and/or the data can be sent to display
100 for presentation to the user.
[0047] Portable device 80 also includes wireless receiver 102 and
first antenna 104 for communicating with a transmitter being
installed. In certain embodiments such communication is carried out
for checking and/or setting the operational parameters of the
transmitter as well as for recording the transmitter ID data from a
particular transmitter. In certain embodiments, the functions of
wireless receiver 102 are carried out by an RFID reader. In certain
embodiments, in addition to or instead of wireless receiver 102,
portable device 80 includes a scanner 107 by which a user scans a
code disposed on a transmitter to enter transmitter ID number data
into the system. As an alternative to the foregoing, or in addition
thereto, certain embodiments enable the user to enter a transmitter
ID number using user interface 94, e.g. keyboard 83. In addition,
portable device 80 contains wireless data communication 108 and
second antenna 106 for enabling portable device 80 to communicate
with a centralized or remote processor.
[0048] For instance and referring to FIG. 5, portable device 80
sends a signal 110 generated by wireless data communication 108 and
transmitted by second antenna 106 to communication network 162. The
wireless communications link can be of any technology known in the
art such as a cell network, WiFi network, wireless Local area
network (LAN), or the like. Signal 110 contains transmitter
location data that can be relayed by communications network 162 to
centralized processor 166, which stores transmitter location data
in a database that can represent data in a form such as table
79.
[0049] In certain embodiments, in the alternative to the foregoing
or in addition thereto portable device 80 includes device interface
114 (see FIG. 4), which interfaces with device couple 112 (see FIG.
5) to relay data over communications network 162. This embodiment
is realized using any technology known in the art such as a
modem/phone jack connection, contacts/contacts port connection,
wireless transceiver pair, and the like.
[0050] An example of how the present invention is utilized will now
be described. In one embodiment of the present invention, portable
device 80 is used by a user such as a market researcher and/or a
market research installer to set up a market research site in a
commercial establishment such as the one schematically shown in
FIG. 1. The user initiates the setup process by retrieving from
storage 96 of portable device 80, map 82 of the commercial
establishment in which the user is setting up the market research
site. In certain embodiments the user retrieves map 82 from
centralized processor 166 via wireless data communication 108
and/or device interface 114. In certain embodiments the user
creates map 82 on-site on portable device 80. In certain
embodiments the user uses a combination of two or more of the
foregoing methods to generate map 82.
[0051] Once the user has access to map 82 on display 100 of
portable device 80, the user can begin the process of installing
the data representing the location of transmitters installed in the
market research area. In one embodiment, wireless receiver 102 of
portable device 80 receives a signal from a transmitter being
installed and detects the data therein. In certain embodiments,
scanner 107 is employed to input transmitter data. In certain
embodiments display 100 presents data in the form of an image 90
associated with data representing the transmitter and its location.
In certain embodiments, image 90 is produced in response to receipt
or input of transmitter data. In certain embodiments, the insertion
of image 90 is controlled by a user activating a selectable
connection on portable device 80 to input transmitter data.
[0052] The user manipulates the location of image 90 to move image
90 to a position on map 82 corresponding to the location of the
transmitter. Portable device 80 then stores a record including the
detected data from the transmitter along with data representing its
position generated by the positioning of the image 90.
[0053] For instance, the position of image 90 is moved from its
present position to location 84 on map 82, which correlates to the
location of transmitter 78 in FIG. 1. User interface 94 in this
embodiment is a touch screen activated through the use of stylus 86
or other similar object. In certain embodiments user interface 94
enters data to manipulate image 90 by means of a keyboard, mouse,
joystick, trackball and/or voice activated command module.
[0054] If the market research study requires the installation of
more than one transmitter at this location, then the user continues
to record data indicative of the location of additional
transmitters placed for a particular market research study in a
particular commercial establishment using portable device 80. The
data indicative of transmitter location then can be stored in
storage 96, processed further by processor 98, and/or relayed to
centralized processor 166 for further processing.
[0055] In certain embodiments, the centralized processor 166 stores
the received transmitter location data in one or more databases
from which it is accessed to produce market research reports based
on data representing the locations of transmitters in a commercial
establishment. Such a market research report can include the data
from table 79 and data gathered from monitor 32, for example, as
illustrated by table 114 in FIG. 6. The transmitters' location data
can be accessed and evaluated with the data from various parts of
tables 79 and 114 to produce useful market research reports
concerning the likely behavior of customers when they are exposed
to a particular product and/or service, and/or promotional
display.
[0056] Although various embodiments of the present invention have
been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts,
features and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all
possible arrangements or features, and indeed many other
embodiments, modifications and variations will be ascertainable to
those of skill in the art.
* * * * *