Context-awareness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019332864-A1
Application number	US-201815965581-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 27, 2018
Priority date	Apr 27, 2018
Publication date	Oct 31, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The discussion relates to context-aware environments. One example can include inwardly-facing cameras positioned around a periphery of an environment that defines a volume. The example can also include sensors positioned relative to the volume and configured to communicate with a user device in the volume. The example can also include an ambient perception component configured to track user locations in the volume and to detect user gestures relative to objects in the volume, and responsive to receiving a query from the user's device, to supplement the query with information derived from the objects.

First claim

1 . A system, comprising:
sensors positioned relative to an environment; an object database that stores data about objects in the environment and users associated with the environment; and, a processor configured to process data from the sensors to identify individual users, individual objects, and relationships between the individual users and the individual objects in the environment; the processor further configured to compare the stored data to the sensed data and to propose alternative relationships between the user and other individual objects in the environment.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the relationships comprise the individual user gesturing relative to the individual object.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user gesturing comprises holding the individual object or pointing to the individual object.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the environment comprises a shopping environment.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein stored data comprises historical data about the individual user including the individual user's shopping history.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the user's shopping history includes brand loyalty data relating to the individual user's preference for specific brands.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the user's shopping history includes cost sensitivity of the user.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the relationship between the individual user and the individual object comprises the individual user inspecting the individual object and the proposed alternative relationship comprises a suggestion for the user to buy another brand of the individual object.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the suggestion includes a cost discount calculated for the individual user so that the another brand of the individual object is less expensive than the individual object.

10 . A system, comprising:
inwardly-facing cameras positioned around a periphery of a shopping environment; sensors positioned relative to the shopping environment and configured to communicate with a user device in the shopping environment; and, an ambient perception component configured to track user locations in the shopping environment with data from the cameras and to detect a user gesture relative to an object of a first brand in the volume with data from the cameras, to identify an alternative brand of the object that is available in the shopping environment and to send information about the alternative brand of the object to the user device for presentation to the user in the shopping environment.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the user gesture comprises pointing at the object.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the user gesture comprises picking up the object.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the user gesture comprises looking at the object.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the information about the alternative brand of the object comprises an incentive.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the incentive includes a time sensitive coupon specific to the user and to the shopping environment.

16 . A method, comprising:
identifying users within an environment; detecting a gesture from an individual user relative to an object in the environment; identifying a brand of the object; determining a similar object of an alternative brand; and, causing information about the similar object to be presented to the individual user.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the identifying a brand comprises identifying the object from sensor data and obtaining the brand from an object database relating to the environment.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the identifying a brand comprises identifying the object from sensor data and obtaining the brand from a context knowledge graph relating to the environment.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the brand, the object, and the similar object comprise nodes of the context knowledge graph.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the causing comprises sending the information to a personal device associated with the user brand.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Abhishek Abhishek
• Zuberi Khawar
• Liu Jie
• Aminpour Rouzbeh
• Zhang Zhengyou
• Dalloul Ali
• Lymberopoulos Dimitrios
• Goraczko Michel
• Capone Tony
• Wang Di
• Lu Yi
• Asmi Yasser B

Classifications

• G06Q30/0623

  by investigating goods or services · CPC title

• G06Q30/0226

  Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems · CPC title

• G06Q30/0631

  Recommending goods or services · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0639

  Locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility · CPC title