CN109615037B

CN109615037B - Information processing method and device

Info

Publication number: CN109615037B
Application number: CN201811457369.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 周乐; 尹欢密; 陈力; 吴军
Original assignee: Advanced New Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Advanced New Technologies Co Ltd; Advantageous New Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-11-30
Filing date: 2018-11-30
Publication date: 2022-04-19
Anticipated expiration: 2038-11-30
Also published as: CN109615037A

Abstract

The invention provides a method for pushing associated information, which comprises the following steps: creating an electronic shelf label database comprising electronic shelf label IDs, electronic shelf label locations and associated entity IDs; receiving a user ID and the first electronic shelf label ID; determining a recommended electronic shelf label according to the user ID and the first electronic shelf label ID, wherein the recommended electronic shelf label is in a preset range of the position of the first electronic shelf label; and sending a recommendation message to a user terminal, wherein the recommendation message comprises the position information of the recommended electronic shelf label.

Description

Information processing method and device

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to information processing methods, and more particularly to personalized recommendation of offline entities.

Background

At present, in daily life of people, people still use the online physical store supermarket shopping as a main shopping mode, and the physical store supermarket shopping has the advantages of direct and fast shopping, so that people are generally favored. In the shopping process, a consumer mainly purchases the required commodities in a supermarket, then the consumer settles accounts in settlement channels, each settlement channel is provided with a cash register, each cash register is charged by a cashier, and the cashiers perform code scanning, settlement and cash registering on the commodities purchased by the consumer.

In the shopping process of a physical supermarket, if a shopping peak is met, the number of queuing people in a settlement passage is large, so that the waiting time of consumers is long, bad user experience is caused, and the settlement and cash collection are carried out through cashiers, so that the labor cost is high.

Regarding self-service settlement, there are several schemes in the prior art:

firstly, Amazon go proposes that a camera and various sensors on a goods shelf are fused to identify what goods a user takes, and a money deduction is completed in a going-out link. However, the scheme needs sensors arranged in all shops, and is large in shop modification, high in cost and high in popularization threshold.

Secondly, Walrma has developed an automatic settlement handheld device, and a user enters a supermarket, scans the codes of purchased commodities through a handheld code scanning gun, and finishes settlement by one key when going out. But the shortcoming is that the code scanning action is changed from cashier to user for completion, and the commodity theft rate is found to be high after the commodity is used in business.

And thirdly, the offline entity (such as a supermarket) scans the codes of the commodities to pay. The user finds the commodity to be purchased, opens the scanning, finds the barcode area of the commodity, and scans the barcode. However, the operation steps are more, and the bar codes of the existing commodities are not easy to scan, so that the experience of customers is reduced.

And fourthly, setting an unmanned settlement table at the cashier table according to the scheme of the RFID unmanned settlement table, placing the commodity on a sunken RFID reading table by the user, and displaying the order details on a screen. The user selects a settlement mode, and can pay by swiping a card or scanning a code. If the code scanning payment is finished, the user draws out the mobile phone to open the payment treasure, displays the payment code, picks up the code scanning gun on the side to perform self-service operation and scan the code, and the payment is finished. However, the payment process still requires the user to draw out the mobile phone or draw out the credit card to complete a payment process, which still causes a queuing problem.

And fifthly, identifying the commodities by using RFID tags, and paying by using biological identification. RFID will, need to carry out supply chain link to commercial scene change, with high costs. While the accuracy has not reached the level of commercialization.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a method for pushing associated information, including:

creating an electronic shelf label database comprising electronic shelf label IDs, electronic shelf label locations and associated entity IDs;

receiving a user ID and the first electronic shelf label ID;

determining a recommended electronic shelf label according to the user ID and the first electronic shelf label ID, wherein the recommended electronic shelf label is in a preset range of the position of the first electronic shelf label; and

and sending a recommendation message to a user terminal, wherein the recommendation message comprises the position information of the recommended electronic shelf label.

Optionally, the recommendation message causes the user terminal to display the location information of the recommended electronic shelf label in a map form.

Optionally, the method further comprises sending a recommendation control signal to the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label to cause the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label to send out a prompt signal.

Optionally, the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label are received from the first electronic shelf label, which obtains the user ID from the user terminal by NFC communication.

Optionally, the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label are received from a user terminal, which obtains the first electronic shelf label ID from the first electronic shelf label by NFC communication.

Optionally, the determining of the recommended electronic shelf label is determined according to a user characteristic, offer information, and a distance of the recommended electronic shelf label from the first electronic shelf label.

Optionally, the user characteristics include a user's historical purchase record and/or user preferences.

Optionally, the method further comprises sending a recommendation message to the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for pushing associated information, including:

receiving, at a first electronic shelf label, a user ID from a terminal through NFC communication; and transmitting the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label to a server to cause the server to determine a recommended electronic shelf label,

wherein the recommended electronic shelf label is determined by the server from the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label, and the recommended electronic shelf label is within a preset range of the location of the first electronic shelf label.

Optionally, the method further comprises receiving a recommendation control signal from the server, the recommendation control signal causing the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label to issue a prompt signal.

Optionally, the determining of the recommended electronic shelf label is determined by the server according to a user characteristic, offer information and a distance between the recommended electronic shelf label and the first electronic shelf label.

Still another aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for pushing association information, including:

means for creating an electronic shelf label database comprising electronic shelf label IDs, electronic shelf label locations and associated entity IDs;

means for receiving a user ID and the first electronic shelf label ID;

means for determining a recommended electronic shelf label from the user ID and a first electronic shelf label ID, wherein the recommended electronic shelf label is within a preset range of a location of the first electronic shelf label; and

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises means for sending a recommendation control signal to the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label to cause the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label to issue a prompt signal.

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises means for sending a recommendation message to said first electronic shelf label and said recommended electronic shelf label.

A further aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for pushing association information, including:

means for receiving, at a first electronic shelf label, a user ID from a terminal through NFC communication; and

means for transmitting the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label to a server for the server to determine a recommended electronic shelf label,

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises means for receiving a recommendation control signal from the server, the recommendation control signal causing the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label to emit prompt signals.

The invention also provides a device for pushing the associated information, which comprises the following steps:

a processor; and

a memory arranged to store computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receiving a user ID and the first electronic shelf label ID;

The invention further provides a device for pushing the associated information, which comprises:

a processor; and

receiving, at a first electronic shelf label, a user ID from a terminal through NFC communication; and

transmitting the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label to a server to cause the server to determine a recommended electronic shelf label,

Drawings

FIG. 1 is an architecture of a system according to aspects of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic tag 200 according to aspects of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a terminal 300 according to aspects of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of acquiring merchandise information through NFC according to aspects of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a message flow diagram of a method of self-generating an order using NFC according to aspects of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows one example of an interface for a user to enter a store applet.

Fig. 7 is a flow diagram of a method of self-generating an order performed by a terminal according to aspects of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a message flow diagram of a credit-based verification method in accordance with aspects of the invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a personalized association recommendation method in accordance with an aspect of the subject invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a personalized association recommendation method in accordance with another aspect of the subject invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a personalized association recommendation method in accordance with yet another aspect of the subject invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of self-generating an order in accordance with aspects of the invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of credit-based reconciliation in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates a personalized association recommendation method performed by a server, according to aspects of the invention.

Fig. 15 illustrates a personalized association recommendation method performed by a first electronic tag, in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

16A-C illustrate flow diagrams of methods of online shopping and personalized recommendations, according to aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 17 illustrates a screen display of a credit-based check in accordance with an aspect of the subject invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the aforementioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, but the present invention may be practiced in other ways than those specifically described herein, and thus the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range, high-frequency wireless Communication technology that allows contactless point-to-point data transmission between electronic devices (typically within 10 centimeters), and is mainly used to provide M2M (Machine to Machine) Communication between smart cards and smart devices.

The M2M service between terminals is realized by using NFC, and an NFC module needs to be installed in the terminal and relevant software is configured. After the NFC function of the terminal is started, the NFC detection areas of the two terminals are aligned, the distance between the two areas cannot be too far (generally within 10 centimeters), the aligned NFC modules respectively identify the electronic tags of the other terminals to be paired, and after the pairing is successful, connection is established for information transfer.

NFC has the following three modes of operation:

1. an active mode: in the active mode, the NFC device may act as a reader that emits a radio frequency field to identify and read/write information from other NFC devices.

2. Passive mode: in the passive mode, the NFC device is emulated as a card and only responds passively, by reading and writing information, in the radio frequency field emitted by the other device.

3. Bidirectional mode: in the bidirectional mode, both NFC terminals actively send out radio frequency to establish peer-to-peer communication, in other words, both NFC devices are in the active mode.

The invention provides an electronic tag which has an NFC function. The terminal having the NFC function can acquire information by performing NFC communication with the electronic tag, thereby performing a transaction.

As shown in fig. 1, the system may include an electronic tag 101, a terminal 102, an NFC receiver 103, and a server cluster 107.

The electronic tags 101 are disposed beside corresponding products on the shelf, and each electronic tag may correspond to one product. The electronic tag 101 may be written with information related to store information, product information, tag information, preference information, and the like in advance.

Where the store information may include a store ID (identifier), a store checkout account number, and the like. The commodity information may include a commodity ID, a commodity name, specifications, price, and the like. The tag information may include a tag ID, tag location, etc., where the tag location may be a specific location of the tag in the store, such as in row and column of which shelf. The offer information may include information of a combination of offer items associated with the item.

The electronic tag 101 may have NFC functionality and may communicate with other devices (such as terminals) in an active mode, a passive mode, and/or a bidirectional mode. The electronic tags also have wireless communication capabilities and can communicate with the server cluster 107.

The electronic tag 101 may also have wireless communication capability, enabling wireless communication with a remote server.

For example, the electronic tag 101 may take the form of an LCD screen, a segment code electronic paper screen, a dot matrix electronic paper screen, or the like.

The electronic label 101 may also be referred to herein as an electronic shelf label or tag.

The terminal 102 may be a mobile terminal (e.g., a handset) having a wireless communication function and an NFC function. A terminal may also be referred to herein as a mobile terminal, a smart terminal, a user terminal, a client, and so on.

The NFC receiver 103 may be placed near a checkout counter, having NFC functionality and wireless communication functionality. The NFC receiver 103 can read information in the terminal 102 through NFC communication. For example, when the user needs to leave the store after self-checkout is completed, the terminal may be brought close to the NFC receiver 103, and the user's settlement information may be transmitted to the NFC receiver 103. The NFC receiver 103 may transmit the read information to the server cluster 104 through a wireless network.

In an alternative embodiment, the NFC receiver 103 may also be a code scanner, as will be described in detail below.

The server cluster 104 may include store servers, payment servers, credit servers, and the like, or any combination thereof. Details regarding the various servers in the server cluster are explained below.

As shown in fig. 2, the electronic tag 200 may include an NFC module 201, a storage module 202, a transceiver module 203, and an interface module 204.

The NFC module 201 may be used to perform NFC communication with an NFC-enabled device. For example, when an NFC-enabled terminal is in proximity to the electronic tag 200, the terminal may communicate information with the electronic tag 200 in an active mode, a passive mode, and/or a bidirectional mode. The NFC module 201 may also be used for writing of information. For example, a worker may write information to the electronic tag 200 by communicating with the NFC module 201 using an NFC-enabled device.

The storage module 202 may store information (e.g., store ID, store checkout account number, etc.), merchandise information (e.g., merchandise ID, merchandise name, specifications, price, etc.), tag information (e.g., tag ID, tag location, etc.), offer information (e.g., associated electronic tags in offer combinations), and so forth.

The transceiver module 203 may be used to communicate with servers and/or other electronic tags in a server cluster over a wireless network. For example, the server may be queried for inventory of goods, receive goods update information and/or credit update information from the server, send the user ID and the electronic tag ID to the server for recommendations, receive control signals from the server or terminal, report equipment failures to the server, and so forth. As explained in detail below.

The interface module 204 may be used to interface with other devices, such as a mobile computing device, for writing of relevant information (e.g., electronic label information, merchandise information, etc.).

The terminal 300 may include an NFC module 301, an Application (APP) module 302, a storage module 303, and a transceiving module 304.

The NFC module 301 is configured to perform NFC communication with an electronic tag and/or an NFC receiver.

In one aspect, the NFC module 301 may read corresponding information in the electronic tag through NFC communication, and transfer the information to the APP module 302 for subsequent processing. The NFC module 301 may also transmit information (e.g., user ID, etc.) stored in the storage module to the electronic tag.

In another aspect, the NFC module 301 may also send a verification request to the NFC receiver. As described in detail below.

The APP module 302 may perform APP-related processing. For example, the APP module 302 may implement operations of receiving goods information from the NFC module 301 to add goods to a shopping cart, delete goods, settle accounts, and the like.

The storage module 303 may store related information such as user information (user ID), goods information received from an electronic tag, shop information, tag information, order information, user credit information, recommendation information, and the like.

The transceiver module 304 may wirelessly communicate with servers in the server cluster, such as sending inventory query requests to the servers, receiving credit update information from the servers, recommendation messages, and so forth.

Embodiments according to aspects of the present application are described in detail below.

Self-service order generation

The invention provides a method for acquiring commodity information through Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to generate an order by self.

As shown in fig. 4, the product shelf is provided with an electronic tag corresponding to a product. In this embodiment, the electronic tag may be written in advance with store information, merchandise information, and the like. For example, store information and article information may be written in the electronic tag when the electronic tag is placed near an associated article. The article information may be updated in the electronic tag when the article at the location where the electronic tag is located is replaced or when the electronic tag is relocated.

The electronic tag can interact with the NFC module of the terminal through an NFC mechanism and can communicate with the server through a wireless network. The NFC module may be in the form of an NFC tag, for example, which may be affixed to the back of an electronic tag. Fig. 4 shows a scenario in which an NFC tag is attached to the back of an electronic tag. The NFC module may also be built inside the electronic tag.

Wherein the store information may include a store ID, a store checkout account number, and the like. For example, in a case where a user needs to purchase a large number of products or a product desired to be purchased is empty on a shelf, the user may use a terminal to transmit a store ID (for example, a store ID acquired from an electronic tag), product information (product ID) to a server to inquire of the server whether there is sufficient stock in the store. The server may return a feedback signal to the terminal whether there is sufficient inventory in response to the query.

The commodity information may include a commodity ID, a commodity name, specifications, a commodity price, and the like.

The writing and updating of information in the electronic tag may be written and updated by NFC communication (e.g., by a terminal having NFC functionality), by a server over a wireless network, or by a device over an interface module.

When the terminal approaches the electronic tag, information, for example, store information and commodity information, can be read from the electronic tag through NFC. When the terminal successfully reads the relevant information, the terminal may send a prompt signal, such as a prompt tone ("one-click" of a drop) or a cell phone vibration, to prompt the user that the addition of the merchandise to the shopping cart was successful. The terminal adds the goods to the virtual shopping cart in response to the reading of the information.

At 501, a user enters a store, starts a terminal Application (APP), and enters an applet interface corresponding to the store. The applet may enter through a code scan, or may enter with a fixed entry in the main APP.

FIG. 6 shows one example of an interface for a user to enter a store applet.

At 502, a user brings a terminal in proximity to an electronic tag of an item of interest.

At 503, in response to the approach of the terminal, the electronic tag transmits its stored merchandise related information (store information, merchandise information, etc.) to the terminal through NFC communication. The electronic tag also sends a prompt signal to the terminal to prompt the user of successful acquisition of the relevant information/successful joining of the item to the shopping cart.

Optionally, at 504, the terminal may query a server (e.g., store server, cloud server).

For example, in a case where a user needs to purchase a large number of items or an item desired to be purchased is already empty on a shelf, the user may use a terminal to transmit a store ID (for example, a store ID acquired from an electronic tag) and an item ID to a server to inquire of the server whether there is sufficient stock in the store.

At 505, the terminal joins the corresponding item to the virtual shopping cart in response to receiving the information from the electronic tag.

At 506, the terminal generates an order in the APP.

For example, the user may add a plurality of identical or different products by repeating the operation of bringing the terminal close to the electronic tag, or may enter the page of the shopping cart, perform manual number/addition/deletion editing, and generate an order in accordance with taking or putting back a plurality of products.

At 507, payment is made on the terminal.

In step 701, a user opens a terminal Application (APP) and enters an applet interface corresponding to the store. The applet may enter through a code scan, or may enter with a fixed entry in the main APP.

In step 702, a terminal is brought close to an electronic tag of an interested commodity, and information related to the commodity (for example, store information, commodity information, and the like) stored on the electronic tag is acquired through NFC.

In optional step 703, the terminal may query a server (e.g., store server, cloud server). For example, in a case where a user needs to purchase a large number of items or an item desired to be purchased is empty on a shelf, the user may inquire whether there is an inventory in the store.

At step 704, the order is self-generated in the APP.

For example, by repeating the operation of bringing the terminal close to the electronic tag, a plurality of products can be added, or the user can enter the page of the shopping cart and manually perform number/add/delete editing corresponding to taking a plurality of products or putting back the products.

At step 705, payment is made on the terminal.

After the payment is completed, a settlement file is generated on the terminal, the settlement file including the user ID, the settlement amount, the details of the order, the credit score of the user ID, and the like.

Compared with the prior art, the scheme for self-help order generation provided by the invention has the following advantages:

1. the cost is lower, only the electronic tag needs to be placed near the commodity, the cost of merchant transformation is low, and the popularization is easy.

2. The user operation is simple, and the commodity can be added into the shopping cart only by contacting the electronic tag with the terminal. Compared with the existing code scanning shopping, the method simplifies the operation and improves the user experience.

3. The user terminal can inquire the condition (for example, inventory) of the goods through the electronic tag, and therefore efficiency is improved compared with the prior method that supermarket staff are required to inquire the inventory.

Credit-based verification

The invention also provides a credit-based verification method. In the existing code scanning payment scheme of the physical store, a cashier is often required to check the code scanning completion of a user, so that the physical store still faces the problems of high labor cost and low profit and can still cause queuing. If the check is not carried out, the theft rate is high.

The credit-based verification method provided by the invention adopts different verification strategies for the user according to the credit score of the user. Furthermore, the NFC receiver can receive the verification request of the user through NFC communication, so that the user operation is simplified, and the verification efficiency is improved.

According to an aspect of the invention, a settlement file may be generated on the terminal after the user completes the payment. The settlement file may include the user ID, the settlement amount, the details of the order, the credit score corresponding to the user ID, and the like. The credit score is used to represent the user's credit rating. Generally, the higher the credit score of a user account, the better the credit representing the user, and the lower the probability of user default or fraud.

When the user needs to leave the shop after the settlement is completed, the terminal can be close to the NFC receiver at the exit of the shop, and the settlement file can be transmitted to the NFC receiver through NFC communication.

And the NFC receiver receives the settlement file of the user and transmits the settlement file to the cloud server through a wireless or wired network.

The cloud server compares the credit score of the user with a threshold value, and determines a checking strategy according to the comparison result.

Specifically, if the credit score of the user is above a threshold, the cloud server may send a release control signal to the merchant server indicating that the user is released. The merchant server may instruct the gate at the exit to be opened and the user may leave the store directly.

If the credit score of the user is below the threshold, the cloud server may send a manual verification control signal to the merchant server. The gate is not opened first, and the merchant server signals the cashier's desk to instruct the cashier to check the order. If the order is correct, the gate is opened and the user can leave.

Further, the cloud server may update its database with information in the settlement file from the NFC receiver in the event that the user's credit score is above a threshold. In particular, the cloud server may increase the credit score of the user to obtain an updated credit score and update in its memory.

In another embodiment, the cloud server stores the credit score of the user, in which case, the NFC receiver may transmit only the user ID to the cloud server, and the cloud server queries the credit score of the user in its database according to the user ID and performs corresponding increase and update. In this case, the user need not provide his credit score.

Further, the cloud server may send the user ID and the updated credit score and/or the increased value of the credit score (e.g., +1) to the merchant server. The merchant server may display the user ID of the user on the screen of the store, along with an increase in the credit score for that user ID. For example, the increased value of the credit value may be displayed in the form of a credit tree and the user may be prompted to leave the store directly.

In one example, the display of the user ID may use a desensitization approach to protect user privacy, i.e., to hide sensitive information of the user ID. For example, a portion of the characters may be selected for processing. For example, a certain user ID is: miswagg, then desensitization appears as: m is G. Fig. 17 shows this screen display.

The cloud server may also send the user's updated (increased) credit score to the terminal's APP for updating at the client.

As shown in fig. 8, at 801, after the user has finished settling with a mobile phone, the terminal is brought close to an NFC receiver at the store exit, and a verification request is transmitted to the NFC receiver by NFC communication.

The verification request may include the user's settlement document including the user ID, settlement amount, order details, and the like. Optionally, the settlement document may also include a credit score for the user.

At 802, the NFC receiver forwards the verification request to the cloud server.

At 803, the cloud server compares the user's credit score to a threshold.

In one example, the cloud server obtains the credit score of the user from the received settlement file. In another example, the settlement file may not include the credit score of the user, but the cloud server may look up the corresponding credit score in its memory by the user ID in the settlement file.

At 804, the cloud server determines a reconciliation policy based on the comparison of 803.

If the credit score of the user is higher than the threshold value, the cloud server determines the checking strategy as that the user directly leaves the shop.

If the credit score of the user is lower than the threshold value, the cloud server determines the checking strategy as that the order needs to be checked manually, and if the order is correct, the user is left.

In an example, the threshold for the credit score may be specified by the merchant.

At 805, the cloud server updates data according to the received settlement information. For example, the credit score of the user may be increased.

At 806, the cloud server sends a control signal to the merchant server.

Specifically, if the credit score of the user is above a threshold, the cloud server may send a release control signal to the merchant server indicating that the user is released.

And if the credit score of the user is lower than the threshold value, the cloud server sends a manual checking control signal to the merchant server.

At 807, the merchant server may assume different reconciliation strategies based on the received control signals.

For example, if the merchant server receives the clear control signal, it may instruct the gate at the exit to open and the user may leave the store directly.

Further, the merchant server may instruct the user ID of the user to be displayed on the screen, and the credit score of the user ID to be increased. The increased value of the credit value may be displayed, for example, in the form of a credit tree and the user may be prompted to leave the store directly.

If the merchant server receives the manual checking control signal, the gate is not opened firstly, the merchant server signals to the cashier desk, and the cashier is instructed to check the order. If the order is correct, the gate is opened and the user can leave.

At 808, the cloud server may send the updated credit score of the user to the APP of the terminal for updating at the client.

Note that while the various steps are described above in a particular order, the order of the steps may be changed. For example, step 806 may also be performed before step 805 or after step 808.

One implementation of credit-based verification is described above. Other alternative implementations are also contemplated by the present invention.

For example, in another implementation, the user's settlement information may not be communicated to the receiver via NFC communication. For example, the user terminal may generate a graphic code (e.g., a two-dimensional code) in which settlement information including a user ID of the user, a settlement amount, order details, and a credit score of the user ID is embedded after payment. At the store exit, the merchant reads the settlement information on the terminal through the code scanning device, and then performs step 802 and 808 in fig. 8.

In other examples, the credit score may be other values that characterize the user's performance capabilities. For example, the credit score may be replaced with a point of the user at the merchant. In this case, the operation of the cloud server may be incorporated in the merchant server. That is, the merchant server determines the reconciliation policy based on whether the user's score is above a threshold.

Compared with the prior art, the scheme of credit-based verification provided by the invention has at least the following advantages:

1. the scheme can be completed by the user from purchase to settlement, and the user can save queuing time. When the credit score is smaller than the set value, the credit score needs to be checked by the staff, so that the labor cost is saved for merchants, and the working efficiency of the staff is improved.

2. Under the situation that the user finishes shopping by self, a credit-based checking mechanism is added, so that the theft and damage can be reduced to a certain extent.

3. The increase of the credit value is displayed to the user through the screen, and the user is prompted to directly leave the shop, so that the user experience is improved.

Personalized relevance recommendations

A further aspect of the invention provides a method of personalizing an associated recommendation.

The following schemes are currently recommended for commodities in physical stores:

promotion recommendation is carried out through posters, or directional recommendation is carried out on members through short messages or APPs. Such recommendations do not meet the user's real-time purchasing needs.

Secondly, along with the popularization of the terminal, the position of the user can be known through the GPS function of the terminal, and therefore commodity recommendation is conducted on the user. However, the GPS function may not be available indoors and the positioning accuracy is not high, which results in inaccurate commodity recommendation.

The invention provides a method for providing personalized associated recommendation through an electronic tag.

The invention builds in the server a database relating to the electronic tags, in which the location of each electronic tag is stored (for example in the form of a map). When the server receives the recommendation request, the server searches the position of the electronic tag according to the electronic tag ID in the recommendation request, and determines whether recommendable commodities exist in the vicinity of the electronic tag.

At 901, the server creates an electronic label database, each entry of which includes an electronic label ID, an electronic label location, and an associated article ID.

Table 1 below illustrates an example of an entry of the electronic label database.

Tag ID 1	Label position 1	Commodity ID 1	……
				Tag ID 2	Label position 2	Commodity ID 2	……
……	……	……	……
				Tag ID N	Tag position N	Commodity ID N	……

TABLE 1

The electronic tag (referred to herein as the original electronic tag) may be written with the electronic tag ID, the electronic tag location information, and the associated article ID when the electronic tag is initially placed on the shelf or the information therein is updated. The electronic tag may then transmit a tag update message to the server, the tag update message including the electronic tag ID, the electronic tag location information, and the associated article ID.

The server stores the received electronic tag ID, electronic tag position information, and associated article ID in a database or updates information of the corresponding electronic tag entry in the database.

In an alternative implementation, the tag position and the associated article ID may also be input to the server by a worker when placing the electronic tag, or a positioning module may be provided in the electronic tag, and the positioning module determines the position of the electronic tag and sends the position to the server.

At 902, the terminal approaches the electronic tag and reads the electronic tag ID and other information (e.g., merchandise information, store information, etc.) via NFC communication.

For example, when the terminal approaches the tag and adds the a merchandise to the virtual shopping cart, the tag may transmit the tag ID to the terminal.

At 903, the terminal may transmit a recommendation request to the server in response to receiving the electronic tag ID. The recommendation request may include a user ID and an electronic tag ID stored on the terminal.

At 904, the server uses the shelf tag ID in the received recommendation request to look up in the database to determine the shelf tag location and corresponding item ID.

Specifically, the server may look up the corresponding electronic tag location and associated article ID in the database by the electronic tag ID.

At 905, the server may recommend items within a preset range of the electronic tag based on the electronic tag location, the associated item ID, and/or the user ID.

The preset range of the electronic tag may be a range within a threshold distance of the electronic tag, e.g. a visible or audible range of a user.

The server may further include an offer database in which offer information of the goods is stored. For example, a combination package purchasing both item A and item B may enjoy a premium price. As such, if the user wants to purchase article a, the server may recommend to the user a combination set of article a and article B within a preset range of the electronic tag of article a.

The server may further include a user database storing information such as historical purchase records of users, user preferences, and the like.

For example, if a user often purchases a hair conditioner together when purchasing shampoo, the server searches whether an electronic tag corresponding to the hair conditioner exists within a preset range of a tag when receiving a recommendation request from the tag corresponding to the shampoo. As another example, if the user previously likes to purchase a certain item of brand a, when the server receives a recommendation request from a tag corresponding to the item of brand B, it will search whether an electronic tag corresponding to the item of brand a exists within a preset range of the tag.

The server may determine whether there is a recommendable commodity within a preset range of the electronic tag using a recommendation algorithm according to information stored in the offer database and/or the user database, and determine an electronic tag ID of the recommended commodity (which may be referred to herein as a recommended electronic tag).

At step 906, the server may send a recommendation control signal to the original tag and the recommended tag.

In one example, the server may address the recommended electronic tag with the electronic tag ID of the recommended item at 906, transmitting a recommendation control signal to both the original electronic tag and the recommended electronic tag to cause them to issue a cue signal together. For example, both tags may blink or emit a warning tone at the same time to prompt the user to find a recommended electronic tag.

Alternatively, the server may send 907 a recommendation message to the terminal, the recommendation message including location information of the recommended electronic tags. For example, the recommendation message may include an electronic tag map in the store, and the original electronic tag and the location of the recommended electronic tag are marked on the map to prompt the user to find the recommended electronic tag.

FIG. 10 illustrates a personalized association recommendation method in accordance with another aspect of the subject invention. In this example, the terminal may transmit the user ID to the electronic tag when approaching the electronic tag to add the item to the shopping cart. And the electronic tag transmits the user ID and the tag ID to a server for subsequent processing. 1001, 1004 and 1007 in the example of fig. 10 are the same as those in fig. 9, and are not described again.

At 1002, the terminal approaches the electronic tag, transmitting the user ID and other information (e.g., merchandise information, store information, etc.) to the electronic tag.

For example, the terminal may transmit a user ID to the electronic tag when the terminal is near the electronic tag and adds the a merchandise to the virtual shopping cart.

The electronic tag may transmit the received user ID to the server at 1003 along with the electronic tag ID stored on the electronic tag.

In the method, a server determines a recommended electronic tag combination in advance. For example, upon the electronic tags being set at corresponding locations or the information therein being updated, the server may determine a recommended electronic tag combination and send each of the recommended electronic tag combinations its associated recommended electronic tag. In this implementation, the recommended goods do not consider the user preference, but the recommendation of the goods is faster because the recommendation combination is stored in the electronic tag in advance.

At 1101, the server creates a database, each entry of which includes an electronic tag ID, an electronic tag location, and an associated article ID. This step is similar to 901 and will not be described further herein.

At 1102, the server determines a recommended tag combination.

For example, each time the server receives a tag update message from an electronic tag (also referred to herein as an original electronic tag), it may look up whether there is a recommendable item for the item associated with the electronic tag. For example, whether there is a label of a recommendable commodity (e.g., a coupon package) associated with the commodity within a preset range of the electronic label. As described above with respect to step 905, will not be described herein.

And if one or more recommended commodities are found, forming the original electronic tag and the electronic tags (recommended electronic tags) corresponding to the one or more recommended commodities into a recommended tag combination. For example, the server may store a mapping of the original electronic tag ID and one or more recommended electronic tag IDs.

At 1103, the server transmits a recommendation message to each tag in the tag combination formed at 1102, the recommendation message including tag information for other tags in the tag combination. For example, the tag information of the recommended electronic tag is transmitted to the original electronic tag as the recommended tag, and the tag information of the original electronic tag is transmitted to the recommended electronic tag as the recommended tag.

The tag information may include a tag ID, location information, and the like of the electronic tag.

After each electronic tag receives the recommended tag information, it may be stored in a memory.

At 1104, the terminal approaches the electronic tag to join the corresponding item in the virtual shopping cart.

At 1105, the electronic tag may transmit a recommendation message to the terminal in response to the proximity of the terminal, the recommendation message may include tag information of an associated electronic tag of a recommended article.

For example, the recommendation message may include an electronic tag map in the store, and the original electronic tag and the location of the recommended electronic tag are marked on the map to prompt the user to find the recommended electronic tag.

Alternatively, the electronic tag may transmit a control signal to the recommended electronic tag at 1106 in response to the proximity of the terminal. For example, the electronic tag may address the recommended electronic tag by the recommended electronic tag ID, and transmit a control signal to the recommended electronic tag to cause the recommended electronic tag to emit a prompt signal, for example, to cause the recommended electronic tag to blink or emit a prompt tone at the same time to prompt the user to search for the recommended electronic tag.

As shown in fig. 12, the method may be performed by a user terminal, comprising the steps of:

at 1201, entity information on the electronic tag is acquired through NFC communication.

Wherein the entity information may include commodity information such as commodity ID, commodity price, store ID.

At 1202, the entity information is saved.

At 1203, payment is initiated based on the entity information.

Optionally, the method further comprises sending a query message to the server, the query message including the item ID, the store ID, and the number of items required. The terminal may also receive a prompt signal with the entity information. The cue signal may be an audio or vibration signal.

As shown in fig. 13, the method may be performed by a server, comprising the steps of:

at 1301, a verification request is received from a user terminal.

The verification request may include a user ID.

In an example, the verification request may be received from a near field communication, NFC, receiver that is in NFC communication with the user terminal to obtain the verification request. In another example, the verification request is received from a scanner that obtains the verification request via a two-dimensional code on a code scanning user terminal. In further examples, the verification request further includes the user credit score.

At 1302, the user credit score is compared to a threshold.

Optionally, the method further comprises looking up the user credit score based on the user ID.

At 1303, a verification policy is determined based on the result of the comparison.

If the user credit score is greater than the threshold, the server may determine the reconciliation policy to be a direct pass through user. If the user credit score is below the threshold, the server may determine the reconciliation policy to be a manual reconciliation. Further, if the user credit score is greater than the threshold, the server may increment the user credit score and cause the user to be displayed on the display with direct passage of information.

As shown in fig. 14, the method includes the steps of:

at 1401, an electronic label database is created that includes Identifiers (IDs), locations, and associated entity IDs of electronic labels.

At 1402, a recommended electronic tag is determined according to the user ID and the first electronic tag ID, wherein the recommended electronic tag is within a preset range of the position of the first electronic tag.

In one aspect, the method may further include receiving a user ID and a first electronic tag ID; the server can send a recommendation message to the user terminal, wherein the recommendation message comprises the position information of the recommended electronic tag; the recommendation message may cause the user terminal to display location information of the recommended electronic tag in a map form. The server can also send a recommendation control signal to the first electronic tag and the recommendation electronic tag, so that the first electronic tag and the recommendation electronic tag send prompt signals. In an aspect, the user ID and the ID of the first electronic tag may be received from the first electronic tag, and the first electronic tag acquires the user ID from the user terminal through NFC communication. In another aspect, the user ID and the ID of the first electronic tag may be received from a user terminal, and the user terminal acquires the first electronic tag ID from the first electronic tag through NFC communication. Further, the determination of the recommended electronic tag may be determined according to a user characteristic, the offer information, and a distance between the recommended electronic tag and the first electronic tag, where the user characteristic includes a historical purchase record and/or a user preference of the user.

In another aspect, the server sends a recommendation message to the first electronic tag and the recommended electronic tag.

As shown in fig. 15, the method includes the steps of:

at 1501, a user ID is received from a terminal through NFC communication at a first electronic tag.

At 1502, the user ID and the ID of the first electronic tag are transmitted to a server.

The server determines a recommended electronic tag according to the user ID and the ID of the first electronic tag, wherein the recommended electronic tag is within a preset range of the position of the first electronic tag.

In one aspect, the first electronic tag may receive a recommendation control signal from the server, where the recommendation control signal causes the first electronic tag and the recommendation electronic tag to emit prompt signals. The determination of the recommended electronic tag may be determined by the server according to the user characteristics, the offer information, and the distance between the recommended electronic tag and the first electronic tag. The user characteristics may include a user's historical purchase records and/or user preferences.

As shown in fig. 16, at 1601, a user enters a store, starts a terminal Application (APP), and enters an applet interface corresponding to the store. The applet may enter through a code scan, or may enter with a fixed entry in the main APP.

At 1602, the user brings the terminal close to the electronic tag of the item of interest.

At 1603, in response to the approach of the terminal, the electronic tag transmits the relevant information (store information, merchandise information, etc., as described above) to the terminal by NFC communication. The electronic tag also sends a prompt signal to the terminal to prompt the user of successful acquisition of the relevant information/successful joining of the item to the shopping cart.

Optionally, at 1604, the terminal can send a query request to a server (e.g., store server, cloud server).

At 1605, the terminal joins the corresponding item to the virtual shopping cart in response to receiving the information from the electronic tag.

At 1606, the terminal generates an order in the APP.

At 1607, payment is made on the terminal. After payment is completed, a settlement document may be generated that includes the user ID, the settlement amount, the details of the order, the credit score for the user ID, and the like.

At 1608, after the user settlement is completed, the terminal is brought close to the NFC receiver at the exit, and a verification request is sent to the NFC receiver through NFC communication.

At 1609, the NFC receiver transmits the verification request to the cloud server.

At 1610, the cloud server compares the credit score of the user to a threshold.

In one example, the cloud server obtains the credit score of the user from the received settlement file. In another example, if the user's credit score is not included in the settlement file, the cloud server may look up the corresponding credit score in its memory by the user ID in the settlement file.

At 1611, the cloud server determines a reconciliation policy based on the comparison of 1610.

At 1612, the cloud server updates the data based on the received settlement information. For example, the credit score of the user may be increased.

At 1613, the cloud server sends a control signal to the merchant server.

At 1614, the merchant server takes different reconciliation strategies based on the received control signals.

For example, if the merchant server receives the clear control signal, it may instruct the gate at the exit to open and the user may leave the store directly. Further, the merchant server may instruct the user ID of the user to be displayed on the screen, and the credit score of the user ID to be increased. The increased value of the credit value may be displayed, for example, in the form of a credit tree and the user may be prompted to leave the store directly.

At 1615, the cloud server may send the updated credit score of the user to the APP of the terminal for updating at the client.

Optionally, when the user brings the terminal close to the electronic tag of the item of interest at 1602, the following steps may also be performed:

at 1616, the terminal reads the electronic tag ID through NFC communication.

At 1617, the terminal may transmit the user ID to the server along with the electronic tag ID in response to receiving the electronic tag ID.

At 1618, the server performs a lookup using the received shelf tag ID to determine the shelf tag location and corresponding item ID.

At 1619, the server may recommend items within a preset range of the electronic tag based on the electronic tag location, associated item ID, and/or user ID.

In step 1620, the server sends the recommendation information to the terminal and/or the tag.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the steps 1616-1620 may also be replaced by steps 1002-1007 in fig. 10 or steps 1102-1106 in fig. 11.

After the server completes the recommendation operation, flow may return to 1602 to continue to complete the payment. For example, the terminal may add the corresponding item to a shopping cart near the recommended electronic tag.

The illustrations set forth herein in connection with the figures describe example configurations and are not intended to represent all examples that may be implemented or fall within the scope of the claims. The term "exemplary" as used herein means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and does not mean "preferred" or "advantageous over other examples. The detailed description includes specific details to provide an understanding of the described technology. However, the techniques may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

In the drawings, similar components or features may have the same reference numerals. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

The various illustrative blocks and modules described in connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of the disclosure and the following claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described above may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hard-wired, or any combination thereof. Features that implement functions may also be physically located at various locations, including being distributed such that portions of functions are implemented at different physical locations. In addition, as used herein, including in the claims, "or" as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items accompanied by a phrase such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list, such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B or C means a or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., a and B and C). Also, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be read as referring to a closed condition set. For example, an exemplary step described as "based on condition a" may be based on both condition a and condition B without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the phrase "based on," as used herein, should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "based, at least in part, on.

Computer-readable media includes both non-transitory computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Non-transitory storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Compact Disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a web site, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk (disk) and disc (disc), as used herein, includes CD, laser disc, optical disc, Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

The description herein is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for pushing associated information comprises the following steps:

receiving a user ID and a first electronic shelf label ID;

sending a recommendation message to a user terminal, wherein the recommendation message comprises the position information of the recommended electronic shelf label, the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label are received from the first electronic shelf label, and the first electronic shelf label acquires the user ID from the user terminal through NFC communication;

and sending a recommendation control signal to the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label so that the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label send out the same prompt signal at the same time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommendation message causes the user terminal to display location information of the recommended electronic shelf labels in a map form.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label are received from a user terminal that obtains the first electronic shelf label ID from the first electronic shelf label via NFC communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a recommended electronic shelf label is determined based on a user characteristic, offer information, and a distance of the recommended electronic shelf label from the first electronic shelf label.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user characteristics include a user's historical purchase record and/or user preferences.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a recommendation message to the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label.

7. A method for pushing associated information comprises the following steps:

wherein the recommended electronic shelf label is determined by the server from the user ID and an ID of a first electronic shelf label, and the recommended electronic shelf label is within a preset range of a location of the first electronic shelf label;

and receiving a recommendation control signal from the server, wherein the recommendation control signal enables the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label to simultaneously send out the same prompt signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining the recommended electronic shelf label is determined by the server based on a user characteristic, offer information, and a distance of the recommended electronic shelf label from the first electronic shelf label.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user characteristics include a user's historical purchase record and/or user preferences.

10. An apparatus for push of associated information, comprising:

means for receiving a user ID and a first electronic shelf label ID;

means for sending a recommendation message to a user terminal, the recommendation message including location information of the recommended electronic shelf label;

the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label are received from the first electronic shelf label, and the first electronic shelf label obtains the user ID from a user terminal through NFC communication;

and a device for sending a recommendation control signal to the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label, so that the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label send out the same prompt signal at the same time.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the recommendation message causes the user terminal to display location information of the recommended electronic shelf labels in a map form.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user ID and the ID of the first electronic shelf label are received from a user terminal that obtains the first electronic shelf label ID from the first electronic shelf label via NFC communication.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determination of the recommended electronic shelf label is determined based on a user characteristic, offer information, and a distance of the recommended electronic shelf label from the first electronic shelf label.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user characteristics include a user's historical purchase records and/or user preferences.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for sending a recommendation message to the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label.

16. An apparatus for push of associated information, comprising:

and the device is used for receiving a recommendation control signal from the server, and the recommendation control signal enables the first electronic shelf label and the recommended electronic shelf label to simultaneously send out the same prompt signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the determination of the recommended electronic shelf label is determined by the server based on a user characteristic, offer information, and a distance of the recommended electronic shelf label from the first electronic shelf label.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the user characteristics include a user's historical purchase records and/or user preferences.

19. An apparatus for pushing association information, comprising:

a processor; and

receiving a user ID and a first electronic shelf label ID;

20. An apparatus for pushing association information, comprising:

a processor; and