Video systems are often used in security, surveillance, and monitoring applications. In these applications, video is often used to count and identify people entering and exiting an area, such as a store. This information may be used to determine the number and amount of time people are in the area, among other statistics and information. Currently, systems for assessing traffic, such as retail traffic, only output counting results in numeric measures. Current systems do not assess problems and/or provide solutions to problems using traffic analysis methods or applications.
In accordance with the present disclosure, example systems, media, and methods of generating traffic intelligence, based in part on retail traffic analysis statistics, are disclosed herein. An example method includes receiving monitoring input at a central processing unit from a plurality of sources regarding traffic or actions in a retail environment. The plurality of sources can include, for example, cameras, cashier input, transaction records, and store layout information. The example method further includes generating and storing, by the central processing unit, traffic data. The traffic data being generated, for example, by analyzing the received monitoring input to produce data/results and one or more heat/path maps. The data/results including, for example, statistical information about traffic through an area of a retail store.
The example method further includes assessing, by the central processing unit, the generated traffic data with respect to defined goals and defined key performance indicators. The example method further includes generating, by the central processing unit, a goal accomplishment status for each of the defined goals and a key performance indicator measurement for each of the key performance indicators. The example method further includes generating and outputting, by the central processing unit, action items based on the goal accomplishment statuses and the key performance indicator measurements. The action items including, for example, the key performance indicator measurements and information regarding whether the goals have been met or whether positive or negative progress has been made towards the goals.
It should be understood that the above-described subject matter may also be implemented as a computer-controller apparatus, a computer process, a computing system, or an article of manufacture, such as a computer-readable storage medium.
Other systems, methods, features, and/or advantages will be or may become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and/or advantages be included within this description and be protected by the accompanying claims.
Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designated corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The following description depicts specific embodiments of the invention, which teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the best mode of the invention. For the purpose of teaching inventive principles, some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Those skilled in the art will appreciate variations from these embodiments that fall within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described herein can be combined in various ways to form multiple embodiments and variations of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below, but only by the claims and their equivalents.
Currently, systems for assessing traffic, such as retail traffic, only output counting results in numeric measures. Current systems do not assess problems and/or provide solutions to problems using traffic analysis methods or applications. Thus, the present inventors recognize that systems and methods are needed for applying retail traffic analysis statistics to provide actionable intelligence, such as solutions to particular inquiries or problems.
The generated Heat/path maps 7 convey, in map, or image form, information about traffic patterns and stay times of a particular area. For example, as shown in
The scheduler 10 may also analyze and compare the data/results 5 and heat/path maps 7 over time, or in comparison to one another, to generate intelligence about the traffic occurring in the particular analyzed area. That intelligence may be analyzed based on certain key performance indicators (KPI) 12 and goals 14 to generate conclusion/action item 16. Such key performance indicators 12 and goals 14 may be set by a user so that the conclusion/action items 16 provide the desired intelligence to that user. Alternatively, the traffic intelligence system 1 may be designed for a particular application, such as a particular retail environment, and the KPI 12 and goals 14 may be preset according to predetermined desires and needs of such environments. In still other embodiments, the traffic intelligence system 1 may utilize algorithms or machine learning to develop KPIs and goals, which may be implemented in conjunction with user input and/or preset KPIs 12 and goals 14.
In one exemplary implementation, the traffic intelligence system 1 analyzes information resources 3 comprising video streams from surveillance cameras positioned inside a retail store or a bank branch. The scheduler 10, which may be a central processing unit or system, analyzes the video streams to produce information output regarding the location and time of every person/shopper/client in the retail store or bank branch throughout the hours of operation. Using this information, the scheduler 10 also produces heat/path maps 7 which illustrate the overall patterns of such persons/customers over the store. In the retail environment, for example, the user may use querying tools to input specific KPIs 12 regarding total receipts and profits. The user may also input goals 14 such as identifying dwell, wait or queue times, desired traffic patterns, desired stay times, etc.
Using the data/results 5 and the heat/path maps 7, the scheduler 10 calculates data regarding the input KPIs 12 and goals 14 to output the conclusion/action items 16. Conclusion/action items 16 may include, for example, the measures for the KPIs 12 and information regarding whether the goals 14 have been met and/or whether positive or negative progress has been made toward such goals 14. Furthermore, the conclusion/action items may include advice regarding steps that may be taken to improve KPIs 12 and/or to effectively reach goals 14. For example, an action item could include instructions to move certain products to different locations, rearrange products into a different organization or order, change lighting, change prices, change in-store advertisement, place more or less of certain products on the shelf, etc.
For example, the traffic intelligence system 1 of
The system of
The following example is an exemplary output of the central processing unit 20 to the user, for example by the user interface 26. The example demonstrates post product layout scenario where the user tests the effectiveness of the layout.
Camera scene.
Default Region-of-Interest (defines the area of maximum analysis in the scene).
Predefined Region-of-Interest (area near the default area, such as near a tested product).
People count in default Region-of-Region=300.
People count in product Region-of-Interest=20.
Regions ratio: 30%
0%-20%
21%-50%
51% and above
0%-20%
21%-50%
51 and above: Fill the rest of the aisle with the same product.
Although the computing system 1200 as depicted in
The processing system 1206 can comprise a microprocessor and other circuitry that retrieves and executes software 1202 from storage system 1204. Processing system 1206 can be implemented within a single processing device but can also be distributed across multiple processing devices or sub-systems that cooperate in executing program instructions. Examples of processing system 1206 include general purpose central processing units, application specific processors, and logic devices, as well as any other type of processing device, combinations of processing devices, or variations thereof.
The storage system 1204 can comprise any storage media readable by processing system 1206, and capable of storing software 1202. The storage system 1204 can include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Storage system 1204 can be implemented as a single storage device but may also be implemented across multiple storage devices or sub-systems. Storage system 1204 can further include additional elements, such a controller, capable of communicating with the processing system 1206.
Examples of storage media include random access memory, read only memory, magnetic discs, optical discs, flash memory, virtual memory, and non-virtual memory, magnetic sets, magnetic tape, magnetic disc storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to storage the desired information and that may be accessed by an instruction execution system, as well as any combination or variation thereof, or any other type of storage medium. In some implementations, the storage media can be a non-transitory storage media. In some implementations, at least a portion of the storage media may be transitory. It should be understood that in no case is the storage media a propagated signal.
User interface 1210 can include a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen, a voice input device, a touch input device for receiving a gesture from a user, a motion input device for detecting non-touch gestures and other motions by a user, and other comparable input devices and associated processing elements capable of receiving user input from a user. Output devices such as a video display or graphical display can display an interface further associated with embodiments of the system and method as disclosed herein. Speakers, printers, haptic devices and other types of output devices may also be included in the user interface 1210. As disclosed in detail herein, the user interface 1210 operates to allow a user to input information, such as KPIs and/or goals, and to output the conclusions/action items 16.
As described in further detail herein, the computing system 1200 receives information from an input device 100, such as the input devices described with respect to
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is designed by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements and/or method steps that to not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements and/or method steps with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/974,724, filed Apr. 3, 2014, entitled “Retail Traffic Analysis Statistics to Actionable Intelligence,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety
Number | Date | Country | |
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61974724 | Apr 2014 | US |