KR20020063612A - Method for exhibiting a product - Google Patents

Abstract

In stores, home appliances are displayed to the public in the showroom. In the showroom, the terminal or its product provides a connection to a remote server. The server may be a retailer or the supplier of the product. At least one function of the product may be daemonized to the public. The server is notified when the demonstration is run.

Description

Method for exhibiting a product}

New consumer electronics (CE) products often offer new features that are not currently known to potential buyers. The performance of these CE products cannot be understood at first sight when displayed as "dead boxes" on shelves in stores. Thus, some retailers or consumer electronics companies have to verbally describe or show these capabilities in stores or showrooms by skilled salesmen. For example, a demonstration may be performed periodically to have a product described by a skilled salesman in a consumer electronics store. Alternatively, you can install a TV set next to the product and keep playing a short clip to show some of the main features of the product.

It is well known to enable demonstration of products in an exhibition hall. U. S. Patent No. 6,042, 278 discloses an apparatus for demonstrating printers. Associated with each printer is a demo control box with at least one button that can be pressed by the printer to begin printing the demonstration page. Each demo control box for each printer is connected to a printer control that includes a set of demo images stored in memory.

Often, a manufacturer also wants to receive feedback from customers and collect customer feedback on the exhibited product. In this regard, US Patent Publication No. 6,026,387 discloses consumer criticism of a device. The device collects, analyzes, and reports information about goods and services offered for sale to consumers by suppliers. The apparatus includes a recording station that is selectively operated by consumers to record spoken criticisms about goods and services provided by suppliers. The dictated criticisms are passed to the analyst to derive standardized criticisms. The standardized reviews are then analyzed to report to the supplier for use in responding to consumers' perceptions of the services and products offered to the consumer by the store.

The present invention relates to a method of displaying a product at a first location. The invention also relates to networkable products and display systems.

The invention can be suitably applied to chain stores, in particular consumer electronics retailers.

1 is a flow chart for the method of the present invention.

2 to 5 are block diagrams of an exhibition system of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart of the method of the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to monitor the display of a product in an exhibition room. Another object of the present invention is to provide a means of evaluating the public's interest in the displayed product. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an incentive program for sales assistants and customers.

To this end, the business method of the present invention includes providing access to a server remotely located from the first location at the first location. The method also includes the step of demonstrating at least one function of the product. The server is informed of the demonstration.

In the method of the present invention, it is possible to notify the remote server of the demonstration of the function of the product. The term "notification" as used herein means to inform the server of the future, present, or past of the occurrence of the demonstration that may be recognized by the server. In this way, the agent of the server can be aware of the demonstrations of the functions of the product executed at the first location. An advantage of the present invention is that the agent of the server can directly monitor the exhibits and demonstrations of the product at the first location without any intermediary intervention.

In an embodiment of the present invention, additional information such as, for example, sales assistant identification information, customer identification information may also be sent to the server when notified. This transmitted information can be used for a variety of purposes. The retail agent can install an incentive program for sales assistants, customers who helped to execute the demonstrations for the product. In addition, the CE manufacturer can install an incentive program for shops that precede customers with demonstrations of the manufacturer's products.

The biggest concern for CE manufacturers is to receive feedback from customers about their first product. In another embodiment, the user can communicate in both directions with the server.

The conversation can take place in the communication established between the customer and the server on which the demonstration has been performed. An advantage of the present invention is that it can collect the opinions of customers.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the demonstration of a product is to take an order from a customer. For example, the customer defines a network environment, or his / her profile, containing CE products and services that interact with the product. The demonstration applies to showing the capabilities of a product that interacts with at least one of the products and services defined by the customer in a network environment. Also, the demonstration can be performed according to the customer's profile. From the conversation between the customers and the server, the CE company can also advantageously collect profiles of the customers interested in the product and the demonstrations performed on the product.

The invention is explained in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements in the figures with similar or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

A flowchart of the method for the present invention is shown in FIG. The first step involves the physical display of the product. The product may be a user operable CE product or a software product. The product is on display at the first location. The first location may be a trade show, or an exhibition room, such as a store that is accessible to a public or limited group of people. The first location may also be a general home with a product. The product can be displayed for sale. In a second step, provide access to a server located remotely from the first location at the first location. The server may be a web server accessible through the Internet.

The product provides various functions and the third step includes demonstrating at least one function of the product. In the fourth step, the server is informed of the demonstration of the function. The server can be notified before, during, or after daemoning. As used herein, the term “notification” implicitly indicates when the server is informed that it identifies something such as whether or not the demonstration has been executed.

2 and 3 are systems implementing the present invention. Product 106 is displayed in store 100. The product 106 is physically displayed to a customer 102 who is a potential buyer and potential user of the product 106. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 showing the exhibition systems of the present invention, access to the server 120 is provided from a terminal 140 located in the store 100. In these embodiments, server 120 is remotely located from product 106 and terminal 140. The product 106 provides various functions that the sales assistant 104 can daemonize to the customer 102. In these embodiments, sales assistant 104 operates the product 106 using a remote control and he / she executes the demonstration.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, sales assistant 104 accesses server 120 from terminal 140 and informs server 120 that the demonstration has been performed.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the terminal 140 is connected to the product 106 and automatically notifies the server 120 every time the demonstration runs to the customer 102.

In a third embodiment of the invention, the product 106 shown in FIG. 4 may communicate directly with a server 120 remotely located from the first location. The product 106 is located at the first location 400. The first location 100 is a general home of the first person 420. Product 106 is Internet capable and server 120 is a web server accessible via the Internet. The first person 420 demotes the functionality of the product 106 to, for example, a second person 422 that is its neighbor. The product 106 notifies the server 120 when the demonstration is executed.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5. In the present embodiment, product 106 is displayed for sale in store 100. Server 120 is a server of agent 150. Agent 150 is a manufacturer of product 106 or a provider for the sales environment of store 100. Agent 150 may also be a person who is allowed to collect data from exhibits of product 106.

Product 106 provides various functions. In the present embodiment, the product 106 is network capable, which means that the product 106 can communicate over the network 134. The connection to the network 134 has the capability for some functions of the product 106. Thus, product 106 has a connection terminal 108 to provide a connection to network 134. For example, product 106 is a set-top box that can be connected to a service provider using a wired or wireless connection, such as a telephone line or cable. Product 106 is manufactured by TiVo Inc .; It may be a digital recorder developed by a company, which may be connected to a data and video delivery service provider. The TiVo set-top box allows digital recording of TV programs according to the user's preferences and the delivery of customized advertisements.

In this embodiment, a great advantage is obtained from a connection terminal 108 that provides performance for the product 106 connected to the network 134.

Indeed, from existing networking capabilities, product 106 may also be configured to connect to remote server 120 via network 134.

The customer 102 who has seen the product 106 may not immediately understand the functionality of the exhibited product 106. Thus, it is necessary to allow at least one function of the product 106 to be daemonized. This allows the customer 102 to better understand the daemonized functionality. The demonstration may include the step of showing a video clip describing the function. In addition, sales assistant 104 sends appropriate instructions to configure product 106 to operate product 106 and perform a desired function.

In the present embodiment, the product 106 may be configured as a demonstration, and the demonstration of a given function automatically shows the function by the product 106 itself. The demonstration configures product 106 in demo mode and then starts the demonstration. Configuration and start up may be by remote control or by pressing a demonstration button on the product 106. Initiation may be made by sales assistant 104, or by customer 102.

The product 106 includes a main demonstration insertion module 110 capable of an automatic display of at least one function of the product 106. The function of the product 106 that can be daemonized is a recording function that can periodically record a given program whenever a program is broadcasted on selected channels on the TV. The demonstration of this function may include the steps showing the steps to be followed to configure the product 106 to execute the recording function. For this purpose, module 110 includes sub-module 110a, which contains a string of these commands normally entered by any user who configures product 106 to perform the necessary recording function. When a demonstration of this function is required, product 106 executes submodule 110a and automatically executes a string of instructions. The demonstration then results in a simulation in which the user enters a string of commands, such that the product 106 is set up to execute the recording function.

Module 110 may be inserted into a particular version of product 106 specifically used for exhibitions and demonstrations. Alternatively, module 110 may be inserted into any manufactured product 106. On the other hand, the module 110 is activated in response to a specific command, so that the module 110 cannot be recognized by the end-user using the product 106 at home. On the other hand, module 110 is activated by a user with a product 106 who wishes to demote the functionality for product 110 to a friend at home. In another embodiment, the demonstration module 110 is inserted into a secondary demonstration control box connected to the product 106. When the module 110 is executed, the demo box automatically activates the product 106 by sending the appropriate command to the product 106 to daemonize the requested function.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the module 110 also allows for demonstrating other functions of the product, namely function b and function c. Module 110 includes two additional sub-modules 110b and 110c to daemonize two functions b and c, respectively.

In the present embodiment, the product 106 is connected and displayed to be displayed on the means 114. The means 114 cause the user 102 or sales assistant 104 to display a user interface (UI) that can interact with the product 106 or the server 120. When the demonstration begins, the module 110 is executed to configure the user interface (UI) to display to the customer 102 a selection of the functions present in the product 106 on which the demonstration can be executed. The displayed selection includes the recording function of function b and function c, among other functions. Accordingly, customer 102 selects the function he / she is interested in, eg, function b from the displayed selection. Thereafter, the corresponding sub-module 110b is executed and the demonstration for function b is automatically executed.

As discussed above, product 106 notifies server 120 that the demonstration for function b has been initiated and executed. This notification responds to some non-limiting scenarios, namely, a request from the server 120, on a periodically preset schedule, for guidance of functionality, or to a command from the sales assistant 104 of the store 100. It can be executed according to the scenarios. This notification is executed by the product 106 sending the demonstration identification data DEMO_ID to the server 120 via the network 134. The notification may be executed in response to the execution of module 110. The product 106 includes a memory unit 112 for storing data from previous demonstrations that were not sent to the server 120. In contrast, server 120 includes a memory unit 122 for storing the received data DEMO_ID. The content of the data DEMO_ID may be used only to notify the agent 150 that performed the demonstration. However, as described below, the content of the data DEMO_ID may include additional information identifying the customer 102, the sales assistant 104, or the store 100.

For example, when assisting the customer 102 to execute the demonstration, the sales assistant 104 needs to enter identification data, such as a personal code. In another embodiment, the module 110 is a password, or key-lock, and can only be activated by the sales assistant 104 entering identification data or a personal code.

The agent 150 may set up an incentive program for the sales assistants 104 of the store 100, depending on the store. In this regard, server 120 includes an incentive program application 128 that establishes and maintains a track of incentive programs for sales assistants 104. The application 128 collects information about the demonstrations initiated by each sales assistant 104 and infers statistics for each sales assistant 104 from the received data DEMO_ID. Agent 150 rewards the sales assistants who helped or initiated the demonstration most within a given time period.

In addition, the server 120 may extract identification information related to the store 100 in the transmission of the data DEMO_ID. For example, when transmitting over the Internet 134, the agent 150 may be from the IP address of the terminal 108, product 106, or store 100, from the host name, or from any entity's domain / IP. Shop 100 is identified from the information indicating whether is registered.

Thus, in addition to an incentive program for the sales assistant 104, the agent 150 sets up an incentive program for the store 100 to compete with other stores. The second incentive program may also be managed by the application 128 of the server 120. This incentive program relates to stores that offer product 106 for sale and exhibit product 106 in accordance with the present invention. Agent 150 may reward shops that have preceded in daemonizing product 106.

In this embodiment, server 120 further includes a chat application 126 to enable two-way communication with customer 102. The server 120 enables communication with the customer 102, from which the agent 150 receives, for example, the opinion of the customer 102 about the function or product being daemonized by the user interface (UI), and the like. Collect the personal information of the customer. The user interface (UI) and chat application 126 serve as a chat interface between the customer 102 and the server 120. The customer 102 may be compensated for the product 106 in communication with the server 120, for example, if the customer decides to buy the product. For example, sales volume by geographic location or type of store, statistics about buyers, functions of product 106 that customer 102 has been most interested in, products that customer 102 is not yet clear ( From this collected information, such as the functions of 106, the agent 150 can directly control and maintain a track of the exhibits and sales of the product 106.

In this embodiment, when the module 110 is activated and the demonstration ends, the product 106 notifies the server 120. Upon notification, server 120 executes application 126 and application 126 configures a user interface (UI) for two-way communication between customer 102 and server 120.

In the method of the present invention shown in FIG. 6, server 120 communicates with product 106 itself. 6 is a flow chart of the method of the present invention for displaying a product 106 in a store 100. In a first step 602, the product 106 is displayed in the store 100 as described above. Product 106 provides connectivity to remote server 120. Then, in a second step 604, the product 106 is connected to the remote server 120.

The third step 606 includes defining a profile of the customer 102. The profile includes in particular areas of interest, preferences for radio stations and TV channels and programs, family members, family recording habits, geographic location, and preferred time frame. The server 120 may explicitly request the customer for the preferences of the customer 102 and / or the profile may be implicitly derived from the gradually created user-profile associated with the agent 150 or the store 100. Can be.

In a fourth step 608, the customer 102 defines a profile for the network of supplemental products and services. The profile of the network suitably includes a list of devices available for the network, a list of their functions and capabilities, a list of services available over the network, a list of communication protocols and software components used in the network. This network environment includes CE devices and services that the product 106 can use and interact with by the network. For example, customer 102 selects from a selection of CE devices and services that can interact with product 106 and be provided by server 120. The provided selection of CE devices and services may be received from the products available in store 100 and the exhibited product 106 is actually connected in store 100. Profiles of the network and / or customer are stored in memory units 122, 124, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5.

In this regard, see “Upgrading of synergetic aspects of home network” in US Patent Publication No. 09 / 189,535 (PHA 23,527). This document relates to a user's network order and how to enable new item integration on the network. The disclosed method includes determining a user profile and a network profile. The method then includes determining, based on the network profile and / or the user profile, whether the item is related to the end-user. If relevant, the user is informed of the choice of selecting an item to install the item on the network.

From the defined profiles of the network and / or customer 102, server 120 executes order application 130 to derive a set of customer- and / or network-order functions of product 106. The customer profile function of the product 106 may be in accordance with a defined profile. The network function of the product 106 may be to include a product 106 that interacts with devices or services, as defined in the network. In a fifth step 610, the server 120 provides a set of ordered functions of this product 106, within the network defined via the UI and / or according to the customer's profile. The customer 102 selects at least one proposed function in a sixth step 612. In a seventh step 614, a demonstration of the selected function is performed to the customer 102.

In an embodiment of the present invention, server 120 is capable of communicating with product 106 and, consequently, server 120 may send instructions for product 106. Thus, when the customer 102 selects a particular function among the proposed order selections, the server 120 activates the demonstration of the selected function. In fact, the completed demonstration can be entirely controlled from the server 120 based on the customer's input. In this case, server 120 activates module 110 and sub-modules 110a, 110b, or 110c corresponding to the selected function. Or, server 120 transmits a string of instructions to product 106 to execute a demonstration of the selected function.

Alternatively, server 120 activates the output of video and audio animations broadcast on the TV screen.

Furthermore, the connection between the product 106 and the server 120 may allow for a complete purchase transaction. At the end of the demonstration, the customer may be asked if the customer wants to place a purchase order for the product 106. In another embodiment, product 106 is in the user's general home. Product 106 is networkable and connected to server 120. The owner of the product 106 may show the functions of the product 106 to a friend in accordance with the method of the present invention, as described above. If the friend is enthusiastic about the product 106 and wants to purchase the product 106, the friend, for example, places a purchase order for the product 106 with the server 120 at the end of the demonstration. To do this, it is available through a conversational interface.

Various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention. The preferred embodiments described in the present invention are not limited thereto for the purpose of illustration. The term "comprising" does not exclude the presence of steps or components other than those listed in a claim.

Claims (24)

In a method of physically displaying a product 106 at a first location 100, Providing access to a remote server 120 at the first location, Enabling demonstration of the function 110a of the product, and Informing the server of the demonstration. The method of claim 1, wherein the demonstration is automatic. The method of claim 1, wherein the product notifies the server of the demonstration. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is periodically notified. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a user to communicate in both directions with the server. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user is compensated for bidirectionally communicating with the server. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to the server first identification data identifying the first location. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending second identification data identifying the agent helping the demonstration to the server. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: enabling to track an accumulated number of demonstrations assisted by the agent during a predetermined time period; And rewarding the agent based on the number. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to the server third identification data identifying a user recognizing the demonstration. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling an electronic purchase order for the product through the product. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a download of the set of instructions for executing the demonstration from the server. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a profile of the network, And enabling to initiate a demonstration of a network function of the product. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a user's profile, And enabling the demonstration of the user profile function of the product to begin. In the exhibition system, Products displayed in the first position, A server remotely located from the first location; Demonstration means for executing a demonstration of a function of said product, said demonstration means configured to notify said server of said demonstration. The exhibition system of claim 15, wherein the demonstration means is configured to send first identification information identifying the first location to the server. The display system of claim 15, further comprising a user interface that allows a user to communicate with the server. 18. The display system of claim 17 wherein the user interface enables sending to the server second identification information identifying a user recognizing the demonstration. 18. The exhibit system of claim 17, wherein the user interface enables to transmit third identification information identifying the agent of the showroom to the server. For networkable products, Means for performing demonstrations of the functionality of the product, And a network connection allowing notification of a remote server through said network of demonstrations. 21. The networkable product of claim 20, further comprising a user interface that allows a user to communicate with the server. 22. The networkable product of claim 21, wherein the user interface allows the user to place a purchase order for the product on the server. 21. A networkable product as claimed in claim 20, wherein the network-connection allows sending second identification information identifying a user helping the demonstration. 21. The networkable product of Claim 20, wherein the network-connection allows transmitting third identification information identifying a user aware of the demonstration.