GB2426149A

GB2426149A - Mobile user interface apparatus and data management system for a retail environment

Info

Publication number: GB2426149A
Application number: GB0509061A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Bernard Davies
Original assignee: TAGBOARD Ltd
Current assignee: TAGBOARD Ltd
Priority date: 2005-05-05
Filing date: 2005-05-05
Publication date: 2006-11-15
Also published as: GB2425921B; GB0605130D0; GB2425921A; GB0509061D0

Abstract

A mobile user interface apparatus is provided for use in a retail environment. The apparatus supports the monitoring of a shopping trolley 110 through a retail site using contactless detection of a radio-based labels 180, providing data on which to base real-time analysis of shopping behaviour. By relating the labels 180 to user profiles in a data store, it becomes possible to send personalised information to users via handheld communication devices such as telephones. In a variation, a Near Field Communication ("NFC") capability is installed on a handheld communication device and used to read till roll data constructed by the user from data downloaded to the device over a public network. Thus an embodiment of the invention can send personalised information to users as they shop , the personalised information can be tailored to the users actual position in the store, and till roll data can be efficiently constructed in electronic form on a communications device for direct delivery by a NFC link to point of sale equipment. The retail data management system can have a data store (memory) which can store profile specific rules for controlling the retail data management system. The identification unit can be mounted on a shopping container.

Description

MOBILE USER INTERFACE APPARATUS

The present invention relates to mobile user interface apparatus. It finds particular, but not exclusive, application in supporting communication between a retail data management system and a user device.

Embodiments of the invention can be suitable for use in monitoring user activity potentially leading to point of sale transactions and/or in implementing user-based personalisation such as loyalty schemes. Further embodiments of the invention can support particularly efficient point of sale transactions.

Copending patent application PCT/GB2004/001626 in the name TAGBOARD LTD, published as W02004/09081 9, describes a payment system in which a mobile telephone can be used as an interface to trigger payment from one or more user accounts. Further, unauthorised electronic "cash" payments can be made from data stored on the telephone handset or on a system server. The system includes personalisation by use of user profiles and can support for instance loyalty incentives such as discounts for users, dependent on their purchasing history. This obviates the need for the user to carry location-specific loyalty cards. Further, the loyalty incentive can take the form of an increase in the electronic "cash" stored rather than a price discount, this giving the user more choice in how to use the loyalty benefit.

Loyalty incentives are generally known and may be called by different names. Loyalty cards are known variously for example as rewards cards, points cards, discount cards or club cards.

However, the system described in W02004/090819, and other known systems, all come into play as the user finishes shopping and exits the store.

Alternatively, it is known to monitor shopping behaviour by monitoring trolley movement in a retail environment. This is done by mounting a detectable device on the trolley and monitoring movement of the device in the retail environment.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided mobile user interface apparatus for use in a retail data management system, the apparatus comprising: 1) at least one identification unit for installation on a handheld mobile communications device, the identification unit being readable by a contactiess detector and the communications device being connectable to a public network; and ii) at least one contactiess detector for installation at a predetermined location to generate a detection signal on detection of an identification unit; the interface apparatus being adapted to support data communication between the retail data management system and the handheld mobile communications device by use of the public network in response to a detection signal.

A "contactless detector" can detect an identification unit without touching it, as the name implies.

There are several now quite longstanding technologies available for communicating with a handheld mobile communications device which is connectable to a public network, such as voice, short messaging and even via the Internet using the "Wireless Applications Protocol" (WAP). Further, such devices already have unique identifiers (IDs) for example in the form of the "International Mobile Subscriber Identity" (IMSI) which is stored on the "Subscriber Identity Module" (SIM card). However, it has been recognized in making the present invention that there is an advantage in adding a further communications technology, independent of the existing mobile communications technology, this being the use of an identification unit such as a transponder. A suitable identification unit operates in the radio spectrum and comprises for example a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag.

An identification unit such as a RFID tag can be mounted on the outside of a handheld mobile communications device such as a telephone.

In an alternative arrangement, the "further communications technology" might comprise NFC ("Near Field Communication"). This is a known shortrange form of wireless communication, described further below, and would generally need to be supported by installing NFC capability in the communications device itself, for instance by using the device's memory. An identification unit comprising NFC capability would be detectable over a relatively short distance, for instance not more than 20 cms, whereas an identification unit based on a RFID tag would be readable over a range extending to greater distances.

If the identification unit is passive, that is it can be detected but not written to, it can be used to detect presence of the mobile communications device at the predetermined location. This supplies information to the retail data management system. If there are multiple contactless detectors at different locations in a retail environment, then the information supplied by the detectors can be processed to track progress of the mobile communications device in the environment. Particularly if there are multiple mobile communications devices equipped with identification units, then very useful information can be gathered in terms of traffic in the retail environment and the response of shoppers to marketing initiatives such as store layout and signage. Because the identification unit can be installed in or on a handheld mobile communications device, this information can be gathered without having to add equipment for instance to the shopping trolleys which can easily be lost or damaged.

Preferably, the mobile user interface apparatus further comprises a retail data management system, said system having a profile data store for storing data profiles, and wherein at least one identification unit stores an identifier which can be read by the contactless detector, the retail data management system being adapted to respond to detection of an identifier by accessing the profile data store to find a data profile associated with said identifier.

Thus if the identification unit stores an ID which can be read by the contactfess detector then personal ization becomes possible.

Preferably, data profiles stored in the profile data store comprise communications routing data such as mobile network numbers. Such a retail data management system is then equipped to send information, which can be selected in accordance with the relevant data profile, to a mobile communications device associated with a detected ID, using the public network.

Using such an embodiment of the invention, it becomes possible for a shopper to be alerted to such things as special offers on goods they have an interest in, at one or more predetermined locations in a store, once a identification unit bearing an ID related to them has been detected. This might be on entry to the store or perhaps as they approach particular categories of goods in the store.

The identification unit in an embodiment of the invention may alternatively be active.

That is, it can store data which can be both read and written to. Although mobile communication devices nowadays already provide data storage capacity both in the device itself and on the SIM card, there is a cost associated with writing to that data storage over a public network. In embodiments of the present invention, data can be written to the identification unit carried on a mobile device without incurring that cost. This might be used for example to implement a loyalty scheme. The contactless detector can read the identification unit on a mobile device to obtain existing loyalty discount data and supply it to the retail data management system. The loyalty discount data on the identification unit can then be updated in accordance with new purchases, or other criteria, and can be advised to the shopper over the public network for instance by text messaging.

Although it is known to provide loyalty cards which carry loyalty discount information on the card, firstly the shopper needs to carry the card and secondly the information on the card is not available to the shopper until the card is presented to a card reader, for example at point of sale. In contrast, using an embodiment of the present invention, the shopper is likely to be carrying a mobile device such as a telephone or personal digital assistant (PDA) anyway and can also be advised of their current loyalty discount at any convenient time, not even necessarily in the retail environment.

The data profile associated with the identification unit ID can be used to control behaviour of the retail data management system. Thus the shopper might only wish their loyalty discount data to be transmitted when they positively query the system, or on entry to the retail environment. This is easily implemented for instance by providing rules in the data profile.

Data stored on the identification unit can also be carried away from one retail environment and used in another. This means for example that loyalty discounts can be earned in more than one store of a chain or in different stores as long as they are compatibly equipped.

Identification units of a type which might be used in embodiments of the invention are known generally as RFID tags and are covered by a number of standards, such as: * Iso 10536 * Iso 14443 * ISO 15693 * ISO 18000 * EPCGlobal EPCGlobal has been said to be the most likely to form the basis of a worldwide standard.

RFID tags can be passive, having no power source, or active, having a power source.

Passive tags can have read ranges that vary from about 10 mm up to about 5 metres although active tags can have longer ranges, up to tens of metres. However, accurate location information might be lost in embodiments of the present invention if the read range is too great. Active tags generally have larger memories and the ability to store additional information sent by a transceiver (as for instance a contactless detector as referred to above). Although passive tags can have tiny size, down to approximately 1cm, the smallest active tags are currently about the size of a UK Sp coin.

It is an option to provide a identification unit by other means than by attachment to a handheld mobile communications device. Not every shopper will carry one and not every shopper might wish to have an identification unit attached to their handheld mobile communications device. Hence mobile user interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention might include at least one identification unit for attachment other than to a handheld mobile communications device. For example, it might be mountable on a shopping container such as a trolley or basket. This type of identification unit might optionally store an ID which is not user-related. The presence of the identification unit on the shopping container still supports the gathering of useful information since a retail data management system can for example gather traffic data on movement of shoppers in the retail environment. To do this, the retail data management system can be provided with an array of contactiess detectors installed at predetermined locations around the retail environment to detect the identification units on the containers.

In another variation, it would be possible for a identification unit mountable on a shopping container to store an ID which identifies a data category such as type of goods. This could be used in conjunction with a identification unit attached to a handheld mobile communications device. The identification unit attached to a handheld mobile communications device could carry an ID for a data profile so that the retail data management system can send information to the device over the public network. A identification unit then selected by a user for mounting on a shopping container could identify for example a category of goods the user has an interest in for that particular shopping trip, such as confectionery, hardware or cold meats. Alternatively, the identification unit could identify a category of information the user wishes to obtain, such as a map of the store.

The form which a contactiess detector takes may be either manual or automatic from the user's point of view. If the detector is "manual", the user may have to take positive action to register the presence of their identification unit, such as "swiping" it past a reader. This enables a user to choose not to trigger access to a data profile associated with them by not registering the presence of their identification unit. A suitable known type of identification unit which could be used with a manual detector is a close proximity chip according to ISO (International Standards Organisation) standard 14443. If the detector is automatic, the user does not have to do anything positive in order to trigger detection. For example, the detector might be provided in a gate or antenna. For the "automatic" arrangement, a identification unit which can be read from a greater distance might be used, for example one covered by ISO standard 15693.

Advantageously, in an embodiment of the present invention, each shopping container is provided with a identification unit storing a container ID and the retail data management system further comprises a register for registering use of the container in relation to a user ID, the register having a receiver for receiving the user ID and a data store for storing a received user ID in relation to a container ID. The user ID might be entered to the register when a user selects to swipe the identification unit on their mobile communications device past a manual contactless detector. The container ID might then be entered if an automatic contactless detector which is physically nearby detects a identification unit carrying a container ID. A suitable arrangement for enabling this would be for example a simple gate with an antennal providing the automatic contactless detector, the gate having an adjacent swipe reader to provide the manual contactless detector.

An array of contactless detectors at predetermined locations around a retail environment is mentioned above for tracking movement of shopping containers around a store. These would most conveniently be automatic detectors and might comprise for instance antennae or alternatively a mat or cable over which a trolley travels in normal use. Each detector might generate a detection signal on detection of an identification unit, the detection signal comprising a portion determined by the identity or location of the detector and a portion determined by the detected identification unit.

Preferably, the retail data management system is adapted to process identification unit detection signals to give time measurements, indicating for example the time a user spends at a specified location or the rate at which the user is progressing through a store. For example, the retail data management system may timestamp detection signals on receipt and the timestamp data can then be used for time measurement. Time measurements of this type can be of considerable use in marketing research in that different promotional techniques can be used and then each one tested for effectiveness for example in bringing shoppers to a location, how long they stay and whether they backtrack.

Preferably the mobile user interface provides a shopping list management facility for managing or constructing a shopping list. A shopping list in this context is usually a list of goods (or IDs for goods) for which there are associated prices to which the retail data management system has access. For example, a shopping list might be stored in advance of a shopping trip by the user on their mobile communications device, or it might be constructed as the user goes round a retail environment. If done in advance, shopping list construction can be done for example by use of the keypad or touch screen of the communications device, or by use of a personal computer.

Preferably, where the mobile user interface comprises a retail data management system with a profile data store for storing data profiles, at least one data profile is adapted to store at least one set of till roll data. Till roll data in this context might be for example equivalent to a shopping list in which all goods in the list have been at least selected for, or have been subject to, a purchasing transaction. There are then potential advantages in the retail data management system being adapted to send sets of till roll data over a public network. This might be to a network address specified in the associated data profile and might be to a handheld communications device. Such till roll data can then form the basis of a fresh shopping list as mentioned above.

In an arrangement including a shopping list management facility, the user can then base a shopping list on the purchases made in an earlier shopping trip. The retail data management system might further be adapted to supplement till roll data in this context with additional information indicated in a data profile, such as special offers relevant to the data profile, either at the time of sending till roll data to the network address or once a relevant handheld communication device has been detected in-store.

A shopping list constructed by a method described above can then be processed at checkout to provide the data for a till roll or other receipt for goods, once the user has selected all the goods they want to buy. This avoids the time normally taken to collect till roll data, for example by scanning labels on individual goods. In embodiments such as this, there also needs to be provided a confirmation mechanism for the user to confirm goods on the shopping list which have been selected for purchase. This can be done for example using keys of the handheld communications device against items of the shopping list as displayed on the device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a retail data management system, the system comprising: i) a data profile store for storing at least one data profile comprising a network address and till roll data; and ii) a till roll data output for sending till roll data to a network address associated with the till roll data in a data profile.

An embodiment of the invention in its second aspect enables a user to base a shopping list on purchases made on an earlier shopping trip.

Preferably, the network address comprises an address for a handheld communications device, the device being adapted to store and display till roll data. This allows the user to carry the device with them when shopping, without necessarily having to construct a shopping list but being able to refer to the till roll data as a shopping list.

Preferably, the device is adapted to receive physical inputs, for instance by means of a keypad or touch screen, for use in amending and/or marking till roll data to construct a shopping list.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communications device having: i) a goods data input for receiving goods data identifying a plurality of goods items; ii) a selections input for receiving user selections in respect of individual items in received goods data; iii) a goods data processor for processing received goods data in accordance with received user selections; and iv) a data store for storing goods data, the data store being readable by a contactless detector, whereby goods data can be delivered to the device, a user can select items from the goods data for use by the goods data processor in processing received goods data, and processed received goods data can be read from the data store by a contactless detector.

Embodiments of the invention in its third aspect provide a device such as a mobile telephone which can be used to prepare a shopping list from existing till roll data received for example by text, email or WAP transmission and which can then be read by contactiess detector, for example using NFC equipment, to provide fresh till roll data for a new purchasing transaction.

It might be noted that individual features described herein in relation to one embodiment may be capable of use in another embodiment of the invention and thus an embodiment of the invention might comprise any combination of features described.

A user interface and retail management system will now be described as an embodiment of the present invention, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures in which: Figure 1 shows a functional block diagram of the system and indicates schematically data collection occurring in use of the system; Figure 2 shows a plan view of an ID tag for use in the system of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a flow diagram of process steps occurring in providing a personalised user interface at entry to the system of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a flow diagram of process steps occurring in collecting processable marketing data in use of the system of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a flow diagram of process steps occurring in providing real time personalisation, in particular real time accumulation of loyalty points in use of the system of Figure 1; Figure 6 shows a flow diagram of process steps occurring at checkout in use of the system of Figure 1; Figure 7 shows a schematic block diagram of processes used in the system of Figure 1, particularly for the collection and processing of marketing data and in support of real time personalisation;.Figures 8a, 8b and 8c show examples of data that might be collected in use of the system; Figure 9 shows a functional block diagram of a network arrangement and process steps for delivering till roll data to a user interface for use as a shopping list; and Figure 10 shows a schematic block diagram of components of the user interface of Figure 9.

It should be noted that the figures are schematic only and none is drawn to scale.

Embodiments of the present invention are particularly suitable for use with a point of sale transaction system such as that described in W02004/0908 19, referred to above. In the system ofWO2004/090819, an electronic shopping list is created according to user selections of goods from the shelves, either automatically for instance by a scanner mounted on a shopping trolley or more conventionally at the point of sale terminal. The user then uses a handheld device such as a mobile phone to initiate payment via the transaction system by entering a PIN. The PIN enables the system to use financial data such as a credit card number to carry out a transaction for the user.

The mobile phone itself carries no confidential data. The PIN is entered in real time by the user and the financial data is stored on, or accessible by, the transaction system. The transaction system can also process the till roll data to obtain a cost for the transaction, if necessary, and interface with both automated stock-keeping and customer relationship management ("CRM") systems for maintaining narrow spectrum user profiles.

Important components of the transaction system are a client device called the Tagboard box or "Tagbox" which is located near the point of sale terminal, and a server device called the Tagboard server which is located elsewhere, in a secure non-public environment.

Use of the transaction system described in W02004/090819 occurs principally at checkout where the user is offered a secure and flexible payment system. Embodiments of the present invention however are more concerned with the shopping process prior to that, from store entry up to the checkout point, during which the user moves through the store with a shopping trolley.

1. Overview Referring to Figure 1, a monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention has three types of detector, these being equipped to detect: * a trolley ID * auserlD * goods selected The first two types of detector are provided at entry to the store, for instance at a gate 100 having an associated tag reader 105. The trolley ID detector is automatic, being provided either as a conventional antenna or as an antenna embedded in a mat over which the trolley travels. The tag reader 105, for detecting the user ID, is manual and is provided as a swipe reader over which the user swipes an RFID tag on their mobile telephone (or other mobile communications device). A scanner 130 of known type, for detecting goods selected, is mounted on the trolley 110 for assembling till roll data as the user adds items to the trolley 110 as they move around the store. Lastly, there is an array of trolley ID detectors 120 positioned around the store in aisles between shelving 115. These are capable of detecting the trolley ID of passing trolleys and adding a detector ID to give positioning information.

The till roll data assembled by the scanner 130 is used at checkout as described in W02004/0908 19, referred to above. However, the data collected by the trolley ID and user ID detectors 100, 105, 120 is transmitted over a network 125 such as a local area network ("LAN") to a server 135 where it can be stored and processed. If the user ID has been captured, a personalised information service can be offered by accessing a user profile 145 available at or via the server 135. For instance, the user profile might include contact data such as a telephone number which can be used to send personalised text or voice-based information to the user, the content of which is tailored according to the user profile. This might be for example selected special offers or current loyalty discount status. Whether or not the user ID has been captured, the trolley ID data can be processed to obtain marketing information such as the volume of traffic in areas of the store in response to marketing campaigns.

1.1 Detectors: trolley ID gate 100 Each trolley is provided with an identification unit comprising a readable RFID tag 180 providing a transponder based on a passive chip connected to a very small antenna. As the user pushes the trolley through the gate 100, the chip is energised by one or more antennae mounted on the gate 100 and responds by outputting an ID for the trolley. This type of detection can have a typical range of 5cm to lm and the detectors can be used as automatic transponder detectors in which the user need take no positive action beyond passing within range. A relevant standard is Iso 15693. (A screened tag might preferably be used to reduce the "Barkhausen Effect" in which very rapid changes in magnetisation in certain types of material can lead to large transmitted signals.) Each antenna at the gate also has a unique ID and generates a detection signal for transmission over the LAN which incorporates both the trolley ID and the antenna ID.

1.2 Detectors: tag reader 105 A user wishing to take advantage of personalised features of the monitoring system has previously registered with the system. A user ID has been allocated which relates to or is stored in a searchable field of a user profile 145. A further readable tag (not shown) is attached to the back of a mobile communications device such as a mobile telephone belonging to the user. As the user moves the trolley 110 to the trolley ID gate 100, they can also pass the readable tag of the mobile telephone over the associated tag reader 105.

The tag reader 105 operates as a manual transponder detector, at short range, for instance 4 to 10 cm. A relevant standard is Iso 14443. The user thus makes a positive decision to enter their user ID to the monitoring system.

1.3 Detectors: trolley traffic 120 The in-store traffic detectors 120 each comprise an antenna of the type mounted on the trolley 1D gate 100. These are each adapted to read the trolley ID as a trolley 110 comes into range. Each traffic detector 120 is allocated its own unique detector ID and generates a detection signal for transmission over the LAN 125 which incorporates both a detected trolley ED and the relevant detector ID.

(It is an option that there are only automatic transponder detectors 100, 120 provided and the tag reader 105 dispensed with. The automatic detectors 100 could detect either or both of a user ID and a trolley ID. However, in this arrangement the users lose the opportunity to choose whether they register for a personalised service or not.) 1.4 Tagboard Server 135 As the user enters and moves around the store, with theirtrolley 110, the data collected by the automatic chip detectors 100, 120 is transmitted to the Tagboard server 135 and stored in a data store 150. The user ID/trolley ID combinations detected together at a trolley ID gate 100 are stored together, or cross- referenced, to form a register of users currently in store. An appropriate date/time stamp is added to each detector ID on receipt, both from the antennae at the trolley ID gate 100 and from the trolley traffic detectors 120. The data store 150 also relates detector IDs to location in store, for example by mapping or by a

simple table.

A set of processes 140 is provided to enter and process data stored in the data store 150.

These include a register update process 155 for updating the user ID/trolley ID register, a clock 160 for use in adding time stamps to detection signals and a data processor 165 to generate market response data. Additionally, there is a communications process 170, of known type, for generating messages (such as text or email) and transmitting them to users' mobile devices based on contact data held in user profiles 145 on the Tagboard server 135, a user profile read/write mechanism 175 for accessing user profile data and logging, for example, special offers already notified, and a shopping list processor 185.

The shopping list processor can receive an electronic shopping list from a handheld mobile device, with items marked for purchase, and process it to produce till roll data with such factors as loyalty points and special offers taken into account.

Other functionality of the Tagboard server 135 is as described in WO 2004/0908 19, referred to above, and it may be supported by various payment systems in the same manner as there-described.

1.5 Readable tags 180 Referring to Figure 2, each readable tag 180 comprises a passive chip 205 connected to an antenna 200, in this case a coiled antenna. The antenna 200 is wound about the chip 205 and together they form a flat package encapsulated in plastic 210. A tag of this type, having dimensions of not more than about 2 cm square, can be mounted unobtrusively on the back of a mobile telephone. In the case of the trolley tag 180, it may be preferable to increase the dimensions and achieve a greater detection range. For example, the size of a trolley tag 180 may be approximately equivalent to UK stationery size AS. However, the principle of operation in each case is the same.

An alternative way to provide an interface between the user's mobile communications device (not shown) and the tag reader 105 at the gate 100 is the use of a contactless card reader as the tag reader 105, conforming to the protocol ISO (International Standards Organisation) standard 14443 (various types). This can be treated in the manner of a smart card interface and can read and write to the shared memory of a mobile phone.

1.6 Scanner 130 The scanner 130 for constructing till roll data as the user loads goods to the trolley 110 may be of known type. However, there is an advantage in providing updated loyalty discount information to the user as they shop. This can be done if the scanner is readable over a wireless connection to a system input. Alternatively, in-store reading points of the type provided at the checkout can be provided so that the user can choose to enter their current shopping total to the monitoring system.

However, in a preferred embodiment, a shopping list is held on the user's mobile communications device and converted to till roll data by user confirmation. This arrangement is described under the heading "4. Shopping List Constructor" below.

2. Processes Referring to Figures 3 to 6, a set of processes 140 for entering and processing data stored in the data store 150 is here further described.

2.1 Personalised User Interface STEP 300: A user enters the store and selects a trolley. The user presents the trolley at the entry gate 100 and also presents the tag on their mobile phone to the tag reader 105.

The detecting antenna in the gate 100 reads the readable tag 180 on the trolley 110 and transmits a detection signal to a register update process 155 on the Tagboard server 135.

The detection signal comprises a trolley ID together with a detector ID unique to the antenna.

STEP 305: The register update process 155 enters the trolley ID and phone ID to the data store 150, in related fields. A calendar/clock 160 is used to add a date/time stamp to the antenna detector ID and this also is added to the data store 150. The detector ID is related to a location code, either stored in the data store 150 or elsewhere, and this relationship can be set and modified at will by a system administrator.

STEP 310: A user profile read/write mechanism 175 accesses user profiles 145 stored on the Tagboard server 135. The user ID detected at STEP 300 is used as a search keyword to locate a user profile 145 relevant to that user ID. If no such user ID is present, or the user ID has been barred or terminated for some reason, the personalised user interface process will terminate at this point and the system will move on to a marketing data collection process as shown in Figure 4.

STEP 315: If the user ID is found to be current in relation to the user profiles 145, the user profile read/write process 175 will read data from the relevant user profile 145 in order to assemble a personalised greeting. Using the communications process 170, and contact data from the user profile 145, a personalised greeting message is assembled and sent to the mobile telephone of the user.

STEP 320: Again referring to the relevant user profile 145, personalised information concerning special offers and/or loyalty discount status is now assembled and sent to the mobile telephone of the user.

It can be seen from the above that use of the personalisation aspects of the system is voluntary, the user triggering personalisation by presenting the readable tag on their mobile telephone to the tag reader 105 and the gate 100.

2.2 Marketing Data Collection STEP 400: Having entered the store, the user now enters the aisles between the shelving in the store.

STEP 405: As the user moves the trolley 110 through the store, the readable tag 180 provided on the trolley 110 will be detected by a series of the antenna detectors 120 positioned about the store. As each detector 120 detects the readable tag 180 on the trolley 110, the detector will send a detection signal to the Tagboard server 135.

STEP 410: These detection signals are saved, together with a date/time stamp, in the data store 150, by the register update process 155.

2.3 Real Time Personalisag ion In this process, STEPS 400 AND 405 are the same as above.

STEP 510: To provide real time personalisation, each detector ID of received detection signals is processed to identify a location in the store. Message content concerning special offers and the like is stored in relation to store location. This becomes available as the user reaches a relevant location.

STEP 515: If message content is available at a detected location, and that message content is relevant to the user in accordance with their user profile 145, then the user profile read/write process 175 and the communications process 170 assemble an appropriate message for transmission to the user's mobile telephone.

In the case that the user's current shopping total has been entered to the system, using the scanner 130, a further option for personalisation is to process the current shopping total in combination with the user's loyalty points or discount as stored in the user profile 145.

Although the current shopping total would not be used to update loyalty data in the user profile 145 stored on the Tagboard server 135 until the user has finalised a purchasing transaction at the checkout, it is possible to assemble and send a message to the user regarding their current discount situation. For example, the user may be approaching a threshold amount, above which they get increased discount. This can be made known to the user via their mobile telephone, using the monitoring system.

2.4 Checkout STEP 600: The user reaches the checkout point. An antenna detector at the checkout detects the trolley ID and sends a detection signal in the usual way to the Tagboard server 135.

STEP 605: The user selects a payment method in the manner of W02004/0908 19, referenced above.

STEP 610: A shopping list compiled by the scanner 130 mounted on the trolley 110, in known manner, is delivered to the point of sale equipment (not shown). A loyalty discount may be applicable, determined by the relevant user profile 145. This is applied in the manner described in W02004/0908 19, referred to above.

STEP 615: The relevant trolley ID and user ID are now deleted from the data store 150 as a current combination.

3 Register/Data Store 150 Referring to Figures 7, 8A, 8B, 8C the data supporting the above processes 140 may be embodied in different formats and software technologies. However, an example might be represented in tabular form.

Referring to Figure 8A, a suitable register 150 has seven columns for entering event references 800, user IDs 805, trolley IDs 810, detector IDs 815, date/time stamps 820, location codes 825 for the automatic transponder detectors 120 spaced about a retail environment and current user ID/trolley ID combinations 829.

Referring to Figure 8B, a user profile store 145 has seven columns for entering user IDs 830, name and title 835, 840, 845, telephone numbers 850, preferences 855 and status of the data 860. The user preferences 855 provide profile- specific behaviour of the system by including for example identifiers for types of goods for which the user wishes to receive special offer alerts and/or rules for behaviour of the system such as triggers for sending special offer alerts. A rule might for example specif' that special offer data is sent when the user's mobile telephone is first detected in a retail environment, or on a particular day of the week. The column for status of the data 860 provides a roll-back position for error correction. If data has to be deleted, rather than actually deleting the data it is marked "deleted". Thus data deleted in error can be simply reinstated by taking off the "deleted" marking.

Referring to Figure 8C, the register 150 can also be used to record message content sent to users in accordance with their user profiles 145 when the user ID is detected in a retail environment. A relevant data structure has eight columns, the columns of primary interest being a first column for entering a messaging event 865, a fifth column for entering the telephone number to which a message has been sent 885, a seventh column for entering a date stamp 895 to avoid repeating a message on the same day and an eighth column for entering the message content 899 as sent. Typical message content might be: * Message content 1: Mr X, check out aisle 7 where today's special is diced liver at just 75p a kilo! * Message content 2: Fancy something exotic today Mrs Y? Aisle 12 has Fava beans at just 7Sp a tin! * Message content 3: Celebration coming soon Ms Z? Try the wine section where Elephant Chianti is just 2.95 a bottle! (The name used in each case above is substituted by reference to the user ID and relevant user profile 145.) In a simple sequence of data collection and messaging, the following entries to the register might occur, as shown in Figures 8A and 8C: 3.1 User Chooses to Enter User ID At 11.38 am, a user having user ID "325" selects trolley ID "32" and presents both the trolley and their user ID at the entry gate 100. The system detects the user ID, the trolley ID, the detector ID "03" and enters these with a date/time stamp 820 (03/03/2005 11.38) to the register 150. The detector ID "03" is related to location code "EN", indicating entrance. The user ID/trolley ID combination 325/32 is entered as current.

The data processor 165 runs a first process, "location based special offers" 700, which uses the location code "EN" of detector "03" to review the user profile 145 for user ID "325" to see if the relevant user preferences 855 indicate a message should be sent to this user at this point. Any appropriate message content is sent and the relevant data added to the register 150.

The user enters the store and pushes the trolley "32" past detector "53" in an aisle adjacent to hardware goods. The detector "53" sends the detection signal "32/53" to the Tagboard server where it is time stamped 11.48.

The data processor 165 runs the process "location based special offers" 700 which uses the location code "HW" of detector "53" to review the user profile 145 for user ID "325" to see if special offers on hardware are of interest to this user. If the result if positive, the location based special offers process 700 will search for message content relating to hardware goods, using the location code "HW", and if special offers are current will assemble a message for transmission to the mobile telephone of user ID "325" and update the register 150.

The user having the ID "325" moves the trolley "32" past a detector "63" having a location code "KG I ", relating to "Kitchen Goods Area 1". The detector ID "63" is time stamped 11.43 on entry to the data store 150. As above, the location based special offer process 700 will run, this time in relation to Kitchen Goods Area 1. (This process runs on each receipt of a detection signal for trolley ID "32" while the user/trolley combination "325/32" is current.) The user next pushes the trolley "32" past detector "64" having location code "KG2", relating to "Kitchen Goods Area 2". The location based special offer process 700 will run again as described above. Finally, trolley "32" reaches a detector "70" having location code "EX", indicating the checkout area. At this point, the combination of the user ID "325" and the trolley ID "32" is deleted. Sufficient data for marketing analysis has been captured by storing the time stamped detector IDs since the detector IDs can be translated to location codes. It can thus be determined where the user went in the store and how long they spent at particular locations.

The shopping list assembled by use of the scanner 130 on the trolley 110 as the user loads the trolley with goods is stored by the Tagboard server 135 for use in calculating loyalty points. This shopping list can also potentially be correlated with the time stamped detector lDs to obtain information which relates time spent with actual purchases.

A detection signal processing process 705 of the data processor 165 can be run at any time. In relation to the data above, information might be significant in, for example, the time difference of five minutes between the two time stamps occurring in the "Kitchen Goods" areas of the stores.

In the case that the scanner 130 can be read by the system while the user is still shopping, it is possible to run a "current loyalty discount" process 710. This might be event-driven, for example assembling a message for transmission to the mobile telephone of user ID "325" in the event that the sum of loyalty discount information in the user profile 145 and the user's current shopping total shows that the user is approaching a loyalty threshold.

The "current loyalty discount" process 710 gives the retail management system the capability of a loyalty data updater and can be run according to profile-specific rules. For example, it might be triggered whenever the user's mobile device is read by NFC equipment. At this point, the NFC equipment can read a shopping list present on the device, as further described below under the heading "4. Shopping List Constructor", and can thus deliver real-time purchasing data to the retail management system for use in calculating real-time loyalty data.

3.2 User Chooses Not to Enter User ID Still referring to Figures 7 and 8A, 8B, 8C, in another example of marketing data collection, a user enters the store at 14.44. They select a trolley having ID "39" and the gate detector "02" now sends a detection signal to the Tagboard server 135 associated with the location code "EN", Entry.

This user has not entered their user ID but the detector 120 nevertheless will be triggered to send detection signals as the trolley "39" moves through the store. In the absence of a user ID, no personalised processes can run. However, marketing data can be extracted from the time stamped detector IDs. In this case, according to the timestamped detection signals, the user spends only three minutes in the store, between triggering a detection signal at detector "02" at the entrance and another at detector "70", this last having the location code "EX" which is the checkout. Only one location code has been recorded within the store, this being "HW": Hardware.

3.3 User Profile Spec4fles Limited Personalised Information Still referring to Figures 7 and 8A, 8B, 8C, in a third example, a user having ID "487" selects trolley "45" and triggers a first detection signal at 16. 48 from detector "03", at the entrance. In this case, reference to the user profiles 145 shows that the user only wants information relevant to location "DR", this being disc and video rental. This user is only detected at the location "HW", hardware, before reaching the checkout and thus receives no personalised information.

In this last example, the user has received no special offer information. It would be an option always to run the special offer process 700 at least once, when a registered user ID is first detected at location "EN". In this arrangement, the user will at least receive all promotional information relevant to locations they have specified to be of interest, whether or not they choose to visit those locations. This arrangement might be made available to users as an option which is selectable via the user profile 145, or the monitoring apparatus might be generally set to operate in this manner.

In the above, the traffic detectors 120 in the various store locations are described as comprising antennae. However, these could easily be configured instead as mats or cables over which the trolley passes.

4. Shopping List Constructor In a particularly efficient embodiment of the invention, a shopping list can be constructed for or by the user on their mobile communications device prior to, or on, entering a retail environment.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, the display 990 of the user's mobile communications device 975 is used to show a shopping list. As shown, this can be without prices but it may equally show prices for the goods listed. The data for the shopping list is stored in the device's own memory 1010, not on an insertable SIM card or the like, and a software application 1005 for managing the shopping list data also resides in the device's memory.

The application can conveniently be written for example in a software language such as Visual Basic or C++ and provides tools for use by the user in viewing and amending the stored data. Thus the application provides navigation about the list and "enter" and "delete" functions and provides the heart of a shopping list constructor. The form of the display will be determined by the nature of the mobile communications device 975 but might be for example text-based, as used for short message services (SMS), or an image in the case of a more sophisticated device such as an email-enabled device.

The user might construct a shopping list using a touch-based input such as a keypad or touch screen of the communications device 975 as a goods data input. However, a first alternative is to use a personal computer 970 and to load the shopping list to the device 975 using a mechanism such as "Activesync" 1015, a Microsoft protocol for synchronizing e-mail, calendar, contacts, and other personal information management (PIM) data on mobile communications devices.

A second alternative is to use data stored, by the retail data management system provided by the Tagboard server 135 and associated systems, in relation to the till roll generated in a previous transaction. This has the advantage that the user only has to amend an existing list rather than starting from the beginning. Such till roll data can be downloaded to the mobile communications device 975 from the Tagboard server 135, again using a protocol such as an Activesync connection 1015, and the user can use the keypad or touch screen of the communications device 975 as a selections input to select items from the till roll data to construct a fresh shopping list.

A shopping list stored on the mobile communications device 975 can be used as the basis for fresh till roll data and thus can provide an extremely efficient checkout process. On confirmation by the user that a current shopping list stored on their mobile communications device 975 reflects goods selected for purchase, the data can be read directly to a Tagboard box, or "Tagbox", 180 associated with an electronic point of sale ("EPOS") device 985 and payment is thus made against till roll data already present in electronic form. The scanner 130 described above as mounted on the trolley 110 is thus redundant in this embodiment of the invention.

The shopping list data can be read from the device 975 to the Tagbox 180 using for example a Near Field Communication ("NFC") capability 1020 of known type. NFC provides a contactless method of linking devices which is subject to standards developed for example by the International Standards Organisation ("ISO"), the European Computer Manufacturers Association ("ECMA") and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute ("ETSI"). For example, a relevant standard is 1S014443. NFC operates in the 13.56 MHz frequency range, over a distance of a few centimetres, and is capable of providing peer-to-peer transfer of data between enabled devices.

Once the Tagbox 180 has read the shopping list data from the mobile communications device 975, it needs to be processed at the Tagboard server 135 in order to apply any applicable data from the data profiles 145 stored there, such as loyalty discounts, before being supplied to the EPOS equipment 985 where it is used as till roll data.

The Tagbox 980 is thus, in this context, primarily a means for reading and routing data from the mobile communications device 975 appropriately, for processing at the Tagboard server 135 and delivery to the EPOS equipment 985. However, the Tagbox 980 may incorporate all the functionality of the "Tagboard box" as described in W0200410908 19.

Referring to Figure 9, a process for constructing a shopping list, amending it in store and delivering it as till roll data to EPOS equipment is as follows: STEP 900: a user assembles a shopping list on a personal computer 970, for instance using a Website relevant to a retail environment, and sends the list as a text message or by email to a mobile communications device 975; STEP 905: in an alternative to STEP 900, the Tagboard server 135 transmits till roll data to the mobile communications device 975, for instance from the user's most recent transaction or a typical transaction, stored in the data profile 145 for the relevant user.

Again this can be done by text message or by email; STEP 910: the user, when present in the retail environment, views the till roll data as a shopping list displayed on the screen 990 of the mobile communications device 975, amends it as required by use of the device's keypad 995 during a shopping trip so as to create a list of items selected and placed in a shopping container (usually a trolley or basket) for purchase and presents the device 975 for reading by NFC at a Tagbox 980 associated with EPOS equipment 985. The Tagbox 980 reads the list of items; STEP 915: the Tagbox 980 sends the item data to the Tagboard server 135 where a shopping list processor 185 processes the item data in accordance with information in a user profile 145, for instance to apply a loyalty discount, and in accordance with any other criteria such as special offers. The processed item data now represents fresh till roll data; STEP 920: the fresh till roll data is sent to the EPOS equipment 985 where it can be viewed and a till receipt can be generated if required; STEP 925: once a purchasing transaction has been made at the EPOS equipment 985, the fresh till roll data is stored in the relevant user data profile 145.

In addition to STEP 905 above, the shopping list processor 185 can be used to add items to the till roll data sent to the mobile communications device 975 as the basis of a new shopping list. This might be done prior to sending the till roll data or when the tag on the back of a mobile communications device 975 is first detected in-store. Information that might be added might be for example items on special offer, particularly if specified as of interest in the data profile 145 for a user. The shopping list processor 185 might additionally be adapted to apply a sort process to the till roll data so that it appears in the order of store location on the screen 990 of the mobile communications device 975. This needs to be supported by a store map in terms of goods' locations in a store and this store map can be stored on the Tagboard server or be otherwise available to it.

In the above, although there is no rigorous check on every set of till roll data used in a purchase transaction to see that it correlates exactly with goods selected for purchase, it is already a known and accepted practice to make spot checks instead on the contents of shopping containers against till roll receipts.

Referring to Figure 10, the components of a mobile communications device 975 which support the process steps shown in Figure 9 comprise primarily the Activesync capability 1015, the NFC capability 1020 and the shopping list management process 1005 which allows the user to scroll down a shopping list displayed on screen 990, deals with data inputs and outputs and additionally responds to keypad inputs by the user to amend a shopping list appearing on screen 990.

In a relatively simple version, the user may use the shopping list management process 1005 to scroll a shopping list on screen 990 and to mark goods as selected. For example, selected goods might be marked in bold, underlined or asterisked. This allows the shopping list processor 950 to create till roll data for a specific shopping trip from an output of the mobile communications device 975 based on the marked list.

It is relatively simple for the shopping list management process 1005 also to respond to changes in quantity made by the user. However, it is slightly more complex if the user wishes to add new items since at some point these must be specified sufficiently well for the shopping list processor 185 to be able to convert them to till roll data. This can be approached in different ways. In a first approach, it might be made necessary for the user to enter a code for the goods concerned, the code being translatable by the shopping list processor 185 on the Tagboard server 135 to an accurate description of goods. In an alternative approach, the user could select additional goods but make them available for label scanning at checkout. This still considerably reduces the time taken at checkout since only additional goods would require scanning. In a third approach, additional goods would still require scanning but the user could enter a familiar description of the goods concerned to the shopping list appearing on screen 990 as a reminder. This familiar description might be ignored by the shopping list processor 185 on the Tagboard server which only adds data from the scanning process. In a fourth approach, if a shopping list on screen 990 is incomplete for the user's purposes, then it may simply be necessary to scan all the goods selected.

It should be noted that where a mobile communications device 975 is equipped for NFC as described above, it may not be necessary to attach a tag 180 to the device 975 in order to detect the user ID present in a retail environment. Instead the RFID tag reader 105 described above could be replaced by a unit equipped with NFC and the memory of the device 975could be read to give the user identifier.

In a further variation, it is possible to detect the location of a mobile communications device 975 independently of detectors installed for the purpose in the retail environment.

This can be done in various ways. For example, the network has information on which cell of the network (an area served by one base station transmitter) the SJM card of an active device is currently present in. Cells are of varying sizes but in an urban environment, cell sizes are much smaller. To increase signal strength and to counter building infrastructure, buildings can be equipped with microcells. These cells can also give the location of the mobile device 975 to an accuracy that at least means it is present in a retail environment. Known techniques such as "Angle of Arrival" and "Time of Arrival" can be used to locate a device 975 in relation to a base station transmitter even within a cell of the network. In addition, software present on the handset or provided separately as a service can be designed to process data available from the network, for instance by polling a home location register in a GSM ("Global System for Mobile communication") network, to find a device's location. Alternatively, the device 975 might be equipped with a positioning capability independent of the network, such as GPS ("Global Positioning System"), or a combination of network-based and other techniques might be used such as "Assisted GPS" which uses network data to help a GPS system find a device 975. Whatever technique is used, once the mobile device 975 is known to be in a retail environment, then the Tagboard server 135 can select information to send to the device 975 based on a data profile 145 for the relevant user. Other latent facilities also exist on handsets and the network for location-based delivery of information, which can be enabled by the Mobile Network Operator (MNO).

There are many variations that might be made without departing from an embodiment of the invention. For example, the system might be adapted to respond to user inputs via their mobile telephone. The user might then for example be able voluntarily to trigger the "current loyalty discount" process 710 to run. In an example of this, the shopping list as displayed may be designed with a "run discount process" field. The shopping list management process 1005 enables the user to enter data to the field. The data can be read over a NFC link and used by the system to trigger the "current loyalty discount" process 710. Alternatively, the user could text data to the system.

As described above, a user identifier can be detected at short range, for example up to 20 cms, while a trolley tag 180 is readable over a greater distance. The 20 ems range is intended to prevent fraudulent detection of data on the communications device 975 and in practice it might be preferred to use a form of user identifier which is only readable over a smaller distance, such as 10 ems, 5 ems or even 2 ems.

It should be noted that the location of the various data stores and processes described above as being on the Tagboard server 135 may in practice be elsewhere. The specific distribution of data and processes, and the network arrangement, are not important and are likely to depend in practice on local (or even remote) availability of processing capacity.

It should be noted that, for the purposes of the present specification, the word "comprising" is intended to be interpreted, unless the context indicates otherwise, so as to include for instance at least the meaning of either of the following phrases: "consisting solely of" and "including amongst other things".

Claims

Claims: 1. Mobile user interface apparatus for use in a retail data

management system, the apparatus comprising: at least one contactlessly readable identification unit for installation on a handheld mobile communications device, the communications device being connectable to a public network; and at least one contactless detector for installation at a predetermined location to generate a detection signal on detection of an identification unit, the interface apparatus being adapted to support data communication between the retail data management system and the handheld mobile communications device by use of the public network in response to a detection signal.
2. Mobile user interface apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the at least one identification unit is passive.
3. Mobile user interface apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the at least one identification unit is active.
4. Mobile user interface apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one identification unit comprises a radio frequency identification unit.
5. Mobile user interface apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the at least one identification unit is adapted for mounting on the communications device.
6. Mobile user interface apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the at least one identification unit is installed in the communications device.
7. Mobile user interface apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the identification unit is contactlessly readable over a distance of not more than cms.
8. Mobile user interface apparatus according to Clam 7, the interface comprising at least two identification units, wherein at least one identification unit is contactlessly readable over a distance of not more than 20 ems and at least one identification unit is contactlessly readable over a distance greater than 20 cms.
9. Mobile user interface apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a plurality of contactless detectors for installation at predetermined locations to generate a detection signal on detection of an identification unit at any one of the predetermined locations.
10. Mobile user interface apparatus according to Claim 9 wherein each detection signal comprises a portion determined by the predetermined location and a portion determined by the detected identification unit.
11. Mobile user interface apparatus according to Claim 10, further comprising a retail data management system, said system having a profile data store for storing data profiles, the retail data management system being adapted to respond to a generated detection signal by querying the profile data store to find a data profile associated with the detected identification unit.
12. Mobile user interface apparatus according to Claim 11 wherein the profile data store is structured to store communications routing data in relation to at least one stored data profile and the retail data management system is provided with communications equipment for sending information over the public network using stored communications routing data.
13. Mobile user interface apparatus according to Claim 12 wherein the retail data management system is adapted to select information to send by reference to the data profile associated with the detected identification unit.
14. Mobile user interface apparatus according to any one of Claims 11 to 13 wherein the profile data store is structured to store profile-specific rules for controlling behaviour of the retail data management system.
15. Mobile user interface apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one identification unit adapted for mounting on a shopping container.
16. Mobile user interface apparatus according to any one of Claims 11 to 15, wherein said at least one identification unit for installation on a handheld mobile communications device is active, the data profile associated with it is structured to store loyalty data and the retail data management system comprises a loyalty data updater for updating loyalty data stored on the identification unit.
17. Mobile user interface apparatus according to any one of Claims 11 to 16, wherein the retail data management system comprises a register for registering a pair of identification units in current use.
18. Mobile user interface apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an array of contactiess detectors for installation at predetermined locations in an environment for tracking movement of identification units.
19. A retail data management system, the system comprising: a data profile store for storing at least one data profile comprising a network address and till roll data; and a till roll data output for sending till roll data to a network address associated with the till roll data in a data profile.
20. A retail data management system according to Claim 19 wherein said till roll data comprises identifiers for goods for which the retail data management system has access to price data.
21. A retail data management system according to either one of Claim 19 or 20 further comprising at least one contactless data detector for reading till roll data from a mobile communications device.
22. A retail data management system according to Claim 21 further comprising a till roll data processor for processing till roll data read from a mobile communications device.
23. A retail data management system according to Claim 22 further comprising a data store for storing loyalty data and wherein the till roll data processor is adapted to process said till roll data by applying a loyalty discount determined by stored loyalty data.
24. A retail data management system according to any one of Claims 19 to 23 wherein the network address comprises an address for the mobile communications device in a public network.
25. A retail data management system according to any one of Claims 19 to 24, wherein at least one data profile comprises user preference data and the system is adapted to add one or more items to the till roll data, in accordance with said user preference data, prior to sending it to said network address.
26. A mobile communications device having: a goods data input for receiving goods data identifying a plurality of goods items; a selections input for receiving user selections in respect of individual items in received goods data; a goods data processor for processing received goods data in accordance with received user selections; and a data store for storing goods data, the data store being readable by use of a contactless detector, whereby goods data can be delivered to the device, a user can select items from the goods data for use by the goods data processor in processing received goods data, and processed received goods data can be read from the data store by use of a contactless detector.
27. A device according to Claim 26 wherein the goods input is connectable to a public network for receipt of goods data over said network.
28. A device according to either one of Claims 26 or 27 wherein the selections input comprises touch-based input apparatus of the device.