TECHNIQUES FOR REDUCING CONSUMER WAIT TIME

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

monitoring, with a processing device of a commerce server, a plurality of locations within a retail store with respective cameras directed at each location and generating respective monitoring video signals;

receiving, at the processing device, an access signal from a head mountable unit worn by a consumer in the retail store containing a request for access to at least one of the monitoring video signals; and

transmitting, with the processing device, at least one of the monitoring video signals to the head mountable unit in response to said receiving step.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said receiving step further comprises:

receiving, at the processing device of the commerce server, an audio signal as the access signal.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said receiving step further comprises:

receiving, at the processing device of the commerce server, a video signal from the head mountable unit as the access signal.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said receiving step further comprises:

receiving, at the processing device of the commerce server, an access signal from the head mountable unit worn by the consumer in the retail store containing a request for access to a particular monitoring video signal from among the plurality of monitoring video signals.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said receiving step further comprises:

receiving, at the processing device of the commerce server, an access signal from the head mountable unit worn by the consumer in the retail store containing criteria for selecting one monitoring video signal from among the plurality of monitoring video signals.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

determining, with the processing device of the commerce server, one monitoring video signal from among the plurality of monitoring video signals matching the criteria in the signal received from the head mountable unit to transmit in said transmitting step.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein said determining step further comprises:

analyzing, with the processing device of the commerce server, all of the monitoring video signals received from the cameras to determine the one monitoring video signal to transmit in said transmitting step.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein said analyzing step further comprises:

identifying, with the processing device of the commerce server, a number of people visible in each of the monitoring video signals received from the cameras.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving, at a processing device of a commerce server, a position signal from the head mountable unit; and

determining, with the processing device of the commerce server, the monitoring video signal corresponding to the location closest to the head mountable unit to transmit in said transmitting step.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein said transmitting step further comprises:

determining, with the processing device of the commerce server, a first monitoring video signal from among the plurality of monitoring video signals matching the criteria in the signal received from the head mountable unit;

transmitting, with the processing device, the first monitoring video signal to the head mountable unit in response to said receiving step;

reassessing, with the processing device, the plurality of monitoring video signals in response to the criteria after said step of transmitting the first monitoring video signal; and

transmitting, with the processing device, a second monitoring video signal different than the first monitoring video signal to the head mountable unit in response to said reassessing step.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting, with the processing device, a location direction signal to the head mountable unit configured for visual display by a display of the head mountable unit.

12 . A commerce server comprising:

a processing device operable to receive monitoring video signals from a plurality of video cameras in a retail store and an access signal from a head mountable unit worn by a consumer in the retail store and including:

a video processing module operable to monitoring a plurality of locations within a retail store with respective cameras directed at each location and generating respective monitoring video signals;

an access module operable to receive an access signal from a head mountable unit worn by a consumer in the retail store containing a request for access to at least one of the monitoring video signals; and

a transmission module operable to transmit at least one of the monitoring video signals to the head mountable unit in response to receipt of the access signal.

13 . The commerce server of claim 12 wherein said processing device further comprises:

an audio processing module operable to process audio signals and detect commands and data conveyed by voice.

14 . The commerce server of claim 12 wherein said processing device further comprises:

a position module operable to process a position signal and detect a location of the head mountable unit within the retail store.

15 . The commerce server of claim 12 wherein said processing device further comprises:

a direction module operable to process a direction signal and detect direction of the head mountable unit within the retail store.

16 . The commerce server of claim 12 wherein said commerce server further comprises:

a location database containing and correlating the locations in the retail store monitored by the cameras with the monitoring video signals.

17 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a retail store containing a plurality of products;

communicating with a consumer shopping in the retail store through an electronic device possessed by the consumer with a processing device of a commerce server;

monitoring a plurality of locations within a retail store with respective cameras directed at each location and generating respective monitoring video signals;

receiving, at the processing device, an access signal from the electronic device containing a request for access to at least one of the monitoring video signals; and

transmitting, with the processing device, at least one of the monitoring video signals to the electronic device in response to said receiving step.

18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

selecting, with the processing device, the at least one monitoring video signal to transmit in response to data contained in more than one of the plurality of monitoring video signals.

19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving, with the processing device, an audio signal from the electronic device; and

selecting, with the processing device, the at least one monitoring video signal to transmit in response to data contained in more than one of the plurality of monitoring video signals and in response to the audio signal.

20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving, with the processing device, a position signal from the electronic device; and

selecting, with the processing device, the at least one monitoring video signal to transmit in response to data contained in more than one of the plurality of monitoring video signals and in response to the position signal.

21 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 wherein said transmitting step further comprises:

transmitting, with the processing device, all of the monitoring video signals to the electronic device in response to said receiving step.

22 . The computer-implemented method of claim 21 further comprising:

selecting, with the electronic device, one of the monitoring video signals to display to the consumer in response to data contained in more than one of the plurality of monitoring video signals.