In-store item alert architecture
A method and apparatus for alerting an individual is described. A determination as to whether an individual is within a sensing area of a first device is made. The first device may be configured to provide information about a product on a shelf on which the first device is attached. In response to determining that the individual is within the sensing area, a determination as to whether to notify an occurrence of the determination that the individual is within the sensing area of the first device to at least one second device is made. In response to determining to notify, a notification may be transmitted to the at least one second device that the individual is within the sensing area of the first device. An alert may be triggered at the at least one second device based upon the transmitted notification.
1. A method comprising:
determining, by a first computing device, an identity of an individual who has entered a store;
accessing, by the first computing device, a database to determine a list of products for purchase by the individual at the store based upon the determined identity;
transmitting, by the first computing device, at least one notification to at least one first shelf label device, at a first shelf, to trigger an alert at the at least one first shelf label device upon sensing that the individual is within a sensing area of the at least one first shelf label device, wherein the at least one notification includes instructions for the at least one first shelf label device to notify at least one second shelf label device to trigger an alert at the at least one second shelf label device; and
determining whether the individual is within a sensing area of the at least one second shelf label device, wherein the determining whether the individual is within a sensing area of the at least one second shelf label device occurs prior to triggering the alert at the at least one second shelf label device, wherein the triggering the alert is responsive to determining the individual is within the sensing area of the at least one second shelf label device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert is an audio or visual alert at the at least one first shelf label device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert is an audio or visual alert at the at least one second shelf label device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one notification includes an instruction that a first product on the first shelf on which the first shelf label device is attached is in conflict with a product on an at least one second shelf on which the at least one second shelf label device is attached.
5. The method of claim 1 , providing information about a second product on a second shelf on which the second shelf label device is attached based upon determining the individual is within the sensing area of the at least one second shelf label device.
6. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the determining whether the individual is within the sensing area of the at least one second shelf label device includes determining whether the individual is within the sensing area of the at least one second shelf label device in a threshold period of time, and
wherein disengaging the alert at the at least one second shelf label device based upon determining that the individual is within the sensing area of the at least one second shelf label device includes disengaging the alert at the at least one second shelf label device based upon determining the individual is within the sensing area of the at least one second shelf label device in the threshold period of time.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger of the alert at the at least one second shelf label device includes triggering a plurality of alerts at a plurality of the second shelf label devices to draw the individual to a third shelf label device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the list of products for purchase by the individual includes receiving data representative of the list of products from a second shelf label device.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining whether at least one second product is on the list of products, the second shelf label device configured to provide information about the at least one second product on a second shelf on which the second shelf label device is attached.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining whether to notify the determination that the individual is within the sensing area of the first shelf label device to the second shelf label device is based upon determining that at least one second product is on the list of products.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first shelf and the second shelf are the same shelf.