Forecourt Communications Group

Scott W Slinker

James T Brady

William H Yundt

Roger B Bertman

An apparatus and method present to a consumer information during consumer idle periods. A signal indicating the start of idle time is used to present to the consumer various offers. The interactions are planned based on previously acquired consumer data, the current transaction, the venue of the transaction, the time of day and the date of the transaction, and the estimated time available. The method of the invention collects information about the customer utilizing a point-of-sale terminal. Information concerning the customer's transactions are accumulated and analyzed and the resulting information is used to improve the efficiency of the customer's next interaction with the system. The efficiency increase results from a fitting of a set of possible dialogues, into the idle time, so as to select a set of dialogues and their order that will provide the highest value.

Method and apparatus using consumer idle time for productive activities

Apparatus, and a corresponding method, present to a customer various forms of information (product, brand . . . ) during periods where the customer is idle. A signal indicating the start or impending start of idle time is used to present to the customer various offers in a series of interactions between a computer interface and the customer. The interactions are planned based on previously acquired information about the customer, the current transaction, the venue of the transaction, the time of day and the date of the transaction, and the history of prior customer activities. The method of the invention enables a system of computers to collect information about the characteristics of a customer in a retail, banking or service establishment utilizing a point-of-sale terminal, which has input and output devices that the customer can use to communicate with the system of computers for identification purposes and to select from various options presented to the customer. The information concerning the customer's activities are accumulated and analyzed such that the resulting information can be used to improve the efficiency of the customer's next interaction with the system in the same or different venues. The efficiency increase results from a fitting of a set of possible activities into the idle time, in such a manner as to select a set of activities and their order that will provide the highest value likelihood that the customer will complete each activity.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Scott W Slinker