Tracking Shoppers and Store Items for Better Recommendations
This patent describes a system that tracks the location of physical customers, virtual customers, and store items using beacons to generate a combined visual report and recommend actions for merchants.
Original patent title: “Merchant action recommendation system”
This patent describes a system that tracks the location of physical customers, virtual customers, and store items using beacons to generate a combined visual report and recommend actions for merchants. Granted to PayPal in 2024 with 23 claims, and it is expected to expire in 2041.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The system helps store owners understand what's happening in their physical store by tracking people and products. It receives "first location information" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1) from devices attached to store items, like a smart tag on a new pair of shoes. It also figures out where real customers are ("physical user representation location," Claim 1) and even detects when online shoppers ("virtual customer") are looking at those same items (Claim 1). All this data is combined into a "first merchant information report" (Claim 1) that shows where the physical customer, the virtual customer, and the item are, all at the same time, on a display. For example, if a physical customer is near a new TV, and many online customers are also viewing that TV, the system might recommend the merchant move the TV to a more prominent display or offer a special deal (Claim 5). The system can also update the report if an item moves (Claim 3).
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems that only track physical customers without also considering "virtual customers" viewing the same assets.
- Does not cover systems that track customer movement but do not also track the location of specific "merchant assets."
- Does not cover systems that don't generate a single visual report showing the physical user, virtual customer, and merchant asset together.
- Does not cover systems that do not use beacon devices for collecting location information from customer and merchant devices (AbstractabstractA short summary at the front of the patent describing the invention. Not legally binding.Read more →).
- Does not cover systems that only provide general store recommendations without linking them to specific customer-asset interactions.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in simultaneously tracking the physical location of store assets and real customers, and identifying when online customers are virtually viewing those same assets, then combining all this information into a single visual report for the merchant. This integrated view allows for recommendations based on a holistic understanding of customer-product interaction.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Retail store inventory and customer flow analytics
Smart shelves that track product movement
Personalized in-store promotions based on combined online/offline interest
Optimizing store layouts for popular items
Warehouse management systems tracking asset and worker locations
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology helps merchants gain deeper insights into how physical and online customer interest aligns with their inventory. By understanding which items attract both in-store attention and online views, businesses can make smarter decisions about product placement, promotions, and staffing. This could lead to more efficient store operations and potentially higher sales by acting on real-time data about customer engagement.
Filed
December 23, 2021
Granted
February 13, 2024
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
PayPal Inc., the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is primarily known for payment processing, but this patent suggests an interest in broader retail technology and analytics. Companies specializing in retail analytics, smart store solutions, and inventory management, such as those providing IoT solutions for physical spaces, are active in this area. Major retailers themselves often invest in similar internal systems to optimize their operations.
Market impact
This patent aims to improve how merchants understand and react to customer behavior by bridging the gap between online and in-store interactions. It could enable more dynamic store management, allowing businesses to quickly adapt product displays or promotions based on real-time interest from both physical and virtual shoppers. This approach could lead to more targeted marketing efforts and more efficient inventory management, potentially increasing sales and reducing waste in the retail sector.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The system helps store owners understand what's happening in their physical store by tracking people and products. It receives "first location information" (Claim 1) from devices attached to store items, like a smart tag on a new pair of shoes. It also figures out where real customers are ("physical user representation location," Claim 1) and even detects when online shoppers ("virtual customer") are looking at those same items (Claim 1). All this data is combined into a "first merchant information report" (Claim 1) that shows where the physical customer, the virtual customer, and the item are, all at the same time, on a display. For example, if a physical customer is near a new TV, and many online customers are also viewing that TV, the system might recommend the merchant move the TV to a more prominent display or offer a special deal (Claim 5). The system can also update the report if an item moves (Claim 3).
The clever bit
The novelty lies in simultaneously tracking the physical location of store assets and real customers, and identifying when online customers are virtually viewing those same assets, then combining all this information into a single visual report for the merchant. This integrated view allows for recommendations based on a holistic understanding of customer-product interaction.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems that only track physical customers without also considering "virtual customers" viewing the same assets.
- Does not cover systems that track customer movement but do not also track the location of specific "merchant assets."
- Does not cover systems that don't generate a single visual report showing the physical user, virtual customer, and merchant asset together.
- Does not cover systems that do not use beacon devices for collecting location information from customer and merchant devices (Abstract).
- Does not cover systems that only provide general store recommendations without linking them to specific customer-asset interactions.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$37K – $120K
Midpoint $75K · 15.5 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Sakamoto, A. (2024). Tracking Shoppers and Store Items for Better Recommendations (U.S. Patent No. 11,900,293). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11900293/merchant-action-recommendation-system
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Tracking Shoppers and Store Items for Better Recommendations cover?
This patent describes a system that tracks the location of physical customers, virtual customers, and store items using beacons to generate a combined visual report and recommend actions for merchants.
Who owns patent US 11900293?
PayPal owns this patent, granted in 2024.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on December 23, 2041, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology helps merchants gain deeper insights into how physical and online customer interest aligns with their inventory. By understanding which items attract both in-store attention and online views, businesses can make smarter decisions about product placement, promotions, and staffing. This could lead to more efficient store operations and potentially higher sales by acting on real-time data about customer engagement.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems that only track physical customers without also considering "virtual customers" viewing the same assets.
Patent monitoring