# 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. - **Patent:** US 11900293 - **Original title:** Merchant action recommendation system - **Owner:** PayPal - **Granted:** 2024 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 0 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, telecommunications, ecommerce, retail ## What it does 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). ## 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. ## 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. ## Real-world examples 1. Retail store inventory and customer flow analytics 2. Smart shelves that track product movement 3. Personalized in-store promotions based on combined online/offline interest 4. Optimizing store layouts for popular items 5. Warehouse management systems tracking asset and worker locations ## Why it matters 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. ## 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. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11900293/merchant-action-recommendation-system **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US11900293 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Square Syncs Inventory Between Physical Shops and Online Stores](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10192220/square-capital) — A system that lets store owners toggle items between online and physical sales channels using a single dashboard to keep stock counts accurate everywhere. - [How Square Uses Your Phone's Location to Verify Credit Card Payments](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10198731/shopify-e-commerce-platform) — A system that uses GPS data from a customer's smartphone to confirm they are physically present at a store during a credit card transaction to reduce fraud. - [How Warehouses Plan Pallet Stacks for Incoming Shipments](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11767169/warehousing-systems-and-methods) — This patent describes an automated warehouse system that plans how to stack incoming items onto pallets to perfectly fit available storage racks, and automatically sorts out incorrect items. - [How Referral-Based Text Message Marketing Systems Work](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10204358/shopify-payments) — A system that tracks web browsing to send personalized text message offers to users, incentivizing them to share those offers with friends to grow a subscriber database. - [How Mobile Devices Use Tags to Close Restaurant Checks](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10559047/systems-and-methods-for-facilitating-closing-of-a-check) — A system for restaurant servers to open and close customer tabs by tapping a mobile device against a physical tag at a table.