WEARABLE DEVICE LEARNING USER MOTIONS TO PROMPT PRODUCT REORDER

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for repurchasing a product. A method comprising receiving motion data from a wearable device and determining an activity that corresponds to the motion data. Increasing a counter for the activity every time the activity occurs and determining if the counter is greater than or equal to a threshold value that is associated with a product used during the activity. Transmitting a repurchase order of the product associated with the activity when the counter is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of wearable electronic devices, and more particularly to learning the actions of a user wearing the wearable electronic devices to determine if a product associated with an action needs to be reordered.

There are many products that a user buys on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, bimonthly, etc.) and the user uses the product on a regular basis. As the user consumes the contents of products, the consumer usually does not track the number of times the user has used the product. Thus, the consumer only realizes the need for a new product only after the product is empty.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for repurchasing a product. A method comprising receiving motion data from a wearable device and determining an activity that corresponds to the motion data. Increasing a counter for the activity every time the activity occurs and determining if the counter is greater than or equal to a threshold value that is associated with a product used during the activity. Transmitting a repurchase order of the product associated with the activity when the counter is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to utilizing the information collected by a wearable device the user is wearing to determine the activity the user is performing and to repurchase products the user consumes during the activity. Wearable devices come with multiple types of sensors, for example, motion sensors that collect data on how the wearable device moves, and biometric sensors that collect data about the user wearing the wearable device. The motion sensor collects movement data of the wearable device (i.e. vertical, horizontal, and rotational movement) and the biometric sensor collects data about the biometrics of the person wearing the wearable device. The repurchase application receives the data from at least the motion sensor, biometric sensor, a clock, data from a connected appliance, and any other data from the wearable device.

The repurchase application analyzes the received data to determine the activity the user was performing, such as, brushing teeth, laundry, doing dishes, drinking, exercising, or any other activity. The repurchasing application retrieves a product that is associated with the activity, furthermore, the repurchasing application determines the number of uses of the product before the product needs to be repurchased. The repurchase application counts the number of times the activity is performed and when the activity count reaches a threshold value associated with the corresponding product, then the repurchasing application reorders the product. The threshold value can vary depending on the activity and the corresponding product, for example, a container of detergent can have a higher threshold value (i.e. number of uses) than a tube of toothpaste. When the count is equal to or greater than the threshold value then the repurchasing application determines if the user has a preference for repurchasing products. For example, the user can have a preference for automatically repurchasing all or some products. Another example, the user can have a preference to be provided with a plurality of lower cost options for the product to choose from. Alternatively, the user can have a preference to be provided with an option for upgrading the quality of the product. Furthermore, the user can have a preference where the user wants to confirm repurchasing the product. The list of user preferences here is not meant to be all encompassing, the user is able to set a preference how they want to order all products or how the user wants to order individual products. When the preference is set to automatically repurchase the product then the repurchasing application connects to an online store and automatically repurchases the product (e.g. repurchased product is the same product that was previously purchased). When the preference is set for the user to choose the product, then the repurchasing application retrieves the product's details from a store (multiple products from one store, or the same product from different stores) and displays the product's details on the wearable device. The user inputs the product they want to purchase, and the repurchasing application orders the product based on the user input.

FIG. 1is a functional block diagram illustrating a product reordering processing environment100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Network105can be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or a combination of the two, and can include wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. In general, network105can be any combination of connections and protocols that will support communications between wearable device110, appliance140and store150.

Wearable device110may be a smart watch, a smart phone, or any other type of wearable device. Wearable device110may include, but is not limited to, the internal and external hardware components, as depicted, and described in further detail with respect toFIG. 3, and operate in a cloud computing environment, as depicted inFIGS. 4 and 5.

Wearable device110includes a graphical interface112, a motion sensor114, a biometric sensor116, communications unit118, a clock120, and a repurchase application130. The graphical interface112includes a display that shows images to the user and allows for the user to input data or make selections. The user can input a selection or input data by touching the graphical interface112, or by other suitable means. The motion sensor114is a sensor that detects multiple types of motion of the wearable device110. The motion sensor114detects horizontal motion, vertical motion, rotational motion, and tilting motion of the wearable device. For example, as the user is performing an activity where the user moves their arm that is wearing the wearable device110, the motion sensor114detects each motion the user makes as he is performing the activity. The biometric sensor116collects biometric data about the user, for example, the user's heartbeat, perspiration, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, or other biometric data. The communications unit118receives and transmits data to and from store150and/or appliance140, via the network105. Clock120keeps track of time and shares that information with the different components included in the wearable device110.

Repurchasing application130is an application that the user downloads and installs on the wearable device110. The repurchasing application130includes a user profile132, a tracking unit134, a motion database136, a product database137, a repurchasing unit138, and an estimation unit139. The user profile132stores information about the user, for example, the user preferences about how they want products repurchased, types of products, ingredients to avoid (for example, because of allergies), or any other information about the user. The repurchasing application130allows for the user to set up the user profile132during an initial set up phase of the application and the repurchasing application130allows for the user to update the user profile132at any time.

The tracking unit134receives data from the motion sensor114and can also receive data from the biometric sensor116, the clock120, and from the appliance140via the network105. The tracking unit134receives the horizontal, vertical, rotational, and tilting motion data from the motion sensor114. The tracking unit134determines the activity associated with the received motion data. The tracking unit134may utilize data from other sources to help identify the activity of the user. The other sources of data that are analyzed to help identify the activity can provided by biometric sensor116, clock120, and/or appliance140.

The motion database136and the product database137are a data store that stores multiple types of data. The motion database136stores data about motions that were previously identified and the activity that corresponds to the identified motions. The product database137stores data about, a product that corresponds to each activity, and the number of uses for each product. The tracking unit134determines if the received motion data has been previously identified and associated with an activity. When the received motion data corresponds to a previously identified activity, then the tracking unit134transmits to the repurchasing unit138an indication that the activity was performed by the user. When the motion data has not previously identified, then the tracking unit134goes through with the steps to identify the activity.

The tracking unit134tries to identify the activity from the received motion received data, for example, if the motion data contains a plurality of small vertical movements, a plurality of small horizontal movements, and a few tilting movements, then the tracking unit134could conclude that the user was shaving. Additionally, the tracking unit134can utilize data from other sources to help identify the activity the user was performance. The appliance140is any type of smart home appliance, for example, washer, dryer, refrigerator, oven, thermostat, or other appliance. The wearable device110receives data from the application140, via the network105. The data received from appliance140can be just the activation/deactivation of the appliance140or how the user interacts with the appliance140. The tracking unit134can determine the activity the user was preforming from the received motion data and the data received from the appliance140. For example, the tracking unit134receives data from the appliance140(a dryer) that the user just opened the door after a completion of a drying cycle. The tracking unit134then receives motion data (horizontal, vertical, rotational, and tilting motions) from the motion sensor114. The tracking unit134can determine that the activity the user was performing was folding laundry based on the received motion data and the data from the appliance140. Another example, the tracking unit134receives motion data from the motion sensor114and receives data from the clock120(i.e. the time the motions occurred). The motion data received by the tracking unit134includes multiple different types of motions that occurred at 6:15 am. The tracking unit134determines based on the motions and the time they occurred that the user could have been brushing their teeth. Another example, the tracking unit134receives motion data from motion sensor114and receives biometric data from biometric sensor116. The data received by the tracking unit includes multiple different types of motions and the biometric data indicates that the user heart rate was elevated. The tracking unit134determines that the activity associated with the motion data and the biometric data is that the user was exercising.

Additionally, the motion database136can store default motions (e.g. horizontal, vertical, tilting, and rotational motions) that correspond to possible activities the user routinely performs. The tracking unit134compares the motion data from the motion sensor114to the stored default motions to determine if the motion data from motion sensor114is similar to any of the stored default motions. For example, the user can be washing his hair which is comprised of multiple different motions. The motions sensor114collects motion data comprised of a plurality of different motions, where the motion data contains a plurality of horizontal motions where the wearable device110moves eight inches back and forth. The motion data further contains a plurality of vertical motions where the wearable device110periodically moves up and down four inches. The motion data could further contain some tilting and rotational motions. The tracking unit134compares these motions to the stored default motions and finds an activity that has similar motions, e.g. the activity of hair washing. The motion data from motion sensor114does not have to match perfectly to the stored default motions (e.g. the distant of motions, type of motions, the number of motions). The tracking unit134estimates the user activity (hair washing), based on finding a default activity that has similar motions. When the motion data is similar to one of the stored motions, then the tracking unit134prompts the user to confirm that the activity is the estimated activity (hair washing) he was performing. The tracking unit134displays the activity on the graphical interface112and the user can either confirm or deny that he just performed that activity. The tracking unit134overwrites the default motions corresponding to the activity in the motion database136with the received motions from the motion sensor114. However, the tracking unit134is not always able to determine an activity the user was doing through the data it receives, e.g. when the motion data is not similar to any stored motion data in the motion database136. When the tracking unit134cannot determine the activity the user was performing, then the tracking unit134requests that the user input activity he just performed into the graphical interface112. The tracking unit134stores the now identify activity and the corresponding motion data in the motion database136.

The graphical interface112allows for the user to input products they use during different activities. The product database137stores the information about the products and the activity the product is associated with. The product database137further stores the amount of uses each product has before the product needs to be repurchased.

The repurchasing unit138receives data from the tracking unit134that a user has performed an activity. The repurchasing unit138retrieves data from the motion database136and product database137that corresponds to the activity, for example, the type of product, a specific product, the number of uses associated with the specific product, and the current count associated with the activity. Once the tracking unit134identifies the activity associated with the motion data, then the repurchase unit138identifies the type of product associated with the identified activity. The repurchase unit138retrieves data from the product database137to determine if a specific product has been associated with the activity. When there has been no specific product associated with the activity then the repurchase unit138identifies the type of the product that is associated with the activity. The repurchase unit138retrieves the user purchase history form store150to identified which specific product the user has purchased corresponding to the identified type of product associated with the identified activity.

The repurchasing unit138receives the current count from the motion database136and increases the count when the tracking unit134indicates the activity occurred. Once the count for the activity is greater than or equal to the threshold value, then the repurchasing unit138starts the repurchasing procedures based on the user preferences stored in the user profile132. The threshold value differs for each product. The threshold value can be, for example, a number of uses remaining in the product. For example, number of users remaining can be calculated from the total number of uses and a percentage of uses still available. The number of total uses varies based on the product size (i.e. amount) and quantity of usage. The number of uses of a product can change with time, use, or another user using the product. Therefore, the total number of uses of a specific product is updated with each purchase of the product. The estimation unit139retrieves an initial number of uses of a product, where the initial number of uses is set by the manufacture of the product. After the product has been repurchased for the first time, then the estimation unit139can start to predict the number of uses available in a product based on the user usage of the product. The estimation unit139retrieves the purchase date of the product, the reorder date, and the count number before reordering, and if available when the user starts using the product (the user can input the start date into the graphical interface112). The estimation unit139compares the count to the initial number of uses (or the estimated total number of uses from the previous product) to see if they are the same or different, and if they are different the estimation unit139calculates a difference value. The estimation unit139estimates a total number of uses of a specific product based on the initial number of uses (or the estimate total number of uses of the previously purchased product) and the calculated difference. The estimation139calculates the estimated total number of uses after each time the product is repurchased. The estimation unit139stores the estimated number of uses of a product (i.e. the total number of uses) in the product database137. The estimation unit139stores the estimated difference value in the product database137, where the estimated difference value references the specific product and the type of product. When a user replaces the product (e.g. old product) with a new product, where the new product is the same type of product as the old product, then the estimation unit139estimates the total number of uses of the new product based on the initial number of uses and the difference value calculated from the user usage of the old product.

The repurchase unit138receives the user preference from the user profile132as to how the user would like product to be repurchased from store150. The store150represents a retailer or a plurality of retail stores. For example, the user preference can be automatically repurchasing all or some products, the user could want to choose form plurality of lower cost options for the product, give an option for upgrading the quality of the product, confirmation of repurchasing the product, or a different user option. For example, when the preference is set to automatically repurchasing the products, then the repurchase unit138connects to store150and automatically repurchases the product (e.g. the same one as last purchased). When the preference is set for the user to choose the product, then the repurchase unit138retrieves the product details (e.g. multiple different brands of product from one store150, or the same product from different stores150) and displays the product details on graphical interface112on the wearable device110. The user inputs the product they want to purchase (for example, by touching the product image), and the repurchasing unit138orders the product from the store150based on the user input. The user preference can request that the repurchasing unit138retrieves product listing at different price points from the same store150or from different stores150, such that, the graphical interface112displays multiple products for the user to select from. The user preference can be that the user wants to confirm the repurchasing of the product, then the repurchasing unit138retrieves information about the product from the store150and display a request for the user to confirm the repurchasing of the product.

The repurchasing application130resets the count for the activity after the repurchasing unit138has repurchased the product and stores the reset count in the motion database136. Once the product is repurchased then the estimation unit139estimates the total number of uses for the newly purchased product. The repurchasing application130can automatically reset the count for the activity after repurchasing the product or the repurchasing application130can reset the count after receiving an input from the user on the wearable device110, where the input indicates that the user is starting to use a new product.

FIG. 2is a flowchart depicting operational steps200of the reordering a product based on movement of a wearable device in the product reordering processing environment ofFIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The repurchase application130receives data from motion sensor114, biometric sensor116, clock120, and/or appliance140to indicate that the user is performing an activity (S205). The tracking unit134determines what activity the user was performing and the send a notice to the repurchasing unit138that the activity occurred (S210). The repurchasing unit138receives the current count from the motion and product database134and increases the count when the tracking unit134indicates the activity occurred (S210). The repurchasing unit138retrieves data from the motion database136and the product database137that corresponds to the activity, for example, the type of product, a specific product, and the total number of uses associated with the specific product. The repurchasing unit138determines if the count for the activity is greater than or equal to a threshold value, where the threshold value is a percentage of uses still available in the product (S215). The number of uses of a product varies product to product, such that, the percentage of number uses still available can vary product to product. The percentage of uses still available of a product can be set based the type of product, a user percentage preference, or a default percentage can be utilized. The total number of uses of a product is estimated by the estimation unit139based on an initial number of uses (provided by the manufacture) and a calculated difference value, as described above. The repurchasing unit138retrieves the user repurchase preferences stored in the user profile132(S220).

The repurchase unit138receives the user preference from the user profile132(S220) as to how the user would like product to be reordered from store150. The store150represents a retailer or a plurality of retail stores. For example, the user preference can be automatically repurchasing all or some products, the user could want to choose from plurality of lower cost options, give an option for upgrading the quality of the product, confirmation of repurchasing the product, or a different user option. When the preference is set to automatically repurchasing the product then the repurchase unit138connects to store150and automatically repurchases the product (e.g. the same product as previously purchased) (S225). When the preference is set for the user to choose the product, then the repurchase unit138retrieves the product details (e.g. multiple different brands of products from one store150, or the same product from different stores150) and displays the product details on graphical interface112on the wearable device110(S225). The user inputs the product they want (for example, by touching the product image), and the repurchasing unit138orders the product from the store150based on the user input (S225). The repurchasing unit138can automatically repurchase products without user input or the user can provide an input as to what product will be ordered by the repurchasing unit138(S225). The estimation unit139estimates the total number of uses for the newly purchased product based on the initial number of uses (i.e. total number of uses provided by the manufacture) or the previously estimated total number of uses and the calculated difference value (e.g. the difference between the count and the estimated total number of uses of the previously purchased product) (S230).

FIG. 3depicts a block diagram of components of the wearable device110in the product reordering processing environment ofFIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It should be appreciated thatFIG. 3provides only an illustration of one implementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Many modifications to the depicted environment may be made.

Wearable device110, appliance140, and store150may include one or more processors902, one or more computer-readable RAMs904, one or more computer-readable ROMs906, one or more computer readable storage media908, device drivers912, read/write drive or interface914, network adapter or interface916, all interconnected over a communications fabric918. The network adapter916communicates with a network930. Communications fabric918may be implemented with any architecture designed for passing data and/or control information between processors (such as microprocessors, communications, and network processors, etc.), system memory, peripheral devices, and any other hardware components within a system.

One or more operating systems910, and one or more application programs911, for example, repurchase application130(FIG. 1), are stored on one or more of the computer readable storage media908for execution by one or more of the processors902via one or more of the respective RAMs904(which typically include cache memory). In the illustrated embodiment, each of the computer readable storage media908may be a magnetic disk storage device of an internal hard drive, CD-ROM, DVD, memory stick, magnetic tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, a semiconductor storage device such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, flash memory or any other computer-readable tangible storage device that can store a computer program and digital information.

Wearable device110, appliance140, and store150may also include a R/W drive or interface914to read from and write to one or more portable computer readable storage media926. Application programs911on wearable device110, appliance140, and store150may be stored on one or more of the portable computer readable storage media926, read via the respective R/W drive or interface914and loaded into the respective computer readable storage media908.

Wearable device110, appliance140, and store150may also include a display screen920, a keyboard or keypad922, and a computer mouse or touchpad924. Device drivers912interface to display screen920for imaging, to keyboard or keypad922, to computer mouse or touchpad924, and/or to display screen920for pressure sensing of alphanumeric character entry and user selections. The device drivers912, R/W drive or interface914and network adapter or interface916may comprise hardware and software (stored on computer readable storage media908and/or ROM906).

Characteristics are as follows:

Service Models are as Follows:

Deployment Models are as Follows: