Customer personalised control unit, system and method

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus and method for a webshop such that the products shown to a customer are related to the purchasing habits of the customer. In particular, a control unit is provided arranged to communicate with a product information database, a product category database and a customer purchase history database. The control unit includes a product categorising unit arranged to generate at least one product category based on product information in the product information database and to store the at least one generated product category in the product category database. The control unit further includes a calculating unit arranged to calculate a probability of a customer being an underbuyer/overbuyer of a type of product based on the customer's purchase history stored in the customer purchase history database and the at least one product category from the product category database.

1 . A control unit arranged to communicate with a product information database, a product category database and a customer purchase history database, the control unit comprising:
 a product categorizing unit configured and arranged to generate at least one product category based on product information from the product information database and to store the at least one generated product category in the product category database; and   a calculating unit configured and arranged to calculate a probability, using a Beta Negative Binomial probability distribution, of a customer being an underbuyer/overbuyer of a category of product based on a customer's purchase history stored in the customer purchase history database and the at least one product category from the product category database.   
     
     
         2 . The control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the product categorizing unit is configured and arranged to generate at least one product category based on at least one or more of the following stored in the product information database:
 product ingredients;   product name;   product information detailed on a label of the product;   information about the product provided by a manufacturer of the product; or   information about the product provided by a reseller and/or distributor of the product.   
     
     
         3 . The control unit according to  claim 1 , in combination with a customer purchase history database configured and arranged to store a purchase history of a customer over a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         4 . The control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured and arranged in combination with a customer preferences database to communicate therewith, and the calculating unit is configured and arranged to calculate a probability of a customer being an underbuyer/overbuyer of a product based on a customer's purchase history stored in the customer purchase history database, the customer's preferences stored in a customer preferences database and at least one product category from a product category database. 
     
     
         5 . The control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the calculating unit is configured and arranged to calculate the probability based on a predetermined prior and a number of successes and failures in predicting a customer's behavior over a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         6 . The control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the calculated probability is arranged to predict a customer behavior for a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         7 . The control unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises:
 a training unit configured and arranged to train a model based on the calculated probability and is configured and arranged to calculate a propensity of a customer to be an underbuyer/overbuyer of a category of product based on the model.   
     
     
         8 . The control unit according to  claim 7 , wherein the model is a logistical regression model. 
     
     
         9 . The control unit according to  claim 7 , wherein the control unit comprises:
 a thresholding unit configured and arranged to determine a threshold to be applied to the model, and configured and arranged to determine whether the customer is a buyer/non-buyer of a category of product based on the threshold and the model.   
     
     
         10 . A system comprising, in combination:
 a product information database;   a product category database;   a customer purchase history database; and   a control unit according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , comprising:
 a customer preferences database,   wherein the control unit is configured and arranged to communicate with the customer preferences database, and the calculating unit is configured and arranged to calculate a probability of a customer being an underbuyer/overbuyer of a product based on a customer's purchase history stored in the customer purchase history database, the customer's preferences stored in the customer preferences database and the at least one product category from the product category database.   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 10 , comprising:
 an online shop arranged to add/remove/sort products for a customer based on an output of the control unit.   
     
     
         13 . A method of controlling a system arranged to communicate with a product information database, a product category database and a customer purchase history database, the method comprising:
 generating at least one product category based on product information in the product information database;   storing the at least one generated product category in the product category database; and   calculating a probability, using a Beta Negative Binomial probability distribution, of a customer being an underbuyer/overbuyer of a category of product based on the customer's purchase history stored in the customer purchase history database and the at least one product category from the product category database.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the generating is performed based on at least one or more of the following stored in the product information database:
 product ingredients;   product name;   product information detailed on a label of the product;   information about the product provided by a manufacturer of the product; or   information about the product provided by a reseller and/or distributor of the product.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , comprising:
 storing in the customer purchase history database a purchase history of a customer over a predetermined period of time.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the method comprises:
 communicating with a customer preferences database; and   calculating a probability of a customer being an underbuyer/overbuyer of a category of product based on the customer's purchase history stored in the customer purchase history database, the customer's preferences stored in the customer preferences database and the at least one product category from the product category database.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the method comprises:
 calculating the probability based on a predetermined prior and a number of successes and failures in predicting a customer's behavior over a predetermined period of time.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the calculated probability is arranged to predict a customer behavior for a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the method comprises:
 training a model based on the calculated probability; and   calculating a propensity of a customer to be an underbuyer/overbuyer of a category of product based on the model.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the model is a logistical regression model. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the method comprises:
 determining a threshold to be applied to the model; and   determining whether the customer is a buyer/non-buyer of a category of product based on the threshold and the model.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 13 , comprising:
 adding/removing/sorting products for a customer, in an online shop, based on the output of the control unit.