InReality’s Responsive subscription provides real-time influence, based on any captured data point, managed by our Rules Engine. The Rules Engine can listen to multiple sensors such as cameras, Radar, RFID, IoT, NFC Readers, Optical & Motion Sensors, and inputs like custom 3rd party data, all through the Message Broker. Predefined custom rules based on several conditions, can send triggered messages through the Message Broker to 3rd party applications.
Based on scenarios in the Rules Engine, the digital signage content and playlist can be updated to display content based on set data points, such as age group, gender, or multiple other points. Smart lights and audio are some of the other types of elements which can be triggered.
Note: Rules used with a Radar device are only supported when using the ‘USB Radar’ or the ‘Standalone Radar’ with the Data Aggregator.
InReality’s Rules Composer - Configuration
Operation
InReality’s Cloud-based platform works in sync with 3rd party CMS applications. Using Restful API Calls to ‘get’ the Rules, a list of Rules is returned with details such as Rule ID, Rule Name, along with Conditions and Actions.
The InReality Rules Engine will publish messages to the MQTT channel when the Rule’s conditions are met. The local CMS application subscribes to the MQTT Channel. MQTT messages contain the details described above and a Message, which is a text string containing the Action of the Rule. The CMS application parses this MQTT message and then performs the Action.
Real-time personalization of digital signage is efficiently accomplished by complex event processing in conjunction with the Rules Engine.
Configuration
The Rules Composer provides for quick and efficient configuration of Rules, and users are provided menus to select pre-defined aspects of their installation. Within the Rules Composer, you will define the Condition(s) and Action(s) of each Rule.
Defining a Condition, you may select any data point from any data source. You may have multiple Conditions, and you also have the ability to ‘timebox’ events.
Defining an Action, you may select to send: HTTP Request, Status Update, and 3rd Party Update.
Rules Composer
When you access the Rules Composer, existing Rules will be displayed as shown below.
Create a New Rule
Click the ‘Create New Rule’ button at the top right of the page. Enter a ‘Rule Name’ and select optional Tags and Description if desired. Then click ‘Create’.
Configure Conditions
Once you’ve created a Rule, you will then configure the Condition(s). First click the ‘Add Condition’ button. Select an AOI (Area of Interest) from the pull-down menu. The AOI have been predefined in the Setup. Then select a Datasource from the pull-down menu, which you have also defined in the Setup. Then select a Datapoint. The options in this menu are dependent on the Type of the Datasource (Traffic, Presence, Engagement). Then select an Operator and Value.
Note: Select a ‘Standalone Radar’ AOI configured with the Data Aggregator. A ‘Standalone Radar’ without the Data Aggregator isn’t supported by Rules Engine.
Shown below are examples of Conditions, for Radar Zone, Dwell, Proximity, and Count.
Zone
Dwell
Proximity
Count
Datapoints
- Zone - Radar Zones: Traffic, Impression, Engagement
- Dwell Time - Numeric value of time in milliseconds
- Proximity - Distance from the sensor - In (cm) centimeters
- Count - Number of people as identified by sensor
Configure Action
Once you’ve created a Rule and configured the Condition(s), you will then configure the Action. The first step is to select the Action. You may select to send: HTTP Request, Status Update, and 3rd Party Update. Depending on the Action selected, complete the additional fields, as shown below.
Shown below are examples of Actions, for Radar Zone, Dwell, Proximity, and Count.
Zone
Dwell
Proximity
Count
Message Broker - Real-Time Events Integration
Our Message Broker is built using MQTT protocol, which is a widely used open-source message-broker software application. It is mature, lightweight and is easy to deploy on premises to trigger real-time events and gather data.
Real-time responsive capabilities between InReality’s measurement subscriptions and in-venue end-points, such as Digital Signage, are facilitated by InReality’s Message Broker application. The InReality Message Broker is an on-premise, lightweight streaming pipeline that supports subscriptions and publications to the pipeline of real-time events and data across multiple channels. Channels with real-time events and data are available for a wide range of situations available from the InReality measurement subscriptions.
Rules Engine - Integration with Third-Party Apps
As described above, InReality’s Message Broker is lightweight and easy to deploy on premises to trigger real-time events and gather data. It supports Publish and Subscribe (pub/sub), where Publishers can send messages and events, and Subscriber’s applications can subscribe to one or more events, and only receive messages that are of interest. A secure channel is provided with authentication.
Configuration of the events that are published to the Message Broker is available within the InReality Rules Engine. Through the set-up of rules, end users can subscribe to only certain events that meet their predefined criteria (e.g., when a shopper enters Engagement zone). Multiple criteria can be established to allow for multiple applications. When these criteria are met, the Message Broker will publish the event to the appropriate subscribed channel allowing the endpoint to make the appropriate application (e.g., change content on digital signage targeted toward a shopper). This will reduce the amount of events that a subscriber would need to listen to and parse in order to create their desired real-time responsive experience.
Third party applications will receive an event through the MQTT channel, when the Rule condition(s) are met.