USPTO Grants Remote Customer Service System Patent to Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha

ChangeBridge: Patent Grants - Business Methods (G06Q)

Published March 24th, 2026

Detected March 25th, 2026

Summary

The USPTO has granted patent US12586079B2 to Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha for a remote customer service system. The patent describes a system where an operator serves a customer remotely via a terminal in a store, using imaging and control apparatus to prompt customer service.

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What changed

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted patent US12586079B2 to Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha. The patent, titled 'Remote customer service system,' covers a system that allows a remote operator to assist a customer in a store using a terminal, imaging, and control apparatus. The system's abstractizer recognizes tracking targets in captured images and generates control information to prompt the operator to initiate customer service.

This is a routine patent grant and does not impose new regulatory obligations on businesses. It is relevant for companies involved in developing or implementing remote customer service technologies, particularly in retail or service environments. No immediate compliance actions are required for regulated entities.

Source document (simplified)

← USPTO Patent Grants

Remote customer service system

Grant US12586079B2 Kind: B2 Mar 24, 2026

Assignee

SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Inventors

Osamu Uratani, Kazuo Nishiura

Abstract

In a remote customer service system, an operator who is at a remote place from a customer visiting a store serves the customer via a customer service terminal apparatus provided in the store. The remote customer service system includes the customer service terminal apparatus, an imaging apparatus imaging inside of the store, and a control apparatus. The control apparatus includes: an image recognizer that recognizes a subject included in a captured image by the imaging apparatus as a tracking target, and acquires information on the tracking target from the captured image; and a control information generator that generates control information for executing a notification that prompts the operator to start customer service on the basis of the information on the tracking target.