U.S. patent application number 16/236219 was filed with the patent office on 2019-12-19 for network based indoor positioning and geofencing system and method.
The applicant listed for this patent is NEXRF CORP.. Invention is credited to Michael A. Kerr, David James Stewart.
Application Number | 20190385187 16/236219 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50736556 |
Filed Date | 2019-12-19 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190385187 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kerr; Michael A. ; et
al. |
December 19, 2019 |
NETWORK BASED INDOOR POSITIONING AND GEOFENCING SYSTEM AND
METHOD
Abstract
A network based indoor positioning and geofencing system and
method is described. Beacons are disposed within a physical
premises and each beacon transmits a signal containing identifying
information. A networked indoor positioning module receives
measured reference points that include a measured beacon identifier
and a measured signal strength. The networked indoor positioning
module uses the measured reference points to generate calculated
signal strength values for at least one detected beacon. At least
one geofence is associated with the physical premises and the
geofence includes some of the calculated signal strength values. A
wireless device receives a beacon identifier and a beacon signal
strength, when the wireless device is in or near a geofence
associated the physical premises. The networked indoor positioning
module determines that the wireless device is within at least one
geofence by comparing the received beacon identifier and the
received beacon signal strength with the calculated signal strength
values corresponding to the detected beacon.
Inventors: |
Kerr; Michael A.; (Reno,
NV) ; Stewart; David James; (Stateline, NV) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
NEXRF CORP. |
Reno |
NV |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50736556 |
Appl. No.: |
16/236219 |
Filed: |
December 28, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15188796 |
Jun 21, 2016 |
10169774 |
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16236219 |
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14189905 |
Feb 25, 2014 |
9430781 |
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15188796 |
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12821852 |
Jun 23, 2010 |
8738024 |
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14189905 |
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12413547 |
Mar 28, 2009 |
8942995 |
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12821852 |
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11948007 |
Nov 30, 2007 |
9373116 |
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12413547 |
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61223565 |
Jul 7, 2009 |
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61040661 |
Mar 29, 2008 |
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60842351 |
Sep 5, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/3255 20130101;
H04B 17/27 20150115; G06Q 30/0267 20130101; G06Q 30/0261 20130101;
H04W 64/00 20130101; G07F 17/3223 20130101; H04B 17/318 20150115;
H04W 4/021 20130101; G01S 5/0252 20130101; G06Q 30/0233
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20060101
G06Q030/02; H04W 4/021 20060101 H04W004/021; H04B 17/27 20060101
H04B017/27; H04B 17/318 20060101 H04B017/318; H04W 64/00 20060101
H04W064/00; G01S 5/02 20060101 G01S005/02; G07F 17/32 20060101
G07F017/32 |
Claims
1. A network based indoor positioning and geofencing system
comprising: a plurality of beacons disposed within a physical
premises, wherein each beacon transmits a signal containing
identifying information; a networked indoor positioning module that
receives a plurality of measured reference points that include a
measured beacon identifier and a measured signal strength; the
networked indoor positioning module uses the measured reference
points to generate a plurality of calculated signal strength values
for at least one detected beacon; at least one geofence associated
with the physical premises, wherein the geofence includes some of
the calculated signal strength values; a wireless device
communicatively coupled to the networked indoor positioning module,
the wireless device receives at least one beacon identifier and at
least one beacon signal strength, when the wireless device is in or
near the physical premises; and the networked indoor positioning
module determines that the wireless device is within at least one
geofence by comparing the received beacon identifier and the
received beacon signal strength with the calculated signal strength
values corresponding to the detected beacon.
2. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 1 further comprising a beacon associated with a slot
machine.
3. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 1 further comprising a player reward card feature disposed on
the wireless device that converts loyalty program points to
rewards.
4. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 1 further comprising a networked content management module
communicatively coupled to the wireless device and the networked
based indoor positioning module, wherein the networked content
management module includes at least one content item that
corresponds to a particular geofence.
5. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 4 wherein the content item includes a coupon.
6. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 4 wherein the content item includes an advertisement.
7. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 4 wherein the content item includes an ordering menu.
8. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 4 wherein the content item includes a price tag.
9. The network based indoor positioning solution and geofencing
system of claim 4 wherein the content item includes a shopping
list.
10. A network based indoor positioning and geofencing system
comprising: a plurality of beacons disposed within a physical
premises, wherein each beacon is configured to transmit a signal
containing identifying information; a fixed sensor within the
physical premises that is communicatively coupled to a network,
wherein the fixed sensor is configured to receive a plurality of
measured reference points that include a measured beacon identifier
and a measured signal strength; a networked indoor positioning
module communicatively coupled to the network, the networked indoor
positioning module configured to receive the plurality of measured
reference points from the fixed sensor; the networked indoor
positioning module configured to use the measured reference points
to generate a plurality of calculated signal strength values for at
least one detected beacon; at least one geofence associated with
the physical premises, wherein the geofence includes some of the
calculated signal strength values; a wireless device
communicatively coupled to the networked indoor positioning module,
the wireless device configured to receive at least one beacon
identifier and at least one beacon signal strength, when the
wireless device is in or near the physical premises; and the
networked indoor positioning module configured to determine that
the wireless device is within at least one geofence by comparing
the received beacon identifier and the received beacon signal
strength with the calculated signal strength values corresponding
to the detected beacon.
11. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 9 further comprising a beacon associated with a slot
machine.
12. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 9 further comprising a player reward card feature disposed on
the wireless device, wherein the player reward card feature is
configured to convert loyalty program points to rewards.
13. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 9 further comprising a networked content management module
communicatively coupled to the wireless device and the networked
based indoor positioning module, wherein the networked content
management module includes at least one content item that
corresponds to a particular geofence.
14. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 13 wherein the content item includes a coupon.
15. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 13 wherein the content item includes an advertisement.
16. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 13 wherein the content item includes an ordering menu.
17. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system of
claim 13 wherein the content item includes a price tag.
18. The network based indoor positioning solution and geofencing
system of claim 13 wherein the content item includes a shopping
list.
19. A network based indoor positioning and geofencing method
comprising: placing a plurality of beacons within a physical
premises, wherein each of beacons is configured to transmit a
signal containing identifying information; receiving a plurality of
measured reference points that include a measured beacon identifier
and a measured signal strength at a networked indoor positioning
module; using the measured reference points to generate a plurality
of calculated signal strength values for at least one detected
beacon at the networked indoor positioning module; identifying at
least one geofence that is associated with the physical premises,
wherein the geofence includes some of the calculated signal
strength values; enabling a wireless device to be communicatively
coupled to the networked indoor positioning module, wherein the
wireless device is configured to receive at least one beacon
identifier and at least one beacon signal strength, when the
wireless device is in or near the physical premises; and the
networked indoor positioning module configured to determine that
the wireless device is within at least one geofence by comparing
the received beacon identifier and the received beacon signal
strength with the calculated signal strength values corresponding
to the detected beacon.
20. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing method of
claim 19 further comprising placing at least one fixed sensor
within the physical premises so the fixed sensor is communicatively
coupled to a network, wherein the fixed sensor receives the
measured reference points that include the measured beacon
identifier and the measured signal strength that are communicated
to the networked indoor positioning module that generates the
calculated signal strength values for at least one detected
beacon.
21. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing method of
claim 19 further comprising associating a beacon with a slot
machine.
22. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing method of
claim 19 further comprising enabling a player reward card feature
to be disposed on the wireless device, wherein the player reward
card feature is configured to convert loyalty program points to
rewards.
23. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing method of
claim 19 further comprising communicatively coupling a networked
content management module to the wireless device and the networked
based indoor positioning module, wherein the networked content
management module includes at least one content item that
corresponds to a particular geofence.
24. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing method of
claim 23 wherein the content item includes a coupon.
25. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing method of
claim 23 wherein the content item includes an advertisement.
26. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing method of
claim 23 wherein the content item includes an ordering menu.
27. The network based indoor positioning and geofencing method of
claim 23 wherein the content item includes a price tag.
28. The network based indoor positioning solution and geofencing
method of claim 23 wherein the content item includes a shopping
list.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE
[0001] This patent application is a Continuation of patent
application Ser. No. 14/189,905, which is a Continuation of patent
application Ser. No. 12/821,852 filed on Jun. 23, 2010 that is
entitled MOBILE AUTONOMOUS DYNAMIC GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE
APPLICATION FRAMEWORK, which claims the benefit of Provisional
patent application 61/223,565 filed on Jul. 7, 2009 and entitled
MOBILE AUTONOMOUS DYNAMIC GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE;
[0002] patent application Ser. No. 12/821,852 is a
Continuation-In-Part of patent application Ser. No. 12/413,547
filed on Mar. 28, 2009 that is entitled MOBILE AUTONOMOUS DYNAMIC
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE, which claims the benefit of provisional
patent application 61/040,661 filed on Mar. 29, 2008 that is
entitled AUTONOMOUS DYNAMIC GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE;
[0003] patent application Ser. No. 12/821,852 is a
Continuation-In-Part of patent application Ser. No. 11/948,007
filed on Nov. 30, 2007 that is entitled PLAYER TRACKING USING A
WIRELESS DEVICE FOR A CASINO PROPERTY, which claims the benefit of
provisional patent application 60/872,351 filed on Nov. 30, 2006
that is entitled PLAYER TRACKING USING A WIRELESS HANDSET FOR A
CASINO PROPERTY; and
[0004] all the above are hereby incorporated by reference in their
entirety.
FIELD
[0005] The present invention relates to a network based indoor
positioning and geofencing system and method. More particularly,
the present invention relates to a network based indoor positioning
and geofencing system and method for determining the location of a
wireless handset and delivering content to the handset when it is
located near or within a geofence.
BACKGROUND
[0006] The wireless handset presents new opportunities for
merchants to communicate with customers. The merchant may wish to
provide information to the customer regarding a product or service,
offer incentives to the customer to enter a premises or make a
purchase, or provide services that utilize the capabilities of the
wireless handset.
[0007] When a merchant premises is large or the merchant offers a
complex variety of products, the customer may require assistance to
find a desired product or to attain the information needed about a
product to make a purchase decision. An employee of the merchant
may be able to provide the needed assistance provided the
employee's training and knowledge are sufficient. If the employee
is not available or unable to assist, the customer may use a web
browser on a wireless handset to find additional information about
a desired product or service. However, the small display and
interface format of a wireless handset may hinder the customer's
effort to use a wireless handset to find information. Thus, there
is a need for a custom interface specific to the merchant's
offerings, allowing the merchant to provide information to the
customer in an efficient and easily navigable fashion.
[0008] A merchant wishing to advertise to the customer may wish to
leverage the functionality of the customer's wireless handset by
providing highly targeted advertising to the user. Although a
merchant may use a sign or an LCD display to provide advertising at
a specific location on the merchant premises, these advertising
mechanisms will typically be directed at the entire range of
potential customer demographics, due to the inability of these
mechanisms to distinguish among customers. There is a need for a
platform allowing the merchant to provide advertising to the
customer taking into account the customer's location on or near the
merchant premises and personal information about the customer which
the customer has chosen to make available to the merchant.
[0009] Merchants having loyalty programs or other programs to
increase interactions with the customer may rely on postal mail or
e-mail to communicate with customers. However, the merchant lacks a
means to incorporate the program into the customer experience on
the merchant premises. Thus, there is a need for an application
running on a wireless handset that allows a merchant to provide the
benefits of the loyalty program to the customer while the customer
is on or near the merchant's premises.
[0010] While the customer may realize a number of benefits from the
solutions described above, the customer will be discouraged if the
merchant's use of the application fails to meet the customer's
needs or exceeds the customer's desire for the information that can
be provided to the wireless handset. Thus, there is a need for a
feedback system which allows the customer to chose or rank which of
the provided information is desired and/or helpful. Such a feedback
system would ensure that the customer and other future customers
would continue to receive the most desirable and useful information
provided by the merchant.
[0011] Further, customers may only be willing to share personal
information that will allow the provided information to be targeted
at the customer if the customer has control over what information
is provided to the merchant. Thus, there is a need for an
information privacy management system which the customer uses to
control the information available to the merchant.
SUMMARY
[0012] A network based indoor positioning and geofencing system and
method is described. The system includes a plurality of beacons, a
networked indoor positioning module, at least one geofence, and a
wireless device. The beacons are disposed within a physical
premises and each beacon transmits a signal containing identifying
information. The networked indoor positioning module receives
measured reference points that include a measured beacon identifier
and a measured signal strength. The networked indoor positioning
module uses the measured reference points to generate calculated
signal strength values for at least one detected beacon. At least
one geofence is associated with the physical premises and the
geofence includes some of the calculated signal strength values.
The wireless device is communicatively coupled to the networked
indoor positioning module. The wireless device receives a beacon
identifier and a beacon signal strength, when the wireless device
is in or near the physical premises. The networked indoor
positioning module determines that the wireless device is within at
least one geofence by comparing the received beacon identifier and
the received beacon signal strength with the calculated signal
strength values corresponding to the detected beacon.
[0013] In one illustrative embodiment, the system and method
includes a fixed sensor within the physical premises that is
communicatively coupled to a network, in which the fixed sensor
receives the measured reference points that include the measured
beacon identifier and the measured signal strength. The networked
indoor positioning module then receives the measured reference
points from the fixed sensor and uses the measured reference points
to generate the calculated signal strength values for at least one
detected beacon.
[0014] In one illustrative embodiment, the beacon is associated
with a slot machine. In another illustrative embodiment, a player
reward card feature disposed on the wireless device converts
loyalty program points to rewards.
[0015] The network based indoor positioning and geofencing system
can also integrate with a networked content management module that
is also communicatively coupled to the wireless device. The
networked content management module includes at least one content
item that corresponds to a particular geofence. In one illustrative
embodiment, the content item includes a coupon. In another
illustrative embodiment, the content item includes an
advertisement. In yet another illustrative embodiment, the content
item includes an ordering menu. In a further illustrative
embodiment, the content item includes a price tag. In a still
further illustrative embodiment, the content item includes a
shopping list.
FIGURES
[0016] The present invention will be more fully understood by
reference to the following drawings which are for illustrative, not
limiting, purposes.
[0017] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative system architecture for the
Mobile Autonomous Dynamic Graphical User Interface (MADGUI)
Application Framework.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows an illustrative local network layout relative
to a floor plan.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows an illustrative virtual reference point grid
relative to a merchant premises.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows an illustrative flow chart for detecting the
location of a wireless handset within a merchant premises.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows an illustrative content bubble layout relative
to a merchant premises.
[0022] FIGS. 6A-6B show an illustrative content interface.
DESCRIPTION
[0023] Persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the
following description is illustrative and not in any way limiting.
Other embodiments of the claimed subject matter will readily
suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of
this disclosure.
[0024] The Mobile Autonomous Dynamic Graphical User Interface
(MADGUI) Application Framework enables a merchant to communicate
within the geographic boundaries of the merchant premises. The term
"merchant" as used below may refer to, for example, a retail
establishment, service provider, vendor, hotel, casino, resort, or
other commercial business. Additionally, the MADGUI Application
Framework may be used in free trade zones where information about
different merchants is served up to the handset to an area beyond
the merchant premises, such as the common area of a shopping mall.
The goal of the MADGUI Application Framework is to communicate
"links" and enable access to applications to a wireless device as a
function of location, time, and user preference profile.
[0025] The MADGUI Application Framework can be applied to a handset
using a location positioning system such as GPS. Alternatively, the
location of the handset may be determined using a custom
positioning network, such as the Location Positioning Engine (LPE)
described below. In some embodiments, the MADGUI Application
Framework can determine and update the location of handsets on
users traveling at driving speeds. The MADGUI Application Framework
may further be able detect the position of a handset moving through
an indoor environment at walking speeds. The MADGUI Application
Framework is flexible and can operate as a stand-alone system or
can be implemented as a middleware application.
[0026] The MADGUI Application Framework may be comprised of one or
more of the following layers: Location Positioning Engine (LPE),
Content Management System (CMS), Group Profile layer, and an
Application layer that includes a portal page referred to as the
Mobile Autonomous Dynamic Graphical User Interface (MADGUI).
[0027] The MADGUI Application Framework can integrate with a
merchant's wireless communications systems, e.g. Wi-Fi, merchant
content management systems, and the merchant customer relations
management system. Additionally, the MADGUI Application Framework
solution supports building merchant-specific applications.
[0028] In operation, the merchant may elect not to use one or more
layers of the MADGUI Application Framework. In a first illustrative
embodiment, a simplified MADGUI Application Framework may include:
extracting location information from a carrier, accessing the
merchant's Content Management System, and communicating the
associated content to the MADGUI; providing an autonomous mobile
search solution. Associated content may include endpoint content,
links to endpoint content, applications, or links to applications.
The applications and links provided to the handset may be
associated with a time, location, user attribute, or any
combination thereof.
[0029] The MADGUI Application Framework may comprise one or more of
the components presented below. The Merchant Control Plane (MCP)
layer allows the merchant to associate content with location, time,
and/or user attributes. The Location Positioning Engine (LPE) layer
may be used to identify the location of the wireless handset. The
Content Management System (CMS) layer supports the geocoding of
content and creation and tear-down of geofences associated with the
content, i.e. content bubbles. The Group Profile layer provides
various functions including serving as a means for anonymizing the
communication of content. Additionally, the Group Profile layer
enables filtering of the content based on the user preference
profile. Furthermore, Group Profile content can also be filtered
based on a set of the merchant's preferences. The Applications
layer includes the MADGUI portal page and provides a means for
communicating content to the handset in an organized and
prioritized manner, without requiring input from the user. The
Application layer may include merchant specific applications that
may be dependent on time, location, user preference profile, or any
combination thereof.
[0030] The MADGUI Application Framework can be applied to a variety
of different "vertical" markets. The illustrative vertical markets
that are described include casino applications, food and beverage
applications, retail applications, and free trade zone
applications. The free trade zone refers to communications with the
user handset outside the merchant geographic boundaries. Although
illustrative vertical market applications have been described that
are merchant-specific, the solutions described herein may also be
applied to various enterprise applications including utilities,
healthcare, environmental, military, refining, and
manufacturing.
[0031] The MADGUI Application Framework may be integrated with
existing system architectures. Since the illustrative MADGUI
Application Framework operates as a web service it may be
integrated into client/server architecture or offered as a
software-as-a-service web application. Additionally, the MADGUI
Application Framework can be used to operate and build applications
that run on a specific platform. Furthermore, the MADGUI
Application Framework can operate in a peer-to-peer or hierarchical
peer-to-peer environment, can use intelligent agents, and can
utilize other such system architectures that are not presently
widely adopted.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 1, an illustrative system architecture 100
for the MADGUI Application Framework is shown. The system comprises
wireless handset 102, wireless area network (WAN) 104, server 106,
and local network 108. Local network 108 comprises signal emitters
110, 112, and 114 and signal sensors 116, 118, and 120. In this
patent the terms transmitters and emitters are used
interchangeably, as shall be appreciated by those of ordinary skill
in the art. The signal transmitters ("beacons") may be, for
example, access points or femtocells. The signal sensors may be RF
sensors. The sensors may be used to track the location and received
signal strength profile from the beacons.
[0033] In some embodiments, hybrid units capable of both signal
transmission and signal sensing are used in lieu of or in
combination with units capable of only signal transmission or
signal sensing. The hybrid units may be capable of simultaneous
transmission (beacon mode) and signal detection (sensor mode). The
switching from beacon mode to sensor mode can occur at regular
intervals or may be triggered by other sensor inputs or feedback,
e.g. temperature, humidity, number of people, number of RF
radiators, and other such variables affecting or causing changes to
the RF environment.
[0034] The wireless handset 102 receives a received signal strength
indication (RSSI) from the signal transmitters and communicates the
RSSI data to the server 106 via WAN 104. The server processes the
RSSI values to determine the location of the wireless handset
relative to the beacons. The server then transmits content to the
wireless handset as a function of location, time, and/or user
attributes.
[0035] Merchant Control Plane
[0036] The MADGUI Application Framework enables a merchant to
control the content communicated to a wireless handset located
within the merchant's geographic boundaries. Additionally, the
MADGUI Application Framework enables the merchant to control the
"wireless" content that is being communicated within the merchant
premises as a function of location, time, user attribute, or any
combination thereof. The MADGUI Application Framework also supports
the development of merchant specific applications that are
dependent on time, location, user preference profile, or any
combination thereof.
[0037] Location Positioning Engine (LPE)
[0038] The MADGUI Application Framework may comprise a MADGUI
Location Positioning Engine (LPE). In some embodiments, the LPE
makes use of radio frequency (RF) to determine location. The RF
space is highly dynamic and affected by background noise, the
number of individuals in a particular location, and the number of
radios/radiators. In the illustrative example presented herein, the
MADGUI LPE operates in conjunction with a Wi-Fi network and also
includes an RF sensor network. Alternatively, other wireless
standards (e.g. CDMA, GSM, or WiMAX) can also be used. The Wi-Fi
network comprises a plurality of access points. In some
embodiments, femtocells may be used as access points.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 2, an illustrative local network layout
200 is shown relative to a floor plan. The network comprises
beacons 202, 204, 206 and sensors 208, 210, and 212. The network
components may be mounted, for example, on a shelf or slot machine,
as shown at 202 and 204; on a wall, as shown at 208; to the
underside of a table, as shown at 210 and 212; ceiling mounted, as
shown at 206; or mounted at any other location to accommodate the
needs of signal coverage and the protection of network components.
The placement of network components may be determined through an
optimization process as described below.
[0040] The MADGUI LPE may comprise three (3) modes: a set-up mode,
a real-time calibration mode, and a location positioning mode. The
set-up mode optimizes the location of the beacons by establishing a
grid, analyzing the locations for each beacon within the grid,
ranking the location of the beacon based on "open space" and high
traffic areas, choosing an optimal location for each beacon, and
continuing the process until the cost of installing an additional
beacon exceeds the value of the communications associated with the
beacon. Once the optimal locations for the beacons are determined,
the method proceeds to determine the optimum location for the
sensors using an optimization algorithm similar to beacon
optimization. In one embodiment, the operations of the beacon and
the sensor are performed by the same device.
[0041] The next mode is the real-time calibration mode for the RF
fingerprint model. The real-time calibration mode includes
gathering an initial RF fingerprint and iteratively updating the RF
fingerprint model. In general, the RF sensor RSSI data is used to
generate a real time geospatial statistical model. In the
illustrative embodiment, the sensors are distributed throughout the
merchant premises to collect received signal strength indication
(RSSI) data; the RSSI data from each of the RF sensors is served up
to the LPE and is used to generate a real time RF fingerprint of
the merchant premises.
[0042] The RF fingerprint model includes Measured Reference Points
(MRPs) that can be generated using sensors (e.g. Wi-Fi RSSI
sensors) that can relay actual measured signal strengths on a
recurring and regular basis. Updates of the readings at the MRPs
can be scheduled to run at specified intervals and the Virtual
Reference Point (VRP) and kriging process (described below) can be
triggered to run when MRPs have updated. This process provides a
complete real time fingerprint model for an entire area while
minimizing time required for the initial survey definition process.
MRP sensors can be geographically positioned on an area map with
absolutely no required measurements using the Wi-Fi area mapping
software. Additionally, the geographic positioning of the MRP
sensors can be "optimized" with computer models that identify the
optimal location for the MRP sensors.
[0043] For example, the RF fingerprint model can use the merchant's
existing Wi-Fi infrastructure or any other nearby access points in
most cases. In the illustrative embodiment, additional beacons can
be used to augment the existing Wi-Fi landscape and enhance the LPE
accuracy. Additional beacons can simply be mounted in areas of
interest and then location can be quickly mapped using the LPE
Mapping Utility.
[0044] The readings found at the location corresponding to the
hybrid sensor/beacon module may then be uploaded as an MRP, with a
value that ranges from "0" RSSI (strongest value) for the beacon's
own MAC/SSID to a low value that corresponds to the RSSI from the
beacon that is furthest away.
[0045] For the illustrative embodiment presented herein, there are
instances while the MRPs are being collected and the modules are in
"RSSI sensor" mode, that the LPE determination may have to be
postponed because of the absence of beacon signals being
communicated from the modules; the lack of beacon signals
communicated from the modules can result in large inaccuracies when
matching the RSSI fingerprints. To overcome this limitation, the
hybrid sensor/beacon can operate in one mode for a predefined time
interval or for a particular location, instead of combining
operations for that time interval or for that location.
[0046] In operation, the RF fingerprint model generates Virtual
Reference Points (VRPs) that are included in a grid of
"theoretical" RSSI values that are calculated using a geospatial
statistical analysis that is also referred to as "kriging." In the
illustrative kriging process, a linear regression is performed on
the RF sensor RSSI values, and a balanced approach is used to
remove outliers affecting the regression. The result is that for
each latitude, longitude, and altitude associated with each VRP, a
"theoretical" RSSI value is calculated for each beacon.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 3, an illustrative Virtual Reference Point
grid is shown relative to a merchant premises. Each VRP in the grid
is indicated by an X, for example, the X indicated at 314 is a VRP.
At VRP 314, as well as the other VRPs indicated in the grid, a
theoretical RSSI value is calculated for each of beacons 302, 304,
and 306 and each of sensors 308, 310, and 312.
[0048] In the location positioning mode, the location of the mobile
handset is determined by the LPE. In an illustrative embodiment,
wireless handset 102 measures RSSI information from beacons 110-114
(shown in FIG. 1) and communicates the handset RSSI data to server
106. The LPE server receives the handset RSSI values and identifies
"theoretically" calculated VRPs with similar RSSI values. A
location is estimated based on the results of the comparison of
handset RSSI values with the associated VRPs. The latitude,
longitude, and altitude of the indoor location are subsequently
identified. The LPE server(s) may be local, i.e. on the merchant
property, or can be off-site on a Wide Area Network, such as the
Internet.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 4, an illustrative flow chart 400 for
detecting the location of a wireless handset within a merchant
premises is shown. The method begins at block 402, at which the
wireless handset receives RSSI information from each beacon having
a sufficient signal strength for the wireless handset to detect the
beacon. The method continues to block 404, at which the wireless
handset communicates the RSSI data to the server. At block 406, an
application running on the server estimates the location of the
wireless handset based on the comparison of handset RSSI values
with each VRP in the VRP group. For example, the wireless handset
may be determined to be located at the VRP at which there is the
least difference between VRP RSSI values and handset RSSI values.
At optional block 408, the wireless handset location determined by
the server is compared to the known location of the wireless
handset in a test mode. At optional decision diamond 410, if the
determined handset location matches the actual handset location
within acceptable parameters, the method ends. However, if the
determined location does not match the actual location within
acceptable parameters, the VRPs are updated to reflect the data
collected by the handset and the measurement is repeated, as
indicated at block 412.
[0050] Additional VRP correction is performed by sensors 116, 118,
and 120 in realtime as the sensors gather information about the
dynamic RF space, periodically or manually, and correct for changes
to the RF space by updating the RF fingerprint model and
subsequently update the "theoretical" RSSI value associated with
each Virtual Reference Point. The LPE can be easily integrated into
the Content Management System described below.
[0051] Content Management System (CMS)
[0052] The Content Management System (CMS) supports the formation
and tear-down of content bubbles. Content bubbles are boundaries
("geofences") surrounding all or part of an area on or proximate to
a merchant premises. The merchant may associate content bubbles
with "endpoint content," such as text, information, advertising, a
coupon, a web page, or an application. Content bubbles may also be
associated with "link content," which are links to other content,
e.g. hyperlinks or menus comprised of links. In operation, when a
wireless handset enters the content bubble, the handset can receive
the associated link or content. Content bubbles enable the merchant
to determine the type of content communicated to a predefined area
within or proximate to the merchant premises, a time range during
which the content is communicated, and a target audience for the
content communicated.
[0053] The CMS may be implemented as a Web application for creating
and managing HTML content. The content associated with a content
bubble may be stored on the wireless handset, stored locally on
system located at the merchant premises, or stored on a server
remote from the wireless handset and the merchant premises. Content
may be buffered on the wireless handset, in a merchant system, or
on a remote server.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 5, an illustrative content bubble layout
500 is shown relative to an illustrative merchant premises site
map. The merchant has defined content bubbles 502, 504, and 506
within the merchant premises. The merchant has additionally defined
content bubble 508 surrounding the walkway proximate to the
merchant premises and content bubble 510 surrounding a parking lot
area proximate to the merchant premises. When a wireless handset
enters one of the content bubbles, the wireless handset receives
signals from one or more of beacons 512, 514, and 516. The RSSI
received by the wireless handset from the beacons is transmitted to
the server, which compares the RSSI from the one or more beacons to
the VRPs in the VRP grid. Each VRPs is indicated with an X in FIG.
5. For example, the X indicated at 518 is a VRP. In one embodiment,
the wireless handset may be determined to be located at the VRP
having an RSSI profile for one or more beacons that most closely
resembles the RSSI data received by the wireless handset. If the
wireless handset is determined to be within, for example, content
bubble 506, the server may send content associated with content
bubble 506 to the wireless handset. If the position of the wireless
handset changes, the new RSSI data received by the handset is sent
to the server. For example, if the wireless handset has entered
content bubble 502, the server may send new content to the wireless
handset that the merchant has associated with content bubble 502.
In addition to filtering content by location according to the
content bubble definitions established by the merchant, the server
may also filter location according to a time range or user
attributes the merchant has associated with the content.
[0055] Users may provide feedback regarding content that is
recorded and used to continually update the Content Management
System. With respect to the content bubbles, user feedback
communicated to the merchant's CMS includes, but is not limited to,
information such as CPM (cost per thousand), CPC (cost per click),
and CTR (click through rate). Thus, the user feedback from an
illustrative advertising campaign or promotion can effectively be
tracked in real time on the merchant's CMS.
[0056] Additionally, the user feedback may also be stored and/or
buffered by the Group Profile layer described below.
[0057] Group Profile
[0058] The Group Profile layer provides a repository for the user
preference profile and associates the user's group attributes with
one or more merchant defined groups. The user preference profile
may associate the user with groups selected or defined by the user
or another entity. The process of using "group" dynamics provides a
means for filtering and a means for anonymizing user
information.
[0059] In operation, the MADGUI Application Framework relies on
serving up the most relevant link content and/or endpoint content
to each user as a function of user preference profile, location,
and time.
[0060] The Group Profile layer relies on a user preference profile,
so it gathers user-defined input. It enables the user to generate
user-defined or user-selected groups and enables the merchant to
generate merchant-defined groups. The Group Profile layer also
enables the merchant to associate group attributes with a user
preference profile, such as an attribute provided to the merchant
by the user. Content is filtered based on the user preference
profile, group attributes, or combination thereof. The Group
Profile layer provides session-based control and supports the
weighting of user preference profile, group attributes, or the
combination thereof according to user feedback. The location of the
wireless handset relative to the merchant premises may be logged.
Additionally, a search string may be geocoded according to location
and time and used to update the user-preference profile, group
attributes, or combination thereof. Users may be able to share
feedback with other users or similar users from similar groups.
Feedback may also be tracked according to content visits as a
function of location, time, and user preference profile. The
merchant may produce and generate content and applications that are
location-centric and merchant specific.
[0061] The Group Profile layer obtains real-time feedback through
the MADGUI interface. The MADGUI interface provides a dynamic
portal page that changes as a function of location.
[0062] Mobile Autonomous Dynamic Graphical User Interface
(MADGUI)
[0063] The MADGUI is the portal page for the MADGUI Application
Framework and is an application. The MADGUI portal page enables the
merchant to serve up links automatically and without user input.
Additionally, the MADGUI provides search engine-like results
without requiring user input and gives results based on location,
time, and user preference profile.
[0064] Referring to FIG. 6A, an illustrative MADGUI 600 is shown on
a wireless handset. FIG. 6A includes five ranked content links
602-610 provided by the server to the wireless handset in
accordance with the location of the wireless handset relative to
the merchant premises, time range, and one or more attributes
provided via the user preference profile. Content item 612 is an
endpoint link which is a sponsored advertisement, banner ad, mobile
ad, a mobile coupon, or other such advertisement. Alternatively,
the sixth link may simply provide a sixth ranked link according to
location, time, and user preference profile. The user may select
search button 614 if the user wishes to see additional content
beyond that provided in the received content links. Pressing the
search button allows the user to enter information in a search
field. Referring to FIG. 6B, search field 622 is shown. The user
has entered text in the search field using keypad 624. The keypad
may be a physical interface, as shown, or a touchscreen or other
interface configured to receive text, numbers, characters, or a
combination thereof. After the user enters text, the search text is
sent to the server, which filters merchant content by the search
text. The server may additionally filter content by location, time
range, and or user attributes. For example, in FIG. 6B, the user
has entered the search text "Movies." The server may deliver
content corresponding to movie showtimes in a time range following
the current time, for example, movies showing in a time range
between the current time and two hours after the current time. The
find process can also include cookie tracking features that are
well known in the art of searching.
[0065] The illustrative screenshot presented above can be activated
when the user activates a merchant application on the user's
handset or similar wireless device. The merchant application then
proceeds to grab RSSI readings and communicate these readings to
the Location Positioning Engine residing on a local intranet.
[0066] The illustrative MADGUI portal page is then served up to the
user based on location, time, and user preference profile. In a
second illustrative embodiment, the merchant activates the MADGUI
application on the user handset. In a third illustrative
embodiment, the MADGUI application is activated by the carrier or
service provider; thus, the MADGUI may be selected by the carrier
as a portal search application that is running in the background or
foreground of a user's handset. In a fourth illustrative
embodiment, the MADGUI is an application that is preloaded on a
handset and is a user selected portal page so that the MADGUI
application is enabled when the user opens the browser, or when a
user opens an application such as the MADGUI application.
[0067] Applications
[0068] As previously mentioned, the foundational application for
the MADGUI Application Framework is the MADGUI. The MADGUI portal
page has links to content including applications. The MADGUI
Application Framework applications operate in conjunction with the
MADGUI Application Framework. Four illustrative niche applications
for the deployment of the MADGUI Application Framework are
identified below.
[0069] Casino Applications. A variety of casino applications have
been identified including, but not limited to:
[0070] Locating the player;
[0071] Triggering changes to a display based on the location of the
player;
[0072] Incorporating player reward card features onto a player's
handset and converting loyalty program points to rewards in real
time;
[0073] Changing signs and/or TV channels based on a user's
location;
[0074] Informing casino host that player is leaving the premises;
and
[0075] Routing players to locations with little or no activity
and/or to move players away from locations with too much activity
(Casino Route Management).
[0076] Food & Beverage Applications. An illustrative set of
food & beverage applications is described including, but not
limited to:
[0077] Communicating real-time coupons with shortened expiration
periods, e.g. offer expires in 10 minutes;
[0078] Communicating specials to a particular group of users;
[0079] Tracking historical order and generating an ordering menu
specific to the user;
[0080] Minimizing wait time and staffing requirements because
ordering is off-loaded to user.
[0081] Retail Applications. A variety of retail applications have
been identified that include, but are not limited to:
[0082] Enabling a merchant to change a price tag for a particular
customer or group, thereby allowing a merchant to move more
inventory;
[0083] Enabling automated list generation for the user based on
historical transactions, e.g. a shopping list;
[0084] Enabling a merchant to support reverse auctions with the
merchant premises.
[0085] Free-Trade-Zone Applications. Free trade zone content can be
supported such as ad-based Cost-Per-Click advertisements, targeted
advertisements, and targeted coupons. The handset may also convert
a handset to a remote control for a TV or other display.
[0086] The MADGUI Application Framework is flexible and may be
deployed as a middleware platform. This solution provides a
platform to communicate highly targeted content to a wireless
handset based on user preference profile, location, and time.
Additionally, this solution supports user generated content and
sharing this content as a function of user preference profile,
location and time.
[0087] It is to be understood that the detailed description of
illustrative embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes.
The scope of the claims is not limited to these specific
embodiments or examples. Therefore, various process limitations,
elements, details, and uses can differ from those just described,
or be expanded on or implemented using technologies not yet
commercially viable, and yet still be within the inventive concepts
of the present disclosure. The scope of the invention is determined
by the following claims and their legal equivalents.
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