Targeted venue message distribution

• US 10,028,091 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blazer And Flip Flops, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blazer And Flip Flops, Inc.
• Inventors: Sahadi, Scott Sebastian, Ziskind, Benjamin Harry, Brea, Jannis Raye
• Primary Examiner(s): BILGRAMI, ASGHAR H
• Application Number:
  US15/805,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20180124559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

An application server may receive, from an administrative console, a message and a targeting specification. The targeting specification identifies at least one trait (e.g., ticket type, age, gender) shared by a group of targeted venue guests. The group of targeted venue guests is a subset of the plurality of venue guests of a venue. The application server then uses information obtained from venue guest devices corresponding to venue guests to identify who belongs to the group targeted venue guests as well as their corresponding targeted venue guest devices. The application server then transmits a message to the targeted venue guest devices. The message may further be transmitted according to a schedule set or triggers by the administrator console. The schedule may identify dates and times within which messages should be sent, while the triggers may identify locations that may trigger messages.

Claims

1. A method for message distribution associated with a previously defined venue area, the method comprising:

receiving a location of a first venue guest device located within the previously defined venue area, the first venue guest device corresponding to a venue guest located within the previously defined venue area, wherein the first venue guest device is one of a plurality of venue guest devices;

identifying that locations of the plurality of venue guest devices, including the location of the first venue guest device, are in a vicinity of a first point of interest within the previously defined venue area, the first point of interest having a queue;

generating an estimated queue wait time for the queue based on at least the location of the first venue guest device;

generating a timed promotion message corresponding to a second point of interest within the previously defined venue area, wherein the timed promotion message is set to expire at an expiration time that is based on the estimated queue wait time;

selecting a subset of the plurality of venue guest devices at random to comprise a predetermined fraction of the plurality of venue guest devices; and

transmitting the timed promotion message to the subset of the plurality of venue guest devices in response to identifying that the locations of the plurality of venue guest devices are in the vicinity of the first point of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving each of the locations of the plurality of venue guest devices, wherein generating the estimated queue wait time for the queue is based on at least the locations of the plurality of venue guest devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a guest wait time from the first venue guest device, wherein generating the estimated queue wait time for the queue is based on the guest wait time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a guest travel time from the first venue guest device, wherein generating the estimated queue wait time for the queue is based on the guest travel time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a queue length, wherein generating the estimated queue wait time for the queue is based on the queue length.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying that the first venue guest device has waited in the vicinity of the first point of interest for at least a predetermined guest wait time based on receipt of the location of the first venue guest device, wherein transmitting the timed promotion message to the subset of the plurality of venue guest devices is further in response to identifying that the first venue guest device has waited in the vicinity of the first point of interest for at least the predetermined guest wait time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a schedule identifying a set of one or more selected days of the week, wherein transmitting the timed promotion message to the subset of the plurality of venue guest devices is further in response to identifying that a current date falls on one of the set of one or more selected days of the week.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a schedule identifying a selected time range, wherein transmitting the timed promotion message to the subset of the plurality of venue guest devices is further in response to identifying that a current time falls within the selected time range.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the timed promotion message includes a map showing at least a location of the second point of interest.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined fraction is one-fourth.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information about a plurality of venue guests including the first venue guest, the information identifying that at least the first venue guest is characterized by a first gender, wherein transmitting the timed promotion message to the subset of the plurality of venue guest devices is further in response to identifying that the first venue guest is characterized by the first gender.

12. A system for message distribution associated with a previously defined venue area, the system comprising:

a communication transceiver communicatively coupled to at least a plurality of venue guest devices located inside the previously defined venue area corresponding to a plurality of venue guests located inside the previously defined venue area, wherein the communication transceiver receives a location of a first venue guest device of the plurality of venue guest devices corresponding to a first venue guest of the plurality of venue guests, wherein the communication transceiver transmits a timed promotion message to a subset of the plurality of venue guest devices in response to identifying that locations of the plurality of venue guest devices are in a vicinity of a first point of interest in the previously defined venue area;

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to;

identify that the locations of the plurality of venue guest devices, including the location of the first venue guest device, are in the vicinity of the first point of interest within the previously defined venue area, the first point of interest having a queue,

generate an estimated queue wait time for the queue based on at least the location of the first venue guest device,

generate the timed promotion message corresponding to a second point of interest within the previously defined venue area, wherein the timed promotion message is set to expire at an expiration time that is based on the estimated queue wait time, and

select the subset of the plurality of venue guest devices at random to comprise a predetermined fraction of the plurality of venue guest devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication transceiver receives the location of the first venue guest device from the first venue guest device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the location of the first venue guest device is determined by the first venue guest device using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of the first venue guest device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the location of the first venue guest device is determined based on proximity of the first venue guest device to a beacon device that communicates wirelessly with the first venue guest device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication transceiver receives the location of the first venue guest device from a point-of-service (POS) terminal located within the previously defined venue area.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the processor to identify that the first venue guest device has waited in the vicinity of the first point of interest for at least a predetermined guest wait time based on receipt of the location of the first venue guest device, wherein the communication transceiver transmits the timed promotion message to the subset of the plurality of venue guest devices further in response to identifying that the first venue guest device has waited in the vicinity of the first point of interest for at least the predetermined guest wait time.

18. A method for message distribution associated with a predefined venue area that encompasses a plurality of locations, the method comprising:

receiving guest location information from a plurality of guest devices, the guest location information indicating a respective location of each of the plurality of guest devices within the predefined venue area;

receiving trigger specifications that include an outgoing message and a selected location that is selected from the plurality of locations encompassed within the predefined venue area;

identifying that the guest location information indicates that the plurality guest devices are in a vicinity of the selected location within the predefined venue area;

selecting a subset of the plurality of guest devices at random to comprise a predetermined fraction of the plurality of guest devices; and

transmitting the outgoing message to the subset of the plurality of guest devices in accordance with the trigger specifications.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the trigger specifications further comprise a previously defined schedule, the previously defined schedule identifying one or more selected days of the week, wherein transmitting the outgoing message to the subset of the plurality of guest devices is further based on identifying that a current date falls on one of the one or more selected days of the week.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the trigger specifications further comprise a previously defined schedule, the previously defined schedule identifying a selected time range, wherein transmitting the outgoing message to the subset of the plurality of guest devices is further based on identifying that a current time falls within the selected time range.