System and method for optimized tracking and identification of user equipment

• US 10,455,365 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognizant Technology Solutions India Private Limited (Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Cognizant Technology Solutions India Private Limited (Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.)
• Inventors: Saravanabhavan, Hari, Balasubramanyam, Chandrasekhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Phuong, Dai
• Application Number:
  US16/176,341
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 4554322-433, 4554122-4143, 4554561-4563
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0264 at least one of the systems being a non-radio wave positioning system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A system and method for tracking and identifying user equipment(s) is provided. The present invention provides for determining if a user store location is included within a list of stores associated with the business entity. Further, the present invention provides for determining the user equipment location within a predefined range of one or more stores associated with the business entity. The invention further provides for identifying a target user equipment based on one or more parameters if the user equipment location is same as one of the store locations associated with the business entity. The target user equipment is representative of a user equipment associated with a valued user. The identification of the target user equipment triggers, at least one of a Wi-Fi based technique and an image recognition technique to determine precise location of the target user equipment within the store.

Claims

1. A method for tracking and identifying a user equipment, wherein the method is implemented by at least one processor executing program instructions stored in a memory, the method comprising:

identifying, by the processor, a user equipment within a predefined range of predetermined location coordinates of one or more stores associated with a business entity;

determining, by the processor, the user equipment as a target user equipment using one or more parameters, wherein the target user equipment is representative of a user equipment associated with a valued user; and

determining, by the processor, a precise location of the target user equipment within one or more stores associated with the business entity via at least one of a Wi-Fi based technique and an image recognition technique, and wherein determining the precise location of the target user equipment includes;

(a) determining a first precise location of the target user equipment via the Wi-Fi based technique;

(b) determining a second precise location of the target user equipment via the image recognition technique;

(c) mapping the second precise location with the first precise location to determine the precise location of the target user equipment;

(d) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a valid mapping is ascertained; and

(e) transmitting a priority alert to a store terminal device based on the valid mapping, wherein the priority alert is representative of an association between the target user equipment and the valued user, and the priority alert is flagged as requiring immediate attention at the second precise location.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the precise location, the first precise location and the second precise location includes floor number and floor section within respective one or more stores associated with the business entity.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the precise location via the Wi-Fi based technique comprises determining floor number and floor section associated with a Wi-Fi device receiving a user equipment ID associated with the user equipment identified as the target user equipment, wherein the floor details associated with the Wi-Fi device receiving the user equipment ID is representative of the first precise location of the target user equipment.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the precise location via the image recognition technique includes:

mapping one or more face images of the user associated with the target user equipment retrieved via one or more image capturing devices with one or more stored face images of the user associated with the user equipment identified as the target user equipment;

determining if the one or more face images retrieved via one or more image capturing devices match with the one or more stored face images; and

marking the location of the image capturing device which captures the face images of the target user equipment as the second precise location, wherein the location of the image capturing device includes floor number and floor section.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the precise location via the image recognition technique includes:

searching the user associated with the user equipment identified as the target user equipment which resembles one or more stored face images via one or more image capturing devices; and

marking the location of the image capturing device which captures the face images of the user associated with the target user equipment as the second precise location, wherein the location of the image capturing device includes floor number and floor section.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a warning notification is transmitted to the store terminal device if the one or more face images retrieved via the one or more image capturing devices do not match with the one or more stored face images.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein identifying the user equipment within a predefined range of predetermined location coordinates of one or more stores associated with a business entity includes:

(a) determining an association between a user store location with the business entity based on the user store location received via the user equipment, wherein the user store location is representative of the store location the user is visiting, further wherein determining the association includes searching the user store location in a list of stores maintained in an entity database;

(b) retrieving a location coordinates of the user equipment based on at least one of a phone number and user equipment Id registered with the user equipment;

(c) mapping the location coordinates of the user equipment with the predetermined location coordinates of the user store location; and

(d) repeating steps b and c until a valid mapping is ascertained.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein a notification suggesting another store location is transmitted to the user equipment if the user store location is not included within the list of stores.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include discounts, offers availed and purchase history associated with the registered phone number or the user equipment ID, time duration of user visit in the one or more stores.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises updating a user equipment database with user equipment data if the user equipment is not identified as the target user equipment, wherein further the user equipment data includes a registered phone number, user equipment ID, store location of one or more stores associated with the business entity where the user equipment visits, discounts, offers availed and purchases, time duration of a visit in the one or more stores, user name, address, face images and facial details associated with the user equipment.

11. A system for tracking and identifying a user equipment, wherein the system interfaces with an entity database, a user equipment database and a store terminal device, the system comprising:

a memory storing program instructions;

a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in the memory; and

a tracking and identification engine in communication with the processor and configured to;

identify the user equipment within a predefined range of predetermined location coordinates of one or more stores associated with a business entity;

determine the user equipment as a target user equipment using one or more parameters, wherein the target user equipment is representative of a user equipment associated with a valued user; and

determine a precise location of the target user equipment within one or more stores associated with the business entity via at least one of;

a Wi-Fi based technique and an image recognition technique, and wherein the determination of the precise location of the target user equipment within one or more stores associated with the business entity includes;

(a) determining a first precise location of the target user equipment via the Wi-Fi based technique;

(b) determining a second precise location of the target user equipment via the image recognition technique;

(c) mapping the second precise location with the first precise location to determine the precise location of the target user equipment;

(d) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a valid mapping is ascertained; and

(e) transmitting a priority alert to a store terminal device based on the valid mapping, wherein the priority alert is representative of an association between the target user equipment and the valued user, and the priority alert is flagged as requiring immediate attention at the second precise location.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the precise location, the first precise location and the second precise location includes floor number and floor section within respective one or more stores associated with the business entity.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein tracking and identification engine comprises a tracking and validation unit in communication with the processor, said tracking and validation unit is configured to determine the precise location of the target user equipment via at least one of:

the Wi-Fi based technique and the image recognition technique.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the tracking and validation unit is configured to determine the precise location via the image recognition technique by:

searching the user associated with the target user equipment which resembles one or more stored face images via one or more image capturing devices; and

marking the location of the image capturing device which captures the face images of the user associated with the target user equipment as the second precise location, wherein the location.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the tracking and validation unit is configured to transmit a warning notification to the store terminal device if the one or more face images retrieved via the one or more image capturing devices do not match with the one or more stored face images.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the tracking and validation unit is configured to store and update the user equipment database with a user equipment data, further wherein the user equipment data includes a registered phone number, user equipment ID, store location of one or more stores associated with the business entity where the user equipment visits, discounts, offers availed and purchases, time duration of a visit in the one or more stores, user name, address, face images and facial details associated with the user equipment.

17. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein determining the precise location of the target user equipment by the tracking and validation unit via the Wi-Fi based technique comprises determining floor number and floor section associated with a Wi-Fi device receiving a user equipment ID associated with the target user equipment, wherein the floor details associated with the Wi-Fi device receiving the user equipment ID is representative of the first precise location of the target user equipment.

18. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein determining the precise location by the tracking and validation unit via the image recognition technique includes:

mapping one or more face images of the user associated with the target user equipment retrieved via one or more image capturing devices with one or more stored face images of the user associated with the user equipment identified as the target user equipment;

determining if the one or more face images retrieved via one or more image capturing devices match with the one or more stored face images; and

marking the location of the image capturing device which captures the face images of the target user equipment as the second precise location, wherein the location of the image capturing device includes floor number and floor section.

19. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein tracking and identification engine comprises a coordinate detection unit in communication with the processor, said coordinate detection unit is configured to identify the user equipment within the predefined range of predetermined location coordinates of one or more stores associated with a business entity by:

(a) determining an association between a user store location with the business entity based on the user store location received via the user equipment, wherein the user store location is representative of the store location the user is visiting, further wherein determining the association includes searching the user store location in a list of stores maintained in an entity database;

(b) retrieving location coordinates of the user equipment based on at least one of a phone number and user equipment Id registered with the user equipment;

(c) mapping the location coordinates of the user equipment with the predetermined location coordinates of the user store location; and

(d) repeating steps b and c until a valid mapping is ascertained.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein tracking and identification engine comprises a data management unit in communication with the processor, said data management unit is configured to transmit a notification suggesting another store location to the user equipment if the user store location is not included within the list of stores.

21. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more parameters include discounts, offers availed and purchase history associated with the registered phone number or the user equipment ID, time duration of user visit in the one or more stores.

22. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code stored thereon, the computer-readable program code comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to;

identify the user equipment within a predefined range of predetermined location coordinates of one or more stores associated with a business entity;

determine the user equipment as a target user equipment using one or more parameters based, wherein the target user equipment is representative of a user equipment associated with a valued user; and

determine a precise location of the target user equipment within one or more stores associated with the business entity via at least one of;

a Wi-Fi based technique and an image recognition technique, and wherein the determination of the precise location of the target user equipment includes;

(a) determining a first precise location of the target user equipment via the Wi-Fi based technique;

(b) determining a second precise location of the target user equipment via the image recognition technique;

(c) mapping the second precise location with the first precise location to determine the precise location of the target user equipment;

(d) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a valid mapping is ascertained; and

(e) transmitting a priority alert to a store terminal device based on the valid mapping, wherein the priority alert is representative of an association between the target user equipment and the valued user, and the priority alert is flagged as requiring immediate attention at the second precise location.