System and method for placing virtual geographic zone markers

• US 10,657,768 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2019
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zonal Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Zonal Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Northrup, James L., Pierce, II, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US16/518,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20190340876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 4554563, 455421, 455423, 4554561, 455406, 4554141, 455418
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A system and method for user interaction includes a network, a server connected to the network, a supervisor device receiving information from a global positioning system and connected to the network, a user device receiving information from the global positioning system and connected to the network. The supervisor, having the supervisor device, defines a set of virtual geographic zones, sub-zones, and micro-zones in which the user device is tracked, and saves the set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones to a supervisor account on the server. The user downloads a user application, sets-up a user account, and downloads the set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones. As the user, having the user device, moves through the virtual geographic zones, sub-zones and micro-zones the location of the user device is determined and a set of supervisor-defined actions are executed on the user device based on the location of the user device.

Claims

1. A method of automated delivery of a set of geo-located information to a mobile device from a server, connected to a network, comprising the steps of:

identifying a first virtual zone;

identifying a graphical marker linked to the set of geo-located information, inside the virtual zone;

determining an enhanced location of the mobile device;

comparing the enhanced location to the first virtual zone;

displaying, at the mobile device, a position indicator of the mobile device based on the comparison;

displaying the graphical marker, at the mobile device;

receiving, at the server, a trigger signal from the mobile device, related to the graphical marker; and

,

delivering the set of geo-located information from the server, to the mobile device, based on the trigger signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sending the trigger signal based on a tap event at the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying the virtual zone on the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a third-party server is connected to the network and further comprising the step of:

interacting with a website, resident at the third-party server, based on the trigger signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

identifying a second virtual zone; and

,

as a result of the comparison, displaying the second virtual zone, if the mobile device is outside the first virtual zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the enhanced location of the mobile device further comprises:

determining a first location of the mobile device with a global positioning system (GPS);

and, determining a second location of the mobile device with one of the group of an ultra wide band (UWB) system, a very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) system and a distance measuring equipment (DME) system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the enhanced location of the mobile device further comprises:

determining a centroid of the enhanced location.