Monitoring of location-associated events
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring location-associated events, comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing an event descriptor concerning a transaction-related event of interest to a first party that is at least generally expected to occur at the business premises of a second party, the event descriptor explicitly or implicitly identifying the parties and the location of the premises; and
(b) determining when an event descriptor is matched by the identity and location of the first party and, with or without further filtering, indicating the match to a said party;
step (a) being effected by one of said first and second parties and step (b) involving indicating the match to at least the other said party.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is provided for monitoring location-associated events such as the availability for collection at business premises of items previously ordered by a customer. The method involves storing a descriptor of the event of interest to the customer, the descriptor being stored, for example, in a third-party service system (40) by the business concerned. The descriptor explicitly or implicitly includes details of the parties and the location of the premises (70). Subsequently, when the customer comes near the business premises (70), the service system (40) determines a match with the event descriptor and indicates as much to the customer (115), either directly or after first checking event status data provided by the business. Where the event descriptor is stored by the customer, either in a mobile device or a third-party system, then the determination of a match can be used to alert the business that the customer is near. Thus, whilst one party is responsible for storing the event descriptor, the other party benefits from receiving an indication of an event-descriptor match.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring location-associated events, comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing an event descriptor concerning a transaction-related event of interest to a first party that is at least generally expected to occur at the business premises of a second party, the event descriptor explicitly or implicitly identifying the parties and the location of the premises; and
(b) determining when an event descriptor is matched by the identity and location of the first party and, with or without further filtering, indicating the match to a said party;
step (a) being effected by one of said first and second parties and step (b) involving indicating the match to at least the other said party. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for use in monitoring location-associated events, the system comprising:
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an input subsystem for receiving event descriptors each concerning a transaction-related event of interest to a first party that is expected to occur at the business premises of a second party, the event descriptor explicitly or implicitly identifying the parties and the location of the premises, and the input subsystem being further operative to receive location information about the first party, a database subsystem for storing and retrieving said event descriptors, a match subsystem for determining from the event descriptors and received location information when a said event descriptor is matched by the identity and location of the first party; and
an output subsystem for indicating to a said party, with or without further filtering, that a said match has been determined by the match subsystem;
the input and output subsystems being configured to permit input of the event descriptors by one of said first and second parties whilst the occurrence of a said match is indicated to at least the other said party. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification