Monitoring Capabilities for Mobile Electronic Devices

• US 20090182597A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wood, Policarpo, Bull, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,548,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Improved computer-implemented techniques for providing relevant information to mobile electronic devices are disclosed. According to one aspect, usage of mobile electronic devices can be monitored and usage data can be formed. The usage data can then be used to perform an action. The action can operate to provide more relevant information, such as digital (e.g., online) information or rewards, to the user. In one embodiment, usage of mobile electronic devices can be monitored and users of such mobile electronic devices can be provided with rewards based on their usage. Another aspect pertains to monitoring locations of a mobile electronic device for a duration of time and then providing location-specific information based on the locations of the device.

Claims

1. A method for providing patrons with rewards, said method comprising:

detecting presence of a mobile electronic device at a particular establishment;

updating a presence indicator regarding the particular establishment if said detecting detects the presence of the mobile electronic device at the particular establishment;

obtaining one or more reward rules associated with the particular establishment; and

determining whether a reward is due to the mobile electronic device or its user based on presence indicator and the one or more reward rules.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the presence indicator is a count of a number of times the mobile electronic device has been at the particular establishment.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said updating increases the count for the mobile electronic device if said detecting detects the presence of the mobile electronic device at the particular establishment.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the presence indicator is a count of a number of times the mobile electronic device has visited the particular establishment.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said determining whether the reward is due comprises:

determining whether any of the one or more reward rules are applicable; and

determining the reward due based on those of the one or more reward rules that are determined to be applicable.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

delivering the reward to the mobile electronic device or its user when said determining determines that a reward is due.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

queuing the reward for subsequent delivery to the mobile electronic device or another device associated with the user of the mobile electronic device when said determining determines that a reward is due.

8. A method for rewarding patrons for device usage at particular locations, said method comprising:

monitoring device usage to accumulate device usage information;

determining whether a reward is due based on the accumulated device usage information; and

delivering a reward to the device or its user if said determining determines that a reward is due.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the accumulated device usage information is separately provided with respect to the particular locations.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said determining determines that a reward is due based on the accumulated device usage information for a particular location.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the reward determined to be due is dependent on at least one reward rule associated with a particular location.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the particular location is a location of an establishment.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the reward is associated with the establishment.

14. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the reward is provided or available at one of the particular locations.

15. A method as recited in claim 14,

wherein the particular location is a location of an establishment, and

wherein the reward determined to be due is dependent on at least one reward rule associated with the establishment.

16. A method for providing location-based information to an electronic device, said method comprising:

monitoring a location of a mobile device;

determining location-based information that is related to the monitored location of the mobile device; and

providing the location-based information to the electronic device.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said providing comprises:

receiving the location-based information at the electronic device from an information server.

19. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said providing comprises:

receiving the location-based information at a host computer from an information server; and

sending at least a portion of the location-based information from the host computer to the mobile device.

18. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the electronic device is a personal computer or is the mobile device.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said method comprises:

storing multiple locations of the mobile device provided by said monitoring over a period of time.

21. A method for acquiring location-specific information, said method comprising:

detecting connection of a mobile device to a host computer;

transferring, to the host computer, a set of locations that the mobile device has visited;

sending the set of locations from the host computer to a remote information server;

receiving, at the host computer, the location-specific information from the remote information server, the location-specific information being determined based at least in part on the set of locations; and

sending at least a portion of the location-specific information from the host computer to the mobile device.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the portion of the location-specific information is a digital information feed that is related to one or more of the locations of the mobile device within the set of locations.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said sending of the set of locations from the host computer to the remote information server comprises:

sending a request for location-specific information from the host computer to a remote information server, the request including or associating with the set of locations.

24. A method for accessing location-based information, said method comprising:

monitoring a location of a mobile device associated with a user;

storing multiple locations of the mobile device provided by said monitoring over a period of time;

subsequently connecting the mobile device with a host device;

transferring, following said connecting, the multiple locations from the mobile device to the host computer;

determining digital information that is related to one or more of the multiple locations of the mobile device by analyzing the multiple locations of the mobile device; and

facilitating access to the determined digital information.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said transferring is part of a synchronization between the mobile device and the host computer.

26. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the digital information is a coupon of a merchant having a place of business at or proximate to one or more of the multiple locations.

27. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the digital information comprises a recommendation that is dependent on one or more of the multiple locations.

28. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the digital information is a digital information feed.

29. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said facilitating comprises presenting the digital information to the user via the mobile device or the host computer.

30. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said determining comprises

analyzing the multiple locations at the host device to determine the digital information that is related to at least a plurality of the multiple locations of the mobile device.