Event information tracking and communication tool
First Claim
1. A system for managing event information during an event occurring in a facility, the facility including a set of geospatial zones, wherein a set of persons move throughout the set of geospatial zones, the system comprising:
- a) A set of computer servers having one or more processors, local memory, at least one storage device attached to each computer server;
b) A set of locatable tag devices associated with the set of persons, to transmit locating signals on a first channel and to transmit and receive device data on a second channel;
c) A network of real-time location sensors, located in a predetermined pattern in the facility, to detect the locating signals;
d) A set of controllable devices located in the facility connected to the set of computer servers;
e) A real-time location system, connected to the network of real-time location sensors and to the set of computer servers, and programmed to interact with the set of locatable tag devices and with the network of location sensors to determine, to store in memory and to report geospatial coordinates of each locatable tag device in the set of locatable tag devices;
f) A recording system, connected to the real-time location system, to record a set of locations associated with the set of locatable tag devices as reported by the real-time location system;
g) A real-time information marketing system (RTIMS) in communication with the real-time location system, the RTIMS connected to a local area network and further connected to a wide area network, the RTIMS programmed to operate on the set of computer servers to create a first set of associations between each person in the set of persons to one locator tag device of the set of locator tag devices, to create a second set of associations between each person in the set of persons to one geospatial zone of the set of geospatial zones and further programmed to generate a set of tabular data files;
the set of tabular data files including the first set of associations and the second set of associations;
h) The RTIMS further comprising a means for assessing a quality of location parameter and a means for reporting the quality of location parameter;
i) The RTIMS further comprising a means for controlling the set of controllable devices based on the first set of associations and the second set of associations;
j) A dashboard application system operating a dashboard application program and connected through the local area network to the RTIMS;
k) A portal application system operating a web portal application program and connected through the wide area network to the RTIMS;
l) A viewer application system, operating a viewer application program, for viewing the tabular data files; and
m) A reporting system, connected to the portal application system, the viewer application system, and a set of external systems, the reporting system having access to the set of tabular data files and programmed to provide reporting services based on the set of tabular data files.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A central server system is provided which communicates with a plurality of communication devices known as RTLS tags which are usually worn by participants of an event, the event being normally contained to a facility. The RTLS tags communicate with a network located in the vicinity of the facility to determine the position of the RTLS tags in real time. The network communicates with and transfers information to and from a RTIMS server. Information about identities of the participants, the location of the participants and geographical maps of display booths and exhibitor signage at the event are stored on the RTIMS server in a datastore connected thereto. The datastore may be queried to provide participants information relevant for navigation, lead capture, participant surveys and participant traffic flow. Participant locations may be correlated to entity locations or other participants by the RTIMS system to provide location oriented services.
52 Citations
61 Claims
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1. A system for managing event information during an event occurring in a facility, the facility including a set of geospatial zones, wherein a set of persons move throughout the set of geospatial zones, the system comprising:
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a) A set of computer servers having one or more processors, local memory, at least one storage device attached to each computer server; b) A set of locatable tag devices associated with the set of persons, to transmit locating signals on a first channel and to transmit and receive device data on a second channel; c) A network of real-time location sensors, located in a predetermined pattern in the facility, to detect the locating signals; d) A set of controllable devices located in the facility connected to the set of computer servers; e) A real-time location system, connected to the network of real-time location sensors and to the set of computer servers, and programmed to interact with the set of locatable tag devices and with the network of location sensors to determine, to store in memory and to report geospatial coordinates of each locatable tag device in the set of locatable tag devices; f) A recording system, connected to the real-time location system, to record a set of locations associated with the set of locatable tag devices as reported by the real-time location system; g) A real-time information marketing system (RTIMS) in communication with the real-time location system, the RTIMS connected to a local area network and further connected to a wide area network, the RTIMS programmed to operate on the set of computer servers to create a first set of associations between each person in the set of persons to one locator tag device of the set of locator tag devices, to create a second set of associations between each person in the set of persons to one geospatial zone of the set of geospatial zones and further programmed to generate a set of tabular data files;
the set of tabular data files including the first set of associations and the second set of associations;h) The RTIMS further comprising a means for assessing a quality of location parameter and a means for reporting the quality of location parameter; i) The RTIMS further comprising a means for controlling the set of controllable devices based on the first set of associations and the second set of associations; j) A dashboard application system operating a dashboard application program and connected through the local area network to the RTIMS; k) A portal application system operating a web portal application program and connected through the wide area network to the RTIMS; l) A viewer application system, operating a viewer application program, for viewing the tabular data files; and m) A reporting system, connected to the portal application system, the viewer application system, and a set of external systems, the reporting system having access to the set of tabular data files and programmed to provide reporting services based on the set of tabular data files. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A reporting system, resident on at least one computer server, for reporting event information after a set of events, wherein a set of persons have attended at least one event of the set of events and a set of organizations have taken part in at least one event of the set of events, and wherein a real-time information management system and a real-time location system have been utilized to gather a set of event data sets for each event of the set of events, and wherein the reporting system is programmed to process and store a set of reports in a local memory for exporting to a set of external systems, the reporting system comprising:
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a) A set of reporting templates defining a set of report forms; b) A set of asset definitions defining a set of relational operations to be performed on the set of event datasets; c) An operation means for performing relational operations on the set of event datasets to create a set of report datasets; and d) A merging means for merging at least one reporting template for the set of reporting templates with at least one report dataset of the set of event datasets to create a report. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A viewer application system, resident on at least one computer, for viewing and organizing event information after a set of events, in communication with a computer network, wherein a set of persons have attended at least one event and a set of organizations have taken part in at least one event, and wherein a real-time information management system and a real-time location system have been utilized to gather a set of event data sets related to each event of the set of events, the viewer application system comprising:
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a) A computer having at least a processor, a display and persistent memory in communication with the computer network; b) A viewer application program operating on the computer; c) A view navigator component in the viewer application program for selecting and importing at least one event dataset from the set of event datasets; d) A view workspace component in the viewer application program for displaying at least one event dataset from the set of event datasets in a tabular form; e) A graphical analysis component in the viewer application program for analyzing graphically displayed data from the set of event datasets; f) A relational operations component, in the viewer application program, to interactively select and perform at least one pre-defined relational operation on at least one event dataset from the set of event datasets to produce and store a first event data asset in persistent memory, the relation operations component further programmed to interactively select and perform at least one predefined relational operation on the first event data asset to produce a second event data asset and to store the second event data asset in a persistent memory; and
,g) An asset definition component, in the viewer application program, to record and store the at least one pre-defined relational operation as an executable relational operation producing the second event data asset from the at least one event data asset.
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18. A method to assemble an event information management system for a set of events held in a first chosen event facility a set of event facilities wherein the event information management system comprises at least a real-time location system (RTLS) and a real-time information marketing system (RTIMS), the method comprising the steps of:
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a) Performing a facility set up process in the first chosen event facility, including the steps of; i) Designing a configuration for the RTLS including at least a network of RTLS sensors and a set of RTLS tag devices; ii) Installing the network of RTLS sensors; iii) Calibrating the network of RTLS sensors; and iv) Testing the performance of the network of RTLS sensors; b) Performing an event specific set up process for a chosen event from the set of events, the event specific process including the steps of; i) Identifying a set of event specific customizations; ii) Developing the set of event specific customizations including software development and software configuration; iii) Deploying and configuring a set of server resources for the chosen event, the server resources including at least a server resource for the RTIMS and at least one server resource for a RTLS recorder system; iv) Deploying and configuring a set of immersive media systems; v) Defining a set of geospatial zones related to the event facility; vi) Importing the set of geospatial zones into the RTLS; vii) Validating the set of geospatial zones by testing event facility with at least one RTLS tag device; viii) Measuring a quality of location parameter for the set of geospatial zones to identify a geospatial zone that requires system performance remediation; ix) Remediating the geospatial zone that requires system performance remediation; x) Testing the event information management system; xi) Operating the event information management system; xii) Repeating the step of performing a facility set up process for each facility in the set of events; and xiii) Repeating the step of performing a facility set up process for a second chosen event facility of the set of event facilities. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of gathering and managing event information from an event, the event information describing behaviors of a set of organizers, a set of participants and a set of exhibitors in an event facility during the event, the method including the steps of:
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a) Providing a real-time information marketing system (RTIMS) at the event facility which produces an event data set modeling the behaviors of the set of organizers, set of participants and set of exhibitors in the event facility during the event; b) Storing the event data set in a persistent memory of a computer server; c) Deploying a network of real-time location sensors at the event facility; d) Deploying a set of real-time location system (RTLS) tag devices to the participants; e) Providing a RTLS for determining RTLS tag device locations in the facility; f) Programming the RTLS with a set of geospatial zones within the event facility; g) Enabling RTLS communication with the RTIMS with the network of RTLS sensors and with the set of RTLS tag devices; h) Tracking the locations of the set of participants using the RTLS and RTIMS with a participant locator service; i) Providing a dashboard application program for the set of exhibitors; j) Providing a portal application program for the set of participants and the set of exhibitors; k) Providing a recorder system for recording the locations of the set of participants; l) Providing a viewer application program to organize and manage the event dataset; and m) Providing a reporting system for the set of exhibitors and the set of organizers to organize and generate a set of reports based on the event dataset. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method of reporting event information for a set of events in a set of event facilities, the event information for each event included in an event data model representing the behaviors of a set of organizers, a set of participants and a set of exhibitors during each event in each event facility, the set of event data models for the set of events being stored in a local memory datastore of a reporting system server, the method including the steps of:
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a) Creating a set of executable asset definitions to organize a set of report data from the set of event data models; b) Creating a set of report templates; c) Operating a reporting program on the reporting system server; d) Importing the set of report templates into the local memory datastore; e) Importing the set of executable asset definitions into the local memory datastore; f) Executing at least one of the asset definitions of the set of asset definitions to organize a set of report data from the set of event data models; g) Placing the set of report data into at least one report template to create a report; and h) Communicating the report to an external computer system. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61)
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Specification