METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRESENCE DETECTION

• US 20110029370A1
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: shopkick, Inc. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: shopkick, Inc. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Emigh, Aaron T., Roeding, Cyriac
• Granted Patent: US 9,886,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.38
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0257 Hybrid positioning by coordinating position lines of different shape G01S5/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/08 Detecting or categorising vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 : Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 : for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

The transmission system transmits an encrypted identifier ultrasonically in an open-air environment using an ultrasonic transmitter. The ultrasonic identifier is associated with a location, which may be a store or a department within a store, and may be received by a microphone on a mobile phone. The identifier may be used to infer presence of the mobile phone user at the location associated with the identifier. The transmitter may include an ultrasonic transducer. The system may further provide a reward, responsive to inferring presence at the location.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a presence indicator, comprising:

creating an identifier, wherein the identifier is associated with a location; and

transmitting the identifier in an open-air environment using an ultrasonic signal transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes a time-varying component.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising controlling the time-varying component using a real time clock.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a broadcast time signal to control the time-varying component.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the time-varying component includes a nonce.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the time-varying component includes a timestamp.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the time-varying component includes a rotating key.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is associated with a retail store.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the location is associated with a department within the retail store.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is associated with a component received from a server.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a challenge, and responding to the challenge.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the identifier in the open-air environment using the ultrasonic signal transmitter includes transmitting the identifier using frequency shift keying.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the identifier in the open-air environment using the ultrasonic signal transmitter includes transmitting the identifier using phase shift keying.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the identifier in the open-air environment using the ultrasonic signal transmitter includes transmitting the identifier using amplitude shift keying.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the identifier in the open-air environment via the ultrasonic signal transmitter includes transmitting the identifier using multifrequency signaling.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the multifrequency signaling includes spread spectrum communications.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes an error correcting code calculated from a source data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the error correcting code is a turbo code.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the error correcting code is a convolutional code.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the error correcting code is a Reed-Solomon code.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier includes an error detecting code calculated from a source data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the error detecting code includes a cyclic redundancy check.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic signal transmitter includes a transducer.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic signal transmitter transmits using at least one frequency between 19 Khz to 22 KHz.

26. A system for transmitting a presence indicator, comprising:

an ultrasonic transducer, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is capable of transmitting signals in an open-air environment at frequencies above 19 KHz; and

a signal generator configured to generate an ultrasonic signal corresponding to an identifier, wherein the identifier is associated with a location, and wherein the ultrasonic signal includes at least one frequency above 19 KHz.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is a piezoelectric transducer.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the signal generator includes a programmable processor, wherein the programmable processor is configured to generate a waveform corresponding to the identifier.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the signal generator includes a memory, wherein the memory stores data relating to a waveform corresponding to the identifier.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising an encryptor configured to encrypt the identifier.

31. The system of claim 26, further comprising a real-time clock.

32. The system of claim 26, further comprising a time-varying component generator, wherein the identifier includes a time-varying component generated by the time-varying code generator.

33. The system of claim 26, further comprising a time receiver.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the location is associated with a retail store.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the location is associated with a department within the retail store.

36. The system of claim 26, wherein the identifier is associated with a received component received by a network interface.

37. The system of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a challenge, and respond to the challenge.

38. The system of claim 26, wherein the signal generator is configured to generate the identifier using frequency shift keying.

39. The system of claim 26, wherein the signal generator is configured to generate the identifier using phase shift keying.

40. The system of claim 26, wherein the signal generator is configured to generate the identifier using amplitude shift keying.

41. The system of claim 26, wherein the signal generator is configured to generate the identifier using multifrequency signaling.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the multifrequency signaling includes spread spectrum communications.

43. The system of claim 26, further comprising an error correcting code generator, wherein the identifier includes an error correcting code, and wherein the error correcting code generator is configured to calculate the error correcting code from a source data.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the error correcting code is a turbo code.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the error correcting code is a convolutional code.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the error correcting code is a Reed-Solomon code.

47. The system of claim 26, further comprising an error detecting code generator, wherein the identifier includes an error detecting code, wherein the error detecting code generator is configured to calculate the error detecting code from a source data.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the error detecting code includes a cyclic redundancy check.

49. A method for receiving a presence indicator, comprising:

receiving an ultrasonic signal in an open-air environment using a microphone, wherein the ultrasonic signal includes at least one frequency above 19 KHz;

decoding an identifier encoded in the ultrasonic signal; and

inferring presence at a location, wherein the location is associated with the identifier.

50. The method of claim 49, performed at a mobile phone.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein decoding the identifier includes transmitting data relating to the ultrasonic signal to a server, and receiving a response from the server.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein decoding the identifier includes decoding frequency shift keying.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein decoding the identifier includes decoding phase shift keying.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein decoding the identifier includes decoding amplitude shift keying.

55. The method of claim 49, wherein decoding the identifier includes decoding multifrequency signaling.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein decoding the multifrequency signaling includes spread spectrum communications.

57. The method of claim 49, further comprising applying an error correcting code to the identifier.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the error correcting code includes a turbo code.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the error correcting code includes a convolutional code.

60. The method of claim 57, wherein the error correcting code includes a Reed-Solomon code.

61. The method of claim 49, further comprising applying an error detecting code to the identifier.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the error detecting code includes a cyclic redundancy check.

63. The method of claim 49, wherein the location is associated with a retail store.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the location is associated with a department within the retail store.

65. The method of claim 49, further comprising decrypting the identifier.

66. The method of claim 49, further comprising extracting a time-varying component from the identifier, and verifying that the time-varying component is acceptable.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein verifying that the time-varying component is acceptable includes allowing for clock skew.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein verifying that the time-varying component is acceptable includes detecting a desynchronized clock, and compensating for the desynchronized clock.

69. The method of claim 49, further comprising transmitting a challenge, receiving a response to the challenge, and verifying that the response to the challenge is acceptable.

70. The method of claim 49, wherein the ultrasonic signal includes at least one frequency below 22 KHz.

71. The method of claim 49, further comprising providing a reward, responsive to inferring presence at the location.

72. The method of claim 49, further comprising providing a personalized discount, responsive to inferring presence at the location.