SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTE DEVICE RECOGNITION AT PUBLIC HOTSPOTS
First Claim
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1. A method for recognizing a wireless device across multiple hotspot locations, the method comprising:
- detecting at one of the multiple hotspot locations a wireless transmission sent by the wireless device;
extracting a unique device identifier of the detected device from said wireless transmission, said unique device identifier automatically embedded within said wireless transmission by the detected device without user input;
cross-referencing said extracted device identifier with a network accessible database of stored device profiles, each of said device profiles having a respective stored device identifier associated therewith; and
recognizing the detected device upon matching said extracted device identifier with one said stored device identifier;
otherwise automatically creating a new device profile in said database as a function of said extracted device identifier such that the device is recognized upon subsequent detection at any of said multiple hotspot locations.
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Abstract
Described are various embodiments of a system and method in which device-identifying data can be used to uniquely recognize and optionally track and report on device activity at one or more hotspot locations by way of the creation and management of a device profile uniquely associated with such devices and stored in a network accessible knowledge base.
269 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method for recognizing a wireless device across multiple hotspot locations, the method comprising:
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detecting at one of the multiple hotspot locations a wireless transmission sent by the wireless device; extracting a unique device identifier of the detected device from said wireless transmission, said unique device identifier automatically embedded within said wireless transmission by the detected device without user input; cross-referencing said extracted device identifier with a network accessible database of stored device profiles, each of said device profiles having a respective stored device identifier associated therewith; and recognizing the detected device upon matching said extracted device identifier with one said stored device identifier;
otherwise automatically creating a new device profile in said database as a function of said extracted device identifier such that the device is recognized upon subsequent detection at any of said multiple hotspot locations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for tracking wireless devices across multiple hotspot locations, the system comprising:
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a network accessible database having stored therein a plurality of device profiles each identifying a respective wireless device by a stored unique device identifier, each said stored unique device identifier indicative of an inherent characteristic of said respective device; and a network access module at each of said locations and configured to detect at a given location a wireless transmission sent from a given device and having embedded therein a transmitted unique device identifier inherent to said given device; said network access module interfacing with said network accessible database to cross-reference said transmitted unique device identifier with said plurality of device profiles to identify a matching profile and thereby recognize said given device, and otherwise automatically create a new device profile based on said transmitted unique device identifier so to recognize said given device upon subsequent detection at any of said multiple hotspot locations. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 46, 47)
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38. A method for automatically characterizing a device visit at a Wi-Fi location, comprising:
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detecting a first wireless transmission sent by a wireless device; extracting a unique device identifier of the detected device from said wireless transmission, said unique device identifier automatically embedded within said wireless transmission by the detected device without user input; creating a device visit profile and associating said extracted unique device identifier therewith; recording a timestamp of said first wireless transmission in said device visit profile; automatically identifying one or more subsequent wireless transmissions sent by said wireless device while at the Wi-Fi location by way of identifying data associated with each of said subsequent transmissions; recording a timestamp of each of said subsequent transmissions in said device visit profile; and characterizing said device visit profile at least as a function of a duration value defined by said recorded timestamp of said first transmission and a recorded timestamp of a last of said subsequent transmissions. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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48. A method for recognizing a wireless device across multiple Wi-Fi locations, the method comprising:
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detecting at one of the multiple Wi-Fi locations a wireless transmission sent by the wireless device; extracting a unique device identifier of the detected device from said wireless transmission, said unique device identifier automatically embedded within said wireless transmission by the detected device without user input; cross-referencing said extracted device identifier with a network accessible database of stored device profiles, each of said device profiles having a respective stored device identifier associated therewith; recognizing the detected device upon matching said extracted device identifier with one said stored device identifier; associating with said device profile of said recognized device said one of the multiple Wi-Fi locations; and centrally compiling from said stored device profiles, visit data for each of said multiple Wi-Fi locations. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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Specification