DETERMINING REWARDS BASED ON PROXIMITY OF DEVICES USING SHORT-RANGE WIRELESS BROADCASTS
First Claim
1. A method for presenting rewards information to a user, comprising:
- receiving in a server a sighting message that includes an identifier of a wireless identity transmitter associated with an individual;
determining in the server whether the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user based on the identifier;
determining in the server whether the sighting message is related to a rewards program based on information included within the sighting message;
calculating a rewards program status information for the user when the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user and the sighting message is related to the rewards program; and
transmitting a first message that includes the calculated rewards program status information.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems and devices for presenting rewards to users based on proximity of short-range wireless devices. A wireless identity transmitter may periodically transmit wireless broadcast messages that include obscured identifiers. When within proximity, a proximity broadcast receiver, such as a mobile device carried by a user, may receive and relay the broadcast messages to a server which may process the included information. Based on decrypting the obscured identifiers, the central server may determine whether relayed messages relate to devices associated with a reward program, and may calculate rewards, such as coupons, money, or prizes. Rewards may be presented to users based on sensor data indicated within broadcast messages. In an embodiment, when the server receives a sighting message related to an active search for a target device, a reward is presented to the user of the proximity broadcast receiver that transmitted the sighting message.
230 Citations
93 Claims
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1. A method for presenting rewards information to a user, comprising:
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receiving in a server a sighting message that includes an identifier of a wireless identity transmitter associated with an individual; determining in the server whether the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user based on the identifier; determining in the server whether the sighting message is related to a rewards program based on information included within the sighting message; calculating a rewards program status information for the user when the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user and the sighting message is related to the rewards program; and transmitting a first message that includes the calculated rewards program status information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for presenting rewards to encourage participation in a search for a target wireless identity transmitter, comprising:
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activating the search based on a request from a requester for proximity information of the target wireless identity transmitter; receiving in a server a sighting message that includes an identifier of the target wireless identity transmitter; determining whether the proximity information related to the target wireless identity transmitter is received based on the identifier within the received sighting message; identifying a first recipient as a user of a proximity broadcast receiver that transmitted the sighting message when the proximity information related to the target wireless identity transmitter is received and when the search is active; and determining a first reward for the identified first recipient based on the request. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A server configured to present rewards information to a user, comprising:
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means for receiving in the server a sighting message that includes an identifier of a wireless identity transmitter associated with an individual; means for determining in the server whether the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user based on the identifier; means for determining in the server whether the sighting message is related to a rewards program based on information included within the sighting message; means for calculating a rewards program status information for the user when the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user and the sighting message is related to the rewards program; and means for transmitting a first message that includes the calculated rewards program status information. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A server configured to present rewards to encourage participation in a search for a target wireless identity transmitter, comprising:
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means for activating the search based on a request from a requester for proximity information of the target wireless identity transmitter; means for receiving in the server a sighting message that includes an identifier of the target wireless identity transmitter; means for determining whether the proximity information related to the target wireless identity transmitter is received based on the identifier within the received sighting message; means for identifying a first recipient as a user of a proximity broadcast receiver that transmitted the sighting message when the proximity information related to the target wireless identity transmitter is received and when the search is active; and means for determining a first reward for the identified first recipient based on the request. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A server configured to present rewards information to a user, comprising:
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a memory; and a server processor coupled to the memory, wherein the server processor is configured with server processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; receiving in the server a sighting message that includes an identifier of a wireless identity transmitter associated with an individual; determining in the server whether the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user based on the identifier; determining in the server whether the sighting message is related to a rewards program based on information included within the sighting message; calculating a rewards program status information for the user when the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user and the sighting message is related to the rewards program; and transmitting a first message that includes the calculated rewards program status information. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A server configured to present rewards to encourage participation in a search for a target wireless identity transmitter, comprising:
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a memory; and a server processor coupled to the memory, wherein the server processor is configured with server processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; activating the search based on a request from a requester for proximity information of the target wireless identity transmitter; receiving in the server a sighting message that includes an identifier of the target wireless identity transmitter; determining whether the proximity information related to the target wireless identity transmitter is received based on a rolling identifier within the received sighting message; identifying a first recipient as a user of a proximity broadcast receiver that transmitted the sighting message when the proximity information related to the target wireless identity transmitter is received and when the search is active; and determining a first reward for the identified first recipient based on the request. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A non-transitory server-readable storage medium having stored thereon server-executable instructions configured to cause a server to perform operations to present rewards information to a user, the operations comprising:
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receiving in the server a sighting message that includes an identifier of a wireless identity transmitter associated with an individual; determining in the server whether the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user based on the identifier; determining in the server whether the sighting message is related to a rewards program based on information included within the sighting message; calculating a rewards program status information for the user when the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user and the sighting message is related to the rewards program; and transmitting a first message that includes the calculated rewards program status information. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A non-transitory server-readable storage medium having stored thereon server-executable instructions configured to cause a server to perform operations to present rewards to encourage participation in a search for a target wireless identity transmitter, the operations comprising:
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activating the search based on a request from a requester for proximity information of the target wireless identity transmitter; receiving in the server a sighting message that includes an identifier of the target wireless identity transmitter; determining whether the proximity information related to the target wireless identity transmitter is received based on the identifier within the received sighting message; identifying a first recipient as a user of a proximity broadcast receiver that transmitted the sighting message when the proximity information related to the target wireless identity transmitter is received and when the search is active; and determining a first reward for the identified first recipient based on the request. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A system, comprising:
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a server; a wireless identity transmitter; and a proximity broadcast receiver, wherein the wireless identity transmitter comprises; a first memory; a first transceiver configured to broadcast short-range wireless signals capable of being received by the proximity broadcast receiver; and a first processor coupled to the first memory and the first transceiver, and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; generating a rolling identifier periodically via an algorithm that uses a unique device identifier of the wireless identity transmitter that is associated with an individual and a secret key shared with the server; and periodically broadcasting via the first transceiver a short-range wireless signal including the rolling identifier of the wireless identity transmitter, and wherein the proximity broadcast receiver comprises; a second memory; a second transceiver configured to exchange short-range wireless signals with the wireless identity transmitter; a network device configured to exchange signals with the server; a second processor coupled to the second memory, the second transceiver, and the network device and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; receiving via the second transceiver the short-range wireless signal including the rolling identifier broadcast by the wireless identity transmitter within proximity; generating a sighting message in response to the received signal, wherein the sighting message includes the rolling identifier and associated data; and transmitting the sighting message via long-range communications using the network device, and wherein the server is configured with server-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; receiving in the server the sighting message that includes the rolling identifier; determining in the server whether the wireless identity transmitter is associated with a user based on the rolling identifier; determining in the server whether the sighting message is related to a rewards program based on information included within the sighting message; calculating a rewards program status information for the user when the wireless identity transmitter is associated with the user and the sighting message is related to the rewards program; and transmitting a first message that includes the calculated rewards program status information. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A system, comprising:
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a server; a wireless identity transmitter; and a proximity broadcast receiver, wherein the wireless identity transmitter comprises; a first memory; a first transceiver configured to broadcast short-range wireless signals capable of being received by the proximity broadcast receiver; and a first processor coupled to the first memory and the first transceiver, and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; generating a rolling identifier periodically via an algorithm that uses a unique device identifier of the wireless identity transmitter that is associated with an individual and a secret key shared with the server; and periodically broadcasting via the first transceiver a short-range wireless signal including the rolling identifier of the wireless identity transmitter, and wherein the proximity broadcast receiver comprises; a second memory; a second transceiver configured to exchange short-range wireless signals with the wireless identity transmitter; a network device configured to exchange signals with the server; a second processor coupled to the second memory, the second transceiver, and the network device and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; receiving via the second transceiver the short-range wireless signal including the rolling identifier broadcast by the wireless identity transmitter within proximity; generating a sighting message in response to the received signal, wherein the sighting message includes the rolling identifier and associated data; and transmitting the sighting message via long-range communications using the network device, and wherein the server is configured with server-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; receiving in the server the sighting message that includes the rolling identifier; activating a search based on a request from a requester for proximity information of the wireless identity transmitter; determining whether the proximity information related to the wireless identity transmitter is received based on the rolling identifier within the received sighting message; identifying a first recipient as a user of the proximity broadcast receiver that transmitted the sighting message when the proximity information related to the wireless identity transmitter is received and when the search is active; and determining a first reward for the identified first recipient based on the request. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A method for displaying reward information on a mobile device, comprising:
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displaying on a touchscreen a graphical user interface that includes an element positioned over an area where the reward information is to be displayed, the element appearing consistent with a scratch-off card; determining whether touch inputs received on the touchscreen match a scratching gesture over the element, where the scratching gesture is a back-and-forth movement; and animating removal of the element and substitution of the reward information in response to received touch inputs matching the scratching gesture over the element. - View Dependent Claims (87)
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88. A mobile device configured to display reward information, comprising:
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means for displaying on a touchscreen a graphical user interface that includes an element positioned over an area where the reward information is to be displayed, the element appearing consistent with a scratch-off card; means for determining whether touch inputs received on the touchscreen match a scratching gesture over the element, where the scratching gesture is a back-and-forth movement; and means for animating removal of the element and substitution of the reward information in response to received touch inputs matching the scratching gesture over the element. - View Dependent Claims (89)
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90. A mobile device configured to display reward information, comprising:
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a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising; displaying on a touchscreen a graphical user interface that includes an element positioned over an area where the reward information is to be displayed, the element appearing consistent with a scratch-off card; determining whether touch inputs received on the touchscreen match a scratching gesture over the element, where the scratching gesture is a back-and-forth movement; and animating removal of the element and substitution of the reward information in response to received touch inputs matching the scratching gesture over the element. - View Dependent Claims (91)
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92. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations for a mobile device to display reward information, the operations comprising:
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displaying on a touchscreen a graphical user interface that includes an element positioned over an area where the reward information is to be displayed, the element appearing consistent with a scratch-off card; determining whether touch inputs received on the touchscreen match a scratching gesture over the element, where the scratching gesture is a back-and-forth movement; and animating removal of the element and substitution of the reward information in response to received touch inputs matching the scratching gesture over the element. - View Dependent Claims (93)
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Specification