Surveying Wireless Device Users by Location

• US 20140012630A1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moton, Robert T. Jr., Enzmann, Mark J., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• 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

The present invention is a system and method for conducting survey using wireless devices. The system architecture of the present invention comprises a location server and a location system. The location server can receive a survey request from a subscriber, delineate a survey area for the survey, broadcast a query containing the survey to a plurality of wireless devices, process responses received from the wireless devices, and deliver a result of the survey to the subscriber. The location system can generate location information for each of the wireless devices that received the query. The location system may be a network-based unit or a portable unit provisioned at each of the wireless devices. In one of the embodiments, the location system is a GPS receiver that generates the longitude and the latitude of the wireless devices at which it is provisioned.

Claims

1. A tangible computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

delineating a survey area using nodes of a communications network, wherein each of the nodes is associated with point coordinates, and wherein the survey area is located within a wireless coverage area of a plurality of cell sites;

initiating broadcasting of a survey communication to the survey area;

receiving responses from wireless devices located in the survey area;

obtaining location information corresponding to locations of the wireless devices receiving the survey communication; and

determining a number of wireless devices positioned in the survey area based on the location information.

2. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

determining a number of people positioned in the survey area based on the number of wireless devices positioned in the survey area.

3. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

determining the number of people positioned in the survey area; and

multiplying the number of wireless devices determined to be positioned in the survey area by a predetermined ratio.

4. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

determining the number of people positioned in the survey area,

considering the number of people positioned in the area to be equivalent to the number of wireless devices determined to be positioned in the survey area.

5. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

receiving a message indicating the survey area; and

initiating broadcasting in response to receiving the message.

6. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the survey area is delineated based on content of the message.

7. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the message indicates the service area by data selected from a group of data comprising data identifying streets corresponding to the survey area, data identifying a location of the user, and data identifying a place corresponding to the survey area.

8. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

initiating sending of a report indicating indicia selected from a group of indicia comprising of a number of wireless devices determined to be positioned in the survey area, and a number of people determined to be positioned in the survey area.

9. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the survey communication comprises an inquiry for the mobile devices, and wherein the report comprises data relating to responses to the inquiry.

10. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

obtaining location information corresponding to locations of the wireless devices; and

causing the processor to obtain the location information from the responses received from the wireless devices.

11. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the survey communication comprises a first survey communication.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

initiating broadcasting of a second survey communication to the survey area to determine movement information corresponding to wireless devices in the survey area over time.

14. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

receiving a message indicating the survey area; and

broadcasting the survey communication in response to receiving the message.

15. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the survey communication comprises a first survey communication.

16. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

initiating broadcasting of a second survey communication to the survey area to determine movement information corresponding to wireless devices in the survey area over time.

13. A tangible computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

delineating a survey area using nodes of a communications network, wherein each of the nodes is associated with point coordinates, and wherein the survey area is located within a wireless coverage area of a plurality of cell sites;

initiating broadcast of a survey communication to the survey area;

receiving responses to the survey communication from wireless devices in the survey area; and

determining a number of wireless devices positioned in the survey area based on the responses received.

17. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

determining a number of people positioned in the survey area based on the number of wireless devices determined to be positioned in the survey area, wherein determining the number comprises multiplying the number of wireless devices determined to be positioned in the survey area by a ratio.

18. A tangible computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to conduct a survey;

delineating, in response to the request, a survey area using nodes of a communications network, wherein the survey area is located within a wireless coverage area of a plurality of cell sites associated with a wireless network;

initiating broadcasting of a survey communication to the survey area;

receiving responses from wireless devices located in the survey area;

obtaining location information corresponding to locations of the wireless devices receiving the survey communication; and

determining a number of wireless devices positioned in the survey area based on the location information.

19. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the survey communication comprises a first survey communication.

20. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations further comprising:

initiating broadcasting of a second survey communication to the survey area to determine movement information corresponding to wireless devices in the survey area over time.