Surveying Wireless Device Users by Location

• US 20140351017A1
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• 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 9,501,780 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 method comprising:

delineating, at a server comprising a processor, 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;

facilitating, by the server, a broadcast of a survey communication within the survey area;

receiving, by the server, responses of wireless devices that receive the broadcast of the survey communication;

obtaining, by the server, location information corresponding to locations of the wireless devices that receive the broadcast of the survey communication; and

determining, by the server based on the location information, a count of wireless devices positioned with respect to the survey area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an estimate of a number of people positioned with respect to the survey area based on the responses received.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message indicating the survey area; and

facilitating the broadcast in response to receiving the message, wherein delineating the survey area comprises delineating the survey area based upon content of the message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the message comprises data identifying streets corresponding to the survey area, and wherein delineating the survey area comprises delineating the survey area based upon the data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the message comprises data identifying a location of a user, and wherein delineating the survey area comprises delineating the survey area based upon the data.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the message comprises data identifying a place corresponding to the survey area, and wherein delineating the survey area comprises delineating the survey area based upon the data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compiling a report comprising data indicating an estimate of a number of wireless devices positioned with respect to the survey area and an estimate of a number of people positioned with respect to the survey area; and

sending the report to a subscriber.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the survey communication comprises an inquiry directed to the wireless devices, and wherein the report further comprises responses to the inquiry.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining location information indicating locations of the wireless devices, wherein the location information is included in the responses.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting movement of the wireless devices with respect to the survey area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the survey communication corresponds to a first survey communication, and wherein detecting the movement comprises facilitating a broadcast of a second survey communication within the survey area to detect movement of the wireless devices.

12. A method comprising:

delineating, at a server comprising a processor, 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;

facilitating, by the server, a broadcast of a survey communication within the survey area;

receiving, by the server, responses of wireless devices that receive the broadcast of the survey communication; and

determining, by the server based upon the responses received, an estimate of a number of wireless devices positioned with respect to the survey area.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting movement of the wireless devices with respect to the survey area.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the survey communication corresponds to a first survey communication, and wherein detecting the movement comprises facilitating a broadcast of a second survey communication within the survey area to detect movement of the wireless devices.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a message indicating the survey area; and

facilitating the broadcast in response to receiving the message, wherein delineating the survey area comprises delineating the survey area based upon content of the message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the message comprises data identifying a location of a user, and wherein delineating the survey area comprises delineating the survey area based upon the data.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

compiling a report comprising data indicating an estimate of a number of wireless devices positioned with respect the survey area and an estimate of a number of people positioned with respect to the survey area; and

sending the report to a subscriber.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server comprising a processor, a request to conduct a survey;

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

facilitating, by the server, a broadcast of a survey communication within the survey area;

receiving by the server, responses of wireless devices that receive the broadcast of the survey communication;

obtaining by the server, location information corresponding to locations of the wireless devices that responded to the survey communication; and

determining by the server based on the location information, an estimate of a number of wireless devices positioned with respect to the survey area.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising detecting movement of the wireless devices with respect to the survey area, wherein the survey communication corresponds to a first survey communication, and wherein detecting the movement comprises facilitating a broadcast of a second survey communication within the survey area to detect movement of the wireless devices.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

compiling a report comprising data indicating the estimate of the number of wireless devices positioned with respect to the survey area and an estimate of a number of people positioned with respect to the survey area; and

sending the report to a subscriber, wherein the subscriber comprises a subscriber that generated the request to conduct the survey.