Location-Based Ticket Books

• US 20140364148A1
• Filed: 06/09/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Block, Eliza, Dicker, George R., Steele, Glen W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,125,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Location-based ticket books are described. A mobile device can present a virtual ticket to a service provider based on a location of the mobile device. The mobile device can receive a virtual ticket for accessing a service from a service provider. The virtual ticket can be associated with a signal source. The signal source can be pre-programmed to broadcast a beacon signal that includes an identifier identifying the signal source. The signal source can be placed at a venue where the service is available. The mobile device, upon arriving at the venue, can detect the beacon signal from the signal source. In response, the mobile device can activate a ticket manager. The ticket manager can automatically select, from a ticket book, the virtual ticket associated with the signal source. The mobile device can present content of the selected virtual ticket at the venue where the service is available.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a virtual ticket, the ticket comprising a signal source identifier and a message for accessing a service of a service provider, the signal source identifier identifying a signal source being associated with the service provider;

providing the signal source identifier to a wireless subsystem of the mobile device, the wireless subsystem executing a procedure for monitoring wireless signals from signal sources using a wireless processor of the mobile device;

receiving, by the mobile device and from the wireless processor, a notification that the signal source identifier is detected in a wireless scan, indicating that the mobile device is located within a communication range of the signal source; and

then

in response to a input requesting access to the service, providing, by an output device of the mobile device, a representation of the message to the service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal source is an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a wireless transmitter of a personal area network (PAN), and the signal source identifier comprises a universally unique identifier (UUID) of the signal source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal source is a Bluetooth™

Low Energy (BTLE) beacon that is mobile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the procedure is a background procedure,

providing the signal source identifier to the wireless subsystem comprises providing the signal source identifier to the background procedure in a list of signal source identifiers, and

receiving the notification comprises receiving, from the wireless processor, a signal indicating that the wireless processor detected the signal source identifier as provided in the list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the notification comprises:

receiving, from the wireless processor, a list of one or more identifiers of signal sources detected by the wireless processor; and

determining that the signal source identifier is among the received list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises:

a user activation of a display surface of the mobile device using a home button of the mobile device;

a user gesture on a touch-sensitive surface of the mobile device to lock or unlock the touch-sensitive surface;

or

a user selection, from a quick-access menu, an option for presenting the message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the representation of the message comprises:

generating a barcode image from the message; and

providing the barcode image as the representation for display on a display surface of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ticket is a ticket for boarding a vehicle or attending an event, a store card, or a coupon.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the ticket is associated with a timestamp specifying a time the service is available, and

the method comprises, before providing the representation of the message, confirming that a current time is within a time window that is determined based on the timestamp, wherein providing the representation of the message occurs if the current time is within the time window.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable by the wireless processor; and

in response, stopping providing the representation of the message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable comprises:

creating an exit fence based on the signal source identifier for scanning by the wireless processor and determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable upon receiving, from the wireless processor, a notification that the mobile device has exited the fence;

or

causing the procedure to monitor a signal from the signal source periodically and determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable upon a threshold number of failures of detecting the signal from the signal source.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the ticket includes an indicator specifying whether the signal source is stationary or mobile, and

when the indicator specifies that the signal source is stationary, the method comprises determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable by the wireless processor based on a reading of a motion sensor of the mobile device, the reading indicating that the mobile device has moved and triggering the wireless processor to scan for the signal from the signal source.

13. A system comprising:

a mobile device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the mobile device, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a virtual ticket, the ticket comprising a signal source identifier and a message for accessing a service of a service provider, the signal source identifier identifying a signal source being associated with the service provider;

providing the signal source identifier to a wireless subsystem of the mobile device, the wireless subsystem executing a procedure for monitoring wireless signals from signal sources using a wireless processor of the mobile device;

receiving, from the wireless processor, a notification that the signal source identifier is detected in a wireless scan, indicating that the mobile device is located within a communication range of the signal source; and

then

in response to a input requesting access to the service, providing, by an output device of the mobile device, a representation of the message to the service provider.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the procedure is a background procedure,

providing the signal source identifier to the wireless subsystem comprises providing the signal source identifier to the background procedure in a list of signal source identifiers, and

receiving the notification comprises receiving, from the wireless processor, a signal indicating that the wireless processor detected the signal source identifier as provided in the list.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein receiving the notification comprises:

receiving, from the wireless processor, a list of one or more identifiers of signal sources detected by the wireless processor; and

determining that the signal source identifier is among the received list.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the input comprises:

a user activation of a display surface of the mobile device using a home button of the mobile device;

a user gesture on a touch-sensitive surface of the mobile device to lock or unlock the touch-sensitive surface;

or

a user selection, from a quick-access menu, an option for presenting the message.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein providing the representation of the message comprises:

generating a barcode image from the message; and

providing the barcode image as the representation for display on a display surface of the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the ticket is associated with a timestamp specifying a time the service is available, and

the operations comprise, before providing the representation of the message, confirming that a current time is within a time window that is determined based on the timestamp, wherein providing the representation of the message occurs if the current time is within the time window.

19. The system of claim 13, the operations comprising:

determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable by the wireless processor; and

in response, stopping providing the representation of the message.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable comprises:

creating an exit fence based on the signal source identifier for scanning by the wireless processor and determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable upon receiving, from the wireless processor, a notification that the mobile device has exited the fence;

or

causing the procedure to monitor a signal from the signal source periodically and determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable upon a threshold number of failures of detecting the signal from the signal source.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the ticket includes an indicator specifying whether the signal source is stationary or mobile, and

when the indicator specifies that the signal source is stationary, the operations comprise determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable by the wireless processor based on a reading of a motion sensor of the mobile device, the reading indicating that the mobile device has moved and triggering the wireless processor to scan for the signal from the signal source.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to a mobile device, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a virtual ticket, the ticket comprising a signal source identifier and a message for accessing a service of a service provider, the signal source identifier identifying a signal source being associated with the service provider;

providing the signal source identifier to a wireless subsystem of the mobile device, the wireless subsystem executing a procedure for monitoring wireless signals from signal sources using a wireless processor of the mobile device;

receiving, from the wireless processor, a notification that the signal source identifier is detected in a wireless scan, indicating that the mobile device is located within a communication range of the signal source; and

then

in response to a input requesting access to the service, providing, by an output device of the mobile device, a representation of the message to the service provider.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein:

the procedure is a background procedure,

providing the signal source identifier to the wireless subsystem comprises providing the signal source identifier to the background procedure in a list of signal source identifiers, and

receiving the notification comprises receiving, from the wireless processor, a signal indicating that the wireless processor detected the signal source identifier as provided in the list.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein receiving the notification comprises:

receiving, from the wireless processor, a list of one or more identifiers of signal sources detected by the wireless processor; and

determining that the signal source identifier is among the received list.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the input comprises:

a user activation of a display surface of the mobile device using a home button of the mobile device;

a user gesture on a touch-sensitive surface of the mobile device to lock or unlock the touch-sensitive surface;

or

a user selection, from a quick-access menu, an option for presenting the message.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein providing the representation of the message comprises:

generating a barcode image from the message; and

providing the barcode image as the representation for display on a display surface of the mobile device.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein:

the ticket is associated with a timestamp specifying a time the service is available, and

the operations comprise, before providing the representation of the message, confirming that a current time is within a time window that is determined based on the timestamp, wherein providing the representation of the message occurs if the current time is within the time window.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, the operations comprising:

determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable by the wireless processor; and

in response, stopping providing the representation of the message.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable comprises:

creating an exit fence based on the signal source identifier for scanning by the wireless processor and determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable upon receiving, from the wireless processor, a notification that the mobile device has exited the fence;

or

causing the procedure to monitor a signal from the signal source periodically and determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable upon a threshold number of failures of detecting the signal from the signal source.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein:

the ticket includes an indicator specifying whether the signal source is stationary or mobile, and

when the indicator specifies that the signal source is stationary, the operations comprise determining that the signal source identifier is no longer detectable by the wireless processor based on a reading of a motion sensor of the mobile device, the reading indicating that the mobile device has moved and triggering the wireless processor to scan for the signal from the signal source.