SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PASSIVELY DETERMINING A RATIO OF PURCHASERS AND PROSEPECTIVE PURCHASERS IN A MERCHANT LOCATION

• US 20150178739A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ghosh, Debashis, Shuken, Randy, Lesbirel, Mary Elizabeth
• Granted Patent: US 10,796,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for determining a status of a visitor to a physical location and associated with a handheld device using a computer device coupled to a database are provided. The method includes receiving, by the processor, a hello message from a radio associated with one or more handheld devices, capturing a unique identifier of the handheld device from the received hello message, determining visitor geographic information based on the captured unique identifier and a determined signal strength of the hello message, and outputting the visitor information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a status of a visitor to a physical location and associated with a handheld device, the computer including a processor communicatively coupled to a memory device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a hello message from a radio associated with one or more handheld devices;

capturing a unique identifier of the handheld device from the received hello message;

determining visitor geographic information based on the captured unique identifier and a determined signal strength of the hello message; and

outputting the visitor information.

2. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein determining visitor information comprises determining at least one of a number of visitors to the location, a path of each visitor through the location, a dwell time of each visitor in certain positions in the location, a proximity of each visitor to each other visitor, and a frequency of appearance at the location.

3. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein capturing the unique identifier of the handheld device comprises capturing at least one of a Media Access Control (MAC) address, Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Class of Device (CoD), and Vendor identification from the received hello message.

4. The computer-based method of claim 3, further comprising determining an average distance between the handheld device and a scanning point using the strength of the signal (RSSI).

5. The computer-based method of claim 3, further comprising using the MAC address and the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) to determine an average distance between the handheld device and a scanning point.

6. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising storing the captured unique identifier in at least one of the memory device and an external memory and a cloud memory.

7. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising determining the vendor of the handheld device.

8. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising determining a Class of Device (CoD) to differentiate the type of device.

9. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising positioning one or more antennae for receiving messages from specific locations.

10. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an omnidirectional antenna or directional antennae for receiving messages from specific locations.

11. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising preventing an association of the received MAC address to personally identifiable information of a visitor to maintain anonymity of the visitors

12. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising using a GPS module to trace in real time the location, speed and altitude of a visitor.

13. A computer system for processing data, the computer system comprising a memory device and a processor in communication with the memory device, the computer system programmed to:

receive a hello message from one or more handheld devices present in a predetermined location;

determine a unique identification number associated with each of the one or more handheld devices based on the received hello message;

determine visitor geographic information based on the determined unique identifier and a determined signal strength of the hello message; and

output the visitor information.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said computer system is programmed to determine visitor geographic information using at least one of a signal strength of the hello message and a direction of the one or more handheld devices from a directional antenna.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said computer system is programmed to:

correlate the visitor information with financial transaction data; and

determine a ratio of customers that make a purchase at the predetermined location and visitors present in the location that do not make a purchase at the location.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said computer system is programmed to estimate a portion of the handheld devices in the predetermined location that are broadcasting a hello message.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said computer system is programmed to estimate a portion of the handheld devices associated with purchases made using a particular one of a plurality of payment cards or cash.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

receive a hello message from one or more handheld devices present in a predetermined location;

determine a unique identification number associated with each of the one or more handheld devices based on the received hello message;

determine visitor geographic information based on the determined unique identifier and a determined signal strength of the hello message; and

output the visitor information.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

correlate the visitor information with financial transaction data; and

determine a ratio of customers that make a purchase at the predetermined location and visitors present in the location that do not make a purchase at the location.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to estimate a portion of the handheld devices in the predetermined location that are broadcasting a hello message.