IDENTIFICATION OF ALTERNATE MODES OF CUSTOMER SERVICE BASED ON INDOOR POSITIONING SYSTEM DETECTION OF PHYSICAL CUSTOMER PRESENCE

• US 20160012450A1
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Hanson, Carrie Anne, Lewis, Russell
• Application Number:
  US14/327,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012450A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A computing platform may receive a plurality of messages comprising data indicating physical presence of customers of a financial institution at a physical banking center location of the financial institution from an indoor positioning system located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution. Responsive to determining that the number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution exceeds a threshold associated with the physical banking center location of the financial institution, the computing platform may identify an alternate mode of servicing at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a computing platform comprising at least one processor, a memory, and a communication interface;

receiving, via the communication interface and from an indoor positioning system located at a physical banking center location of a financial institution, a plurality of messages comprising data indicating physical presence of customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

determining, by the at least one processor and based on at least a portion of the data indicating the physical presence of customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, a number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

determining, by the at least one processor, whether the number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution exceeds a threshold associated with the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

responsive to determining that the number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution exceeds the threshold associated with the physical banking center location of the financial institution, identifying, by the at least one processor, an alternate mode of servicing at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indoor positioning system comprises a plurality of personal computing devices presently in possession of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, and at least one location beacon that is located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution and configured to emit a signal comprising an identifier associated with the physical banking center location, and wherein receiving the plurality of messages comprising data indicating the physical presence of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises receiving, from the plurality of personal computing devices, data comprising the identifier associated with the physical banking center location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of messages comprising data indicating the physical presence of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises a plurality of customer identifiers, each customer identifier of the plurality of customer identifiers identifying a customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, and wherein determining the number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises determining a number of unique customer identifiers that are among the plurality of customer identifiers.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the indoor positioning system comprises a location beacon that is located at a first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution and configured to emit a signal comprising an identifier associated with the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution, and a location beacon that is located at a second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution and configured to emit a signal comprising an identifier associated with the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution, and wherein receiving the plurality of messages comprising data indicating physical presence of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises:

receiving messages comprising data indicating physical presence of a portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

receiving messages comprising data indicating physical presence of a portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises:

determining a number of customers known to be located at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

determining a number of customers known to be located at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution exceeds the threshold associated with the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises:

comparing the number of customers known to be located at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to a number of associates of the financial institution located at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

comparing the number of customers known to be located at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to a number of associates of the financial institution located at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

receiving, via the communication interface and from the indoor positioning system located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, messages comprising data indicating physical presence of associates of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

receiving, via the communication interface and from the indoor positioning system located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, messages comprising data indicating physical presence of associates of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

determining, based on the messages comprising data indicating physical presence of associates of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution, the number of associates of the financial institution located at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

determining, based on the messages comprising data indicating physical presence of associates of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution, the number of associates of the financial institution located at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the number of customers known to be located at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to the number of associates of the financial institution located at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises comparing a ratio of the number of customers known to be located at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution and the number of associates of the financial institution located at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to a predetermined threshold customer-to-associate ratio associated with the first location of the physical banking center location, and wherein comparing the number of customers known to be located at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to the number of associates of the financial institution located at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises comparing a ratio of the number of customers known to be located at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution and the number of associates of the financial institution located at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to a predetermined threshold customer-to-associate ratio associated with the second location of the physical banking center location.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises:

identifying an alternate mode of servicing at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

identifying an alternate mode of servicing at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

generating, by the at least one processor, a message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

generating, by the at least one processor, a message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

identifying, by the at least one processor and based on the messages comprising the data indicating the physical presence of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution, one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

identifying, by the at least one processor and based on the messages comprising the data indicating the physical presence of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution, one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

communicating, via the communication interface and to the one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution, the message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

communicating, via the communication interface and to the one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution, the message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising:

identifying, by the at least one processor, at least one incentive program for the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to utilize the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

identifying, by the at least one processor, at least one incentive program for the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to utilize the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises generating a message identifying the at least one incentive program for the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to utilize the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the first location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution, and wherein generating the message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises generating a message identifying the at least one incentive program for the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution to utilize the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the portion of the customers of the financial institution at the second location of the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution exceeds the threshold associated with the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises comparing the number of customers known to be located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution to a number of associates of the financial institution located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein comparing the number of customers known to be located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution to the number of associates of the financial institution located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution comprises comparing a ratio of the number of customers known to be located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution and the number of associates of the financial institution located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution to a predetermined threshold customer-to-associate ratio associated with the physical banking center location.

18. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating, by the at least one processor, a message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

identifying, by the at least one processor and based on at least a portion of the plurality of messages comprising data indicating physical presence of customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

communicating, via the communication interface and to the one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, the message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

a communication interface; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the apparatus to;

receive, via the communication interface and from an indoor positioning system located at a physical banking center location of a financial institution, a plurality of messages comprising data indicating physical presence of customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

determine, based on at least a portion of the data indicating the physical presence of customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, a number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

determine whether the number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution exceeds a threshold associated with the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

responsive to determining that the number of customers known to be currently located at the physical banking center location of the financial institution exceeds the threshold associated with the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

identify an alternate mode of servicing at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

generate a message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

identify, based on at least a portion of the plurality of messages comprising data indicating physical presence of customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

communicate, via the communication interface and to the one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, the message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to:

receive, from an indoor positioning system located at a physical banking center location of a financial institution, a plurality of messages comprising data indicating physical presence of customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

identify an alternate mode of servicing at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

identify an incentive program for the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution to utilize the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

generate a message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution and the incentive program for the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution to utilize the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution;

identify, based on at least a portion of the plurality of messages comprising data indicating physical presence of customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution; and

communicate, to the one or more personal computing devices presently in possession of the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution, the message identifying the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution and the incentive program for the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution to utilize the alternate mode of servicing the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution that does not involve the at least one customer of the customers of the financial institution at the physical banking center location of the financial institution contemporaneously utilizing personnel of the physical banking center location of the financial institution.