Tracking Associate Locations

• US 20160014553A1
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Grigg, David M., Cardinal, Don
• Granted Patent: US 9,699,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/63 by static guides
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media configured to determine a location of a user, identify the user and provide additional services based on the determined location and/or identity are provided. In some examples, associate users may be identified and a location of each associate user may be tracked to identify a location of an associate user, confirm the location of the associate user is an expected location, and/or provide location information to a customer of the associate user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a location determination and user identification system having at least one processor, data associated with a signal detected by a personal computing device, the signal being emitted from a location beacon at a banking center of a financial institution;

determining, by the location determination and user identification system, a location of the personal computing device based on the received data associated with the signal emitted from the location beacon, wherein the location of the personal computing device is within a predefined proximity of a location of the location beacon;

extracting, by the location determination and user identification system, a unique identifier associated with the personal computing device;

determining, by the location determination and user identification system and based on the extracted unique identifier associated with the personal computing device, an identity of an associate user associated with the personal computing device;

tracking a location of the associate user associated with the personal computing device via the personal computing device;

determining, by the location determination and identification system, whether the associate user is at an expected location within the banking center at a predetermined time; and

responsive to determining that the associate user is not at an expected location, requesting a location update from the associate user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting a location update from the associate user includes transmitting a request for a location update to the personal computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further including receiving, from the associate user, the location update.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the location update is received from the personal computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the location of the associate user is performed using a Global Positioning System.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the location of the associate user includes tracking the location of the associate user when the personal computing device is within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a location determination and user identification system having at least one processor, data associated with a signal detected by a plurality of personal computing devices, the signal being emitted from a location beacon at a banking center of a financial institution;

determining, by the location determination and user identification system, a location of each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices based on the received data associated with the signal emitted from the location beacon;

extracting, by the location determination and user identification system, a unique identifier associated with each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices;

determining, by the location determination and user identification system and based on the extracted unique identifier associated with each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices, an identity of an associate user associated with each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices;

tracking a location within the banking center of each identified associate user based on a location of the personal computing device associated with each identified associate user;

determining, based on the identified associate user associated with each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices, a knowledge area associated with each identified associate user;

receiving, by the location determination and user identification system, a request for service in a first knowledge area;

comparing the first knowledge area to the knowledge area associated with each associate user to identify a first associate user associated with the first knowledge area; and

determining, based on a determined location of the personal computing device associated with the first associate user, a location within the banking center of the first associate user associated with the first knowledge area.

8. The method of claim 7, further including, transmitting a notification to the first associate user including the request for service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification is transmitted to the personal computing device of the first associate user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification further includes a location within the banking center of an individual making the request for service.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the notification further includes a request for user input from the first associate user indicating whether the first associate user is available to respond to the request for service.

12. The method of claim 11, further including receiving, from the personal computing device of the first associate user, user input from the first associate user indicating that the first associate user is available to respond to the request for service.

13. The method of claim 11, further including:

receiving, from the personal computing device of the first associate user, user input from the first associate user indicating that the first associate user is not available to respond to the request for service; and

responsive to receiving the user input from the first associate user indicating that the first associate user is not available to respond the request for service, identifying a second associate user associated with the first knowledge area; and

determining, based on a determined location of the personal computing device associated with the second associate user, a location within the banking center of the second associate user associated with the first knowledge area.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

receive data associated with a signal detected by a plurality of personal computing devices, the signal being emitted from a location beacon at a banking center of a financial institution;

determine a location of each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices based on the received data associated with the signal emitted from the location beacon;

extract a unique identifier associated with each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices;

determine, based on the extracted unique identifier associated with each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices, an identity of an associate user associated with each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices;

track a location of each identified associate user within the banking center based on a location of the personal computing device associated with each identified associate user;

determine, based on the identified associate user associated with each personal computing device of the plurality of personal computing devices, a knowledge area associated with each identified associate user;

receive a request for service in a first knowledge area;

compare the first knowledge area to the knowledge area associated with each associate user to identify a first associate user associated with the first knowledge area; and

determine, based on the determined location of the personal computing device associated with the first associate user, a location within the banking center of the first associate user associated with the first knowledge area.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

transmit a notification to the first associate user including the request for service.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the notification is transmitted to the personal computing device of the first associate user.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the notification further includes a location within the banking center of an individual making the request for service.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the notification further includes a request for user input from the first associate user indicating whether the first associate user is available to respond to the request for service.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

receive, from the personal computing device of the first associate user, user input from the first associate user indicating that the first associate user is available to respond to the request for service.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

receive, from the personal computing device of the first associate user, user input from the first associate user indicating that the first associate user is not available to respond to the request for service; and

responsive to receiving the user input from the first associate user indicating that the first associate user is not available to respond the request for service, identify a second associate user associated with the first knowledge area; and

determine, based on a determined location of the personal computing device associated with the second associate user, a location within the banking center of the second associate user associated with the first knowledge area.