Beacon Triggered Processes

• US 20190272567A1
• Filed: 05/20/2019
• Published: 09/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Vigier, Benjamin, Fugman, Corey G., Krsmanovic, Filip, Su, Yingfeng
• Granted Patent: US 11,238,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• 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 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Techniques and systems for beacon triggered processes are disclosed. A described technique includes causing a beacon device to broadcast a beacon message, the beacon device being within the vicinity of an establishment; detecting a presence of a user of a mobile device based on receiving from the mobile device a first message that is responsive to the beacon message; retrieving a transaction record based on a user or mobile device identifier in the first message; generating and transmitting a second message based on the transaction record to facilitate a completion of a transaction associated with the transaction record at the establishment; the second message being configured to provide notification of an arrival of the user and dispatch an employee to meet the user and handle the transaction; and generating and transmitting a third message based on the transaction record to facilitate the completion of the transaction at the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a beacon message from a beacon device, the beacon device being within the vicinity of an establishment;

generating a first message in response to receiving the beacon message, the first message comprising a user or mobile device identifier;

transmitting, from the mobile device, the first message to a server computer outside the vicinity of the establishment, wherein the first message is configured to cause the establishment to dispatch an employee to prepare for an arrival of a user of the mobile device and handle a transaction associated with the user or mobile device identifier;

receiving, at the mobile device, a second message that is responsive to the first message, the second message comprising information to facilitate a completion of the transaction; and

presenting the information through the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises an image of an employee that is assigned to facilitate the completion of the transaction, and wherein presenting the information comprises displaying at least a portion of the image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises barcode data, and wherein presenting the information comprises displaying a barcode based on the barcode data to verify an identity of a user associated with the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises customer instructions for completing the transaction, and wherein presenting the information comprises displaying the customer instructions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the beacon message comprises a beacon identifier, and wherein the first message comprises at least a portion of the beacon identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

performing a determination of whether there is a pre-existing reason for a visit to the establishment by querying one or more sources on the mobile device, wherein generating the first message is conditional on an outcome of the determination.

7. A system, comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate with mobile devices; and

processor electronics configured to store applications, including an application, for download to the mobile devices via the network interface,

wherein the application comprises instructions to cause a mobile device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a beacon message from a beacon device, the beacon device being within the vicinity of an establishment;

generating a first message in response to receiving the beacon message, the first message comprising a user or mobile device identifier;

transmitting the first message to a server computer outside the vicinity of the establishment, wherein the first message is configured to cause the establishment to dispatch an employee to prepare for an arrival of a user of the mobile device and handle a transaction associated with the user or mobile device identifier;

receiving a second message that is responsive to the first message, the second message comprising information to facilitate a completion of the transaction; and

presenting the information through the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the information comprises an image of an employee that is assigned to facilitate the completion of the transaction, and wherein presenting the information comprises displaying at least a portion of the image.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the information comprises barcode data, and wherein presenting the information comprises displaying a barcode based on the barcode data to verify an identity of a user associated with the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the information comprises customer instructions for completing the transaction, and wherein presenting the information comprises displaying the customer instructions.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the beacon message comprises a beacon identifier, and wherein the first message comprises at least a portion of the beacon identifier.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations comprise:

performing a determination of whether there is a pre-existing reason for a visit to the establishment by querying one or more sources on the mobile device, wherein generating the first message is conditional on an outcome of the determination.