System and method for surveying wireless device users by location

• US 7,181,225 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2000
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Enzmann, Mark J., Moton, Robert T. Jr., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAMER, TEMICA M
• Application Number:
  US09/739,162
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for conducting survey using wireless devices. The system architecture of the present invention comprises a location server and a location system. The location server can receive a survey request from a subscriber, delineate a survey area for the survey, broadcast a query containing the survey to a plurality of wireless devices, process responses received from the wireless devices, and delivers a result of the survey to the subscriber. The location system can generate location information for each of the wireless devices that received the query. The location system may be a network-based unit or a portable unit provisioned at each of the wireless devices. In the preferred embodiment, the location system is a GPS receiver that generates the longitude and the latitude of the wireless device at which it is provisioned.

Claims

1. A system for conducting a survey using wireless devices located within a survey area served by a wireless communication network comprising:

a wireless device characterized by a location, wherein the wireless device is in the survey area and receives a broadcast survey; and

a location system in communication with the wireless device,

wherein the location system generates location information, pinpointing the location of the wireless device when the wireless device receives the survey; and

wherein the wireless device generates a response to the survey when the survey is received, the location information being included in the response.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a wireless telephone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is an interactive pager.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a handheld computer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the location system is a unit provisioned at the wireless device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the location system is a GPS receiver.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the location system is a network-based unit.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the location system uses GIS technology.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the location system is a WAP compatible system.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory accessible by the location system, wherein the memory storage comprises a database populated with a plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of nodes is defined by position coordinates.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the position coordinates comprise a longitude and a latitude.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises position coordinates of the wireless device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the position coordinates comprise a longitude and a latitude.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising calculating a number of people located within the survey area.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the response comprises identity information.

16. A method for conducting a survey using wireless devices located within a survey area comprising:

receiving a query containing the survey over the survey area at a plurality of wireless devices;

determining at each wireless device whether the wireless device responds to the query; and

generating a response for each of the plurality of wireless devices that responds to the query, the response comprising at least location information generated by a location system, the location information indicating the location of the wireless device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising verifying the response is received from a wireless device that is located within the survey area.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising delineating the survey area.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein delineating the survey areas uses at least three nodes.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the at least three nodes is defined by point coordinates.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the point coordinates comprise a longitude and a latitude.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the location information comprises point coordinates.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the point coordinates comprise a longitude and a latitude.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of delineating the survey area using a node and a radius.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a number of wireless devices within the survey area based at least in part upon the response.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a number of people within the survey area based at least in part upon the response.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the query comprises a question directed to a plurality of users of the plurality of wireless devices.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the response further comprises an answer to the question provided by the plurality of users.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the answer comprises a null response.

30. A method for conducting a survey using wireless devices within a survey area comprising:

(a) delineating the survey area;

(b) broadcasting a query to at least one wireless device via at least three antennas, wherein each of the at least three antennas has antenna position coordinates;

(c) receiving device position coordinates for a wireless device in response to receipt of the query at a wireless device, the device position coordinates using the antenna position coordinates of the at least three antennas and relative position of the wireless device to each antenna;

(d) verifying the response is received from a wireless device that is located within the survey area; and

(e) executing an action based on the response.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the response further comprises an input from a person using the wireless device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the input comprises a numerical value.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the input comprises an alphanumeric message.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the input comprises a voice message.

35. A method for dispatching a service in a dispatch area comprising:

(a) broadcasting a query over the dispatch area;

(b) receiving a response to the query, wherein the response comprises wireless device location information and wireless device identity information for a wireless device generating the response;

(c) using the response to dispatch the service if the location information and the identity information satisfy a criterion.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the criterion comprises a match of the identity information and an affiliated wireless device.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising using the location information to verify that the wireless device is located within the dispatch area.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising using the identity information to verify that the wireless device is an affiliated wireless device.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising delineating the dispatch area.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the act of delineating the dispatch area uses at least three nodes.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein each of the at least three nodes is defined by point coordinates.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the point coordinates comprise a longitude and a latitude.

43. The method of claim 35, wherein the location information comprises point coordinates.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the point coordinates comprise a longitude and a latitude.

45. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of delineating the dispatch area uses a node and a radius.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the node comprises a longitude and a latitude.

47. A method for conducting a survey using wireless devices in a survey area comprising:

defining survey parameters;

broadcasting a plurality of queries over the survey area according to the survey parameters;

receiving a response to the query for each of the wireless devices, the response including wireless device location information indicating position coordinates of the wireless device at time of receipt of each query at the wireless device;

receiving a plurality of responses to the query from the wireless devices, wherein a response from each of the wireless devices comprises the wireless device location information pinpointing the location of the wireless device when the wireless device receives the query; and

using the responses to perform an action.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the survey parameters comprise a plurality of times for broadcasting the query.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the action comprises determining a distribution pattern for the wireless devices in the survey area.

50. The method of claim 47, further comprising the step of delineating the survey area.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the step of delineating the survey area uses at least three nodes.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the step of delineating the survey area uses a node and a radius.

53. The method of claim 47, wherein the survey area further comprises a plurality of sections.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the action comprises determining a distribution pattern of wireless devices in each of the plurality of sections.

55. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of delineating each of the plurality of sections uses at least three nodes.

56. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of delineating each of the plurality of sections using a node and a radius.