System and method for aggregating and disseminating mobile device tag data

• US 8,244,236 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wavemarket Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Roumeliotis, Tasos, Hotes, Scott, Hodges, Daniel, Grossman, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US12/858,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20110269452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 455/424, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/41.2, 455/517, 455/406, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/8.1, 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 455/424
• 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 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• 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

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for aggregating and disseminating tag data is provided. The method includes receiving a tag generated at a particular time from a particular mobile device. Data indicative of a particular location of the particular mobile device is received corresponding to the particular time. The tag is associated with the location indicative data of the particular mobile device. Data indicative of a location of one or more other mobile devices is received, and data indicative of the tag is transmitted to the one or more other mobile devices in response to the location indicative data of the one or more other mobile devices corresponding to the location indicative data of the particular mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for aggregating and disseminating tag data comprising:

providing a server accessible via a network;

receiving with the server product promotional content corresponding to a product identifier;

receiving with the server a tag as the product identifier generated at a particular time from a particular mobile device, wherein the tag comprises at least one of an optical recording, a machine readable representation, a barcode, a radio frequency identification, and a user-inputted description;

associating the tag with the product promotional content;

receiving with the server a signal fingerprint generated via a radio signal scan indicative of a particular location of the particular mobile device corresponding to the particular time;

associating the tag with the signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device;

receiving with the server a current signal fingerprint indicative of a current location of at least one other mobile device; and

transmitting with the server the product promotional content associated with the tag to the at least one other mobile device in response to the current signal fingerprint of the at least one other mobile device corresponding to the signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device comprises receiving a GPS fix from the particular mobile device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data indicative of the location of the particular mobile device comprises receiving data generated via at least one of the Global Positioning System;

Assisted-GPS, Observed Time Difference, Time Of Arrival, Time Difference of Arrival;

Angle of Arrival;

multipath fingerprinting;

Enhanced Forward Link Triangulation;

Time Difference of Arrival &

Received Signal Strength, Time Difference of Arrival &

Angle of Arrival, Assisted Forward Link Triangulation &

Assisted GPS; and

Enhanced Observed time Difference &

Assisted GPS.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the tag as data captured automatically via at least one of a barcode and a radio frequency identification (RFID).

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the tag as at least one of an optical recording and a photograph of a machine readable representation of data captured via the particular mobile device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the tag as a description of a product.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the tag as a description of a section of a shopping establishment.

8. Non-transitory computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a server comprising at least one computing device, the method comprising:

receiving with the server at least one of a tag as a product identifier and location indicative signals via a particular mobile device associated with a particular user, wherein the tag comprises at least one of an optical recording, a machine readable representation, a barcode, a radio frequency identification, and a user-inputted description;

using the server, at least one of receiving signal fingerprints via the particular mobile device and generating signal fingerprints associated with the location indicative signals received via the particular mobile device, wherein at least one of the signal fingerprints are generated via radio signal scans by the particular mobile device corresponding to a particular time the tag was received;

using the server, associating with the tag a particular signal fingerprint corresponding to the particular time the tag was received;

transmitting with the server the associated tag and the signal fingerprints including the particular signal fingerprint to a remote system via a network, wherein the remote system is configured to transmit to at least one other mobile device product promotional content associated with the tag in response to a current signal fingerprint of the at least one other mobile device corresponding to the particular signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the implemented method further comprises:

receiving a request with the server initiated by at least one of a local application executed by the at least one other mobile device and a remote application executed external of the at least one other mobile device for the data indicative of the tag; and

providing the product promotional content to the at least one of the local application and the remote application.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the implemented method further comprises receiving with the server a user input of the tag as at least one of a recording and a photograph of a machine readable representation of data captured via the particular mobile device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the implemented method further comprises providing with the server via the mobile device an interface for input of a tag by a user and receiving user input of the tag.

12. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the remote system is further configured to transmit to the particular mobile device the product promotional content associated with the tag in response to a current signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device corresponding to the particular signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device generated at a prior time.

13. A computer-implemented method for aggregating and disseminating tag data comprising:

providing a server accessible via a network;

receiving with the server at least one of a tag as a product identifier and location indicative signals via a particular mobile device associated with a particular user, wherein the tag comprises at least one of an optical recording, a machine readable representation, a barcode, a radio frequency identification, and a user-inputted description;

using the server, at least one of receiving signal fingerprints via the particular mobile device and generating signal fingerprints associated with the location indicative signals, wherein at least one of the signal fingerprints are generated via radio signal scans by the particular mobile device corresponding to a particular time the tag was received;

using the server, associating with the tag a particular signal fingerprint corresponding to the particular time the tag was received;

transmitting with the server the associated tag and the signal fingerprints including the particular signal fingerprint to a remote system via a network, wherein the remote system is configured to transmit to at least one other mobile device product promotional content associated with the tag in response to a current signal fingerprint of the at least one other mobile device corresponding to the particular signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device.

14. A computer-implemented method for aggregating and disseminating tag data comprising:

providing a server accessible via a network;

receiving with the server a tag as a product identifier generated at a particular time from a particular mobile device, wherein the tag comprises at least one of an optical recording, a machine readable representation, a barcode, a radio frequency identification, and a user-inputted description;

receiving with the server a signal fingerprint generated via a radio signal scan indicative of a particular location of the particular mobile device corresponding to the particular time;

associating the tag with the signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device;

receiving with the server an authorization from a user associated with the particular mobile device to provide the tag as associated with the signal fingerprint to a remote system; and

transmitting with the server the tag as associated with the signal fingerprint to the remote system in response to the authorization from the user associated with the particular mobile device, wherein the remote system is configured to transmit to at least one other mobile device product promotional content associated with the tag in response to a current signal fingerprint of the at least one other mobile device corresponding to the signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting an identifier of the particular mobile device to the remote system.

16. A computer-implemented method for aggregating and disseminating tag data comprising:

providing a server accessible via a network;

receiving with the server product promotional content corresponding to a product identifier;

receiving with the server a tag as the product identifier generated at a particular time from a particular mobile device, wherein the tag comprises at least one of an optical recording, a machine readable representation, a barcode, a radio frequency identification, and a user-inputted description;

associating the tag with the product promotional content;

receiving with the server a signal fingerprint generated via a radio signal scan indicative of a particular location of the particular mobile device corresponding to the particular time;

associating the tag with the signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device;

receiving with the server a current signal fingerprint indicative of a current location of at least one other mobile device from a remote system via the network; and

transmitting with the server the product promotional content associated with the tag to the remote system in response to the current signal fingerprint of the at least one other mobile device corresponding to the signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device.

17. A computer-implemented method for aggregating and disseminating tag data comprising:

providing a server accessible via a network;

receiving with the server product promotional content corresponding to a product identifier;

receiving with the server at least one of a tag as the product identifier and location indicative signals via a particular mobile device associated with a particular user, wherein the tag comprises at least one of an optical recording, a machine readable representation, a barcode, a radio frequency identification, and a user-inputted description;

using the server, associating the tag with the product promotional content;

using the server, at least one of receiving signal fingerprints via the particular mobile device and generating signal fingerprints associated with the location indicative signals, wherein at least one of the signal fingerprints are generated via radio signal scans by the particular mobile device corresponding to a particular time the tag was received;

using the server, associating with the tag a particular signal fingerprint corresponding to the particular time the tag was received;

receiving with the server a current signal fingerprint of at least one other mobile device associated with at least one other user; and

transmitting with the server the product promotional content associated with the tag to the at least one other mobile device in response to the current signal fingerprint of the at least one other mobile device corresponding to the particular signal fingerprint of the particular mobile device.