System and method for proximity detection
First Claim
1. A system for detecting a user'"'"'s mobile device in proximity to a location comprising:
- a plurality of known mobile devices capable of a wireless short range data communication protocol;
each of said detected known mobile devices having a unique associated digital identity value;
each of said detected known mobile devices being associated with a one or more known locations;
said detected known mobile devices are capable of being, and may or may not be, located at associated locations while the system is operating;
at least one user mobile device capable of a wireless short range data communication protocol;
said user mobile device capable of detecting said any of said known devices including each device'"'"'s unique associated digital identity value;
said user mobile device capable of long distance wireless data communication;
a central server computer capable of data communication with said user mobile device;
said central server computer hosting a data processing system which accepts as input sets of said detected known device identity values from said user mobile device;
said central computer hosting a database of values corresponding to selected locations andassociated said detected known mobile device identities;
said central server computer hosting a data processing program which computes the probability of said user device proximity to said selected location by processing the input sets of detected known mobile device identities by an algorithm which utilizes said database;
said central server program capable of notifying selected devices of user device proximity to said location;
whereby the detection by said system of sets of one or more detected known mobile devices, whose combined proximity to each other exceeds a threshold value for probability, indicates probable proximity to the desired location.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is for a system and method for determining the proximity of a mobile device to a location without the use of a satellite based or other location awareness system, nor a stationary beacon of any kind. Instead, the mobile device monitors radio frequency broadcast identification codes from nearby mobile devices, and determines if the set of detected identification codes is sufficiently similar to a weighted set of identification codes attributed to specified location. If the calculation of similarity meets the confidence conditions of the system, notification is made that the customer or visitor has arrived. The invention utilizes a combination of confidence interval computation, machine learning, and fault tolerance mechanisms to optimize the success of correctly detecting that the device is near the relevant location.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A system for detecting a user'"'"'s mobile device in proximity to a location comprising:
-
a plurality of known mobile devices capable of a wireless short range data communication protocol; each of said detected known mobile devices having a unique associated digital identity value; each of said detected known mobile devices being associated with a one or more known locations; said detected known mobile devices are capable of being, and may or may not be, located at associated locations while the system is operating; at least one user mobile device capable of a wireless short range data communication protocol; said user mobile device capable of detecting said any of said known devices including each device'"'"'s unique associated digital identity value; said user mobile device capable of long distance wireless data communication; a central server computer capable of data communication with said user mobile device; said central server computer hosting a data processing system which accepts as input sets of said detected known device identity values from said user mobile device; said central computer hosting a database of values corresponding to selected locations and associated said detected known mobile device identities; said central server computer hosting a data processing program which computes the probability of said user device proximity to said selected location by processing the input sets of detected known mobile device identities by an algorithm which utilizes said database; said central server program capable of notifying selected devices of user device proximity to said location; whereby the detection by said system of sets of one or more detected known mobile devices, whose combined proximity to each other exceeds a threshold value for probability, indicates probable proximity to the desired location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for detecting the proximity of a mobile device to a location comprising;
-
compiling identification information for a plurality of detected known mobile devices associated with one or more selected locations, said detected known mobile devices may or may not be located at the associated locations while the system is operating; detecting said known mobile devices by one or more user mobile devices; communicating said detected known mobile device identification information from said user mobile device to a central server computer by a wireless data transmission; computing the proximity probability of said user device to said location by a data processing program on said central server computer; comparing said proximity probability to an arrival confidence threshold value; notifying selected recipients of said user device proximity to said location if said proximity probability exceeds said arrival confidence threshold; and updating selected parameters related to proximity probability calculation. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification