Systems and methods for enhancing a user visit to a site premises

• US 8,618,935 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Saeed, Farida, Gharachorloo, Nader, Felt, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, MIRZA F
• Application Number:
  US12/611,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20110105092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/995.1, 340/488, 340/491, 340/988, 340/991, 340/990, 340/995, 701/117, 701/204, 701/200, 701/208, 701/201, 701/211, 701/213, 701/300, 455/3.03, 455/3.06, 455/414.1, 455/410, 455/415, 455/556.1, 455/66.1, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/228
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Exemplary systems and methods for enhancing a user visit to a site premises are disclosed. An exemplary method includes a mobile device tracking a geographic location of the mobile device, accessing site data associated with a site premises, and providing an interactive user interface configured to enhance a visit of a user of the mobile device to the site premises based on the site data associated with the site premises and the geographic location of the mobile device within the site premises. In certain embodiments, an output may be selected based on the geographic location of the mobile device within the site premises and provided via the interactive user interface for experiencing by the user of the mobile device. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a location tracking facility that tracks a geographic location of a mobile device;

a site data management facility that maintains site data for a site premises; and

an interactive interface facility communicatively coupled to the location tracking facility and the site data management facility and that provides an interactive user interface configured to enhance a visit of a user of the mobile device to the site premises based on the site data for the site premises and the geographic location of the mobile device within the site premises, the interactive user interface including

an interactive map of at least a portion of the site premises that includes one or more selectable visual indicators of one or more site features located within the site premises, and

at least one tool configured to receive a user selection of at least one of the one or more selectable visual indicators for inclusion of at least one of the one or more site features in a planned route within the site premises;

wherein the interactive map visually indicates the planned route and the at least one of the one or more selectable visual indicators along the planned route within the site premises.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive interface facility provides an output via the interactive user interface for experiencing by the user based on the geographic location of the mobile device within the site premises.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the output comprises an alert configured to notify the user that the user has missed a site feature along the planned route within the site premises.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the output comprises an alert configured to notify the user that the user has backtracked to a site feature previously visited by the user along the planned route within the site premises.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the output comprises a virtual tour of a site feature along the planned route within the site premises.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the output comprises an automatic presentation of media content associated with a site feature in response to a determination that the geographic location of the mobile device is within a predefined distance of the site feature.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the output comprises an alert configured to notify the user that the user has been credited for locating a treasure hunt item, wherein the user is credited for locating the treasure hunt item in response to a determination that the geographic location of the mobile device is within a predefined distance of a site feature associated with the treasure hunt item.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the output comprises directions from the geographic location of the mobile device within the site premises to a site feature within the site premises.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the output comprises directions configured to guide the user of the mobile device to follow the planned route within the site premises.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the output comprises a visual indicator of at least one of a completed visit to a site feature included along the planned route within the site premises and a completed segment of the planned route within the site premises.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive map visually indicates at least one of a high traffic area within the site premises, a popular site feature within the site premises, a special event within the site premises, and a search result site feature associated with the site premises.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the site premises comprises at least one of an amusement park and a museum.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a site operator portal facility communicatively coupled to the site data management facility and configured to receive the site data from an operator device associated with an operator of the site premises.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one tool is configured to detect a selection by the user of a selectable visual indicator of a first site feature within the site premises and a selectable visual indicator of a second site feature within the site premises and identify, based on the site data for the site premises, at least one proposed route connecting the first site feature and second site feature.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one proposed route comprises at least one of:

a route within the site premises previously created by the user;

a route within the site premises previously traveled by the user;

a route within the site premises created by another user;

a route within the site premises previously traveled by another user;

a popular route within the site premises; and

a route that includes one or more popular site features within the site premises.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one tool is configured to propose the at least one proposed route to the user via the interactive user interface and detect a selection by the user, via the interactive user interface, of a proposed route as the planned route.

14. A system comprising:

a site data management facility that maintains site data associated with a site premises; and

an interactive interface facility that provides an interactive user interface including

an interactive map of at least a portion of the site premises that includes one or more selectable visual indicators of one or more site features located within the site premises, and

at least one tool configured to receive a user selection of at least one of the one or more selectable visual indicators for inclusion of at least one of the one or more site features in a planned route within the site premises;

wherein the interactive map visually indicates the planned route and the at least one of the one or more selectable visual indicators along the planned route within the site premises.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one tool comprises a user selectable option for visually indicating at least one of a high traffic area, a popular site feature, a special event, and a search result site feature associated with the site premises within the interactive map.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the site premises comprises at least one of an amusement park and a museum.

17. A method comprising:

tracking, by a mobile device, a geographic location of the mobile device;

accessing, by the mobile device, site data associated with a site premises;

providing, by the mobile device, an interactive user interface configured to enhance a visit of a user of the mobile device to the site premises based on the site data associated with the site premises and the geographic location of the mobile device within the site premises, the interactive user interface including

an interactive map of at least a portion of the site premises that includes one or more selectable visual indicators of one or more site features located within the site premises, and

at least one tool configured to receive a user selection of at least one of the one or more selectable visual indicators for inclusion of at least one of the one or more site features in a planned route within the site premises; and

receiving, by the mobile device via the at least one tool, the user selection of the at least one of the one or more selectable visual indicators for inclusion of the at least one of the one or more site features in the planned route.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the interactive user interface is configured to enhance the user visit to the site premises by providing an output for experiencing by the user based on the geographic location of the mobile device within the site premises.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the output comprises at least one of an alert configured to notify the user that the user has missed a site feature within the site premises, one or more directions from the geographic location of the mobile device within the site premises to the missed site feature within the site premises, an image of the missed site feature, and a virtual tour of the missed site feature.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the output comprises at least one of an alert configured to notify the user that the user has backtracked to a previously visited site feature within the site premises and directions away from the previously visited site feature to another site feature within the site premises.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing, by the mobile device via the interactive user interface, access to a treasure hunt event within the site premises;

determining, by the mobile device, that the geographic location of the mobile device is within a predefined distance of a site feature associated with a treasure hunt item included in the treasure hunt event; and

automatically crediting, by the mobile device, the user of the mobile device for locating the treasure hunt item in response to the determination.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the at least one tool visually indicates at least one of a high traffic area within the site premises, a popular site feature within the site premises, a special event within the site premises, and a search result site feature associated with the site premises within the interactive map.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the interactive user interface includes a plurality of images of a plurality of site features located within the site premises;

wherein the method further comprises;

detecting, by the mobile device, a user selection of an image included in the plurality of images; and

providing, by the mobile device, an output configured to guide the user of the mobile device from the geographic location of the mobile device within the site premises to a location of a site feature corresponding to the selected image.

24. The method of claim 17, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one tangible computer-readable medium.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting, by the mobile device, that the geographic location of the mobile device is within the site premises,

wherein the providing of the interactive user interface comprises automatically providing the interactive user interface on a display associated with the mobile device in response to the detecting.