System and method for providing indoor navigation and special local base service application for malls stores shopping centers and buildings utilize RF beacons

• US 8,866,673 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gamba Group Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Gamba Group Ltd
• Inventors: Mendelson, Ehud
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US12/587,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.25, 342/386, 342/457, 342/463, 342/450, 342/357.21, 342/357.71, 342/465, 701/467, 701/468, 705/323
• US Class Current: 342/386
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/02 Indoor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0226 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/20 Destination assistance within a business structure or complex
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

The system and method described herein could guide people around urban environments indoor and outdoor, provide a direct content according to the user preference/profile and navigation guidance to the content integrated into a special local base services application benefit mall store or building facility area. The content and navigation will display on the existing cellular phone as mobile application.

Claims

1. A method for navigation indoor and outdoor in a facility area like a mall department store downtown center building on at least one display device selected from a group consisting of a display device, a mobile phone, hand held navigation system, car navigation system, and a Bluetooth enabled device, the method is part of mobile application comprising steps of:

a) loading a local area/facility map of-said area/facility to the display device said local area/facility map can be download before arriving to said facility area,

b) determining a current position of said display device by utilizing a proximity to one or more wireless radio frequency (RF) beacons, wherein said RF beacons employ at least one of Bluetooth, long range Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi protocols, each RF beacon comprising a beacon identifier and is installed in known position within said area/facility,

c) displaying said current position of said display device on a display device overlay image overlaid upon said facility/area map,

d) navigating between positions of beacons as shown on said local area/facility maps,

e) receiving local content, wherein said local content is determined based upon a location of said display device as identified by beacon identifiers of proximate beacons.

2. A method of personalizing delivery of content items according to claim 1 further comprising steps of:

(1) associating a user profile preference and said beacon identifier as a profile key wherein said profile key is transmitted in conjunction with a display device identifier,

(2) determining a location of said display device using a proximity to said known location of RF beacons in said facility/area, wherein said known location of each RF beacon is provided by associating each beacon identifiers with a beacon location by at least one of embedding a description of said beacon location within said beacon identifier and associating each beacon identifier with each respective beacon location by an index,

wherein in a condition having a single beacon signal received, the system determines the location by at least one of utilizing said location and beacon identifier association, and said location and beacon identifier association in conjunction with a signal strength of an RF signal emitted by said RF beacon,

wherein in a condition having multiple beacons signal received, said location is determined by at least one of signal strength and a triangulation calculation,

(3) decoding said profile key to obtain said user profile preference and said associated beacon identifier, and using said user profile preference and associated beacon identifier to determine at least one of;

content delivery, marketing segments, and behavior,

(4) delivering content to said user, wherein content is determined based upon said user profile preference and beacon identifier obtained from said decoded profile key,

(5) presenting said content to said user by displaying said content on said display device when said display device is in a vicinity of said RF beacon.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

obtaining at least one of;

a facility map, an area map, an indoor image view, a GPS map and a floor plan,

obtaining navigation content information wherein said navigation content is associated with an RF beacon identifier, and

displaying said navigation content information over one of said facility map, said area map, said indoor image view, said GPS map or said floor plan on said display device, wherein said map contain waypoints of said known installed RF beacons.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of providing a user of said display device with at least one indoor local base services application, wherein said at least one indoor local base services application includes at least one function selected from a list of functions comprising:

(1) obtaining a map and indoor navigation by downloading a local mall/store map from at least one of information provided by a directory stand and an Internet website prior to arriving at said facility area, wherein said map provides navigation between waypoints on said map,

(2) obtaining a directory of at least one of a store and a mall as part of said local mapping downloads to said display device,

(3) searching and locating at least one of a store, a place, an item, a product, wherein said at least one of said store, said place, said item, said product are associated with a list of said waypoints,

(4) obtaining at least one of a discount, a sale, and a coupon, presenting said at least one of said discount, said sale, and said coupon and providing store aisle navigation upon said display device, wherein said store aisle navigation directs said user to a store aisle containing an items associated with said at least one of said discount, said sale, and said coupon,

(5) determining available parking spaces in a vicinity of said display device and providing navigation to said user by displaying available parking spaces on said display device,

(6) identifying a location of a parked car associated with said display device and providing navigation to return said user to said location of said parked car through a display on said display device,

(7) obtaining and displaying location based information, wherein said location based information is at least one of an event, a restroom, an automated teller machine (ATM) location, a seating area, a playground, a fountain, and a public phone, wherein each of said at least one of the event, said restroom, said ATM location, said seating area, said playground, said fountain, and said public phone is located within a vicinity of said location of said display device,

8) obtaining emergency information and emergency navigation associated with said facility area, and displaying said emergency information and emergency navigation associated with said facility area on said display device, wherein said emergency navigation is based upon at least one of said location of said display device and said location of said RF beacon,

(9) emitting a panic alert, wherein said panic alert requests being located in an emergency.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining a current position of a user using a proximity of said display device to a known location of an RF beacon in said area/facility, by associating each beacon identifiers with a beacon location by at least one of embedding a description of said beacon location within said beacon identifier and associating each beacon identifier with each respective beacon location by an index,

wherein in a condition having a single beacon signal received, the system determines the location by at least one of utilizing said location and beacon identifier association, and said location and beacon identifier association in conjunction with a signal strength of an RF signal emitted by said RF beacon,

wherein in a condition having multiple beacons signal received, said location is determined by at least one of signal strength and a triangulation calculation.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of delivering additional information associated with waypoints and providing real-time updates, wherein said additional information is at least one of:

a store, a department, a schedule, a special sale, an event, and a coupon, and

displaying said additional information associated with waypoints on said display device.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising a step of navigating between waypoints using a GPS mapping in outdoor and at least one of a floor map and an image of said facility indoor, wherein said map comprising known waypoints can be downloaded for use with said mobile application.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of performing said determining step indoor without aid of a global positioning satellite (GPS) system.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of providing said display device with application software which provides guidance and navigation to a user by displaying information onto at least one of pre-loaded area maps and at least one of facility floor plans and indoor images of said facility.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of providing navigation to a pedestrian within an environment within—

a facility selected from a facility group consisting of;

a mall, a department store, a specialty store, a conference, a trade show, an amusement park, a stadium, an arena, a sporting event, a university, a hospital, a school, a municipal building, a museum, a subway, a train station, an airport, a down town center, a financial banking location, a parking facility and a covered structure.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a step of determining available empty parking spaces in a vicinity of said display device and providing navigation to a user by displaying available parking spaces on said display device, and

steps of identifying a location of a parked car associated with said display device and navigating said user to said location where said user parked their car through a display on said display device, thus providing a return to parking feature.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of providing an indoor guide and navigation within one of:

a museum, within a show, a conference, and an exhibition, wherein guide and navigation information is determined by an RF beacon identifier of said RF beacon located proximate to a location of said display device, wherein said guide and navigation is provided to a user by at least one of audio, video, and content information using said display device.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of providing real estate information, identifying local property that is available for at least one of sale, lease, and rent, wherein said real estate information includes:

a local guide, navigation specifically associated with real estate, and available local property, wherein said real estate information is determined based upon said location of at least one of said display device and said location of said RF beacon.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of providing guidance and navigation associated with an amusement park having waypoints identifying specific points of interest within said amusement park, and

displaying information associated with said amusement park including at least one of a schedule of show, wait times for a show, time to said show, a restroom location, a food service area and a process for reducing a wait time for access to a show or attraction.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of providing navigation for an emergency exit route utilizing a location of at least one of said display device and said location of said proximate RF beacon within said facility area to determine said emergency exit route and providing updated guidance for directing a user to safely exit said facility area.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

providing a user with a current location of at least one of;

—

a train, a bus and a subway train on a route directly to said display device, wherein said current location of at least one of said train, said bus, and said subway train is displayed upon a train/subway/underground map,

presenting the display device location in said route, and

presenting additional information including at least one of a schedule, a restroom location, a food serving location, and an emergency route, wherein said additional information is determined by said RF beacon identifier of said RF beacon located proximate to said display device.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of obtaining and displaying road sign locations upon a local map collectively displayed upon one of said display device, a vehicle display, wherein said road sign locations are determined by said RF beacon identifier of said RF beacon located proximate to said display device, wherein information is provided through an interface between said display device and a vehicle computer operating said vehicle display, and

a step of alerting a driver to adjust a speed of a vehicle in accordance with speed signs located within a vicinity of said display device.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

f) storing information about customer behavior habit without compromising user ID or privacy,

g) providing a location based service (LBS) application and information contents based on at least one of a location of a user as determined by at least one of said location of said display device and said location associated with said RF beacon identifier, and a behavior habit obtained from said display device, and a profile preference provided by data obtained from said display device, wherein said LBS and information content comprises at least one of;

a special, a sale, and a promotion events coupon,

h) designating a business as a waypoint and presenting advertisements associated with the business on the display device.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said display device overlay image is illustrated as a series of concentrically arranged circles.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein said display device further provides a functionality of an RF beacon.