Method and system for providing location-based services

• US 9,324,202 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SKIDATA AG (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: SKIDATA AG (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Lindig, Clemens, Schlechter, Thomas, Clemente, Jorge, Surkau, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US14/452,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20150091726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards

Abstract

A method and system for providing location-based services are proposed, wherein the objective is the determination of the authorization of a person to use location-based services using non-contact detection and the evaluation of media information from a customer medium, whereby the location of the customer medium is carried out based on the detection of the medium and where the media information of the customer medium is recorded based on an automatically implementable non-contact interaction between at least one reading device assigned one location and connected to computer and the customer medium, if the customer medium is within the range least one reading device, where the customer medium comprises an RF transceiver and communicates with the computer via at least one reading device in a predetermined frequency range, where location-based services are provided cases of a valid authorization, the provision of which depends on the detection of the customer medium via at least one reading device assigned to the location, and where the customer medium is controlled by a computer via least one reading device in such a manner that the energy consumption of the customer medium is minimized.

Claims

1. A method for providing location-based services, wherein a determination of an authorization, of a person to use the location-based services is accomplished using non-contact detection and evaluation of a media information of customer medium, where a localization of the customer medium is determined based on the detection of the customer medium and where the media information of the customer medium is recorded based on an automatically implementable non-contact interaction between at least one reading device assigned to a location and connected to a computer and with the customer medium, if the customer medium is within range of the at least one reading device, whereby the customer medium comprises an RF transceiver and communicates with the computer via the at least one reading device in a predetermined frequency range, whereby the location-based services are provided in case of a valid authorization, the provision of which depends on the detection of the customer medium via the at least one reading device assigned to the location, and where the customer medium is controlled by the computer via the at least one reading device in such a manner that the energy consumption of the customer medium is minimized;

wherein at the beginning of the method, the customer medium is in a sleep mode outside the range of the at least one reading device, where no significant electrical activity takes place in the sleep mode, by which a battery that supplies the customer medium with power is not used in the case of an own power supply of the customer medium, where the at least one reading device sends a wake-up signal at regular intervals as part of a wake-up phase, where if the customer medium receives the wake-up signal, it leads to the activation of the customer medium upon a valid detected wake-up signal and its transition into an active mode, whereby subsequently a data to calculate a session ID are sent from the customer medium, which are received by the at least one reading device and sent to the computer, whereby the customer medium sends the media information, which is received via the at least one reading device and supplemented by a reading device ID and a signal strength, with which the media information has been received by the at least one reading device and a duration of the data between the customer medium and the at least one reading device is forwarded to a central computer connected with the at least one reading device, whereby the media information is processed in the central computer and provided in the case of a present authorization to use the location-based services, where after evaluation of the media information an acknowledgement signal containing a time stamp and a predetermined duration until the next contact is broadcast after transition to the sleep mode to transmit the media information to the computer via the at least one reading device, whereby the customer medium is subsequently shifted to an idle mode for the predetermined duration, in which only a microprocessor of the customer medium is active in order to control the transition into the sleep mode or into the active mode, where the shift to the idle mode is done either immediately upon receipt of the acknowledgement signal, after a predetermined period of time that is contained in the acknowledgement signal, after transmission of location-based information, after a completion of using the location-based services or after receiving a new signal after the completion of using the location-based services, where the customer medium enters the active mode after the predetermined duration until the next contact after the transition into the idle mode and sends its media information to the computer via the at least one reading device in order to enable a further localization and where the steps of transmitting the acknowledgement signal by the computer, including the time stamp and the predetermined duration until the next contact after the transition into the idle mode to send the media information to the computer and to repeat the transmission of the media information by the customer medium after the predetermined time until the next contact after the transition into the idle mode until the customer medium enters the sleep mode, which takes place if it is not possible for the customer medium after a predetermined number of attempts to receive an acknowledgement of the transmission of the media information from the computer via the at least one reading device.

2. The method for providing location-based services according to claim 1, wherein for the purpose of data communication with a device, the customer medium can be arranged in or on the device or can be connected with the device without contact, whereby the device is used as a data output and input device and where the data transfer between the customer medium and the device occurs via an interface between the customer medium and the device.

3. The method for providing location-based services according to claim 1, wherein the customer medium is also used as an electronic wallet, where it can be loaded with a certain amount of money, which can be electronically debited as the result of communication with the computer via the at least one reading device.

4. The method for providing location-based services according to claim 1, wherein as the location-based services, information about a location, information about objects located in a location or assigned to a location, information about services offered in a location are transmitted in an electronic form, in the form of video and/or audio files, or a video and/or audio data stream to the customer medium, to which the at least one reading device is assigned, which in the case of a connection of the customer medium with a device via the interface to the device are transferred and displayed or played by the device.

5. The method for providing location-based services according to claim 1, wherein as the location based services, an automated issuing of goods, tickets or boarding passes along with a valid authorization to use said goods, tickets or boarding passes is carried out or is carried out in the event that the customer medium is additionally used as an electronic wallet after debiting the sum of money from the customer medium, following the detection of the customer medium by the at least one reading device assigned to an automatic vending machine.

6. the method for providing location-based services according to claim 1, wherein after detection of the customer medium by the at least one reading device assigned to a stationary camera, and upon a valid authorization to use said location-based service, or in the case that the customer medium is additionally used as an electronic wallet, the stationary camera is activated after debiting the sum from the customer medium in order to take a picture of the person who is assigned to the customer medium in front of a pre-specified background, where this photo is sent to the customer medium in a digital form via the at least one reading device assigned to the stationary camera or stored centrally on a server.

7. The method for providing location-based services according to claim 1, wherein the localization of the customer medium is determined based on the signal strength, with which the at least one reading device has received the media information and/or based on the duration of data between customer medium and the at least one reading device.

8. The method for providing location-based services according to claim 1, wherein at the exits of spatially delimited locations within a site, in which the location-based services are provided or at entrances of spatially delimited locations within the site, in which the location-based services are provided, in which no location-based services are offered, the at least one reading device is arranged, where if the at least one reading device receives the media information from the customer medium, a command is sent by a system to the customer medium that puts the customer medium into the idle mode for a second predetermined time which corresponds to an average length of stay outside the spatially delimited locations, in which the location-based services are provided or the average length of stay in the site, in which no location-based services are offered.

9. The method for providing location-based services according to claim 1, wherein the at least one reading device is arranged at the exits of a site, in which the location-based services are offered, which sends a system-generated command to the customer medium after receiving the media information from the customer medium, which puts the customer medium into the sleep mode in order to reduce the power consumption of the customer medium.

10. The method for providing location-based services according to claim 1, wherein after transmission of the data to calculate the session ID from the customer medium, the authentication is carried out between the computer and the customer medium, so that the customer medium is marked as known and authenticated, whereby the occurred authentication is not deleted in the transition from the active mode to the idle mode, where the authentication will be deleted upon the transition to the sleep mode, wherein if the customer medium has entered the sleep mode, it can be detected and registered only with a renewed wake-up signal and subsequent renewed mutual authentication.

11. The method for providing location-based services according to claim 10, wherein after the completion of the mutual authentication, the communication between an on-board unit and the customer medium occurs as encrypted and optionally signed, where the encryption and signature is different for each customer medium and where the re-registration features a new, different encryption and possible signature after a re-authentication.

12. A system for providing location-based services, in particular that implements the method according to claim 1, which comprises at least one reading device assigned to a location and connected to a computer and customer media, which communicates with the computer via the at least one reading device in a predetermined frequency range, where the customer medium comprises a first and a second antennas for long-range data communication, an integrated circuit comprising at least one crypto-engine, a microprocessor connected to the integrated circuit or integrated into the integrated circuit, an operational amplifier and an RF transceiver connected to the second antenna, where the first antenna is used as a wake-up antenna to receive an amplitude-modulated wakeup signal if the customer medium is in a sleep mode, whereby the wakeup signal received from the wake-up antenna by the operational amplifier serving as a wake-up detection module is demodulated and amplified and processed by the microprocessor partially activated in the sleep mode and where the microprocessor is completely activated in the event of the wake-up signal detected as being valid, by which the customer medium enters an active mode, and where the operational amplifier is the only component of the customer medium that is fully active in the sleep mode, whereby the customer medium features an idle mode, in which only the microprocessor is active, in order to control a transition into the sleep mode or into the active mode according to a predetermined routines, where only the operational amplifier and a part of the microprocessor are activated in the sleep mode, where the microprocessor is turned on in the idle mode and the active mode and where the RF transceiver is turned off in the sleep mode and the idle mode and only turned on in the active mode, thus minimizing the energy consumption of the customer medium.

13. The system for providing the location-based services according to claim 12, which is implemented as an active customer medium, where it comprises a battery for a power supply of the components.

14. The system for providing location-based services according to claim 12, wherein the customer medium is designed in such a manner that it is charged with energy via an HF-pulse, and then can operate autonomously for a predetermined time.

15. The system for providing location-based services according to claim 12, wherein the customer medium is connected to a device serving as a data output and input device, where the customer medium can be arranged in or on the device or can be connected with the device without contact.