Signage acknowledgement tied to personal computer device

• US 9,445,396 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Herring, Dean Frederick, Johnson, Brad M., Smith, Jeffrey, Rodriguez, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Don N
• Application Number:
  US14/657,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20160270029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• 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 68/04 multi-step notification using statistical or historical mobility data

Abstract

A user is enabled to use a mobile device to electronically acknowledge information relating to a sign encountered by the user within the user'"'"'s environment. The mobile device detects a signal transmitted by an electronic source placed on or near the sign and register with a remote server. The registration may include an identifier of the electronic source and an identifier of the mobile device. In response to the registration, the mobile device receives content associated with the electronic source, and displays that content in a notification on a display of the mobile device. The user may then acknowledge the notification via a prompt on the display. The mobile device receives input from the user acknowledging the notification, and sends an acknowledgement message to the remote server.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, via a radio interface of the mobile device, a signal from an electronic source within range of the radio interface, the signal originating from the electronic source and comprising;

an address of a remote server that is distinct from the electronic source;

an identifier of the electronic source;

sending a registration to the remote server at the address, the registration comprising an identifier of the mobile device and the identifier of the electronic source;

receiving content associated with the electronic source from the remote server in response to the registration;

displaying, on a display of the mobile device, a notification comprising the content and a prompt for the user to acknowledge the notification;

receiving input from the user acknowledging the notification;

sending an acknowledgement message to the remote server in response to receiving the input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the registration is based on a comparison between information in the signal and a registration policy.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification policy from the remote server in response to the registration, the notification policy defining at least one behavior for the mobile device when displaying the notification;

wherein displaying the notification on the display of the mobile device comprises displaying the notification according to the notification policy.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising impairing usability of the mobile device until the input from the user acknowledging the notification is received.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically alerting the user until the input from the user acknowledging the notification is received, the alerting comprising at least one of outputting audio and vibrating the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before sending the acknowledgement message, failing to detect that the electronic source is in range and alerting the user in response, the alerting comprising at least one of outputting audio and vibrating the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling the sending of the acknowledgement message in response to failing to detect that the electronic source is in range of the radio interface;

enabling the sending of the acknowledgement message in response to detecting that the electronic source is in range of the radio interface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, receiving a reward notice from the remote server in response to sending the acknowledgement message.

9. A mobile device comprising:

display circuitry configured to present visual information to a user;

input circuitry configured accept input signals from a user;

radio circuitry configured to;

receive a radio signal from an electronic source;

exchange data with a remote server that is distinct from the electronic source via a communications network;

processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the display circuitry, input circuitry, and radio circuitry, and configured to;

receive the signal from the electronic source within range of, and via, the radio circuitry, the signal originating from the electronic source and comprising;

an address of the remote server;

an identifier of the electronic source;

send a registration to the remote server at the address via the radio circuitry, the registration comprising an identifier of the mobile device and the identifier of the electronic source;

receive content associated with the electronic source from the remote server in response to the registration via the radio circuitry;

display, via the display circuitry, a notification comprising the content and a prompt for the user to acknowledge the notification via the input circuitry;

receive input, via the input circuitry, from the user acknowledging the notification;

send an acknowledgement message to the remote server, via the radio circuitry, in response to receiving the input via the input circuitry.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, further comprising a memory communicatively coupled to the processing circuitry and configured to store a registration policy, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to send the registration based on a comparison between information in the signal and the registration policy.

11. The mobile device of claim 9:

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive a notification policy from the remote server via the radio circuitry in response to the registration, the notification policy defining at least one behavior for the mobile device when displaying the notification;

wherein to display the notification via the display circuitry, the processing circuitry is configured to display the notification according to the notification policy.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to impair usability of the mobile device until the input from the user acknowledging the notification is received.

13. The mobile device of claim 9:

further comprising alerting circuitry communicatively coupled to the processing circuitry, the alerting circuitry comprising one or more of;

audio circuitry configured to output audio;

vibration circuitry configured to vibrate the device;

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to periodically alert the user via the alerting circuitry until the input from the user acknowledging the notification is received.

14. The mobile device of claim 9:

further comprising alerting circuitry communicatively coupled to the processing circuitry, the alerting circuitry comprising one or more of;

audio circuitry configured to output audio;

vibration circuitry configured to vibrate the device;

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to alert the user via the alerting circuitry before sending the acknowledgement message in response to the processing circuitry failing to detect that the electronic source is in range via the radio circuitry.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

disable the sending of the acknowledgement message in response to failing to detect that the electronic source is in range via the radio circuitry;

enable the sending of the acknowledgement message in response to detecting that the electronic source is in range via the radio circuitry.

16. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive a reward notice via the radio circuitry from the remote server in response to sending the acknowledgement message.

17. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling a programmable mobile device, the computer program product comprising software instructions that, when run on the programmable mobile device, cause the programmable mobile device to:

receive, via a radio interface of the programmable mobile device, a signal from an electronic source within range of the radio interface, the signal originating from the electronic source and comprising;

an address of a remote server that is distinct from the electronic source;

an identifier of the electronic source;

send a registration to the remote server at the address, the registration comprising an identifier of the programmable mobile device and the identifier of the electronic source;

receive content associated with the electronic source from the remote server in response to the registration;

display, on a display of the programmable mobile device, a notification comprising the content and a prompt for the user to acknowledge the notification;

receive input from the user acknowledging the notification;

send an acknowledgement message to the remote server in response to receiving the input.