Wireless beacon devices providing crosswalk management through communication device connections

• US 9,483,937 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2014
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Todasco, Michael Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, QUANG
• Application Number:
  US14/516,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20160110998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

There are provided systems and methods for wireless beacon devices providing crosswalk management through communication device connections. A user may travel with a device, such as a communication device, that includes a communication module that may utilize specialized hardware features to establish short range wireless communications with nearby wireless beacons. The wireless beacons may be established at or nearby crosswalk locations. The beacon may provide the aforementioned communication services with the communication device and be utilized to triangulate a position, path of travel, and speed of travel of the user. Calendar, travel route, and other information for the user may also be determined using the beacons. Thus, a crosswalk signal may be changed in anticipation of the user crossing. Further, if the user requires additional time to cross based on triangulating the user'"'"'s location in the crosswalk, the signal may be further changed based on the user'"'"'s location.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a setting of a crosswalk signal at a crosswalk location, the system comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a crosswalk management server in communication with a first wireless beacon located at or near the crosswalk location, first check-in information from a first communication device based on a first connection between the first communication device associated with a first user and the first wireless beacon;

wherein the first check-in information comprises at least an identifier of the first communication device for establishing the first connection with the first wireless beacon when the first communication device of the first user is in a proximity distance to the first wireless beacon;

retrieving, at the crosswalk management server, through the first wireless beacon, scheduling information for the first user from a schedule application executing on the first communication device of the first user, wherein the scheduling information for the first user comprises an upcoming appointment and the upcoming appointment location;

determining information about a road the first user is traversing using the crosswalk location or approaching to traverse using the crosswalk location, wherein the information about the road is determined using the first check-in information and the scheduling information;

determining the setting for the crosswalk signal at the crosswalk location based on the first check-in information, the scheduling information, and the information about the road, wherein the setting adjusts an amount of time of the crosswalk signal at the crosswalk location based on the scheduling information; and

communicating the setting to the crosswalk location to affect a change to the crosswalk signal at the crosswalk location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first connection uses one of near field communication, radio communication, infrared communication, Bluetooth communication, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, WiFi communication, and LTE Direct communication.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

communicating the setting to the first communication device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first check-in information further comprises a travel route for the first user, and wherein the setting comprises a change of the crosswalk signal to minimize a wait for the first user at the crosswalk location when waiting to cross the road.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first check-in information further comprises status information for the first user, and wherein the setting comprises an amount of time to allow the first user to cross the road based on the status information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the status information comprises at least one of an age of the first user, a handicap status of the first user, at least one additional user travelling with the first user, a child or ward accompanying the first user, and an average walk speed or time of the first user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless beacon is range limited to connect to communication devices located within the road at the crosswalk location, wherein the crosswalk signal regulates pedestrian traffic crossing the road, and wherein the setting changes at least one of the crosswalk signal and a traffic signal regulating automotive traffic travelling on the road.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving traffic information for at least one of the road and the users utilizing the crosswalk location; and

determining the setting using the traffic information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the traffic information comprises a road closure at or nearby at least one of the road and the crosswalk location.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the setting is further communicated to a device associated with a vehicle approaching the crosswalk location and travelling on the road.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving second check-in information comprising at least one second connection between the first communication device and at least one second wireless beacon;

determining a location for the first user within the road using the first connection and the at least one second connection;

determining an adjustment to the setting using the location; and

communicating the adjustment to the crosswalk signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the adjustment provides additional time for the crosswalk signal to allow the first user to cross the road.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first check-in information comprises identification information for a second user travelling with the first user, and wherein the setting is further determined using the identification information.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving second check-in information comprising a second connection between a second communication device for a second user and the first wireless beacon at a time after the receiving the first check-in information;

determining an additional time to allow the second user to cross the road using the second check-in information; and

communicating the additional time to the crosswalk signal.

15. A method for controlling a setting of a crosswalk signal at a crosswalk location, the method comprising:

accessing, by a crosswalk management module executed using at least one hardware processors, check-in information from a plurality of user devices based on connections between at least one wireless beacon device established at or nearby the crosswalk location and the plurality of user devices, wherein the check-in information from each of the plurality of user devices comprises at least an identifier of each of the plurality of user devices for establishing a connection with the at least one wireless beacon device when the each of the plurality of user devices are in a proximity distance to the at least one wireless beacon, wherein each of the plurality of user devices is associated with one user of the plurality of users;

retrieving, through the at least one wireless beacon device, scheduling information for the plurality of users from schedule applications executing on the plurality of user devices of the plurality of users, wherein the scheduling information comprises upcoming appointments and the upcoming appointment locations for the plurality of user devices;

determining, by the crosswalk management module, traffic information about a road the plurality of users are traversing using the crosswalk location or approaching to traverse using the crosswalk location, wherein the traffic information is determined using the check-in information and the scheduling information;

determining, by the crosswalk management module, a setting of the crosswalk signal for a crosswalk signal device at the crosswalk location based on the check-in information, the traffic information about the road, and the scheduling information, wherein the setting of the crosswalk signal adjusts an amount of time of the crosswalk signal device based on the scheduling information; and

communicating, via a communication module connected to the crosswalk management module, the setting of the crosswalk signal to the crosswalk signal device at the crosswalk location to affect a change to the crosswalk signal.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining, by the crosswalk management module, a traffic pattern using the check-in information for the plurality of users; and

communicating, via the communication module, the traffic pattern to at least one merchant.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the check-in information further comprises at least one of a travel route for at least one of the plurality of users and an address associated with at least one of the plurality of users.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the traffic information comprises at least one of road closures, street work, street maintenance, traffic accidents, and safety alerts.

19. A non-transitory computer machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

accessing, by a crosswalk management module executed using at least one hardware processors, check-in information from a user device for a user based on a connection between at least one wireless beacon device associated with a crosswalk location having a crosswalk signal device;

wherein the check-in information from the user device comprises at least an identifier of the user device for establishing the connection with the at least one wireless beacon device when the user device is in a proximity distance to the at least one wireless beacon device;

retrieving, by the cross management module, through the at least one wireless beacon, scheduling information for the user from a schedule application executing on the user device of the user, wherein the scheduling information for the user comprises an upcoming appointment and the upcoming appointment location;

determining, by the crosswalk management module, information about a road the user is traversing using the crosswalk location or approaching to traverse using the crosswalk location, wherein the information about the road is determined using the check-in information and the scheduling information;

determining, by the crosswalk management module, a setting of a crosswalk signal for the crosswalk signal device based on the check-in information, the scheduling information, and the information about the road, wherein the setting adjusts an amount of time of the crosswalk signal device based on the scheduling information; and

communicating, via a communication module connected to the crosswalk management module, the crosswalk signal to the crosswalk signal device at the crosswalk location to affect a change to the crosswalk signal.