Electronic location identification and tracking system with beacon clustering

• US 9,774,991 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2016
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Collateral Opportunities, LLC
• Original Assignee: Collateral Opportunities, LLC
• Inventors: Kusens, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US15/238,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20170055113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/042 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02529 not involving signal parameters, i.e. only involving identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method for determining the presence of an individual at a particular spot within a location preferably based on the strength of signals received from beacons assigned to the particular spot by a software application (“App”) running on an electronic device of the individual. In one embodiment, certain presence calculations are performed by the App. In another embodiment, the App forwards information regarding the received beacon signals to an electronic identification and location tracking system and the presence calculations are performed by the system.

Claims

1. A method for registering a location for use by an electronic location identification and tracking computer system to determine the presence of an individual at the location, said method comprising the steps of:

a. installing a plurality of wireless beacons at a location;

b. electronically selecting two or more beacons from the plurality of wireless beacons to represent a specific spot in the location, wherein the selected two or more beacons form a beacon cluster used for determining presence by an individual at the specific spot in connection with beacon signals received through an App (application) running on an electronic device of the individual;

c. electronically entering configuration information for each beacon in the beacon cluster and the specific spot assigned to the beacon cluster through an electronic location identification and tracking system; and

d. electronically storing the beacon configuration and specific spot assigned to the beacon cluster information in an electronic database in communication with the electronic location identification and tracking system,

wherein in view of beacon signals received by the App the electronic database will be queried by the electronic location identification and

tracking system with respect to entered beacon cluster information when making a specific presence determination for the individual within the location;

wherein as part of a presence determination instructions are provided for use by the system when a signal from one of the beacons in the beacon cluster is not received through the App and received at a strength level that is below a minimum signal strength threshold, the instructions are selected from the following group of instructions;

(1) automatically considering that the individual is not present at the specific spot assigned to the beacon cluster;

(2) assigning a default or static value for each beacon in the beacon cluster who did not meet the minimum signal strength threshold; and

(3) discarding each beacon in the beacon cluster who did not meet the minimum signal strength threshold from any calculation performed by the electronic location identification and tracking system for the presence determination at the specific spot assigned to the beacon cluster.

2. The method for registering a location of claim 1 further comprising the steps of electronically entering information regarding a minimum signal strength threshold for each of the beacons in the beacon cluster through the electronic location identification and tracking system and storing the entered minimum signal strength thresholds in the electronic database.

3. The method for registering a location of claim 2 wherein when a signal is received by an electronic device on the possession of the individual from at least one beacon from the beacon cluster at a signal strength above the minimum signal strength threshold a presence determination is performed by the electronic location identification and tracking system and said method further comprising the steps of electronically entering instructions for handling any signals received by the electronic device from below the minimum signal strength threshold or lack of received signal by one or more beacons in the beacon cluster during a presence determination through the electronic location identification and tracking system and storing the entered instruction in the electronic database.

4. The method for registering a location of claim 1 wherein the configuration information for each beacon in the beacon cluster comprises a universally unique identifier (“

UUID”

), a major value identifier and a minor value identifier.

5. The method for registering a location of claim 4 wherein the UUID and major value identifier for each beacon in the beacon cluster are the same and each beacon in the beacon cluster has a unique minor value identifier in order to distinguish one beacon in the beacon cluster from the remaining beacons in the beacon cluster.

6. The method for registering a location of claim 1 wherein the step of electronically entering configuration information comprises the steps of entering a UUID, a major value identifier and a minor value identifier for each beacon in the beacon cluster through the electronic location identification and tracking system and storing the entered UUID, major value identifier and minor value identifiers in the electronic database.

7. The method for registering a location of claim 6 wherein the step of assigning a UUID and major value identifier for each beacon in the beacon cluster comprises the step of assigning the same UUID and major value identifier for each beacon in the beacon cluster and the step of assigning a unique minor value identifier to each beacon in the beacon cluster;

wherein the unique minor value identifier is used to distinguish one beacon in the beacon cluster from the remaining beacons in the beacon cluster by the electronic location identification and tracking system.

8. A method for determining a presence of a user at a particular area within a location by an electronic location identification and tracking computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

a. electronically receiving one or more signals containing identification information from at least one wireless beacon associated with a particular area within a location by a user'"'"'s portable electronic device running an electronic location identification and tracking system application (“

App”

);

b. electronically determining by the App whether each beacon signal received is from a beacon whose identifier is previously programmed into the App;

c. for each known beacon signal received by the App, electronically querying a database to electronically receive location properties for each known beacon,

wherein the location properties include information on the number and identity of beacons grouped as a particular cluster of beacons for the particular area within the location; and

d. electronically determining by the App if a signal was received from each beacon associated with the particular cluster of beacons;

wherein if a signal was not received from each beacon associated with the particular cluster of beacons in step (d) further comprising the step of

(i) using a static value for the missing beacon(s) when calculating an average signal strength for the beacon signals of the beacons associated with the particular cluster of beacons, and

(ii) calculating the average signal strength from the beacon signals received from the beacons associated with the particular cluster of beacons.

9. The method for determining a presence of a user of claim 8 wherein if a signal was received from each beacon associated with the particular cluster of beacons in step (d) further comprising the steps of:

(e) electronically receiving a signal strength for each beacon signal received;

(f) electronically determining an average signal strength from all of the signal strengths received in step (e); and

(g) electronically comparing the average signal strength to a preconfigured minimum signal strength value for the particular area or particular cluster of beacons.

10. The method for determining a presence of a user of claim 9 wherein if the average signal strength is above the preconfigured minimum signal strength value the user is considered present at the particular area within the location associated with the particular cluster of beacons.

11. The method for determining a presence of a user of claim 9 wherein where the average signal strength is above the preconfigured minimum signal strength value further comprising the step of electronically determining if the average signal strength remains above the preconfigured minimum signal strength value for a preconfigured period of time.

12. The method for determining a presence of a user of claim 10 further comprising the step of storing a determined location for the user in an electronic database.

13. A method for determining a presence of a user at a particular area within a location by an electronic location identification and tracking computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

a. electronically receiving one or more signals containing identification information from at least one wireless beacon associated with a particular area within a location by a user'"'"'s portable electronic device running an electronic location identification and tracking system application (“

App”

);

b. electronically determining by the App whether each beacon signal received is from a beacon whose identifier is previously programmed into the App;

c. for each known beacon signal received by the App, electronically forwarding identifying information for the beacon and signal strength information by the App to an electronic identification and location tracking system;

d. electronically querying an electronic database by the electronic identification and location tracking system to electronically receive location properties for each known beacon, wherein the location properties include information on the number and identity of beacons grouped as a particular cluster of beacons for the particular area within the location; and

e. electronically determining by the electronic identification and location tracking system if a signal was received by the App from each beacon associated with the particular cluster of beacons;

wherein if a signal was not received from each beacon associated with the particular cluster of beacons in step (e) further comprising the step of

(i) using a static value for the missing beacon(s) when calculating an average signal strength for the beacon signals of the beacons associated with the particular cluster of beacons, and

(ii) calculating the average signal strength from the beacon signals received from the beacons associated with the particular cluster of beacons.

14. The method for determining a presence of a user of claim 13 wherein if a signal was received from each beacon associated with the particular cluster of beacons in step (e) further comprising the steps of:

(f) electronically receiving a signal strength for each beacon signal received;

(g) electronically determining an average signal strength from all of the signal strengths received in step (f) by the electronic identification and location tracking system; and

(h) electronically comparing the average signal strength to a preconfigured minimum signal strength value for the particular area or particular cluster of beacons by the electronic identification and locating tracking system.

15. The method for determining a presence of a user of claim 14 wherein if the average signal strength is above the preconfigured minimum signal strength value the user is considered present at the particular area within the location associated with the particular cluster of beacons.

16. The method for determining a presence of a user of claim 14 wherein where the average signal strength is above the preconfigured minimum signal strength value further comprising the step of electronically determining if the average signal strength remains above the preconfigured minimum signal strength value for a preconfigured period of time.

17. The method for determining a presence of a user of claim 15 further comprising the step of storing a determined location for the user in an electronic database by the electronic identification and location tracking system.