Magnetic presence detection of a smartphone

• US 9,900,055 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2017
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roux, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorowar, Golam
• Application Number:
  US15/421,634
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for magnetic presence detection. A magnetic proximity detector is associated with a tag, wherein the tag transmits particular data when a mobile device is detected by the magnetic proximity detector, which can avoid needless battery consumption by the tag and/or the mobile device. A filter can be employed to filter out noisy magnetic signals so as to enhance a detection capability by the magnetic proximity detector and facilitate detection of the mobile device by the magnetic proximity detector.

Claims

1. A system for magnetic presence detection, said system comprising:

a magnetic proximity detector associated with a tag, wherein said tag transmits particular data when a mobile device is detected by said magnetic proximity detector; and

a filter that filters out noisy magnetic signals and periodical variations of an alternating magnetic field and wherein filtering by said filter is achieved utilizing a moving average filter with respect to an even number of measurements each spaced with an odd number of half periods of said alternating magnetic field so as to enhance a detection capability by said magnetic proximity detector and facilitate detection of said mobile device by said magnetic proximity detector.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said filter filters slow variations of the terrestrial magnetic field.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said tag transmits said particular data when said mobile device is detected by said magnetic proximity detector so as to avoid needless battery consumption by said tag.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said mobile device comprises a smartphone.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said tag comprises a Bluetooth enabled tag.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said tag is located on or in a vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said particular data comprises a message.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said particular data comprises an advertisement.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said magnetic proximity detector rapidly detects a presence of said mobile device without incorrectly detecting a strong alternating field.

10. A system for magnetic presence detection, said system comprising:

a magnetic proximity detector associated with a tag, wherein said tag transmits particular data when a mobile device is detected by said magnetic proximity detector; and

a filter that filters out noisy magnetic signals so as to enhance a detection capability by said magnetic proximity detector and facilitate detection of said mobile device by said magnetic proximity detector wherein said filter filters slow variations of the terrestrial magnetic field and wherein said filter filters periodical variations of an alternating magnetic field and wherein filtering by said filter is achieved utilizing a moving average filter with respect to an even number of measurements each spaced with an odd number of half periods of said alternating magnetic field.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said tag is located on or in a vehicle.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said particular data comprises a message.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said particular data comprises an advertisement.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein said magnetic proximity detector rapidly detects a presence of said mobile device without incorrectly detecting a strong alternating field.

15. A method for magnetic presence detection, said method comprising:

associating a magnetic proximity detector with a tag;

transmitting particular data from said tag when a mobile device is detected by said magnetic proximity detector; and

filtering out noisy magnetic signals with a filter wherein said filtering includes filtering by said filter utilizing a moving average filter with respect to an even number of measurements each spaced with an odd number of half periods of said alternating magnetic field and wherein said filter filters slow variations of the terrestrial magnetic field and periodical variations of an alternating magnetic field so as to enhance a detection capability by said magnetic proximity detector and facilitate detection of said mobile device by said magnetic proximity detector.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said mobile device communicates with a wireless network via packed based data communications.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said tag comprises a Bluetooth enabled tag.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said mobile device comprises a smartphone.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said tag is located on or in a vehicle.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said particular data comprises at least one of:

a message and an advertisement.