Methods and systems for estimating visitor traffic at a real property location

• US 10,586,240 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ghosh, Debashis, Shuken, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Loftis, Johnna R
• Application Number:
  US14/521,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 705 029
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for estimating visitor traffic at a real property location based on interrogation signal data is provided. The method includes receiving, by one or more processors, a real property location, defining a geographic region that includes the real property location, receiving, by the one or more processors, interrogation signal data for a group of mobile devices included within the plurality of mobile devices, determining a location of each of the mobile devices included within the group of mobile devices over the selected period of time based on the received interrogation signal data, and estimating visitor traffic for the real property location over the selected period of time based on the location of each of the mobile devices included within the group of mobile devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for estimating visitor traffic at a real property location comprising a plurality of merchant stores, based on interrogation signal data associated with a plurality of mobile devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a real property location;

defining a geographic region that includes the real property location;

receiving, by the one or more processors, interrogation signal data for a group of mobile devices included within the plurality of mobile devices, the interrogation signal data emitted from the plurality of mobile devices and configured to locate available networks, and the group of mobile devices being located in the geographic region during a selected period of time;

determining a location of each of the mobile devices included within the group of mobile devices over the selected period of time based on the received interrogation signal data;

estimating visitor traffic for the real property location over the selected period of time based on the location of each of the mobile devices included within the group of mobile devices;

retrieving a plurality of payment transaction data including merchant identifiers associated with the real property location over the selected period of time, wherein the plurality of payment transaction data are extracted from messages submitted over a transaction card interchange network, and wherein the messages are formatted in proprietary communications standards;

estimating consumer traffic for the real property location over the selected period of time based on the plurality of payment transaction data; and

rating a value of each of the plurality of merchant stores based on their proximity to the determined location of each of the mobile devices over the selected period of time and a ratio between the estimated visitor traffic and the estimated consumer traffic over the selected period of time.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the interrogation signal data includes a location identifier for identifying the location of each of the plurality of mobile devices as each of the plurality of mobile devices emit a respective signal over the selected period of time.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the group of mobile devices is a first group of mobile devices, the selected period of time is a first selected period of time, and the interrogation signal data is a first set of interrogation signal data, the method further comprising:

receiving a second set of interrogation signal data for a second group of mobile devices included within the plurality of mobile devices, the second group of mobile devices being located in the geographic region over a second selected period of time;

designating the location of each of the mobile devices of the first group of mobile devices over the first selected period of time as first locations;

designating the location of each of the mobile devices of the second group of mobile devices over the second selected period of time as second locations;

comparing the first locations and the second locations; and

updating the estimated visitor traffic for the real property location based on the comparison, the updated estimated visitor traffic including each of the mobile devices included within the first group of mobile devices, and each of the mobile devices included in the second group of mobile devices that are not also included in the first group of mobile devices.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising displaying a direction of movement of each of the mobile devices included within the first group of mobile devices and the second group of mobile devices from the first locations to the respective second locations.

5. The method in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

calculating a speed at which each of the mobile devices traveled from the respective first location to the respective second location;

comparing the calculated speeds of the mobile devices with a pedestrian threshold level speed;

identifying each of the mobile devices that have a calculated speed above the pedestrian threshold level speed as a mobile device within an automobile; and

adjusting the estimated visitor traffic for the real property location to account for the mobile devices identified as being within an automobile.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising calculating a location value of each of the plurality of merchant stores based on the rating.

7. A visitor estimation computer system for estimating visitor traffic at a real property location comprising a plurality of merchant stores, based on interrogation signal data associated with mobile devices, the visitor estimation computer system comprising:

a probe database comprising interrogation signal data representing signals emitted from a plurality of mobile devices; and

a processor programmed to;

receive a real property location;

define a geographic region that includes the real property location;

receive, from the probe database, interrogation signal data for a group of mobile devices included within the plurality of mobile devices, the interrogation signal data emitted from the plurality of mobile devices and configured to locate available networks, and the group of mobile devices being located in the geographic region over a selected period of time, the interrogation signal data including a signal strength value;

determine a location and path of each of the mobile devices included within the group of mobile devices over the selected period of time based on the received interrogation signal data;

estimate visitor traffic for the real property location over the selected period of time based on the location of each of the mobile devices included within the group of mobile devices;

retrieve a plurality of payment transaction data including merchant identifiers associated with the real property location over the selected period of time, wherein the plurality of payment transaction data are extracted from messages submitted over a transaction card interchange network, and wherein the messages are formatted in proprietary communications standards;

estimate consumer traffic for the real property location over the selected period of time based on the plurality of payment transaction data; and

rate each of the plurality of merchant stores based on their proximity to the determined location of each of the mobile devices over the selected period of time and a ratio between the estimated visitor traffic and the estimated consumer traffic over the selected period of time.

8. The visitor estimation computer system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the interrogation signal data includes a location identifier for identifying a location of each of the plurality of mobile devices as each of the plurality of mobile devices emit a respective signal over the selected period of time.

9. The visitor estimation computer system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the group of mobile devices is a first group of mobile devices, the selected period of time is a first selected period of time, and the interrogation signal data is a first set of interrogation signal data, and wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive, from the probe database, a second set of interrogation signal data for a second group of mobile devices included within the plurality of mobile devices, the second group of mobile devices being located in the geographic region over a second selected period of time;

designate the location of each of the mobile devices of the first group of mobile devices over the first selected period of time as first locations;

designate the location of each of the mobile devices of the second group of mobile devices over the second selected period of time as second locations;

compare the first locations to the second locations; and

update the estimated visitor traffic for the real property location based on the comparison, the updated estimated visitor traffic including each of the mobile devices included within the first group of mobile devices, and each of the mobile devices included in the second group of mobile devices that are not also included in the first group of mobile devices.

10. The visitor estimation computer system in accordance with claim 9, further comprising a display device, and wherein the processor is further programmed to display a direction of movement of each of the mobile devices included within the first group of mobile devices and the second group of mobile devices from the first locations to the respective second locations.

11. The visitor estimation computer system in accordance with claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

calculate a speed at which each of the mobile devices traveled from the respective first location to the respective second location;

compare the calculated speeds of the mobile devices with a pedestrian threshold level speed;

identify each of the mobile devices that have a calculated speed above the pedestrian threshold level speed as a mobile device within an automobile; and

adjust the estimated visitor traffic for the real property location to account for the mobile devices identified as being within an automobile.

12. The visitor estimation computer system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the real property location comprises a plurality of merchant stores, and wherein the processor is further programmed to calculate a location value of each of the plurality of merchant stores based on their proximity to the determined location of each of the mobile devices over the selected period of time and the estimated visitor traffic over the selected period of time.

13. The visitor estimation computer system in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

at least one server of the transaction card interchange network that receives the messages corresponding to a plurality of payment transactions for processing and extracts the payment transaction data from the messages; and

a transaction database for storing the payment transaction data.

14. A computer system for estimating a number of views of an outdoor advertisement by a viewer based on interrogation signal data associated with mobile devices, the computer system comprising:

a probe database comprising interrogation signal data representing signals emitted from a plurality of mobile devices; and

a processor programmed to;

receive an outdoor advertisement location;

define a geographic region that includes the outdoor advertisement location;

receive, from the probe database, interrogation signal data for a group of mobile devices included within the plurality of mobile devices, the group of mobile devices being located in the geographic region over a selected period of time, the interrogation signal data emitted from the plurality of mobile devices and configured to locate available network, the interrogation signal data including a signal strength value and a mobile device identifier;

determine a location of each of the mobile devices included within the group of mobile devices and a direction in which each of the mobile devices is moving over the selected period of time based on the interrogation signal data;

estimate a number of viewers of the outdoor advertisement over the selected period of time based on the location and direction of movement of each of the mobile devices over the selected period of time;

retrieve a plurality of payment transaction data including merchant identifiers associated with the outdoor advertisement location over the selected period of time, wherein the plurality of payment transaction data are extracted from messages submitted over a transaction card interchange network, and wherein the messages are formatted in proprietary communications standards;

estimate a number of consumers for the outdoor advertisement location over the selected period of time based on the plurality of payment transaction data; and

rate a value of the outdoor advertisement location based on its proximity to the determined location of each of the mobile devices over the selected period of time and a ratio between the estimated viewers and the estimated consumers over the selected period of time.

15. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the outdoor advertisement location includes information representing a geographic direction in which the advertisement is directed.

16. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein defining a geographic region that includes the outdoor advertisement location includes defining at least one vantage point boundary about the outdoor advertisement location, wherein each vantage point boundary is defined to measure a likelihood that any one of the group of mobile devices is associated with a viewer of the outdoor advertisement.

17. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the selected period of time is a first selected period of time and the interrogation signal data is a first set of interrogation signal data, and wherein the processor is further programmed to:

identify each mobile device of the group of mobile devices associated with a viewer of the outdoor advertisement as a viewer mobile device;

receive a real property location associated with the outdoor advertisement;

receive a second set of interrogation signal data for the group of mobile devices over a second selected period of time;

designate the location of each viewer mobile device over the first selected period of time as first locations;

designate the location of each viewer mobile device over the second selected period of time as second locations;

compare the second locations to the real property location;

determine a number of viewer mobile devices at the real property locations over the second selected period of time; and

estimate a location value of the outdoor advertisement based on the number of viewer mobile devices at the real property location.

18. The system in accordance with claim 17 further comprising:

at least one server of the transaction card interchange network that receives the messages corresponding to a plurality of payment transactions for processing and extracts the payment transaction data from the messages; and

a transaction database for storing the payment transaction data.

19. The system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the geographic region includes a plurality of outdoor advertisement locations, and wherein the processor is further programmed to rate each of the plurality of outdoor advertisement locations based on the location of each of the mobile devices with respect to the plurality of outdoor advertisement locations and direction of movement of each of the mobile devices over the selected period of time.