CLOSE PROXIMITY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20130210461A1
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ConnectQuest, LLC
• Original Assignee: Connectquest LLC
• Inventors: Moldavsky, David, Tocco, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• 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 4/23 for mobile advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing information to a user of a mobile device when the user is located in close proximity to a point of interest. For example, as a user of a mobile device travels past a retail store, coupons are displayed on the user'"'"'s mobile phone. The information to be displayed is identified though use of a unique identifier provided by a short-range wireless transmitter deployed by the retail store and provided to a remote server by the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for providing information to a user u_i of a mobile device m_i, the method comprising:

transmitting signal s_i from a location l_i, wherein l_i is positioned within a space defined by an effective reception range of a short-range wireless communication transmitter and the signal s_i is compliant with a short-range wireless communication protocol and includes a location identification code c_i,

receiving the signal s_i on a mobile device m_i for a user u_i located within the space,

retrieving information i_i from at least one server using the signal s_i, wherein the information i_i retrieved by mobile device m_i is gated through a filter f_i such that i_i is a function of f_i and c_i and,

displaying information i_i on the mobile device m_i.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location identification code, c_i, further comprises positional information p_i for l_i.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one location l_i has a store, st_i, for sale of commercial goods.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one location l_i has a restaurant, r_i.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter, f_i, is user-defined.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter, f_i, is automatically modified based on the user'"'"'s past actions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter, f_i, comprises criteria, cr_i, for the user u_i.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the criteria, cr_i, comprise shopping preferences, sp_i, for the user u_i.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the criteria, cr_i, comprises position preferences, pp_i, for the user u_i.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the location l_i is static.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the location l_i is mobile.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal s_i is compliant with a Bluetooth communication protocol.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter, f_i, is determined, at least in part, from user attributes obtained from the user'"'"'s social network profile.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter, f_i, is determined, at least in part, from past interactions of the user with previously provided information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the space has a radius of less than about 50 meters.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the space has a radius of less than about 30 meters.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication protocol comprises one of Bluetooth, Wibree, Zigbee, or WiFi communication protocol.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device m_i is in wireless Internet communication with the server.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the information i_i is displayed on the mobile device m_i with or without a user-implemented prompt.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device m_i comprises a software application for managing the information i_i.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the information i_i comprises a service provided to the user u_i.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device m_i further comprises a software application for the user u_i to search for a desired service.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the desired service is searched by shopping preferences of the user u_i.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the desired service is searched by position preferences of the user u_i.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device m_i is a mobile phone or smart phone.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the information i_i comprises a coupon.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the information i_i is availability of commercial goods.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the information i_i is time-sensitive.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device m_i further comprises a means for the user u_i to take an action based on the information i_i.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the action is to prepay for the service.

31. A system for providing information to a user u_i of a mobile device m_i, the system comprising,

a transceiver operable to transmit a short range wireless communication signal s_i from a location l_i, wherein l_i is positioned within a space and the signal s_i comprises a location identification code c_i, and

at least one server, operable to provide a mobile device m_i with information i_i responsive to receipt of the identification code c_i from the mobile device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the information i_i is filtered through a filter f_i such that i_i returned to the mobile device is a function of f_i and c_i.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the filter, f_i, comprises criteria, cr_i, for the user u_i.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the criteria, cr_i, comprise shopping preferences, sp_i, for the user u_i.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the criteria, cr_i, comprises position preferences, pp_i, for the user u_i.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the criteria, cr_i, comprises information derived from a social network profile for the user u_i.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the criteria, cr_i, comprises information regarding past actions of the user u_i with respect to information provided by the server.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein the location l_i is static.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the location l_i is mobile.

40. The system of claim 31, wherein effective range of the signal s_i transmitted from the locations l_i can be adjusted.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the space is defined by effective range of the signal s_i transmitted from the locations l_i.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the space has a radius of less than about 50 meters.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the space has a radius of less than about 30 meters.

44. The system of claim 31, wherein the transceiver transmits the information i_i over one of a Bluetooth, RFID, Wibree, UWB (ultra-wideband), WUSB (wireless USB) or WLAN (wireless local area network) connection.

45. The system of claim 31, wherein the information is a coupon.

46. The system of claim 31, wherein the information i_i is availability of commercial goods.

47. The system of claim 31, wherein the information i_i is time-sensitive.

48. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

responsive to receipt of a signal s_i from a location l_i wherein l_i is positioned within a space defined by an effective reception range of a short range wireless communication transmitter and the signal s_i is compliant with a short range wireless communication protocol and includes a location identification code c_i, retrieving information i_i from at least one server using the signal s_i, filter the retrieved information i_i through a filter f_i such that resulting filtered i_f is a function of f_i and c_i and, display information i_f on a display of a mobile device m_i.

49. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the location identification code, c_i, further comprises positional information p_i for l_i.

50. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein at least one location l_i has a store, st_i, for sale of commercial goods.

51. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein at least one location l_i has a restaurant, r_i.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the filter, f_i, is user-defined.

53. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the filter, f_i, is automatically modified based on a user'"'"'s past actions.

54. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the filter, f_i, comprises criteria, cr_i, for a user u_i of the mobile device.

55. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the signal s_i is compliant with a Bluetooth communication protocol.

56. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the filter, f_i, is determined, at least in part, from user attributes obtained from the user'"'"'s social network profile.

57. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the filter, f_i, is determined, at least in part, from past interactions of the user with previously provided information.

58. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the information i_i comprises a coupon.

59. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the information i_i is availability of commercial goods.

60. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the information i_i is time-sensitive.