Location positioning engine system and method

• US 9,615,347 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEXRF Corp.
• Original Assignee: NEXRF Corp.
• Inventors: Kerr, Michael A., Stewart, David
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US13/153,248
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 463 20, 463 30, 463 40, 463 42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system for associating content with geographic boundaries, determining the location of a wireless handset relative to the boundaries, and delivering targeted content to the wireless handset is described. The application is configured to determine the location of the wireless handset based on the strength of signals received from the network components by the wireless handset. The application then filters content items by boundary and delivers at least one content item to the wireless handset when the wireless handset is located within the boundary.

Claims

1. A system for determining the location of a wireless device and communicating content to the wireless device, the system comprising:

a merchant premises map;

a plurality of beacons located on the merchant premises map, wherein each beacon transmits a beacon identifier;

a beacon signal strength associated with each beacon, wherein the beacon signal strength is determined by the wireless device;

a networked positioning module communicatively coupled to the wireless device, wherein the networked positioning module receives the beacon identifier and the beacon signal strength corresponding to the wireless device;

at least one sensor located on the merchant premises map, wherein the sensor receives the beacon identifier and the sensor captures a measured sensor beacon signal strength, the sensor communicatively coupled to the networked positioning module; and

the networked positioning module receives the beacon identifier and the measured sensor beacon signal strength from the sensor;

the networked positioning module uses the beacon identifier and the measured sensor beacon signal strength to generate a plurality of calculated signal strength values for at least one beacon identifier; and

the networked positioning module determines the location of the wireless device by comparing the beacon identifier and the beacon signal strength communicated by the wireless device with the calculated signal strength values generated by the networked positioning module for the beacon identifier.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of indoor geofences that are located on the merchant premises map, wherein at least one geofence includes some of the calculated signal strength values;

and

a plurality of content items, in which at least one content item is associated with at least one indoor geofence that includes some of the calculated signal strength values.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising at least one user attribute associated with each content item.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a first list of targeted content items associated with a first user profile that is presented on a first wireless device, wherein the first list of targeted content items corresponds to a first user attribute and a particular indoor geofence;

a second list of targeted content items associated with a second user profile presented on a second wireless device, wherein the second list of targeted content items corresponds to a second user attribute and the particular indoor geofence; and

wherein the first list of targeted content items presented on the first wireless device is different from the second list of targeted content items presented on the second wireless device at the particular indoor geofence, when the first user attribute is different from the second user attribute.

5. The system of claim 3 further comprising a user feedback input for the content item so that when a content item receives a positive user feedback, the ranking of the content item improves in the list of targeted content items and generates an updated list of targeted content items that is delivered to users that share at least one user attribute.

6. The system of claim 3 further comprising a time range that is associated with a content item, which presents the content item within the corresponding time range.

7. The system of claim 3 further comprising a search input that receives a search term, in which the content items that include the search term are presented on the wireless device and the search term is used to update the user profile with a user attribute corresponding to the search term.

8. A system for determining the location of a wireless device and communicating content to the wireless device, the system comprising:

a merchant premises map;

a plurality of beacons located on the merchant premises map, wherein each beacon transmits a beacon identifier;

a beacon signal strength associated with each beacon, wherein the beacon signal strength is determined by the wireless device;

a networked positioning module communicatively coupled to the wireless device, wherein the networked positioning module receives the beacon identifier and the beacon signal strength corresponding to the wireless device;

at least one sensor located on the merchant premises map, wherein the sensor receives the beacon identifier and the sensor captures a measured sensor beacon signal strength, the sensor communicatively coupled to the networked positioning module; and

the networked positioning module receives the beacon identifier and the measured sensor beacon signal strength from the sensor;

the networked positioning module uses the beacon identifier and the measured sensor beacon signal strength to generate a plurality of calculated signal strength values for at least one beacon identifier;

the networked positioning module determines the location of the wireless device by comparing the beacon identifier and the beacon signal strength communicated by the wireless device with the calculated signal strength values generated by the networked positioning module for the beacon identifier;

a plurality of indoor geofences that are located on the merchant premises map, wherein at least one geofence includes some of the calculated signal strength values;

a plurality of content items, in which at least one content item is associated with at least one indoor geofence that includes some of the calculated signal strength values; and

at least one user attribute associated with each content item.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a first list of targeted content items associated with a first user profile that is presented on a first wireless device, wherein the first list of targeted content items corresponds to a first user attribute and a particular indoor geofence;

a second list of targeted content items associated with a second user profile presented on a second wireless device, wherein the second list of targeted content items corresponds to a second user attribute and the particular indoor geofence; and

wherein the first list of targeted content items presented on the first wireless device is different from the second list of targeted content items presented on the second wireless device at the particular indoor geofence, when the first user attribute is different from the second user attribute.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a user feedback input for the content item so that when a content item receives a positive user feedback, the ranking of the content item improves in the list of targeted content items and generates an updated list of targeted content items that is delivered to users that share at least one user attribute.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a time range that is associated with a content item, which presents the content item within the corresponding time range.

12. The system of claim 9 further comprising a search input that receives a search term, in which the content items that include the search term are presented on the wireless device and the search term is used to update the user profile with a user attribute corresponding to the search term.

13. A method for determining the location of a wireless device and communicating content to the wireless device, the system comprising:

receiving a merchant premises map;

locating on the merchant premises map a plurality of beacons, wherein each beacon transmits a beacon identifier;

enabling a wireless device to determine a received beacon signal strength associated with each beacon detected by the wireless device;

communicating the beacon identifier and the received beacon signal strength from the wireless device to a networked positioning module;

locating on the merchant premises map at least one sensor that receives at least one beacon identifier and a measured sensor beacon signal strength for each beacon detected by the sensor;

communicating the beacon identifier detected by the sensor and the measured sensor beacon signal strength for each beacon detected by the sensor to the networked positioning module;

enabling the networked positioning module to use the beacon identifier and the measured sensor beacon signal strength to generate a plurality of calculated signal strength values for at least one beacon identifier;

enabling the networked positioning module to determine the location of the wireless device by comparing the beacon identifier and the beacon signal strength communicated by the wireless device with the calculated signal strength values generated by the networked positioning module for the beacon identifier.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising locating a plurality of indoor geofences on the merchant premises map, wherein at least one geofence includes some of the calculated signal strength values;

and

associating at least one content item with at least one indoor geofence that includes some of the calculated signal strength values.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising associating at least one user attribute with each content item.

16. The method of claim 15 that comprises ranking the content items based on user feedback to the list of targeted content items so that when a content item receives positive feedback, the content item receives an improved ranking in an updated list of targeted content items that is delivered to users that share at least one user attribute.

17. The method claim 15 further comprising presenting a first list of targeted content items associated with a first user profile on a first wireless device, wherein the first list of targeted content items corresponds to a first user attribute and a particular indoor geofence;

presenting a second list of targeted content items associated with a second user profile on a second wireless device, wherein the second list of targeted content items corresponds to a second user attribute and the particular indoor geofence; and

wherein the first list of targeted content items presented on the first wireless device is different from the second list of targeted content items presented on the second wireless device at the particular indoor geofence, when the first user attribute is different from the second user attribute.

18. The method of claim 16 that comprises ranking the content items based on user feedback to the list of targeted content items so that when a content item receives positive feedback, the content item receives an improved ranking in an updated list of targeted content items that is delivered to users that share at least one user attribute.

19. The method of claim 16 that comprises associating a time range with a content item, which presents the content item within the corresponding time range.

20. The method of claim 16 that includes receiving a search term, in which the content items that include the search term are presented on the wireless device and the search term is used to update the user profile with a user attribute corresponding to the search term.