System and method for identification triggered by beacons

• US 9,875,588 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: McCollum, Jordan, Katz, Nitzan, Makofsky, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foxx, Chico A
• Application Number:
  US14/253,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20150294514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

There is provided systems and methods of identification and automation of devices using a beacon. A system includes a beacon, an automation device, and a server. The beacon is configured to transmit a signal to the automation device in response to entering a defined geographic zone. The automation device is configured to receive the signal from the beacon, transmit, in response to receiving the signal, the signal to the server, receive an identification of a person possessing the beacon from the server, and activate an automation feature, wherein the automation feature uses the identification of the person possessing the beacon. An automation feature may include, but is not limited to, a video camera, a display device, or a stereo.

Claims

1. A system for use in a theme park, the system comprising:

a beacon in the theme park; and

an automation device in the theme park, the automation device having a processor configured to;

receive, via a communication interface of the automation device, a signal from the beacon, the signal comprising an identification of a first person possessing the beacon;

determine, using the identification of the first person possessing the beacon, at least one of a birthday of the first person and where the first person lives; and

activate, in response to receiving the signal and the determining of the at least one of the birthday of the first person and where the first person lives, an automation feature of the automation device, wherein activating the automation feature includes communicating with a display device to display a targeted program selected based on the determined at least one of the birthday of the first person and where the first person lives;

wherein the beacon is further configured to communicate with a second beacon corresponding to a second person having a second user data and second activity data, compare the second user data and the second activity data with a first user data and a first activity data of the first person, respectively, to determine a similarity, and transmit a notification relating to the similarity to the second beacon in possession of the second person to inform the second person of the similarity, wherein the first activity data corresponds to first experiences of the first person in the theme park, and wherein the second activity data corresponds to second experiences of the second person in the theme park.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the birthday of the first person and where the first person lives are part of a first user data associated with the first person.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the signal includes the first user data.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first user data is obtained from a server using the signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein to determine the identification of the first person possessing the beacon, the processor is further configured to:

transmit the signal to a server in response to receiving the signal from the beacon; and

receive the identification from the server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor receives the signal from the beacon in response to the beacon entering a defined geographic zone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the targeted program is selected based on the first activity data of the first person obtained using the identification of the first person possessing the beacon.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first activity data comprises a ride the first person has been on, a food the first person has eaten, an attraction the first person has experienced, or a character the first person met.

9. A system for use in a theme park, the system comprising

a beacon in the theme park;

an automation device in the theme park; and

a server;

the beacon configured to;

transmit a signal to the automation device in response to entering a defined geographic zone, the signal comprising an identification of a first person possessing the beacon;

the automation device configured to;

receive the signal from the beacon via a communication interface of the automation device;

transmit the signal to the server, in response to receiving the signal comprising the identification of the first person possessing the beacon;

receive, in response to transmitting from the server, at least one of a birthday of the first person and where the first person lives; and

activate, in response to receiving the signal and the receiving of the at least one of the birthday of the first person and where the first person lives, an automation feature of the automation device, wherein activating the automation feature includes communicating with a display device to display a targeted program selected based on the determined at least one of the birthday of the first person and where the first person lives;

wherein the beacon is further configured to communicate with a second beacon corresponding to a second person having a second user data and second activity data, compare the second user data and the second activity data with a first user data and a first activity data of the first person, respectively, to determine a similarity, and transmit a notification relating to the similarity to the second beacon in possession of the second person to inform the second person of the similarity, wherein the first activity data corresponds to first experiences of the first person in the theme park, and wherein the second activity data corresponds to second experiences of the second person in the theme park.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the birthday of the first person and where the first person lives are part of a first user data associated with the first person.

11. A method of activating an automation device having a camera, a communication interface and a processor, the method comprising:

receiving, using the processor and via the communication interface, a signal from a beacon, the signal comprising an identification of a first person possessing the beacon;

determining, using the identification of the first person possessing the beacon, at least one of a birthday of the first person and where the first person lives; and

activating, in response to receiving the signal and the determining of the at least one of the birthday of the first person and where the first person lives, an automation feature of the automation device, wherein activating the automation feature includes communicating with a display device to display a targeted program selected based on the determined at least one of the birthday of the first person and where the first person lives;

wherein the beacon is further configured to communicate with a second beacon corresponding to a second person having a second user data and second activity data, compare the second user data and the second activity data with a first user data and a first activity data of the first person, respectively, to determine a similarity, and transmit a notification relating to the similarity to the second beacon in possession of the second person to inform the second person of the similarity, wherein the first activity data corresponds to first experiences of the first person in the theme park, and wherein the second activity data corresponds to second experiences of the second person in the theme park.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the birthday of the first person and where the first person lives are part of a user data associated with the first person.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal includes the user data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein to determine the identification of the first person possessing the beacon, the method includes:

transmitting the signal to a server in response to receiving the signal from the beacon; and

receiving the identification from the server.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the beacon transmits the signal to the automation device in response to the beacon entering a defined geographic zone.