AU2016219547A1 - Relevant Content Delivery and Content GeoFencing using BLE Beacons and Hybrid Sensors Optimized for Power Efficiency - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract Content delivery to mobile devices set within GeoFenced location co-ordinates is disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more transceivers are configured to transmit and receive Bluetooth Low Energy signals, wherein each sensor can at least be used to identify a precise set of location co-ordinates. Each sensor may further uniquely identify various types of content which may be made up of rich media such as images, audio, video and text, and any combination thereof. Content is dynamically filtered and relayed to the end mobile device by several means which are described in the embodiments below. Location determination and content delivery using other means such as GPS and WiFi networks are also described, in addition to methods for content filtering and delivery using smart algorithms that utilize energy efficient methods to determine urgency and accuracy of content.

Description

Relevant Content Delivery and Content GeoFencing using BLE Beacons and Hybrid Sensors Optimized for Power Efficiency 2016219547 22 Aug 2016

Background of the Invention

The Problem of Disconnectedness [0001] Physical environments and locations such as retail shops, museums, theme parks, public transport stations, and other such venues are disconnected from customers and patrons because the means to communicate efficiently with the end user thus far have not been satisfactory.

[0002] Specifically, they fail to collect data about their patrons in a manner that would augment data driven decision making such as stock provisioning and improved customer service.

[0003] When a consumer browses an online store they may receive special offers that are most likely to interest them, whereas when the same consumer visits a physical store that sells the same category of goods, none of the data on the consumer’s brands of choice or personal interests are available to the brick and mortar salesperson, and it is within the scope of this invention to provide the means to collect and make available consumer data in the context of the physical world.

[0004] Compared to the world of online e-commerce, the physical shopping experience is more likely to suffer through lower sales, lower repeat visits, and poor word of mouth referrals.

The Problem of Content Delivery [0005] Current methods of marketing content delivery such as signs, placards, banners, large screens that play audio or video content face problems due to them being physically static and cumbersome, limited by physical visibility constraints, all of which decrease their effectiveness.

[0006] It is difficult for the operator of a retail location to modify the signage and advertisements, thereby making signage less reusable and a financial burden. 1

Mobile Devices and Sensors. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0007] A mobile electronic device, such as an iPhone, android smartphone, or Virtual Reality headsets such as Oculus VR or Google Glass, or wearable devices such as the Apple Watch and Samsung Watch all have general computing capabilities. These mobile electronic devices, with or without user interaction, may execute one or more applications, such as for example, communications on the cellular network to send and receive SMS or voice calls or multimedia messages, access email and internet content, communicate on the short range wireless networks (Bluetooth), photography, or business applications using the hardware integrated into these multipurpose computing devices.

[0008] They are also capable of communication via long range wireless networks such as communications with Low Earth Orbit satellites in order to pinpoint the device position in terms of latitude and longitude coordinates.

[0009] With the advent of mobile devices and the proliferation of mobile devices connected to the internet, along with the emergence of multitudes of cheap and reliable sensors and connected devices, it is now possible to broadcast location specific content, such as, and not limited to, products on sale in a shop, in the form of tern plated rich media content to consumers’ mobile devices using some of the means described below.

[0010] This content broadcast is not constrained by physical visibility limits, and is inherently dynamic, requires low maintenance, and directly advertises to consumers on their own mobile devices. Content associated with location coordinates is generally referred to as GeoFenced content.

[0011 ] It is possible to deploy sensors and wireless connected devices at strategic locations in such a way as to enhance the GeoFenced experience of the user by delivering highly precise location specific content while using minimal energy by communicating on low energy short range radio spectra. 2

Brief Summary of the Invention 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0012] The present invention provides rich digital GeoFenced content delivery opportunities in physical spaces without any of the disadvantages present in current methods. It provides consumers with micro-location specific content which can be personalized by them to suit their interests dynamically, thus making it clutter free and desirable.

[0013] Retailers, for example, benefit by being able to market to consumers in the immediate vicinity of their establishments or at key moments during the sales process and further influence sales- in essence, the present invention describes a fundamental development in consumer mobile device engagement and location based marketing.

[0014] In a further aspect, the present disclosure provides for a system for filtering electronic content based in part on location determination from one or more local sensors. The system includes at least one local sensor including a microprocessor and a radio transceiver, the local sensor being configured to broadcast a local sensor identifier. The system also includes a web platform including a processor and a database for storing a plurality of mobile device profiles, the processor of the web platform being configured to determine a location of a mobile device within broadcasting range of the local sensor, the processor being configured to send an electronic content selection to the mobile device whose profile is maintained by the database if the mobile device is within a predetermined geographical area, and if one or more of the following conditions is satisfied: the user profile contains a user authorisation for electronic content related a commercial entity associated with the local sensor to be sent to the mobile device; no electronic content related to the commercial entity associated with the local sensor has been sent to the mobile device within a predetermined time interval; and the electronic content related to a commercial entity associated with the local sensor has not been previously sent to the mobile device.

[0015] In an additional aspect, the present disclosure provides for a method for filtering proximity-based incoming electronic messages. The method includes determining a location of a mobile device based at least on presence of the mobile 3 device within communications range of at least one local sensor; determining a strength of signal from the local sensor using the mobile device; sending an electronic communication to the mobile device, the electronic communication including a content selection dependent at least in part on the location of the mobile device within a predetermined geographical area. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0016] The electronic communication being sent is based at least on: the strength of signal detected and indicated by the mobile device; a pre-authorisation associated with the mobile device to receive an electronic communication from a particular retailer or service provider; and a predetermined number of electronic communications received by the mobile device within a predetermined time period.

[0017] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. In the present specification and claims, the word “comprising” and its derivatives including “comprises” and “comprise” include each of the stated integers, but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.

[0018] The claims as filed and attached with this specification are hereby incorporated by reference into the text of the present description.

[0019] Other aspects of the present invention will become evident to one skilled in the described art after a review of the specification, claims, and attached drawings postulated herewith.

Brief Description of Drawings [0020] Fig. 1 is a diagram of content creator, consumer (user entity), client and server architecture.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a diagram of Content Templates.

[0022] Fig. 3 is a graphical representation of REST API Integration.

[0023] Fig. 4 is a flow diagram of Relationship between Location and Content.

[0024] Fig. 5 is a flow diagram of Non-Relational DB.

[0025] Fig. 6 is a flow diagram of Optimum Network Choice. 4 [0026] Fig. 7 is a flow diagram of Accuracy Control Layer. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0027] Fig. 8 is a flow diagram of Control Checks for Beacon Messages.

[0028] Fig. 9 is a flow diagram of Methods whereby Content Creator Entity is provided User Profile Metrics.

[0029] Fig. 10 is a flow diagram to determine whether a mobile device is within “trigger” range of a sensor or wireless device such as a BLE Beacon.

Detailed Description [0030] Content creator 100 creates content which is partly predefined in terms of template media structures, and content creator is free to choose from within a range of template options. The content creator may furthermore, choose to create content seamlessly from a variety of client side frameworks such as desktops (102), laptops (106), mobile devices such as phones and tablets (104) running a web browser or mobile devices such as phones and tablets running the native software application itself.

[0031] The template media structures (200) contain several permutations and combinations of rich media such as text (202 and 204), images (206), video (208), audio (210), and URLs (212). The content creator is encouraged to utilize as many of the content template features.

[0032] Further methods of creating content include dynamically importing content by way of integrating with server side REST APIs (300) that dynamically import information from 3rd party servers by matching specific fields present in source schema with fields required in destination schema.

[0033] For example, retailers currently using dynamic shopping carts can very efficiently upload all their product related content into the system, by matching Product fields such as Title (304), Description (306), Image (308), Price (310), and other such fields to quickly and easily create their inventory on the system.

[0034] In this example, the rich media content that accurately represents a physical product the merchant currently has in stock (302) can then be broadcast to 5 all users of the app who are physically located within an area encompassed by a predetermined radius. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0035] The advantages in the above described methods are that it enables retailers to dynamically advertise the actual products in their store and make available their content, while at the same time ensuring the content is of the highest quality, and uniformly shared across all client interfaces be it mobile devices or other computing devices with access to the internet.

[0036] A content creator entity (404) has database relationships to precise location coordinates (402) which are stored in a remote database. All content (414) created by a content creator has database relationships with the content creator entity (404), therefore it can be concluded that all content is related to precise location coordinates, and this forms the basis for delivering GeoFenced, spatially aware content to the user of a mobile device.

[0037] Content creators, and therefore content, also are categorized by their Main Category (412), in such a way so as to describe the creator entity. For example, the creator entity may be a theme park, or a restaurant, or a retail environment. A further level of sub-categorization (408) is also permitted for each creator entity, whereby they may specify for example, that they are a restaurant which serves Italian food, or they are a retail environment that sells footwear, and so on. A content creator entity may have one or more types of sub-categories for a single main category and in this way, all content is related by first and second order relationships to main-categories and subcategories.

[0038] The remote server (132) communicates with all client and server frameworks (100 - 128) and thereby ensures seamless operation across all client frameworks. For example, a content creator entity (100) may choose to create content from their mobile device (104), and later choose to edit the same piece of content from their Desktop PC (102). This is possible because all data that is returned to a server is saved to Remote Databases (130) in the Cloud (126) asynchronously, and any successive action may involve information submitted from the previous action, this permits us to provide a seamless experience for each user across all client interfaces. 6 [0039] The Cloud services (126) represents relational (130) and non-relational (128) Databases hosted remotely in the cloud. The relational database may represent and is not limited to an SQL database in the cloud, and is responsible for the storage and retrieval of data for each asynchronous call made by a server. This data is usually in the form of rich media content created or requested by global users of the software on all client interfaces, but in addition, for mobile devices it also includes device parameters such as location sensitivity, accelerometer inputs, battery power level, and other such input characteristics that enable us to adjust the performance of the application dynamically to best suit the user experience. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0040] A non-relational database (128, 500) such as and not limited to a Hive, MongoDB or Hadoop cluster (508) hosted in the cloud which is responsible for carrying out data science operations in batches over lengthier periods of time, and is partly responsible for identifying user preferences and remarketing opportunities by processing aggrandized data collected from user preferences and device feedback (504) at various locations and times and also based on comparison with public data such as Facebook Social Graph inputs (502) and other public user generated content (506), enabling us to provide more relevant data at more opportune instances to the end user. For example, it is possible to construct a recommendation engine to suggest at specific locations and times to a user, to apply certain filters which modify the content delivered to them to suit the moment - these may be determined by comparison with social graphs of a user who would most likely to have similar preferences, and in this way it is possible to cross sell and remarket to the user by combining social graph information with categories of interest. It may further be noticed during the course of data operations that users at a particular location tend to select particular categories of preference, this being due to the type of the creator entity at that location, such as a theme park or museum, and it is again possible to use a recommendation engine to suggest users to request particular content based on the aggrandized studies conducted on data points of category selections that occur at particular locations within area clusters.

[0041 ] The Mobile App user (110) can view and interact with content by using a plurality of mobile devices such as and not limited to smartphones and tablets, by running specific architecture related software written by us which provide enhanced 7 location awareness with battery efficiency enhancements. These mobile devices are programmed within the software Location control layer to interact with a plurality of uniquely identifiable sensors and wireless networking devices such as and not limited to Bluetooth Low Energy sensors (commonly referred to as iBeacons) and RFID tags (112), WiFi routers and cellular network towers (114), and GPS satellites (116). At any given time, the mobile devices can exist within an area serviced by multiple active network connections, and dynamically selects (500, 600) the most preferred network to deliver GeoFenced content accurately and efficiently. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0042] As shown in 704 and 712, at a predetermined interval, the server polls the mobile device and receives a number of device inputs, such as, and not limited to device state, app activity state, accelerometer inputs, battery level, and the list of network connections available to the mobile device (706, 714). Fig. 600 describes the method whereby a device may preferentially connect to a network in order to provide most location accurate results while at the same time consuming the least possible battery power. The Flowchart describes how the most preferred network is short range wireless Bluetooth Low Energy (602) (information about this standard may be obtained from the website of the Special Interest Group dedicated to the BLE standard).

[0043] The method herein described relates to sensors and Bluetooth wireless devices that have been programmed to communicate with the application layer by transmitting their sensor Device IDs which is received by a mobile device, and then relayed from the mobile device to a server. This device ID is related to precise location coordinates stored in a remote database, the precise coordinates from the database can then be used within server operations and can deliver highly location accurate content to the user’s device. The advantage in this method is that precise location coordinates were obtained with very short range radio interaction, thereby low energy expenditure.

[0044] The next preferred network to obtain location coordinates involves WiFi hubs and cell towers (606), where the DNS server of the hub is used as the location coordinate set for which to deliver content. Finally, the device may, in absence of the above networks resort to cellular networks such as GPS, 3G and LTE (610) to derive accurate location coordinates which are relayed to the server and GeFenced content 8 is delivered to the mobile device. The power required for the GPS operation is high, and there is a noticeable time lag in obtaining precise coordinates. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0045] The Accuracy Control Layer (700) is a set of processes which takes input parameters such as device app activity state, location sensitivity and accuracy, accelerometer input, device temperature and battery level, available wireless networks, and user preferences to dynamically determine which wireless network to connect to and also dynamically adjust the server polling interval and sampling duration to provide the most location relevant results with emphasis on efficient use of power resources.

[0046] The set of processes in this algorithm eventually are responsible for delivering highly accurate content to the user of a mobile device while conserving power, by dynamically adapting to the set of conditions determined via device feedback to the server to determine dynamically the sampling interval and polling frequency.

[0047] For example, if accelerometer data suggest that the device is in motion above a predetermined value of speed, which in turn is determined by a predetermined sampling interval and comparing the device position change during the sampling time, the location sensitivity of required results is dynamically adjusted to relatively less accurate in order to save power used to transceive radio data with GPS systems, because the users location is changing rapidly and it is less likely that the user requires highly accurate results at his precise current location. (Pn — Pn-1) / (Tn — Tn-1) > Vpre [0048] In other cases, if the user is in rapid motion, but the app activity is in the foreground and registering user interaction, it can be determined that the user is interested in highly location accurate data despite being in motion, and in this case it is possible to dynamically adjust the polling interval and sampling duration, and ensure higher accuracy of location coordinates by means of available sensors and networks. 9 [0049] In this way, the Accuracy Control layer is a system of algorithms that dynamically modify app characteristics from the cloud based on predictive modelling of user-device interaction. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0050] The Mobile App User (110) is the intended recipient and consumer of information from the Remote Server (132). The content is curated based on Categoric and Locational GeoFencing methods described in this invention.

[0051] The means by which location accurate content is delivered to the user has been described above. Described now are systems and methods whereby category specific content is delivered to a user.

[0052] The Category based GeoFence may consist of two or more separate blocks. The first block consists of pure user input such as a user their selecting categories of interest. The second block consists of indirect user interest categories based on user interaction with the application, by performing big data analysis using parameters such as user impressions, user interests, user deal likes and shares, other aggrandized user interaction metrics to set up recommendation systems for remarketing opportunities, as well as external sources of information such as and not limited to the Facebook Social Graph. In total, the category layer is responsible for curating all forms of content and proximity notifications tailored to suit the user.

[0053] The Website User (118) can access the website and utilize all of the same features as on the app. A user is displayed GeoFenced and relevant content on all client interfaces (120,122,124,112,114,116) by being able to accurately share his/her location and preferences. The website can be accessed from all computing devices which have a web browser, however with differing levels of accuracy since web browsers do not generally communicate with Bluetooth networks and other sensors.

[0054] A user of a mobile device (110) comes within range of a sensor such as and not limited to a Bluetooth low energy wireless device (112), this in turn causes the mobile device to receive the transmitted message from the sensor (802, 804, 806) and poll a server sending device information identifying the sensor. 10 [0055] The server performs operations within the control layer to determine whether the user should receive content or not (800). The control layer performs control checks such as and not limited to checking whether the user has selected a preference which matches the category of the content message (814), the number of such content messages the user has received within that last hour and within the last several hours (816), whether the user has authorised the server to send content in relation to the preference settings, and whether the user has received this content before (808). 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0056] If the control layer performs these checks and deems it as a pass, the user is sent back the content associated with that sensor from the server (820). All the above actions take place within a fraction of a second, so the process of a user walking within range of a sensor and receiving a message is instantaneous for all intents and purposes. If the control layer deems that the above checks do not warrant a customer receiving any proximity based content, no content is relayed to the user.

[0057] In both cases, whether pass or fail, the server logs a flag which denotes that a user has connected with the sensor (822), and this information is relayed to the content creator entity in the way described below.

[0058] The sensors and wireless connected devices may additionally be useful to provide real-time updates to the content creator entity based on the interactions registered by users who consume the content.

[0059] As an example, when a user walks within range of a sensor associated with a merchant (902), during the control layer operations, a stored procedure is independently executed on the server which sends information about the user profile to the merchant’s device (906). This information also passes through a separate control layer, which checks whether the user has authorized that his profile be shared with merchants (914), the number of previous such interactions that have occurred with the merchant, the average duration of visits, and any information that the merchants has stored by way of comments about the customer’s preferences or other information that may aid in providing personalized customer service. The user information that is shared (916) with the merchant may consist of a user profile 11 picture, history of past interactions with the merchant, a history of customer preference such as brand preferences, retail outlet preference, products that the customer has viewed, or promotional offers that the customer has saved pertaining to the merchant, the average time the customer has spent in the merchants’ shop over previous visits, the number of previous visits, orders logged by the customer with the merchant and other transaction history information, and customer preferences such as are noted by the merchant based on past interactions such as the method with which the customer prefers to be served, and other information which aid the merchant to know their customers and reward loyal customers with special offers based on information collected over previous interactions, or any combination of the above. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0060] Continuing on the above example - a user, on connecting with a sensor such as a Bluetooth Low Energy beacon is automatically added in a database entry to a merchants list of “customers” (922), so all information that pertains to the customer’s visit with the merchant is logged and can be requested by the merchant at any time. In this manner, information pertaining to a customer’s visit to a retail outlet is automatically logged and the merchant has the option of knowing his customers by automatically collecting relevant information that helps in providing better customer service. The customer has the ability to choose not to share and receive any information (920), in which case simply an anonymous row is created in the database which helps the merchant count the number of customers and the time duration of their visit in his shop.

[0061] When a user, after connecting to a sensor such as a beacon inside a retail outlet, then disconnects from the beacon by walking out of range, the user device automatically sends data to the server informing the server that the user device has disconnected from the sensor (924), and in this way information is gained about the amount of time a user has spent inside a retail outlet.

[0062] The information logged by a user’s entry into a beacon region and exit from a beacon region may be used to populate aggrandized information for the merchant, such as logging the number of customers who visited his store, count the number of impressions of promotional messages received, calculate the time spent by a customer within the store, and log a visit in the database in a table which 12 provides the merchant information on the number of visits by a particular customer and the average duration spent by the customer within the store, in order to provide accurate metrics from which the merchant may know his loyal customers and is able to reward them appropriately. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0063] The foregoing description is by way of example only, and may be varied considerably without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example only, additional embodiments and/or features are set forth below.

[0064] An embodiment of the above set of processes is to enable a subset of users to create content in the form of rich media templates and promotional user action prompts, which are relevant based on location and category specific criteria and can be viewed by the entire set of all users.

[0065] Another embodiment of the above set of processes describe methods which ensure the accuracy and relevance of this content through a variety of smart wireless polling algorithms which ensure highest accuracy for least power consumption.

[0066] In this example, a subset of users, namely the Merchant, has the ability to create content within the framework of rules set within the software interaction layer. This content is stored on the Server, and can then be displayed on the mobile device of all Users based on satisfying various criteria, primarily, but not necessarily, that of proximity to GeoFences consisting of a plurality of sensors, wireless devices, cell towers, and GPS coordinates.

[0067] Sensors and proximity based devices may be employed on outer extremities of a physical space such as a building, road, or bridge. It may also be employed within physical environments, such as inside a retail store or shopping mall, museum, theme park or stadium.

[0068] The content templates set out in the software interaction layer contain a variety of rich media template permutations that together adequately provide the end consumer with a proximity relevant experience by interaction with the plurality of sensors described above. 13 [0069] Described now is a method whereby it is determined that a mobile device is within “trigger” range of a sensor such as a Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon. After connecting to a Beacon and receiving an advertising packet comprising of the unique identifiers (802, 804, 806), the RSSI Function (1000) is executed. The device is made to poll all connected sensors such as and not limited to BLE Beacons at a predetermined frequency, for example, once every second (1004), and a list of parameters are thereby returned to the device (1006), such as the RSSI values of each connected BLE Beacon (1008). These are compared to find the maximum value which is called the Active Beacon (1010). This newly created ActiveBeacon is further compared with the ActiveBeaconID from the previous polling cycle (1014), to check whether there has been any change in the closest Beacon (1016). 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0070] If it is found that the ActiveBeacon has changed, the device is forced to call the server with the new BeaconID as the location parameter (1018) in order to refresh the content on the screen and order it most accurately based on location, because a change in RSSI values indicates that the position of the mobile device has shifted significantly and that the content on the mobile screen can be reorganized based on accurate location.

[0071 ] The advantage in this method is a means to refresh the content on the screen spontaneously and always deliver precisely accurate information, with the least expenditure of power since it is possible to accurately predict position change using short range BLE networks, and only ping the server to get content when a change in position is observed.

[0072] The application of sensors and wireless devices such as BLE Beacons provide several use cases, some of which are listed below.

[0073] For example, a retailer may choose to create a rich media template by taking a photo of a product in his store, adding some text fields, and possibly hyperlinking it to URLs which may spontaneously stream a video describing the product when a user is within proximity.

[0074] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to trigger, based on proximity, promotional content on a user’s device with a call to action for the user. When a user comes within proximity range of a sensor associated with the retail 14 outlet such that Received Signal Strength values of the sensors are above a predefined value, the software interaction layer may trigger an action that may be to deliver the rich media template on the screen of the user’s mobile device. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0075] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to describe the Beacon Manager function which exists as a software control layer and enables the content creator to select the type of template they wish to style their promotional content in.

[0076] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to curate a “feed” of retailer activity by allocating an app screen primarily for the purpose of displaying all such template media of products that are located within a certain radius of the user device’s current location. With the use of the sensor polling algorithms, it is ensured, with minimum battery expenditure that the content displayed on the Deals feed always correspond to products that are closest. The accuracy of this content is down to a few feet.

[0077] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to describe the RSSI Monitor Function which is the software control layer which performs smart scans for wireless transmitters in the vicinity of the user device and is responsible for conveying information that may .provide the user more location relevant content.

[0078] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to describe the User Interest control layer which is a software control layer which is responsible for filtering all forms of content based on the users preferred category of content before allowing it to be broadcast to any user - thereby limiting the content to only that which is most likely to provide high user satisfaction based on the relevancy of its content.

[0079] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to describe the Profile Manager Function which exists as a software control layer and enables the content creator to create and modify their information which exists as their Profile, which is publicly viewable by users within a predefined proximity range.

[0080] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to curate a “list” of businesses by allocating an app screen primarily for the purpose of displaying all 15 such template media of businesses that are located within a certain radius of the user device’s current location. With the use of the sensor polling algorithms, it is ensured, with minimum battery expenditure that the content displayed on the Deals feed always corresponds to products that are closest. The accuracy of this content is down to a few feet. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0081 ] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to provide feedback to the content creators, in the above example - retailers, about the total number of impressions of their products, and the number of user interactions triggered based on proximity to the sensors.

[0082] This information is provided in the form of numbers and aggrandized content, by respecting the privacy of the end user.

[0083] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to display on the mobile device screen of the content creator, or retailer, a rich media template message which provides an overview of personalized content which is triggered by the user of another mobile device responding to the Call To Action promotional message received when the user came in close proximity with the sensor that was responsible for broadcasting the promotional message.

[0084] In this case, the rich media message displayed to the retailer would contain information about the customer, such as, and not limited to, number of return visits, frequency of visits, consumer brand preferences, first name of customer, a profile picture, and any historic comments that can be modified by the retailer. The aim of this message is to provide the retailer or shop owner with information about his customer that may assist them in providing better service, and this is respecting the customer privacy terms by requesting permission to share this information with trusted merchants only.

[0085] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to, by means of smart sensor and wireless polling algorithms, ensure that content displayed on the screen is automatically refreshed to always show the most up- to-date information, both in terms of location awareness as well as providing real-time features such that any changes made to content is immediately updated across all client interfaces. 16 [0086] Another embodiment of the above set of processes is to ensure that the content herein described is uniformly broadcast across all mobile devices running the application software, as well as a web platform - essentially a software platform in the cloud which is seamlessly mirrored across web and mobile client interfaces, such that a user may switch between client interfaces and incur no data inconsistencies. 2016219547 22 Aug 2016 [0087] The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0088] Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims. 17

Claims (11)

1. What is claimed is:

   1. A system for filtering electronic content based in part on location determination from one or more local sensors, the system comprising: at least one local sensor including a microprocessor and a radio transceiver, said local sensor being configured to broadcast a local sensor identifier; and a web platform including a processor and a database for storing a plurality of mobile device profiles, said processor of said web platform being configured to determine a location of a mobile device within broadcasting range of said local sensor, said processor being configured to send an electronic content selection to the mobile device whose profile is maintained by said database if the mobile device is within a predetermined geographical area, and if one or more of the following conditions is satisfied: the user profile contains a user authorisation for electronic content related a commercial entity associated with said local sensor to be sent to the mobile device; no electronic content related to the commercial entity associated with said local sensor has been sent to the mobile device within a predetermined time interval; and the electronic content related to a commercial entity associated with said local sensor has not been previously sent to the mobile device.
2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to send the electronic content selection to the mobile device based on a strength of signal of said local sensor relative to the mobile device.
3. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor of said web platform is configured to send the electronic content selection to the mobile device based at least in part on predictive location movement.
4. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the predictive location movement is aided by an accelerometer within the mobile device.
5. 5. The system of either claim 3 or 4, wherein the predictive location movement is aided by a GPS unit within the mobile device.
6. 6. The system of any one of claims 3-5, wherein the predictive location movement is aided by cellular triangulation.
7. 7. The system of any one of the above claims, wherein the electronic content selection includes content dynamically determined based on the mobile device profile in combination with a predicted or actual movement of the mobile device within the predetermined geographical area.
8. 8. A method for filtering proximity-based incoming electronic messages, the method comprising: determining a location of a mobile device based at least on presence of the mobile device within communications range of at least one local sensor; determining a strength of signal from the local sensor using the mobile device; sending an electronic communication to the mobile device, the electronic communication including a content selection dependent at least in part on the location of the mobile device within a predetermined geographical area, the electronic communication being sent based at least on: the strength of signal detected and indicated by the mobile device; a pre-authorisation associated with the mobile device to receive an electronic communication from a particular retailer or service provider; and a predetermined number of electronic communications received by the mobile device within a predetermined time period.
9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined number of electronic communications is zero and the predetermined time period is one hour.
10. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined number of electronic communications includes a predetermined number of electronic communications having identical content visible on a display of the mobile device.
11. 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic communication includes a content selection dynamically determined based on a mobile device profile in combination with a predicted or actual route of travel of the mobile device within the predetermined geographical area.