WO2014152618A2 - Système et procédé en lien avec des ventes de détail, utilisant des dispositifs de communication sans fil dans un réseau de communication sans fil - Google Patents

Système et procédé en lien avec des ventes de détail, utilisant des dispositifs de communication sans fil dans un réseau de communication sans fil Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014152618A2
WO2014152618A2 PCT/US2014/027537 US2014027537W WO2014152618A2 WO 2014152618 A2 WO2014152618 A2 WO 2014152618A2 US 2014027537 W US2014027537 W US 2014027537W WO 2014152618 A2 WO2014152618 A2 WO 2014152618A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
wireless communication
data
venue
communication device
user
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2014/027537
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English (en)
Other versions
WO2014152618A3 (fr
Inventor
Gary B. Jabara
Lloyd Frederick Linder
David Brett Simon
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Mobilitie, Llc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US13/838,272 external-priority patent/US10387918B2/en
Application filed by Mobilitie, Llc filed Critical Mobilitie, Llc
Publication of WO2014152618A2 publication Critical patent/WO2014152618A2/fr
Publication of WO2014152618A3 publication Critical patent/WO2014152618A3/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/02—Services making use of location information
    • H04W4/023—Services making use of location information using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W76/00—Connection management
    • H04W76/10—Connection setup
    • H04W76/14—Direct-mode setup
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
    • G06Q30/0207—Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
    • G06Q30/0601—Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q50/00—Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
    • G06Q50/01—Social networking
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
    • H04W4/20—Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
    • H04W4/21—Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel for social networking applications
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W64/00—Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Definitions

  • the present invention is directed generally to wireless communication devices and, more particularly, to a system and method of network management to permit retail shopping using short-range communication networks.
  • Wireless communication networks have become commonplace.
  • a vast array of base stations is provided by a number of different wireless service providers.
  • Wireless communication devices such as cell phones, personal communication system (PCS) devices, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, and web-enabled wireless devices communicate with the various base stations using one or more known communication protocols. While early cell phone devices were limited to analog operation and voice-only communication, modern wireless devices use digital signal protocols and have sufficient bandwidth to enable the transfer of voice signals, image data, and even video streaming.
  • web-enabled devices provide network access, such as Internet access. In all cases, the individual wireless communication devices communicate with one or more base stations. Even when two wireless
  • the communication devices are located a few feet from each other, there is no direct communication between the wireless devices. That is, the wireless devices communicate with each other via one or more base stations and other elements of the wireless communication network.
  • PTT push-to-talk
  • Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a system architecture configured to implement a communication system in accordance with the present teachings.
  • Figure 2 is functional block diagram of one of the wireless communication devices of Figure 1 .
  • Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of the system of Figure 1 using an access point as part of a network.
  • Figure 4 illustrates a dynamic network topology using an access point.
  • Figure 5 illustrates a venue with a large number of distributed wireless access points.
  • Figure 6 illustrates a sample data table of signal strength measurements to determine location of a user equipment.
  • Figure 7 illustrates the use of the data in the table of Figure 6 to determine the location of a user equipment within a venue.
  • Figure 8 illustrates a system architecture in which a venue communicates with a Cloud network.
  • Figure 9 illustrates the Cloud network of Figure 8 communicating with multiple venues.
  • Figure 10 is a functional block diagram of a system to implement using wireless communication devices in a retail shopping venue.
  • Figure 1 1 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the system of
  • Figure 12 is a flow chart illustrating reward points used with the system of Figure 10.
  • the system described herein extends the normal operational features of conventional wireless communication devices.
  • the conventional wireless communication device communicates with a wireless communication network base station using a first transceiver (i.e., a network transceiver).
  • the extended capabilities described herein provide a second transceiver device that allows wireless communication devices to communicate directly with each other over a short distance and further describes network management techniques capable of managing a dynamic network that may change quickly.
  • the wireless communication devices are illustrated as part of a system 100 illustrated in the system architecture in Figure 1 . Portions of the system 100 are conventional wireless network components that will be described briefly herein.
  • the non-network communication capability which may be referred to herein as a "jump-enabled” device or a “jump” device, will be described in greater detail below.
  • the term “jump” refers to the ability of a wireless device designed and operated in accordance with the present teachings to jump from one short-range wireless network to another.
  • a conventional PLMN 102 includes a base station 104, which forms part of a radio access network (RAN) for a wireless service provider.
  • the PLMN 102 may sometimes be referred to as a public land mobile network (PLMN).
  • PLMN public land mobile network
  • FIG. 1 illustrates only a single base station 104.
  • the base station 104 is coupled to a base station controller
  • the BSC 106 is coupled to a gateway 108.
  • the BSC 106 may also be coupled to a mobile switching center (not shown) or other conventional wireless communication network element.
  • the gateway 108 provides access to a network 1 10.
  • the network 1 10 may be a private core network of the PLMN 102 or may be a wide area public network, such as the Internet.
  • a user computing device 1 12 is illustrated as coupled to the network 1 10.
  • the particular network components may vary depending on the implementation of the PLMN 102 (e.g., CDMA vs. GSM). However, these elements are known in the art and need not be described in greater detail herein.
  • the wireless communication devices 120-128 are illustrative of many different types of conventional wireless communication devices capable of communicating with the base station 104 or other base stations (not shown) in the PLMN 102.
  • the wireless communication devices 120-128 may be referred to generically as user equipment (UE).
  • UE user equipment
  • the term UE is intended to include any wireless communication device capable of processing audio, video, and text messaging. This includes smart phones, laptops, PDAs, computer tablets (e.g., an iPadTM), and the like.
  • the PLMN 102 may communicate using a variety of different signaling protocols.
  • the system 100 may be successfully implemented using, by way of example, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, UMTS, 3G, 4G, LTE, and the like.
  • the system 100 is not limited by any specific communication protocol for the PLMN 102.
  • the UE 120 communicates with the base station 104 via a wireless network communication link 130.
  • the UE 122 communicates with the base station 104 via a wireless network communication link 132.
  • Each of the UEs illustrated in Figure 1 (e.g., the UEs 120-128) contain a conventional transmitter/receiver or transceiver components to permit conventional communication with the PLMN 102 via the base station 104 or other base station (not shown). Operational details of conventional network
  • the jump-enabled UEs illustrated in Figure 1 also include a second short-range transceiver to allow direct communication between the devices.
  • This short-range communication is accomplished without reliance on the PLMN 102.
  • the short-range transceivers in the mobile communication devices 120-128 permit the dynamic formation of a short-range communication network 1 16 that does not rely on the PLMN 102 provided by any wireless service provider.
  • UEs can rely on the conventional PLMN 102 for some communications, but may also be part of the short-range communication network 1 16 formed between the mobile devices themselves.
  • the UE 120 communicates with the base station 104 via the wireless network communication link 130.
  • the UE 122 communicates with the base station 104 via the network wireless
  • the UEs 120 and 122 may communicate directly with each other via a short-range communication link 134.
  • the UE 124 is not in communication with the PLMN 102. However, the UE 124 can communicate directly with the UE 122 via a short-range wireless communication link 136. Also illustrated in Figure 1 are the UEs 126-128. Although neither of these devices is in communication with the PLMN 102, the two devices are in direct communication with each other via a short-range wireless communication link 138. Thus, jump-enabled UEs must be in proximity with each other, but need not be in communication with the PLMN 102 or even in an area of wireless coverage provided by the wireless communication network.
  • the dynamic formation of one or more short-range networks 1 16 allows communication between the wireless communications devices 120-128 independent of the PLMN 102 even if the PLMN 102 is present and operational.
  • the short-range communication network 1 16 advantageously allows
  • the PLMN 102 may be unavailable during a power outage or an emergency situation, such as a fire, civil emergency, or the like.
  • the short-range communication network 1 16 does not rely on any infrastructure, such as cell towers, base stations, and the like. As will be described in greater detail below, the short-range communication network 1 16 may be extended as jump-enabled UEs move throughout a geographic location.
  • FIG 2 is a functional block diagram illustrative of one of the UEs illustrated in Figure 1 (e.g., the UE 120).
  • the UE 120 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 150.
  • CPU central processing unit
  • the CPU 150 may be implemented as a conventional microprocessor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP), programmable gate array (PGA), or the like.
  • ASIC application specific integrated circuit
  • DSP digital signal processor
  • PGA programmable gate array
  • the UE 120 is not limited by the specific form of the CPU 150.
  • the UE 120 in Figure 2 also contains a memory 152.
  • the memory 152 stores instructions and data to control operation of the CPU 150.
  • the memory 152 may include random access memory, ready-only memory, programmable memory, flash memory, and the like.
  • the UE 120 is not limited by any specific form of hardware used to implement the memory 152.
  • the memory 152 may also be integrally formed in whole or in part with the CPU 150.
  • the UE 120 of Figure 2 also includes conventional components, such as a display 154 and a keypad or keyboard 156. These are conventional components that operate in a known manner and need not be described in greater detail. Other conventional components found in UEs, such as a USB interface, Bluetooth interface, camera/video device, infrared device, and the like, may also be included in the UE 120. For the sake of clarity, these conventional elements are not illustrated in the functional block diagram of Figure 2.
  • the UE 120 of Figure 2 also includes a network transmitter 162 such as may be used by the UE 120 for the conventional wireless communication network with the base station 104 (see Figure 1 ).
  • Figure 2 also illustrates a network receiver 164 that operates in conjunction with the network transmitter 162 to communicate with the base station 104.
  • the network transmitter 162 and network receiver 164 share circuitry and are implemented as a network transceiver 166.
  • the network transceiver 166 is connected to an antenna 168.
  • the network transceiver 166 is illustrated as a generic transceiver.
  • the mobile communication devices may be implemented in accordance with any known wireless communication protocol including, but not limited to, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, UMTS, 3G, 4G, WiMAX, LTE, or the like. Operation of the network transceiver 166 and the antenna 168 for communication with the PLMN 102 is well-known in the art and need not be described in greater detail herein.
  • the UE 120 of Figure 2 also includes a short-range transmitter 172 that is used by the UE 120 for direct communication with other jump-enabled UEs (e.g., the UE 122 of Figure 1 ).
  • Figure 2 also illustrates a short-range receiver 174 that operates in conjunction with the short-range transmitter 172 to communicate directly with other jump-enabled UEs (e.g., the UE 122 of Figure 1 ).
  • the short-range transmitter 172 and short-range receiver 174 are implemented as a short-range transceiver 176.
  • the short-range transceiver 176 is connected to an antenna 178.
  • the antennas 168 and 178 may have common components are implemented as a single antenna.
  • FIG. 2 also illustrates a controller 182 and a data storage area 184.
  • the controller 182 controls the exchange of data between UEs that become part of the short-range
  • the data storage 184 contains user profile data and messaging data that will be exchanged between UEs in the short-range communication network 1 16.
  • the data storage area 184 may be implemented as any convenient data structure.
  • the data storage area 184 contains data (e.g., messages, personal profile information of contacts, a geographical location tag for each contact, and the like) that will be exchanged between UEs.
  • the data may be stored as a simple list, part of a database, or any other convenient data storage structure.
  • the user profile can include a broad array of information such as user name, nickname, age, sex, education and work background, hobbies, food preferences (love sushi, Hunan, and Mediterranean food, etc.), and the like.
  • two wireless devices may exchange portions of user profile data to determine whether there is a suitable match between the users. If the phones determine that there is a suitable match based on the user profiles, an alert signal may be generated to indicate to the individual users that there is a person nearby that they should meet.
  • user profile data may be used in a business venue to determine appropriate marketing and advertisement data based on the user profile.
  • the various components illustrated in Figure 2 are coupled together by a bus system 186.
  • the bus system may include an address bus, data bus, power bus, control bus, and the like.
  • the various busses in Figure 2 are illustrated as the bus system 186.
  • the jump-enabled UE 120 when the jump-enabled UE 120 comes within range of any other jump-enabled UE (e.g., the UE 122 of Figure 1 ), it establishes a short-range wireless communication link (e.g., the short-range wireless communication link 134).
  • a short-range wireless communication link e.g., the short-range wireless communication link 134
  • the short-range transceiver 176 may be designed for operation in accordance with IEEE standard 802.1 1 , sometimes referred to as WiFi. Many modern UEs are equipped with WiFi and may be readily upgraded to support the functionality described herein. Because the UEs 120-128 all include WiFi capability, short-range communication networks 1 16 may be formed even though the UEs may be designed to operate with IEEE standard 802.1 1 , sometimes referred to as WiFi. Many modern UEs are equipped with WiFi and may be readily upgraded to support the functionality described herein. Because the UEs 120-128 all include WiFi capability, short-range communication networks 1 16 may be formed even though the UEs may be designed to operate with
  • the UE 122 may be configured for operation with a GSM implementation of the PLMN 102.
  • the UE 124 may be configured for operation with a CDMA implementation of a PLMN 102.
  • the UEs 122-124 may still communicate directly with each other via the short- range communication network 1 16.
  • the UEs 120-128 may operate compatibly to form the short-range communication networks 1 16 even though the network transceivers 166 (see Figure 2) may operate with different incompatible PLMNs 102.
  • the jump-enabled UEs may communicate with an access point (AP) 140, such as a WiFi base station, WAP, wireless router, or the like.
  • AP 140 such as a WiFi base station, WAP, wireless router, or the like.
  • a UE e.g., one of the UEs 120-124 may function as the AP 140 to permit others of the UEs in the short range
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a wireless communication link 142 established between the AP 140 and the UE 120.
  • the UE 122 establishes a wireless communication link 144 with the AP 140.
  • a short-range communication network 1 16a is formed in conjunction with the AP 140.
  • short-range communication networks will be generally referred to by the reference 1 16.
  • Specific examples of short-range communication networks will be referred to by the reference 1 16 and an
  • alphabetic identifier e.g., the short-range communication network 1 16a in
  • the UEs 120-124 there may be one or more short-range communication networks 1 16 formed.
  • the UEs 120-122 are both within range of the AP 140. Therefore, the first short-range communication network 1 16a can be formed with the UEs 120- 122 and the AP 140.
  • the UE 124 is within range of the UE 122, but is not within range of the AP 140. In one embodiment, the UE 124 may be become part of the short- range communication network 1 16a via the UE 122. In this embodiment, the UE 122 functions as a "repeater” or relay to relay information between the UE 124 and other parts of the short-range communication network 1 16a. In another embodiment, a second short-range communication network 1 16b is formed with the UEs 122-124. In this exemplary embodiment, the UE 122 is part of both short- range communication networks 1 16a-1 16b. The UE 122 may simultaneously be a member of both short-range communication networks 1 16a-1 16b or may be logically connected to both short-range communication networks 1 16a-1 16b by alternately switching between the short-range communication networks 1 16a- 1 16b.
  • the AP 140 is coupled to the network 1 10 in a conventional manner. This can include a wired or wireless connection directly to the network 1 10 or via an intermediate network gateway, such as those provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
  • Figure 3 also illustrates a JUMMMP Network website 200, which may support an individual web page 202 for each member (e.g., an individual person, business, organization, etc.) of the JUMMMP Network.
  • Figure 3 also illustrates a generic conventional social network website 206, which may support an individual web page 208 for each member of the social network.
  • JUMMMP network website 200 and social network website 206 are each coupled to the network 1 10. Although illustrated in Figure 3 as two separate network websites, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the JUMMMP website 200 effectively functions as a social network website. Similarly, the JUMMMP website technology can be incorporated into existing social network websites. Thus, the two separate websites illustrated in Figure 3 can effectively be combined into a single website.
  • the level of user activity in a retail shopping venue can be measured and the user assigned a "Retail DNA" rating.
  • An individual with a high Retail DNA rating is one who is more active in a shopping venue, spends more time in the store, purchases more goods, responds to more advertisements, spends more money, and the like.
  • the shopping experiences of a user across multiple retail venues can be combined to generate a Retail DNA rating for the user.
  • Users can manage their Retail DNA rating using the JUMMMP Network website 200 or the social network website 206. The user logs on to the individual web page 202 or 208 to view their Retail DNA rating, view purchase history, manage redeemable points, view their virtual account
  • the user can also manage social interactions with other users on the web site 200.
  • the system 100 also gives shoppers the ability to identify other shoppers that are part of the JUMMMP network and communicate with other shoppers using, by way of example, text messaging to notify other shoppers of sale opportunities.
  • a message such as "Come to the sock department and get 2 for 1 " can be sent as a Public Message, Group Message, or Direct Message.
  • the user of a jump-enabled UE may use the web-browsing capability of the UE to access the individual jump web page 202 for the individual with whom contact has just been made to learn more about that individual.
  • the user of a jump-enabled UE e.g., the wireless device 120
  • a contact list 204 which is typically a portion of the individual jump web page 202 is configured to store contact information.
  • the individual jump web page 208 of the social network 206 can include a contact list 210 to store contact information.
  • the contact information may include a user profile exchanged along with individual messages between users.
  • the user profile can include user name and preferences, as well as information about the specific exchange of messages.
  • the user profile can include the date and time at which messages were exchanged, geo-location data (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the sender of a message, and the like, and can also be stored as user profile data in the contact list 204. Applications for the profile data are described in greater detail below.
  • the UEs 120-128 (see Figure 1 ) generally have sufficient memory capacity to temporarily store contact information.
  • the UE e.g., the UE 120
  • the UE 120 can store designated contact information (e.g., "Favorites") on a more permanent basis. Long-term storage of contact information requires access to the network 1 10.
  • access to the network 1 10 may be provided via the base station 104 in a conventional manner.
  • the UE 122 may access the network 1 10 by communicating directly with the base station 104.
  • access to the network 1 10 may be provided via the AP 140, as described above.
  • the UE 122 in Figure 1 may access the network 1 10 by communicating directly with the AP 140 via the short-range communication link 144.
  • the UE 122 can access the network 1 10 and the JUMMMP network website 200 via the wireless communication link 132 to the base station 104.
  • Network access via the gateway 108 is well known in the art and need not be described in greater detail herein.
  • access to the network 1 10 may be provided via another jump-enabled UE.
  • the UE 122 can communicate with the base station 104 via the wireless communication link 132 while the UE 124 cannot communicate directly with the base station.
  • the UE 124 is in proximity with the UE 122 and can communicate with the UE 122 via the wireless communication link 136 as part of the short-range communication network 1 16.
  • the UE 124 can use the UE 122 as a repeater or relay to allow the UE 122 to access the network 1 10 via the UE 122 and the base station 104.
  • the UEs 120-122 can communicate directly with the AP 140 via the wireless communication links 142- 144, respectively.
  • the UEs 120-122 can also communicate with each other via the AP 140 thus forming the short-range communication network 1 16a.
  • the UE 124 cannot communicate directly with the AP 140.
  • the UE 124 is in proximity with the UE 122 and can communicate with the network 1 10 via the UE 122 and the AP 140.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a first short-range communication network 1 16 formed with the UEs 120-124 and a second short-range
  • FIG. 1 16 formed between the UEs 126-128.
  • Figure 4 illustrates the dynamic nature of the wireless communication networks 1 16. For example, if the UE 128 is initially within range of the UE 126, but out of range of the AP 140, the UEs 126-128 may form a short-range communication
  • the UE 126 may become part of a short-range communication network 1 16d formed between the AP 140 and the UEs 120 and 126.
  • the mobile communication device 126 may be part of both the short-range communication network 1 16c and the short-range communication network 1 16d.
  • the UE 126 may actually be part of both the short-range communication networks 1 16c-1 16d or may logically be connected to both the short-range wireless communication networks by switching back and forth between the short-range communication networks 1 16c-1 16d. The logical switching between the short-range communication networks 1 16c-1 16d is transparent to the user.
  • Other examples of the short-range communication network 1 16 are described below in which no AP 140 is present.
  • the UE 128 may become part of the short-range communication network 1 16d using the UE 126 as a relay to the AP 140. If, at a later time, the UE 128 comes within range of the AP 140, a wireless
  • the short- range communication network 1 16c effectively ceases to exist since the UEs 126- 128 are now part of the short-range communication network 1 16d.
  • the UE 120 may be part of the short-range communication network 1 16d by virtue of the short-range communication link 142 coupling the UE 120 to the AP 140. If the UE 120 comes within range of the UEs 122-124, wireless communication links 216-218 will be formed to couple the UEs 120-124 and thereby dynamically form a short-range communication network 1 16e. At this point in time, the UE 120 may simultaneously be part of the short-range communication network 1 16d and the short-range communication network 1 16e. Alternatively, the UEs 122-124 may become part of the short-range
  • the wireless communication link 142 is broken. Therefore, there will no longer be an overlap between the short-range communication networks 1 16d-1 16e.
  • the UE 120 would remain part of the short-range communication network 1 16e so long as it remains within range of the UE 122, the UE 124, or both.
  • short-range communication networks are dynamically formed, modified, and dissolved as the UEs move in and out of range with each other and central points, such as the AP 140.
  • the wireless communication link 142 can be reestablished.
  • Figure 4 illustrates the UE 120 as a key component in the short- range communication network 1 16e because it connects the UEs 122-124 to the AP 140. If the UE 120 suddenly moved out of range of the AP and/or the UEs 122-124 that connection may be broken. Similarly, if the user of the UE 120 suddenly turned off the device, the link between the short-range communication network 1 16e and the AP 140 would disappear. The UEs 122-124 still
  • either of the UEs 122-124 will attempt to find the AP 140 or a hot spot from which either of the UEs may access the network 1 10.
  • Figure 4 illustrates a sparse network with only five UEs. However, those skilled in the art can appreciate that there may be a very large number of UEs in proximity with each other. For example, if Figure 4 is illustrative of a large shopping mall, there may be hundreds of UEs within the mall. Thus, the short- range communication networks 1 16 may be large and extensive. There may be a large number of UEs that are simultaneously present in two or more short-range communication networks 1 16. In addition, many UEs would provide overlapping coverage with multiple short-range communication networks 1 16. In this scenario, the entire mall and surrounding parking area could be effectively covered by a mesh network comprising dozens or hundreds of short-range communication networks 1 16.
  • a short-range wireless communication network e.g., the short-range wireless communication network 1 16e
  • the UEs exchange message data with each other to thereby synchronize message data in the data storage area 184 (see Figure 2).
  • the data storage area 184 of each UE will contain the same message data, although messages may not be in the same sequence.
  • the wireless communication links 136 and 218 are formed. Because the UE 124 has just joined the short-range
  • the data storage area 184 of the UE 124 will not be synchronized with the data storage area of other UEs in the short-range
  • the UE 124 transmits message data in its data storage area 184.
  • the UEs 120 and 122 receive the message data.
  • the controller 182 (see Figure 2) in each UE receives the message data and merges the messages with the message data already stored within the data storage area 184 of the UEs 120 and 122, respectively.
  • the controller 182 in each of the UEs may also eliminate duplicate messages. In this manner, each UE manages the message data within its data storage area 184.
  • the UEs 120 and 122 may also transmit the message data within their respective data storage areas 184.
  • the UE 124 receives the messages from the UEs 120 and 122 and merges the newly received messages in the data storage area 184 of the UE 124.
  • the controller 182 (see Figure 2) of the UE 124 may eliminate duplicate messages within its data storage area 184. Following this
  • the messages may be categorized as
  • Public Messages may be transmitted to anyone within range of the UE (e.g., the UE 120). This may include emergency messages, messages broadcast from a retailer, and the like.
  • Group Messages are intended for a specific group or organization, such as a scout group or employees of a particular company or any formed group.
  • Direct Messages are private messages intended for a specific individual.
  • the UE 120 may transmit Status Messages, which can include, by way of example, a list of other UEs in the particular short-range communication network 1 16, a list of recent UEs in the particular short-range communication network, a list of other short-range communication networks in which the UE was recently a member, or the like.
  • Status Messages can include, by way of example, a list of other UEs in the particular short-range communication network 1 16, a list of recent UEs in the particular short-range communication network, a list of other short-range communication networks in which the UE was recently a member, or the like.
  • the data message process described above can include one or more of these message categories. Other message categories may be created as necessary.
  • the Public and Group Messages may be contained in one file and all Direct Messages contained in a separate file.
  • the messages have a main header and individual message headers.
  • the main header may include, by way of example, the date/time of the last modification, message count, the date/time of the last synchronization and the user name of the UE with which the last synchronization was performed. This information may help maintain synchronization between wireless devices.
  • the message data may include, but is not limited to, text message data, audio data, video data, multimedia data, or the like.
  • Public Messages may be received and processed by any UE.
  • Group Messages may only be processed by a member of the designated group, while a Direct Message may only be processed by the individual UE for whom the message is intended.
  • Synchronization may occur directly between the UEs or via the AP 140 illustrated in Figure 4.
  • message synchronization can occur between the UE 120 and the UE 126 using the AP 140.
  • UEs can carry message data as they move from one short-range communication network to another.
  • a retail business may broadcast Public Messages to nearby UEs.
  • the retail facility can set up a wireless AP (e.g., the wireless AP 140 in Figure 3) to establish a short-range communication network 1 16.
  • a retail facility in a shopping mall can transmit advertisement messages to nearby UEs.
  • these would be Public Messages that are freely relayed from one UE to another and from one short-range wireless communication network 1 16 to another.
  • an advertisement from a retail facility will soon be disseminated to all wireless users in the area.
  • the advertisements may take the form of text messages, notifications, or any other data message described above.
  • an individual user may register with a business. Whenever the user comes within range of the short-range communication network 1 16 associated with the retail business, message data may be exchanged thus enabling the business to identify a particular user that is nearby. In this
  • the retail business may send a private advertisement message to the particular user.
  • the private advertisement may be customized for the user based on a number of factors, such as the user's profile (e.g., the sex, age, and interests of the user), prior shopping patterns, or the like. It can also be based on statistical and history data, including shopping history, that the retail business has collected on the user in one or more short-range communication networks 1 16 in the region around the retail business. For example, if a particular user has registered with a restaurant and comes within range of the short-range
  • the restaurant can send a private advertisement message to entice that user into the restaurant by offering a discount on a meal previously purchased by that user.
  • a sports bar could send a message that a particular sporting event (e.g., the user's college football team) is ongoing and offer a discount on a meal. In this manner, highly customized advertisements may be sent to individual users.
  • the user may not be within range of the short- range communication network 1 16 of the restaurant, but may still be nearby. Because the UEs in the various short-range communication networks 1 16 relay messages, any message from a particular user may be relayed to the retail business via one or more short-range communication networks 1 16. Thus, a business at one end of a mall may detect the arrival of a particular user at the opposite end of the mall and still transmit a customized advertisement message to that user.
  • Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a single AP to facilitate communication between ones of the UEs.
  • a particular location may have a large number of APs to facilitate communication between the venue and a large number of individual UEs.
  • Figure 5 illustrates a large venue 440, such as a retail facility or department store.
  • the related business 442 may be a coffee shop that is owned by the department store, or maybe an independent facility in space leased from the department store.
  • the related business 444 may be a particular department (e.g., a shoe department) that is owned by the department store or may be an independently owned business that leases the space from the department store.
  • the related business 446 may be, by way of example, a restaurant.
  • the venue 440 in Figure 5 may illustratively represent a shopping mall and the venues 442-446 represent individual stores within the shopping mall.
  • a network of APs illustrated by the reference number 448.
  • the position and coverage area of the APs 448 can be determined based on the particular hardware implementation.
  • the actual distribution and installation of the APs 448 within the venue 440 is within the engineering knowledge of one skilled in the art and need not be described in greater detail herein.
  • all of the APs 448 may be coupled to a routing infrastructure 502 (see Figure 10) or a gateway 450 (see Figure 8).
  • a routing infrastructure 502 see Figure 10
  • a gateway 450 see Figure 8
  • the API is a software program that aids in the authentication of the UE 400 and further facilitates communication between the UE 400 and the venue 440.
  • the API also facilitates the exchange of Direct Messages, Group Messages, and Public
  • Messages between UEs and between the UE and an AP e.g., one of the APs 448 in Figure 5).
  • the UE 400 must perform an initial registration at some point in time. The registration process will be discussed in greater detail below. Following the initial registration process, the UE 400 can be automatically authenticated when it enters the venue 440. The authentication process will also be described in greater detail below. Once the identity of the UE 400 has been authenticated, the server 458 (see Figure 8) can provide customized messages to the owner of the UE 400. While the UE 400 remains within the venue 440, it is in substantially continuous contact with the APs 448 and may receive data therefrom.
  • the venue 440 can establish virtually continuous wireless
  • ad content e.g., ads, offers, discounts, etc.
  • the stream of ad data to the UE 400 may be for the venue 440 and the related businesses 442-446.
  • the venue 440 may provide advertising for a different venue (not shown).
  • Figure 8 illustrates a system architecture that allows operation of the system across multiple venues.
  • the venue 440 is illustrated with a limited number of UEs 400 and a limited number of APs 448.
  • the venue 440 may have a large number of APs 448 distributed throughout the venue.
  • the various APs are coupled together using routers, switches, and the like. Those routers, switches and gateways are illustrated in Figure 8 by the reference 450.
  • the gateway 450 allows an interconnection to the network 1 10 via a communication link 452, but could be any wide area network.
  • the network 1 10 may be implemented as the Internet.
  • the gateway 450 provides a backhaul 454 to a cloud computing environment designated as a JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the backhaul 454 may be implemented in a variety of different manners using known technology.
  • the backhaul 454 may be routed to the JUMMMP Cloud 456 via the network 1 10.
  • a web portal page and policy controller server 458 controls user authentication across a number of different venues in addition to the venue 440.
  • a network management element 460 controls overall operation of the network in the
  • Figure 8 illustrates a number of different web pages that may be downloaded to the UE 400 in the venue 440.
  • the venue 440 may include its own server and store its own portal pages.
  • each venue may have a separate server to support this functionality.
  • the system in Figure 8 advantageously utilizes the web portal page server and policy controller server 458 for multiple venues.
  • the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may have some common pages for all venues, such as a log-in web page 462. However, even the log-in web page may be unique to the venue 440.
  • the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may have one or more interstitial web pages 464.
  • interstitial web pages may display information about the venue 440 (or advertising for businesses within the venue, third party advertising, or advertising for other venues within the JUMMMP network) while the user is waiting for completion of the registration verification process.
  • the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may include one or more welcome web pages 466.
  • the welcome web pages 466 may offer various services, such as a credit card data entry page, and Internet access sign-up page, options for different Internet bandwidths, a voucher code entry page to permit the user to enter discount voucher data, and the like.
  • interstitial web pages 464 and the welcome web pages 466 may be unique to the venue 440. Even though these web pages may be unique to the venue, the centralized web portal page server 458 within the JUMMMP Cloud 456 simplifies the overall system architecture within the venue 440 and within other venues by eliminating the need for a portal page server within each venue.
  • a local ad server 468 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may provide ads for the venue 440.
  • the ads may be for the venue 440 itself or for the related businesses 442-446 (see Figure 5).
  • the ads may be for businesses near the venue 440 (or for other venues in the JUMMMP network).
  • the ad server 468 may be located within each venue 440, the centralized ad server 468 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 simplifies the network architecture within the venue 440 and other venues by eliminating the need for an ad server within each venue.
  • a database server 470 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may be configured to collect a broad range of information regarding the UEs 400
  • the database server 470 can provide time and location data, UE information, and the like, that are obtained from the UE 400 via the heartbeat signal.
  • the profile information will help provide targeting marketing and advertising to the UE 400 as it traverses the venue 440).
  • the data collected by the database server 470 can be analyzed using data analysis module 471 , which can analyze raw data using data analytics and/or data mining.
  • data analytics is the science of examining raw data to draw conclusions about the information.
  • Data mining is a known process to identify undiscovered patterns in raw data to establish relationships based on the data.
  • the data analytics and/or data mining are used to analyze the movement patterns, shopping patterns, text messaging patterns, and the like.
  • the data analytics and/or data mining can be used in conjunction with user-provided profile data to thereby establish a sophisticated user profile for individual users, groups of users, or the general public.
  • the data analysis module 471 can operate in conjunction with data from the database server 470, or provided to a third party for analysis.
  • the resultant user profiles can be stored within the database server 470 and subsequently employed to provide customized targeted advertising to the owner of each EU 400.
  • the results of the data analysis are used to provide targeted personal ads to the UE 400 from the local ad server 468.
  • the JUMMMP Cloud 456 also includes an IP transfer point 472, which is coupled to a mobile operator network 474 via a communication link 476.
  • mobile data offloading also called data offloading, involves the use of complementary network technologies for delivering data originally targeted for cellular networks, such as the mobile operator network 474. In areas where the cellular network traffic is heavy, network congestion may occur. To reduce congestion, mobile network operators sometimes set up WiFi APs in areas of congestion and allow some of the data originally targeted for the mobile operator network 474 to be carried by the WiFi network. Rules triggering the mobile offloading action can be set by an end user (i.e., the mobile subscriber) or the mobile network operator.
  • the software code operating on the offloading rules can reside in the UE 400, in a server, or divided between these two devices.
  • the purpose of mobile data offloading may be based on the cost for data service and the ability of higher bandwidth.
  • the main purpose for offloading is to reduce congestion of the cellular network.
  • the primary complementary network technologies used for mobile data offloading are WiFi, femtocells, and integrated mobile broadcast.
  • each mobile network operator has its own WiFi network to offload data that would otherwise be carried on its particular mobile operator network.
  • the APs 448 within the venue 440 do not belong to the operator of the mobile operator network 474 as is normally the case in data offloading.
  • the data offloading is provided by the venue 440 through contract with the mobile operator network 474.
  • Figure 8 illustrates only a single mobile operator network 474, those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is representative of one or more mobile operator networks.
  • each mobile operator network contracts with the venue 440, either directly or with the JUMMMP Cloud 456, to provide data offloading in the venue.
  • the mobile network operator When the UE 400 enters the venue, the mobile network operator is notified and the mobile operator network 474 can determine whether or not to offload data traffic for that UE. If data offloading for the UE is approved in accordance with the rules described above, Internet access, text messaging, and even telephone calls can be provided to the UE 400 via a connection from the mobile operator network 474 through the communication link 476 to the IP transfer point 472 within the JUMMMP Cloud 456. In turn, that offloaded data is routed through the backhaul 454 to an AP 448 and ultimately to the UE 440. Similarly, outgoing calls from the UE400 may be routed in the reverse fashion. This approach has the beneficial effect of offloading traffic from an otherwise
  • the mobile network operator may find improved performance because direct communication with the UE 400 through a base station (e.g., the base station 104 in Figure 1 ) may not work well when the UE 400 is inside a building, such as the venue 440.
  • a base station e.g., the base station 104 in Figure 1
  • improved reception and reduction in network congestion are double benefits of the IP offloading provided by the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the policy controller server 458 may function as an authentication server to assure the authentication of the UE 400.
  • JUMMMP Cloud 456 are illustrated as individual elements.
  • a single policy controller server 458 may be sufficient for a large area, such as the entire country. Indeed, in one embodiments, a single policy controller server 458 may provide registration services for the entire system.
  • the policy controller server 458 may be illustrative of a number of different computing platforms designed to implement the functionality of the policy controller server. In one embodiment there may be a policy controller server for large cities, individual states, regions of the country, or an entire country. In another embodiment, the policy controller server 458 may be implemented in a hierarchical fashion where a local or regional policy server controller 458 contains local and regional data, but may communicate with regional or national policy controller servers 458 on a higher hierarchical level.
  • that registration data may be stored in a local implementation of the policy controller server 458 and reported to a regional or national level of the policy controller server. In this manner, the registration data may be efficiently distributed throughout a wide area. As will be discussed in detail below, this arrangement also facilitates easy subsequent authentication of the UE 400.
  • the UE 400 must perform an initial registration with the system 100 at some point in time.
  • the initial registration can be performed remotely using, by way of example, a laptop or PC connected to the JUMMMP Cloud 456 via the network 1 10.
  • the UE can perform an initial registration as it enters the venue 440 illustrated in Figure 8, as described above.
  • the policy controller server 458 will not have any data related to a particular UE 400.
  • that initial AP 448 in the venue 440 may perform an initial registration.
  • the UE 400 can connect to the initial AP 448 and provide identification information.
  • the user can complete the initial registration process by providing data, such as the telephone ID (e.g., the phone number), a device ID, a user ID, and an email address as well as other information, such as the user profile in the data storage area 184 (see Figure 2).
  • the user ID may be a user generated name, nickname, or the like.
  • the device ID may vary based on the particular type of the UE 400. For example, if the UE 400 utilizes an AndroidTM operating system, the device will be assigned an AndroidTM ID. In addition, the UE 400 may typically be assigned an international mobile equipment identification (IMEI). Any of these device identifications alone may be transmitted to the registration server 458.
  • IMEI international mobile equipment identification
  • a unique hash of one or more device IDs may be generated and transmitted to the registration server 458 as the device ID.
  • the short-range transceiver 176 (see Figure 2) may also include an identification, such as a MAC address that is unique to the
  • the registration data described above can be provided to the registration server 458 along with the MAC address.
  • the registration data may be stored in association with the MAC address.
  • an application program interface is downloaded and installed on the UE 400.
  • the API provides the communication functionality to the UE 400.
  • the venue 440 may download an application program to the UE 400.
  • the application program may be stored locally within the venue 440 or downloaded from the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the venue 440 may provide a mechanism, through the registration process, for the UE 400 to download and install the API from a certified official store, such as the Apple Store or the Android APP Store.
  • the application program may be unique to the individual venue or a general application program applicable across multiple venues.
  • the application software may start whenever the UE 400 turned on and runs in the background as a service in a manner similar to the API discussed above.
  • the application software may be configured to send periodic heartbeat signals with location information and unique identification information to the database server 470.
  • the venue can present promotional information to the UE 400 based on the current location, the user profile, or other factors, as will be described in greater detail below.
  • the software application program, or the API will turn on the short-range transceiver.
  • the user may decide to turn off the short-range transceiver 176.
  • the API or the application software program will leave the short-range transceiver 176 in the disabled state so as to avoid unnecessary or unwanted transmissions to the UE 400.
  • the short-range transceiver 176 will be automatically enabled.
  • the web portal page server 458 may transmit other pages, such as the log-in web page 462, one or more interstitial web pages 464, and the welcome web page 466 shown in Figure 8.
  • the UE 400 can also perform the initial registration using a conventional wireless service provider network. As previously discussed the UE 400 can communicate with the PLMN 102 (see Figure 1 ) in a conventional manner. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the UE 400 can access the network 1 10 via the PLMN 102. Conventional wireless service provider components, such as the gateway 108 to the network 1 10 are known in the art, and need not be described in greater detail herein. In one embodiment, the UE 400 can perform a registration process with the registration server 458 (see Figure 8) via the RAN 102. In this embodiment, the UE 400 accesses the
  • the registration server 458 may be associated with the JUMMMP network website 200 (see Figure 3) or the
  • the user provides the information described above, such as the telephone ID, device ID, user ID, email address, MAC address, name, and the like.
  • the user can provide profile data, such as described above.
  • the UE 400 may perform an initial registration using a conventional computer (e.g., the user computing device 1 12 of Figure 1 ) to provide the registration data for the UE 400 to the policy controller server 458 or registration server 460 via the network 1 10.
  • the user can simply send a registration request message to the policy controller server 458 and provide user information, such as user profile information, the telephone ID, User ID, and device ID associated with the UE 400.
  • the policy controller server 458 can store the authentication information in the database server 470.
  • a previously-registered UE 400 may come within range of any of the APs 448 in the venue 440 of Figure 8 and establish a wireless communication link therewith.
  • the venue 400 will automatically authenticate the UE 400 based on previously stored registration information associated with the UE. This can be accomplished by comparing the UE data to the data stored on the database server 470.
  • the registration process at a single venue has been discussed above with respect to Figure 5.
  • the JUMMMP Cloud 456 also advantageously provides a centralized registration function for multiple venues, as illustrated in Figure 9.
  • the multiple venues 440 are each connected to the JUMMMP Cloud 456 via individual respective backhauls 454. If a UE 400 initially registers at Venue 1 , using the registration process described above, that registration information is stored in the JUMMMP Cloud 456. At a later point in time when the user enters, by way of example, Venue 2 illustrated in Figure 9, the UE 400 will automatically identify the AP 448 in the Venue 2 as part of a JUMMMP network and begin to communicate therewith.
  • the UE 400 transmits its MAC address and/or other forms of identification, such as the phone ID or IMEI, the device ID, the user ID or the like, either alone or in combination.
  • the AP 448 transmits an authentication request message to the registration server 458 to determine whether the UE 400 is a registered device. Based on the MAC address or other device identification data, the registration server 458 can confirm that the UE 400 has previously registered.
  • the UE 400 may move from one venue 440 to another in the same city or region or may be in a completely different part of the country and be automatically identified and authenticated with APs that are part of the JUMMMP network. This convenient registration and authentication avoids the need for constantly searching for a WiFi connection as required by other systems. Based on this automatic authentication process, the UE 400 may be automatically connected to the WiFi network created by the APs 448 in the venue 440.
  • the UE 400 may get welcome greetings from the venue 440 and may also receive advertising, offers, discounts, and the like from the present venue or other venues connected to the JUMMMP Cloud 456 (see Figure 9). Thus, a single registration process at any venue is sufficient for registration with the JUMMMP Cloud 456. Whenever the UE 400 goes into a different venue 440 that is coupled to the JUMMMP Cloud 456, the UE 400 is automatically recognized and authenticated. During the automatic authentication process, the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may provide interstitial portal pages 464 to the UE 400. Upon completion of the automatic registration process, welcome portal pages 466 may then be transmitted to the UE 400.
  • the venues 1 -N may be separate entities in completely different locations, they may all be considered part of a JUMMMP network because they are all coupled to the JUMMMP Cloud 456 and rely on the capabilities of the JUMMMP Cloud for at least the registration and authentication purposes. Furthermore, as described above, the venues may rely on the JUMMMP Cloud 456 to generate targeted advertising for the UE 400 based on the profile information, user location information, and the like.
  • FIG 10 illustrates a functional block diagram of a system 500 that can be implemented within the venue 440 (see Figure 5) for retail shopping using the UE 400.
  • the UEs 400 are connected to ones of the APs 448.
  • the UE 400 will communicate with one or more of the APs 448 based on signal characteristics, such as signal strength, data error rates, and the like.
  • the UEs 400 participating in a particular game do not have to be connected to the same AP 448.
  • the plurality of APs 448 are coupled to a routing infrastructure 502.
  • the routing infrastructure 502 comprises routers, switches, gateways, firewalls, and the like.
  • the routing infrastructure 502 comprises routers, switches, gateways, firewalls, and the like.
  • routing infrastructure 502 in connecting a plurality of the APs 448 is within the scope of knowledge of ordinary skill in the art and need not be described in greater detail herein.
  • the routing infrastructure 502 couples the APs 448 to an authentication server 504, a customer database 506, and a venue processor 508.
  • the venue processor 508 may be a conventional computer system.
  • the customer database 506 may be implemented as part of the venue processor 508.
  • the authentication server 504 and customer database 506 have functionality similar to that of the policy controller server 458 and the database server 470, respectively, in Figure 8.
  • the policy controller server 458 and database server 470 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 may be used.
  • the initial registration and authentication can occur when the UE 400 first enters the venue 440. This process is described above. Furthermore, if the UE 400 was previously registered, even at a different venue, such as the Venue 2 in Figure 9, the UE 400 can be automatically authenticated when the user enters the venue 440 if the authentication process occurs in the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the authentication server 504 may be a local server within the venue 440 (see Figure 10) or may be part of the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the web portal page policy controller server 458 can function as the authentication server in the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the web portal page server 458 controls the display of log-in web pages 462, interstitial web pages 464, and welcome web pages 466, as described above in the implementations shown in Figures 8-10.
  • the API which is installed on the UE 400 as part of the verification process described above, is configured to generate a "heartbeat" signal that periodically reports location data back to the database server 470.
  • the location data may include a time/date stamp to provide location information for the UE 400. This information can be useful for marketing purposes in any of the implementations shown in Figures 8-10.
  • data messages may include geo-location data.
  • the geo-location data (e.g., longitude and latitude) can be obtained in several possible ways.
  • the UE e.g., the UE 400 in Figure 8
  • the UE may have built-in GPS.
  • Other possible location determination technologies include WiFi, 3G, approximation triangulation, or last-known location of the user.
  • Other known location technologies may also be implemented in the system 100.
  • the UE 400 will communicate with different ones of the AP 448 in the venue 440 shown in Figure 5. As the UE 400 moves throughout the venue, new communication links are established with nearby APs 448. By identifying which AP 448 the UE 400 is communicating with, it is possible to determine the location of the UE 400 with a reasonable degree of accuracy.
  • the API in the UE 400 is configured to do a periodic scan such that the UE can scan and record each of the SSIDs and hidden SSIDs (i.e., a BSSID) within range of the UE.
  • the UE 400 can do a WiFi scan every 60 seconds and report the location information to the database server 470 along with the heartbeat signal.
  • a periodic scan such that the UE can scan and record each of the SSIDs and hidden SSIDs (i.e., a BSSID) within range of the UE.
  • the UE 400 can do a WiFi scan every 60 seconds and report the location information to the database server 470 along with the heartbeat signal.
  • the UE 400 can sort the APs by signal strength.
  • the data is reported back to the UE 400 by any of the APs 448.
  • the venue 440 can determine which AP 448 is closest to the UE 400.
  • the various APs 448 can each measure the signal strength of the UE 400 and use the relative signal strength measurements to perform a form of triangulation to determine the precise location of the UE 400. In this manner, the venue 440 can determine the precise location of the UE 400 in a particular location, such as the department, within the venue 440.
  • the venue 440 can dynamically perform triangulation measurements in the manner described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that such calculations can be cumbersome and time consuming, particularly is the venue has a large number of UEs 400.
  • the venue may employ a data table, such as illustrated In Figure 6, that will simply provide the location of the UE 400 based on the signal strength measurements from various APs throughout the venue 440.
  • data for the data table in Figure 6 can be obtained in advance by measurement device.
  • the venue 440 has five APs 448 designated in Figure 7 as A-E.
  • the test can be performed in advance.
  • the measurement device may simply be a UE 400 that is configured to constantly measure the signal strength from the various APs 448 and to report those measurements back as the UE 400 moves throughout the venue 440. That is, the UE 400 is simply placed in a measurement mode and carried throughout the venue 440.
  • the UE 400 in the test measurement mode can walk down every aisle in a retail venue, using a map of the venue to identify the specific location of the test measurement UE.
  • the UE may move from one department to another, or from one store to another if the venue 440 is, by way of example, a shopping mall.
  • the UE 400 in the test measurement mode may move from one level to another (e.g., using an escalator) to move among departments in the shopping venue 440.
  • the UE 400 in the test measurement mode is moved from location Xi to X4, such as might be common moving down an aisle in a retail venue.
  • the UE 400 in the test measurement mode measures the relative signal strength of each of the APs A-E.
  • the system described herein may use continuous measurements from the UE 400 or take sample measurements at incremental distances from a prior measurement location.
  • the distance between locations Xi and X2 in Figure 7 may be, by way of example, 10 feet.
  • the data table of Figure 6 can be populated with signal strength measurements derived from the UE 400 in the test measurement mode.
  • the UE 400 may not receive any signal from a particular AP 448 if the signal strength is too low.
  • the UE 400 in the test measurement mode detects a signal from the APs A, C and D. No signal was detected from the APs B and E.
  • the UE 400 in the test measurement mode detects different signal strengths from multiple ones of the APs A-E.
  • the data in Figure 6 provides detailed measurements of relative signal strengths at each location throughout the venue 440.
  • the UE 400 performs the same type of measurements described above with respect to a device in the test measurement mode.
  • the signal strength measurements can be compared to the data in Figure 6 to determine, for example, if the user is at approximately the location X 3 , the signal strength measurements returned by the UE 400 will approximately match those values in the Table of Figure 6.
  • the venue 440 can accurately track the movements of the UE 400 throughout the venue.
  • the venue 440 can provide navigational directions throughout the venue. For example, if the consumer is in one department within the venue and wishes to move to a different department (or store), the accurate location information provided by the table in Figure 6 allows the movement of the user to be tracked throughout the venue.
  • a text message or other Indicator e.g., turn right in 15 feet
  • the example table of Figure 6 may be conveniently stored within the venue 440 itself, or stored on the JUMMMP cloud 456 (see Figure 8).
  • the venue processor 508 (see Figure 10) can store the data table of Figure 6 and determine a current location for the UE 400 within the venue 440.
  • the system 100 can utilize the measured and calibrated signal strength data to provide a map of the venue 440 on the display 154 (see Figure 2) of the UE 400 with a "You Are Here" indication to show the current location of the UE 400 within the venue. It can also provide directions from point A to point B. Furthermore, it can provide visual designators, such as a bubble, for various departments in the venue 440 to indicate to the shopper that targeted advertising is available in association with each bubble. The bubble serves as a "pull" notification to the UE 400 similar to pull notifications that are requested whenever the heartbeat signal is transmitted. Using this type of advertising encourages shoppers to engage and request an advertisement and, is resultantly less intrusive than push advertising or push advertising notifications.
  • the database server 470 is configured to store the location data, along with time/date data to thereby track movements of the UE 400. In one embodiment, the database server 470 can also be configured to store message data from the UEs 400 throughout the system 100. Using the example of Figure 5, where the department store venue 440 includes a large area as well as related businesses 442-446, the database server 470 can determine how long the UE 400 remains in a particular area (e.g., one department of the department store), how many times and how long the UE remains in a department, in a restaurant, or the like or in any venue 440 associated with the JUMMMP
  • the database server 470 can establish a user profile for the UE 400 for marketing purposes.
  • the database server 470 may also store user profiles for the UE 400 as well as profile data collected by the UE 400 from other JUMMMP users.
  • the customer database 506 may store information related to the owner of the UE 400 with respect to interactions in the department store venue 440, including, but not limited to, purchases, shopping preferences, virtual store credits, debit card information, credit card information, and the like.
  • the customer database 506 may temporarily store data and periodically upload the data to the database server 470 (see Figure 8) in the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the database server 470 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 allows the aggregation of customer profile information across multiple venues and thus may provide a more extensive profile for the user of the UE 400.
  • the system 100 operates in a retail facility, such as a department store or shopping mall, to monitor the user's movement throughout the
  • the system can track one UE 400 and determine that the user spent 45 minutes in the women's shoe department followed by 20 minutes in the women's clothing department. Meanwhile, another UE 400 in the same department store
  • the venue 440 may have movements tracked through the athletic equipment department and the video/music department of the same department store venue 440. User tracking information is reported periodically to the customer database 506. Based on this information alone, the customer database 506 (or the database server 470 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 implementation illustrated in Figure 8) can deduce shopping patterns for the owners of each of the UEs 400. In some implementations, information in the customer database 506 (or database server 470 in Figure 8) may utilize data analytics, such as provided by the data analysis module 471 in Figure 8 or similar functionality associated with the customer database 506 in Figure 10. In addition, the customer database 506 may also be provided with information regarding purchases made by any of the users.
  • the users themselves may have provided profile information from the data storage area 184 (see Figure 2) of the UE 400 when the UE initially entered the department store venue 440.
  • the information may be provided directly from the UE 400 to one of the APs 448 when the UE enters the store and a prior registration is used to authenticate the UE 400.
  • profile information and other information relating to the UE may be stored in the database server 470 (see Figure 8) on the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the database server 470 may provide extensive marketing information regarding the UE 400 both in the department store venue 440 and in other venues to permit the construction of a sophisticated marketing profile for the owner of the UE 400.
  • the database server 470 can generate a sophisticated marketing profile for users. Even when a user does not provide any profile information, the data automatically collected as the customer moves through the department store venue 440 can be used to establish a sophisticated profile that is associated with a unique individual, even if the individual is not personally identified. That is, it is possible to establish a profile associated with a particular UE 400 without knowing the actual identity (e.g., the profile of Mr. Smith). Information for a particular UE 400 can be collected during multiple visits to the department store venue 440 to further refine the user profile in the customer database 506 (or database server 470 in the JUMMMP
  • Cloud 456 Although the actual identity of the user may not be known, the movement of the UEs 400 throughout the store or venue 440 provide an additional source of information that can be used for further marketing applications.
  • the user may download a software application program to be used in conjunction with the department store venue 440.
  • the software application permits the user to provide additional profile information.
  • the information can be personal information (name, age, sex, education, hobbies, interests, etc.), as well as shopping preferences (clothing style, preferred designers, manufacturers, sizes, color preferences, price ranges for certain goods, etc.), and the like.
  • This user-provided profile information in addition to the heartbeat location data and purchase date described above, will be used to enhance the targeted advertising to the customer.
  • the advertising that the customer receives while in the department store venue 440 can be of any form, including, but not limited to video data, audio data, interstitial advertisements, website data, website links, text data, image data, coupon data, bar code data, QR data, or any other possible type of advertising.
  • the software application operating on the UE 400 may be able to pull advertising from the customer database 506 (or local ad server 468 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456 in Figure 8).
  • the user of the UE 400 may be interested in certain items within the department store venue 440 and can inquire about sales for the items of interest.
  • sale information in any form, such as those listed above, are provided to the UE 400 based on the user-initiated inquiry.
  • an application program or the API on the UE 400 can request any available advertisements for the UE, thus "pulling" ads from an ad server, such as the local ad server 468 in Figure 8.
  • the department store venue 440 can push the same range of advertising data to the UE 400.
  • the store venue 440 can provide advertising data, such as that described above, to the UE 400 based on factors such as the user profile, the present location of the UE 400 within the store, amount of time that the UE has spent in selected departments within the store, or the like, taken singly or in combination.
  • JUMMMP Cloud 456 can be processed offline using data analytics and/or data mining provided by the data analysis module 471 (see Figure 8) to process the data and provide useful information for the department store venue advertising group to effectively target individual advertising to the consumer, to a group of consumers, or the general public based on the data analysis.
  • the database server 470 operating in conjunction with the application software, will be able to know who the shopper is, where the shopper is in the store, how long they have been in the store, how long they have been in each department of the store, and what they bought. Resultantly, the department store venue 440 can push the customer deals to the UE 400 based on their location in the store and on their shopping history. If the customer has
  • the venue processor 508 may host a secure website to provide digital wallet functionality.
  • the secure website is simply the POS website for the venue 440.
  • a communication shell provides a gateway to the secure POS website.
  • Figure 1 1 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of an exemplary embodiment of the system 500.
  • the venue 440 has one or more APs 448 within the venue.
  • the UE 400 performs an initial registration. Various techniques for performing the initial registration have been described above.
  • the API and/or application software program are downloaded to the UE 400.
  • the initial registration process need only occur a single time.
  • the initial registration data is provided to the database server 470 (see Figure 8) in the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the UE 400 detects the presence of one of the APs 448 in the venue 440. Upon detection, the UE 400 automatically provides identification data to the AP 448 in the manner described above. At step 516, the system 500 can automatically authenticate the UE 400. This may be done locally using the authentication server 504 in the venue 440 itself.
  • the authentication may occur using the authentication server 458 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the user profile for the UE 400 is downloaded in step 518. If the venue 440 is part of the JUMMMP network, the profile is downloaded from the database server 470. Alternatively, if the system 500 is a standalone system within the venue 440, the profile may already be present in the customer database 506 as the result of prior interaction between the UE 400 and the venue 500. In yet another alternative embodiment, the venue 500 may communicate with and be functionally connected with the JUMMMP Cloud 456 in Figure 8. In this embodiment, customer information may be stored in the database server 470 and downloaded to the customer database 506 as soon as the UE 400 is detected within the venue 500.
  • the UE Once the UE is within the venue, it will periodically transmit a heartbeat signal in the manner described above.
  • one or more of the APs 448 receive the periodic heartbeat signal.
  • the heartbeat signal can be sent at convenient time intervals, such as 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds, etc.
  • the heartbeat signal includes location information, and may also include user profile information stored within the data storage area 184 (see Fig. 2) of the UE 400.
  • the APs 448 may receive text data in step 522. These text messages are associated with the social network aspect of the system, as previously described. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that text data can be sent at will by the user of the UE 400 and need not wait until the heartbeat signal. That is, manual transmission of text messages by the user and the heartbeat signal are independent processes.
  • the heartbeat signal will automatically transmit any text messages, or other data, that was sent or received since the last heartbeat signal.
  • the user may manually initiate the transmission of text messages or other data.
  • the text data, or any form of message data can also include location data, signal strength data, and any other component of the heartbeat signal.
  • the heartbeat signal is intended to provide a minimum level of contact with the APs 448 in the venue 440.
  • the UE 400 can send and receive data more frequently than the selected heartbeat rate.
  • the system 500 may receive purchase data associated with the UE 400 in step 524.
  • These various forms of data e.g., heartbeat signal, message data, and purchase data
  • the data may be received by the customer database 506 and maintained therein for a standalone system or relayed to the database server 470 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the database (e.g., the database server 470 or customer database 506) develops a profile based on the received information as well as the downloaded profile data.
  • the downloaded profile data may already have a well-developed data profile for the owner of the UE 400.
  • the additional data collected on the present visit to the venue 440 may be used to supplement or further refine the user profile.
  • the profile from the database server 470 may have been developed from prior visits to other venues.
  • the collection of customer data associated with a particular one of the UEs 400 can be developed based on visits to multiple venues.
  • the venue 440 may provide advertising data to the UE 400 based on the profile developed in step 528.
  • data analysis or data analytics such as may be provided by the data analysis module 471 in Figure 8, may be required to develop the profile.
  • the process ends at 532.
  • the system will continue to track the UE 400 so long as it remains within the venue 440.
  • additional heartbeat signals, message data, and purchase data may be received and incorporated into the profile.
  • the system 500 also tracks user actions based on the receipt of advertising data. For example, the
  • system 500 will track the rate of redemption of coupons or other sale offers. This data also becomes part of the user profile.
  • the profile has been developed in step 528.
  • the profile is stored in step 534 and the profile development process ends at 536.
  • the profile may be stored locally in the customer database 506 or stored on the database server 470 in the JUMMMP Cloud 456.
  • the system described herein may also assist in the actual purchase of
  • a cell phone may include a near-field communicator (NFC) to permit commercial transactions.
  • NFC near-field communicator
  • Devices equipped with an NFC simply bring the cell phone into very close proximity with an NFC device within the shopping venue.
  • the user simply taps the NFC point-of-sales (POS) terminal within the store.
  • POS point-of-sales
  • the communication shell can be downloaded to the UE 400.
  • the communication shell can be downloaded from one of the APs 448 in the venue 440, or downloaded from an application store operated by the manufacturer of the UE 400. In either case, the communication shell operates only in conjunction with the APs 448 in the shopping venue 440.
  • the venue processor 508 hosts the secure website and contains all the necessary software for transaction processing.
  • the communication shell is configured to display data options for the user.
  • the communication shell in the UE 400 may be used to access and communicate with a secure website implemented by the venue processor 508 located at, and controlled by, the venue 440 (see Figure 5).
  • the communication shell permits the UE 400 to communicate with the AP 448 in the manner described above.
  • the communication shell permits a web browser function on the UE 400 to access the secure website.
  • communication with the secure website can be established using a secure communication socket such as, by way of example, https protocol to provide the desired security.
  • the actual communication between the UE 400 and the secure website may be accomplished using conventional communication protocols, such as TCP/IP.
  • all sales operations are processed by the secure website.
  • the UE 400 may view an initial web page at the secure website to select a particular sales activity (e.g., purchase, exchange, return, and the like). Those choices may typically be displayed on the UE 400 in the form of links that are selectable by the user. If, for example, the display 154 (see Figure 2) of the user selects a link labeled "purchase," the secure website may download data to the browser on the UE 400 to provide additional links.
  • the user may select a particular product to purchase by selecting one of the links.
  • the user can select a link to pay for previously selected items in a "shopping cart" by activating a different link in a designated location on the display 154 of the UE 400.
  • the secure website 508 may download a plurality of data files to the UE 400 with different data formats, as is customary with any website.
  • the secure website 508 may download data files using a TIF, GIF, JPEG, flash, or other file types, alone or in combination.
  • the present invention is not limited by the specific type of data file downloaded from the secure website hosted by the venue processor 508 to the UE 400.
  • the shopping experience wirelessly conducted via the secure website hosted by the venue processor 508 is visually, audibly, and functionally equivalent to a similar software application program downloaded to the UE 400 and executing locally on the UE. The goal is to provide the same shopping experience to the user irrespective of the actual location of the application software.
  • the user will have the same shopping experience if the software application is downloaded to the UE 400, or if the software application is executing on the venue processor 508 and the UE 400 simply has a communication shell to interact with the venue processor, or if the communication shell on the UE 400 communicates with the secure website hosted by the venue processor 508 or some other server within the venue.
  • the virtual user's credit/debit card and user account information is stored on the secure website. Because the secure website is tied into the authentication server 504 and customer database 506, information regarding the user of the UE 400 is readily available. This provides a simple way to verify the amount of money available for purchasing or to credit and debit the virtual user's account. These collective functions allow the UE 400 to act as a digital wallet within the retail store, or any venue 440 associated with the JUMMMP Cloud 456 (see Figure 8).
  • the collected customer data may be used to provide rewards to customers beyond the advertising described above.
  • the customer database 506 (or database server 470 in Figure 8) can reward customers who frequent the department store venue, who stay in the store for long periods of time, and who purchase items in the store. Reward points may also be provided to users in the form of a game where shoppers are encouraged to browse throughout the venue.
  • the venue 440 can provide navigational instructions to the user to guide them to predetermined locations within the venue 440. As the shopper moves to one department or another, the shopper can "pull"
  • the display 154 can illustrate the diagram of Figure 7 as a map of the venue 440.
  • the navigational instructions may be provided in the form of, by way of example, directional arrows to indicate the direction in which the user should move.
  • a graphical designator such as a bubble, can appear on the display for each department. The user can click on an associated bubble to pull the targeted advertisements associated with that particular department.
  • the accumulation of reward points can be confined to a single venue, such as the department store venue 440 described above.
  • the customer can receive additional reward points for visiting various departments within the department store venue as well as the related
  • the customer can earn additional reward points for visiting every department within a retail store.
  • the venue 440 in Figure 5 may represent a shopping mall and the related businesses 442-446 operate individual stores within the shopping mall.
  • a customer could earn additional reward points for visiting every store in the mall or other property.
  • the customer activity within the venue 440 can be measured in a number of different ways, as described above.
  • the customer database 506 or database server 470 of Figure 8 can provide an overall measure of customer activity, including purchases. This measurement may be referred to as the customer's "retail DNA.”
  • An individual's retail DNA is essentially a measure of the user's shopping activity within the venue and can be based on a number of factors, such as the amount of time spent within the shopping venue 440, the amount of money spent within the shopping venue 440, user acceptance and utilization of ads, coupons, redeemed promotional offers, and the like.
  • the customer database 506 or database server 470 in Figure 8 accumulates and analyzes the various statistics to generate a retail DNA value for each customer. A customer with a high retail DNA rating is more valuable to the shopping venue 440 than a customer with a relatively low retail DNA rating.
  • the retail DNA rating system is illustrated, in an exemplary embodiment, in the flow chart of Figure 12 where at a start 550, a customer rewards account has already been established. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this may be combined with, or in addition to a customer credit card account or a virtual store credit/debit account. Alternatively, a user of the UE 400 may have a general account whose information is stored on the database server 470 (see Figure 8). With a centralized customer rewards account, it is
  • the venue processor 508 receives the customer profile data from the customer database 506 or from the database server 470 (see Figure 8).
  • the venue processor 508 receives tracking data in step 554.
  • the tracking data may be included in the periodic heartbeat signal transmitted from the UE 400.
  • step 554 of receiving tracking data is periodically repeated so long as the UE 400 is within the venue 440.
  • the venue processor 508 receives the purchase data in step 556.
  • additional information in the form of the user profile can also be included in the data analysis of step 558.
  • the API or application program on the UE 400 can allow the shopper to log onto social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and the like, to permit the API or application to extract user information associated therewith and to provide this information to the customer database 506 (see Figure 10) to be used in the analysis of data in step 558.
  • the venue processor 508, or the analysis module 471 of Figure 8 analyzes the data in step 558.
  • the analysis can be based on tracking data, such as how long the UE 400 is within the venue 440 or within a particular department within the venue, how many departments within the venue have been visited by the UE 400, and purchases made by the user of the UE 400.
  • the analysis can include a measure of user responsiveness to advertising, such as coupon redemption rates.
  • a reward threshold for the UE 400.
  • the threshold can be based on a totality of factors, some of which have been described above.
  • each venue has the opportunity to provide greater weight to selected factors. For example, one venue may place a greater relative value on the length of time that a user spends within the venue while another venue may provide a greater relative weight to factors such as coupon redemption.
  • step 562 the venue processor 508 can decrease the retail DNA rating for the particular UE 400. Following the completion of step 562, the flow returns to steps 552-556 to continue receiving and analyzing data so long as the UE 400 is within the venue 440.
  • the venue processor 508 adds reward points to the user account.
  • the venue processor 508 can increase the retail DNA rating for the user of the UE 400. The process returns to steps 552-556 and continues to receive and analyze data so long as the UE 400 is within the venue 440.
  • the increased retail DNA rating may qualify the user for better sale opportunities.
  • the retail DNA rating for the user of the UE 400 is cumulative, so when a shopper walks in the door of the venue 440, the previous retail DNA rating should be the starting point for the current visit. For example, the shopping venue 440 can provide greater discounts or better sales for its most valued customers. Thus, a high retail DNA rating may be beneficial to the user because it results in better sales opportunities. Conversely, a customer with a low retail DNA rating may not receive the level of discounts or the number of sales opportunities because they are less likely to make an actual purchase based on the sales opportunities.
  • part of the algorithm for the retail DNA rating includes a term that is related to the number of presented discounts, offers, and the like that are actually redeemed by the shopper. If the shopper does not redeem any offers, then it could significantly adversely affect the retail DNA rating.
  • the retail DNA rating can be properly weighted to take into account other spending habits of the shopper even while ignoring the offers. That is, a shopper who spends a lot of money in the store, but ignores many or all of the offered advertising, may still have a high DNA rating.
  • the customer database 506 or the database server 470 can portray the retail DNA rating in a variety of different manners.
  • the retail DNA value could be expressed on a scale from 1 -10 with a rating of one indicating a low rating for the customer retail DNA while a value of ten indicates a very high rating for the customer retail DNA.
  • the database server 470 (see Figure 8) or customer database 506 can provide a graphic indication of a retail DNA rating for a customer.
  • the graphic representation could be a bar graph with a higher bar graph value indicating a higher retail DNA rating.
  • color graphical representations may be used to indicate a retail DNA rating.
  • a bar graph could indicate a red value for a low retail DNA rating, a yellow graphical representation for a medium level retail DNA rating and a green indication for a high level for the retail DNA rating.
  • the database server 470 or customer database 506 can include a graphical outline or image of a customer and indicate the retail DNA rating using the color scheme described above where the color changes from red to green as the retail DNA rating increases. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other techniques may be used to provide an indication of the retail DNA rating for a particular customer.
  • the presence of a customer with a high retail DNA rating may trigger an alert in the store.
  • An authorized individual in the store can generate an ad hoc discount directed specifically to the individual with the high retail DNA rating. For example, an individual who has frequently made purchases in the shopping venue in the past may be provided with an
  • individualized sales opportunity e.g., 25% off any jewelry purchase made within the next 60 minutes
  • any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved.
  • any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or inter medial components.
  • any two components so associated can also be viewed as being

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Abstract

Un réseau sans fil est établi par communication directe entre un équipement d'utilisateur (UE) et des points d'accès sans fil à l'intérieur d'un centre commercial. Après s'être enregistré initialement, l'UE peut être automatiquement authentifié quand il pénètre dans le centre commercial. Dans le centre commercial, l'UE transmet un signal périodique qui contient des informations à partir desquelles la position de l'UE à l'intérieur du centre commercial peut être déterminée. Le système peut ensuite créer un profil d'achat, sur la base : du temps passé par l'utilisateur à l'intérieur du centre commercial; de ses achats; et de données de profil fournies par l'utilisateur lui-même. Ledit profil d'achat peut être créé même lorsque l'identité spécifique de l'utilisateur n'est pas connue. L'analyse des données du client et la création du profil d'achat peuvent être utilisés afin de produire des annonces et des offres publicitaires individualisées pour l'UE. De plus, l'analyse peut déboucher sur une évaluation de l'ADN de l'utilisateur en termes d'achats de détail, en se basant sur des facteurs divers comprenant notamment la façon dont l'utilisateur réagit à la publicité. Une note élevée en lien avec l'évaluation de l'ADN de l'utilisateur en termes d'achats de détail peut conduire à présenter de meilleures offres publicitaires à l'utilisateur.
PCT/US2014/027537 2013-03-15 2014-03-14 Système et procédé en lien avec des ventes de détail, utilisant des dispositifs de communication sans fil dans un réseau de communication sans fil WO2014152618A2 (fr)

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US11297458B1 (en) 2013-09-26 2022-04-05 Mlb Advanced Media, L.P. Adaptive dashboard, wayfinding, and other services at venues using short-range wireless communications
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