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US 10,318,968 B2Granted
Queue reduction
AssigneePaypal, Inc.
InventorBrandon Tineo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for determining queues and reducing queue times for a location determines the number of users that are in a queue based on sensor readings from a device of the users and interactions of the devices with a geofence. The system may determine the queue times based on the number of devices it determines are associated with users in a queue and a rate associated with the movement of the queue. The determined queue times may be displayed on one or more user devices that are inquiring about the location.
Claims20
A user device, comprising:
- a non-transitory memory storing instructions;
- and
- one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read the instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the user device to perform operations comprising:
- determining that the user device is within a geofence;
- determining that the user device has a movement frequency below a threshold movement frequency;
- communicatively coupling with a wireless communicator;
- determining a distance between the user device and the wireless communicator using a signal strength of a signal received from the wireless communicator;
- determining that the user device is in a checkout line queue within the geofence using the distance and cluster information associated with a plurality of additional user devices within the geofence, wherein the cluster information comprises device locations for the plurality of additional user devices within the geofence and available checkout processing within the geofence;
- communicating the determination that the user device is in the checkout line queue to a service provider;
- receiving a queue time associated with the checkout line queue from the service provider, wherein the queue time is determined based at least on the distance;
- in response to processing a transaction with a point of sale system within the geofence, detecting when the user device exits the geofence;
- and
- receiving, from the service provider, an updated queue time for the checkout line queue with the service provider, the updated queue time determined based on a dwell time for the user device within the geofence based on when the user device enters and exits the geofence.
10 more elements
A method comprising:
- determining that a user device is within a geofence;
- determining that the user device has a movement frequency below a threshold movement frequency;
- causing the user device to broadcast information wirelessly;
- determining, by the user device, a distance between the user device and a wireless communicator within the geofence using a signal strength of a signal received from the wireless communicator;
- determining that the user device is in a checkout line queue within the geofence using the distance and cluster information associated with a plurality of additional user devices within the geofence, wherein the cluster information comprises device locations for the plurality of additional user devices within the geofence and available checkout processing within the geofence;
- communicating the determination that the user device is in the checkout line queue to a service provider;
- receiving a queue time associated with the checkout line queue from the service provider, wherein the queue time is determined based at least on the distance;
- in response to processing a transaction with a point of sale system within the geofence, detecting when the user device exits the geofence;
- and
- receiving, from the service provider, an updated queue time for the checkout line queue with the service provider, the updated queue time determined based on a dwell time for the user device within the geofence based on when the user device enters and exits the geofence.
7 more elements
A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon machine readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:
- determining when a user device enters a geofence;
- determining that the user device has a movement frequency below a threshold movement frequency;
- causing the user device to listen for wireless communications;
- determining, by the user device, a distance between the user device and a wireless communicator within the geofence using a signal strength of a signal received from the wireless communicator;
- determining that the user device is in a checkout line queue within the geofence using the distance and cluster information associated with a plurality of additional user devices within the geofence, wherein the cluster information comprises device locations for the plurality of additional user devices within the geofence and available checkout processing within the geofence;
- communicating the determination that the user device is in the checkout line queue to a service provider;
- and
- receiving a queue time associated with the checkout line queue from the service provider, wherein the queue time is determined based at least on the distance;
- in response to processing a transaction with a point of sale system within the geofence, detecting when the user device exits the geofence;
- and
- receiving, from the service provider, an updated queue time for the checkout line queue with the service provider, the updated queue time determined based on a dwell time for the user device within the geofence based on when the user device enters and exits the geofence.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.