User identification within a physical merchant location through the use of a wireless network

A system for providing an electronic retail offer based on the location of a portable computing device (“PCD”), the system comprising:

• a remote server configured to:
• receive from the PCD over a telecommunications network a service set identifier (“SSID”), wherein:
• the SSID is broadcast from a physically stationary wireless router such that a broadcast range of the physically stationary wireless router defines a geographical region;
• the SSID is received by the remote server in response to the PCD physically entering the broadcast range of the physically stationary wireless router, receiving the SSID from the physically stationary wireless router and transmitting the SSID over the telecommunications network to the processor of the remote server;
• and
• the remote server is physically located outside the broadcast range of the physically stationary wireless router;
• determine if the received SSID is valid;
• query a database for the SSID, wherein the SSID is associated in the database with physical location data of the physically stationary wireless router;
• based on the physical location data of the physically stationary wireless router, determine that the physical location of the PCD is within the defined geographical region of the physically stationary wireless router;
• and
• transmit a retail offer over the telecommunications network, wherein the offer is based on the physical location data of the wireless router.

A system for providing an electronic retail offer based on the location of a portable computing device (“PCD”), the system comprising:

• means for receiving from the PCD over a telecommunications network a service set identifier (“SSID”) at a remote server, wherein:
• the SSID is broadcast from a physically stationary wireless router such that a broadcast range of the physically stationary wireless router defines a geographical region;
• the SSID is received in response to the PCD physically entering the broadcast range of the physically stationary wireless router, receiving the SSID from the physically stationary wireless router and transmitting the SSID over the telecommunications network to the processor of the remote server;
• and
• the remote server is physically located outside the broadcast range of the physically stationary wireless router;
• means for determining if the SSID is valid;
• means for querying a database for the SSID, wherein the SSID is associated in the database with physical location data of the physically stationary wireless router;
• means for determining that the physical location of the PCD is within the defined geographical region of the physically stationary wireless router based on the physical location data of the physically stationary wireless router;
• and
• means for transmitting a retail offer over the telecommunications network, wherein the offer is based on the physical location data of the wireless router.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code executable to implement a method for providing an electronic retail offer based on the location of a portable computing device (“PCD”), the method comprising:

• receiving from the PCD over a telecommunications network a service set identifier (“SSID”) at a remote server, wherein:
• the SSID is broadcast from a physically stationary wireless router such that a broadcast range of the physically stationary wireless router defines a geographical region;
• the SSID is received at the remote server in response to the PCD physically entering the broadcast range of the physically stationary wireless router, receiving the SSID from the physically stationary wireless router and transmitting the SSID over the telecommunications network to the processor of the remote server;
• and
• the remote server is physically located outside the broadcast range of the physically stationary wireless router;
• determining with the processor of the remote sever if the received SSID is valid;
• querying a database coupled to the remote server for the SSID, wherein the SSID is associated in the database with physical location data of the physically stationary wireless router;
• based on the physical location data of the physically stationary wireless router, determining that the physical location of the PCD is within the defined geographical region of the physically stationary wireless router;
• and
• transmitting a retail offer over the telecommunications network, wherein the offer is based on the physical location data of the wireless router.