# US 11,307,037 B1 · Space guidance and management system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,307,037 B1 - Document ID: US11307037B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/804,483 - Filed: 2020-02-28 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-05 - Assignees: Steelcase Inc. - Applicants: Steelcase Inc. - Inventors: Robert Scheper; Darrin Sculley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307037B1 ## CPC - H04W 4/024: Guidance services - G01C 21/206: {specially adapted for indoor navigation} - G06Q 10/02: Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events - G06Q 10/0287: {for portions of office space} - G06Q 10/063114: {Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group} - G06Q 30/0281: {Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting} - H04W 4/30: Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes - H04W 4/33: for indoor environments, e.g. buildings - H04W 4/38: for collecting sensor information - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - 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 ## Abstract A system for use in a facility area including reservable spaces and common spaces and comprising a database storing space information, space map data and space scheduling information and including a user interface display screen mounted in a common space, a user location sensor and a processor linked to the databases and programmed to receive sensor signals and determine when a user is located within the sensing zone, the processor further programmed to generate and present a graphical facility area map representation of the facility area on the display screen and, upon detecting a user within the sensing zone, automatically identifying a destination space within the zone that the user likely intends to travel to and presenting an indication of the space on the graphical map indicating the location of the destination space within the facility. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A guidance system for helping users locate space for use within an enterprise facility, the system comprising: a stationary display screen located within the enterprise facility, the display screen controllable to present guidance information to a system user; a sensor device; a database storing space schedules for spaces within the enterprise facility, user identification information and user preference information including user space preferences, the user preference information correlated with the user identification information; a processor programmed to automatically perform the steps of: (i) obtaining user identification information from the sensor device and comparing the user identification information to the user identification information in the database to identify at least a first user proximate the display screen; (ii) accessing the user preference information in the database to identify first user preference information that is associated with the at least a first user; (iii) using the first user preference information and the space schedule information to identify at least a first currently available facility space that substantially meets the first user preference information; and (iv) presenting the identified at least a first facility space via the display screen as a suggestion to the first user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The guidance system of claim 1 wherein the processor identifies at least a first facility space using both the first user preference information and at least one other factor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The guidance system of claim 2 wherein the database further stores user schedules including a first user's schedule including facility locations and times of scheduled activities for the at least a first user, the at least one other factor including the locations and the times of the scheduled activities for the at least a first user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The guidance system of claim 3 wherein the at least one other factor includes proximity of the locations of the scheduled activities for the at least a first user's activities at specific times to facility spaces. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The guidance system of claim 2 wherein the database further stores habits for the at least a first user and wherein the at least one other factor includes habits corresponding to the at least a first user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The guidance system of claim 2 wherein the first user's preferences are based on time of day and wherein the at least one other factor includes the time of day that the information is obtained from the sensor to identify the at least a first user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The guidance system of claim 1 wherein the database further stores user schedules including a first user's schedule corresponding to the at least a first user, the first user's schedule including facility locations and times of scheduled activities for the at least a first user, the processor further determining a next meeting location and time on the first user's schedule and presenting information indicating the next meeting location along with the identified at least one facility space on the display screen. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The guidance system of claim 7 wherein the processor determines a next meeting time, the processor only presenting information indicating the next meeting location when the next meeting time occurs within a threshold period of the current time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The guidance system of claim 7 wherein the processor presents a map representation of the enterprise facility via the display screen, the processor presenting the at least a first facility space and information indicating the next meeting location by visually distinguishing the at least a first facility space and the next meeting location on the map representation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The guidance system of claim 1 wherein the processor presents a map representation of the enterprise facility via the display screen, the processor presenting the at least a first facility space by visually distinguishing the at least a first facility space on the map representation, the processor further indicating a route from the first user's location on the map representation to the at least a first facility space on the map representation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The guidance system of claim 1, wherein the user identification information is received by the sensor from an identification badge. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The guidance system of claim 1 wherein the processor uses the first user preference information to identify a plurality of facility spaces including the first facility space wherein each of the identified facility spaces substantially meets the preference information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The guidance system of claim 12 wherein the processor presents at least a subset of the identified plurality of facility spaces via the display screen as suggestions to the at least a first user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The guidance system of claim 13 wherein the at least a first facility space is a most preferred space and wherein the processor indicates via the display screen that the at least a first facility space is the most preferred space among the suggested spaces. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The guidance system of claim 13 wherein a graphical representation of the enterprise space is presented via the display screen and wherein the plurality of facility spaces identified are visually distinguished on the graphical representation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The guidance system of claim 15 wherein the graphical representation includes a two dimensional map view of the enterprise space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The guidance system of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of facility spaces identified is visually distinguished on the graphical representation by highlighting the space with a specific color. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The guidance system of claim 1 wherein a graphical representation of the enterprise space is presented via the display screen and wherein the at least a first facility space is visually distinguished on the graphical representation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The guidance system of claim 18 wherein the graphical representation includes a two dimensional map view of the enterprise space and wherein the at least a first facility space is visually distinguished by highlighting the space with a specific color. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The guidance system of claim 1 wherein the at least a first space is a personal workstation. ### Claim 21 A guidance system for helping users locate space for use within an enterprise facility, the system comprising: a stationary display screen located within the enterprise facility, the display screen controllable to present guidance information to a system user; a sensor device; a database storing space schedules for spaces within the enterprise facility and user identification information; a processor programmed to automatically perform the steps of: (i) obtaining user identification information from the sensor device and comparing the user identification information from the sensor device to user identification information in the database to identify at least a first user proximate the display screen; (ii) using the space schedules to identify at least a first scheduled use of at least a first facility space corresponding to the at least a first user; (iii) using the at least a first scheduled use of at least a first facility space and space schedules for other spaces to identify at least a second facility space that is proximate the at least a first facility space wherein the second facility space is unscheduled; and (iv) presenting the identified at least a second facility space via the display screen as a suggestion to the at least a first user. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21 wherein the at least a first scheduled use includes a scheduled use of a meeting space wherein the at least a first user is scheduled to attend the meeting. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21 wherein the at least a first scheduled use includes scheduled use of a workstation by at least a second user. ### Claim 24 A guidance system for helping users locate space for use within an enterprise facility, the system comprising: a stationary display screen located within the enterprise facility, the display screen controllable to present guidance information; a sensor device; a database storing space schedules for spaces within the enterprise facility, user identification information and user preference information including user space preferences, the user preference information correlated with the user identification information; a processor programmed to automatically perform the steps of: (i) obtaining user identification information from the sensor device and comparing the user identification information from the sensor to the user identification information in the database to identify at least a first user proximate the display screen; (ii) accessing the user preference information in the database to identify first user preference information that is associated with the at least a first user; (ii) using the space schedules to identify at least a first scheduled use of at least a first facility space for the at least a first user; (iii) using the first user preferences information, the at least a first scheduled use of at least a first facility space, and space schedules for other spaces to identify at least a second facility space that is proximate the at least a first facility space wherein the second facility space is unscheduled; and (iv) presenting the identified at least a second facility space via the display screen as a suggestion to the first user. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21 wherein the at least a first scheduled use includes a scheduled use of a meeting space wherein the at least a first user is scheduled to attend the meeting. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21 wherein the at least a first scheduled use includes scheduled use of a workstation by at least a second user. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21 wherein the database further stores user space preferences, the user preference information correlated with the user identification information, and the processor identifies the at least a second facility space using the first user preference information. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21 wherein the database further stores user schedules including a first user's schedule including facility locations and times of scheduled activities for the at least a first user, and the processor identifies the at least a second facility space using the times of the scheduled activities for the at least a first user. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21, wherein the processor identifies the at least a second facility space using proximity of the locations of the scheduled activities for the at least a first user's activities at specific times to facility spaces. ### Claim 30 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21 wherein the database further stores habits for the at least a first user and wherein the processor identifies the at least a second facility space using the habits for the at least a first user. ### Claim 31 (depends on 27) The guidance system of claim 27 wherein the first user's preferences are based on time of day and wherein the processor identifies the at least a second facility space using the time of day that the information is obtained from the sensor to identify the at least a first user. ### Claim 32 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21 wherein the processor presents a map representation of the enterprise facility via the display screen, the processor presenting the at least a second facility space by visually distinguishing the at least a second facility space on the map representation. ### Claim 33 (depends on 21) The guidance system of claim 21 wherein a graphical representation of the enterprise space is presented via the display screen and wherein the at least a second facility space is identified on the graphical representation. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The guidance system of claim 33 wherein the graphical representation includes a two dimensional map view of the enterprise space.