# US 11,443,344 B2 · Efficient and secure communication using wireless service identifiers

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- Number: US 11,443,344 B2
- Document ID: US11443344B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/366,826
- Filed: 2021-07-02
- Published: 2021-10-28
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2008-09-08
- Assignees: Proxicom Wireless, LLC
- Applicants: Proxicom Wireless LLC
- Inventors: James A. Proctor, Jr.; James Arthur Proctor, III
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443344B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0261: {based on user location}
- G06F 21/60: Protecting data
- G06Q 10/0875: Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
- G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services
- G06Q 10/42: Determination of affinities or common interests between users
- G06Q 20/202: {Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR}
- G06Q 20/3224: {Transactions dependent on location of M-devices}
- G06Q 20/3278: {RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices}
- G06Q 20/384: {using social networks}
- G06Q 20/385: {using an alias or single-use codes}
- G06Q 20/386: {using messaging services or messaging apps (using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255)}
- G06Q 20/4016: {involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing}
- G06Q 30/0207: Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
- G06Q 30/0222: {During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions}
- G06Q 30/0226: Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
- G06Q 30/0242: Determining effectiveness of advertisements
- G06Q 30/0282: Rating or review of business operators or products
- G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q 30/0623: {by investigating goods or services}
- H04L 63/20: {for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227)}
- H04L 67/306: User profiles
- H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
- H04L 67/54: Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
- H04L 69/18: Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds}
- H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services
- H04W 4/21: for social networking applications
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals}
- H04W 8/26: Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
- H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
- H04W 12/04: Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
- H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers
- H04L 61/5038: for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
- H04L 2101/622: Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
- H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals
- 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
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for reducing communications between servers and a mobile device and providing enhanced security and privacy to wireless beacon services. This can involve a broadcast device transmitting a beacon transmission using a short range wireless radio, such a Bluetooth or WiFi, and including a MAC address, a first unique identifier, and a beacon service identifier. The mobile device then selects one or more unique identifiers from received beacon transmissions, by filtering (that is, selecting) those beacon transmissions which include the beacon service identifier. The wireless device then takes further action, if the first unique identifier is present among the selected one or more unique identifiers, using stored information from the server. The stored information may be delivered to the wireless device in response to the wireless device sending the first unique identifier to a server, or the stored information may have been previously downloaded.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving, at a wireless device, via a short range wireless protocol, a first plurality of beacon transmissions, each beacon transmission comprising three fields (a) a MAC address, (b) a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier of each respective beacon transmission does not directly identify a location of a beacon transmitter, and (c) a beacon service identifier, wherein the beacon service identifier of each respective beacon transmission identifies a wireless beacon service as opposed to identifying a communication network or a device accessible using the short range wireless protocol;
receiving, at the wireless device via a second wireless protocol, stored information from one or more servers, the stored information relating to a particular entity or object associated with a first unique identifier, and wherein the second wireless protocol is different from the short range wireless protocol;
causing selection of one or more of the unique identifiers from the first plurality of beacon transmissions, by filtering the beacon transmissions which include a particular beacon service identifier indicating that a particular received beacon transmission is associated with a particular wireless beacon service; and
taking first further action relating to the stored information, if the first unique identifier is present among the selected one or more unique identifiers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, at the wireless device, via a short range wireless protocol, of the first plurality of beacon transmissions occurs in a first time period, and wherein the method further comprises, during a second time period:
receiving, at the wireless device, via a short range wireless protocol, a second plurality of beacon transmissions, each of the second plurality of beacon transmissions comprising three fields (a) a MAC address, (b) a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier of each respective beacon transmission does not directly identify a location of a beacon transmitter, and (c) a beacon service identifier, wherein the beacon service identifier of each respective beacon transmission identifies a wireless beacon service as opposed to identifying a communication network or a device accessible using the short range wireless protocol;
causing selection of one or more of the unique identifiers from the second plurality of beacon transmissions, by filtering the beacon transmissions which include the same particular beacon service identifier indicating that the particular received beacon transmission is associated with the same particular wireless beacon service; and
taking second further action relating to the stored information, if a second unique identifier is present among the one or more unique identifiers selected from the second plurality of beacon transmissions, wherein the first unique identifier and the second unique identifier is are both associated with the same particular entity or object, and wherein the second unique identifier is not equal to the first unique identifier, and further wherein the received beacon transmissions including the first and second unique identifiers are received from a same transmitting device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the MAC address received in a beacon transmission including the second unique identifier is different from the MAC address received in a beacon transmission including the first unique identifier, but each such beacon transmission includes the same beacon service identifier, and wherein a plurality of beacon transmissions including the particular service identifier and the first unique identifier are received in the first time period, and no beacon transmissions including the same service identifier and the second unique identifier are received in the first time period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the second further action is based upon a function currently being performed on a device associated with the wireless beacon service.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the function is related to a current phone call,
music being played,
a video being played,
a multi-player game, or
a shared application.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the first or the second further action is related to receiving advertising information for presentation to a user of the wireless device, based upon the first or the second unique identifiers, or information derived from the first or second unique identifier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the first further action includes retrieving content from a server based upon information derived from either the first unique identifier or the second unique identifier.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the first or second further action includes sending a message to another device associated with an account related to the first and the second unique identifiers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein following the performance of the first or second further action, a server associated with an account for a user of the wireless device performs a step of sending a message to an email address associated with the account for the user, the email relating to the same particular entity or object associated with the first or second unique identifier.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the second further action includes preventing sending of the second unique identifier or information derived from the second unique identifier by the wireless device to at least one of the one or more servers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the first further action comprises: determining, based upon at least a portion of the stored information, that at least one beacon transmitter is associated with a predetermined location.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the step of taking first further action further includes, causing the wireless device to:
send the first unique identifier or information derived from the first unique identifier to at least one of the one or more servers, and
receive the stored information in response.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1
wherein the stored information is received by at the wireless device from at least one of the one or more servers prior to the performing of the first further action.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2
wherein the stored information is received at the wireless device from at least one of the one or more servers prior to the performing of the first further action.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
using the stored information to determine if the first unique identifier is present among the first selected one or more unique identifiers.

### Claim 16 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein all beacon transmitter devices participating in the particular wireless beacon service have the same particular beacon service identifier.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the second further action comprises:
determining, based upon at least a portion of the stored information, that the beacon
transmitter is associated with a predetermined location.

### Claim 18 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein one or more of the steps performed by at the wireless device are performed as a result of an application program executing on the wireless device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the second further action is related to either a product tied to a location or an advertisement tied to a location.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the first further action includes determining an address or location associated with the wireless device based at least in part upon the first unique identifier being associated with a pre-determined location, and wherein the wireless device is located indoors where a GPS signal may not be available.

### Claim 21 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the second further action includes determining an address or location associated with the wireless device based at least in part upon the second unique identifier being associated with a pre-determined location, wherein the wireless device is located indoors where a GPS signal may not be available.

### Claim 22 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the second further action includes allowing a user associated with the wireless device to be provided access to an object or device associated with the wireless beacon service.

### Claim 23 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the step of taking second further action additionally comprises:
controlling further communications between the wireless device and at least one device or server associated with an entity or object in proximity to the wireless device.

### Claim 24 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 further comprising:
receiving, at the wireless device, timing notification information for coordination of active times for beacon transmissions.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24 wherein the receiving, the wireless device of the timing notification information is not directly from the beacon transmitter.

### Claim 26 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising:
using the stored information to determine if the second unique identifier is present among the selected one or more of the unique identifiers from the second plurality of beacon transmissions.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the MAC address is a randomly generated 48 bit number matching a format of a Bluetooth BD_ADDR.

### Claim 28 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the short range protocol is derived from Bluetooth.

### Claim 29

A mobile wireless device comprising:
one or more radios for providing reception and transmission for each of a Bluetooth wireless protocol and a second wireless protocol;
one or more processors; and
one or more memory devices coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more non-transitory memory devices storing a set of instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
receiving from a beacon transmitter, using the Bluetooth wireless protocol, a first plurality of beacon transmissions during a first time period, each of the beacon transmissions including (a) a MAC address, (b) a unique identifier, wherein the first unique identifier does not directly identify a location of the beacon transmitter, and (c) a beacon service identifier, wherein the beacon service identifier of each respective beacon transmission identifies a wireless beacon service as opposed to identifying a communication network or a device accessible using the Bluetooth wireless protocol;
receiving from one or more servers, using the second wireless protocol, stored information related to a entity or object associated with a first unique identifier;
selecting one or more unique identifiers from the first plurality of beacon transmissions, by filtering the beacon transmissions which include a particular beacon service identifier indicating that a particular received beacon transmission is associated with the particular wireless beacon service;
taking first further action relating to the stored information, if the first unique identifier is present among the selected one or more unique identifiers;
receiving, by the wireless device, using the Bluetooth wireless protocol, during a second time period, a second plurality of beacon transmissions, each of the second plurality of beacon transmissions comprising three fields (a) a MAC address, (b) a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier of each respective beacon transmission does not directly identify a location of a beacon transmitter, and (c) the beacon service identifier, wherein the beacon service identifier of each respective beacon transmission identifies a wireless beacon service as opposed to identifying a communication network or a device accessible using the Bluetooth wireless protocol;
selecting one or more of the unique identifiers from the second plurality of beacon transmissions, by filtering the beacon transmissions which include the same particular beacon service identifier indicating that a particular received beacon transmission is associated with the same particular wireless beacon service;
taking second further action relating to the stored information, if a second unique identifier is present among the one or more unique identifiers selected from the second plurality of beacon transmissions, wherein the second unique identifier is associated with the same entity or object, and wherein the second unique identifier is not equal to the first unique identifier, and further wherein the received beacon transmissions including the first and second unique identifiers are received from a same transmitting device; and
wherein the MAC address received in a beacon transmission including the second unique identifier is different from the MAC address received in a beacon transmission including the first unique identifier, but each such beacon transmission includes the same particular beacon service identifier.

### Claim 30

A computer program product for installation in a non-transitory medium in a wireless device, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors in the wireless device, cause the wireless device to:
process a first plurality of beacon transmissions, received at the mobile wireless device via a Bluetooth protocol, each beacon transmission comprising three fields (a) a MAC address, (b) a unique identifier, wherein the unique identifier of each respective beacon transmission does not directly identify a location of a beacon transmitter, and (c) a beacon service identifier, wherein the beacon service identifier of each respective beacon transmission identifies a wireless beacon service as opposed to identifying a communication network or a device accessible using the Bluetooth wireless protocol;
process stored information transferred from one or more servers to the mobile wireless device via a second wireless protocol, wherein the stored information relates to an entity or object associated with a first unique identifier, and wherein the second wireless protocol is different from the Bluetooth wireless protocol;
select one or more of the unique identifiers from the first plurality of beacon transmissions, by filtering the beacon transmissions which include a particular beacon service identifier indicating that a particular received beacon transmission is associated with the a particular wireless beacon service; and
perform a further action, the further action relating to the stored information, if the first unique identifier is present among the selected one or more unique identifiers.