# US 2014/0156103 A1 · Automatically managing the environment of a physical zone > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156103 A1 - Document ID: US20140156103A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/691,816 - Filed: 2012-12-02 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-02 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Barry A. Feigenbaum; Sueann Nichols; Holly H. Nielsen; Elizabeth V. Woodward - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156103A1 ## CPC - G05B 15/02: electric - G05B 2219/25084: Select configuration as function of operator - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A system, method, and computer program product for automatically managing an environment for a physical zone over a period of time. Position coordinates are received from a plurality of entities. It is determined which of the entities will occupy the physical zone over a time frame, the physical zone including at least one environmental characteristic. Environmental preferences are accessed for the entities determined to occupy the physical zone for the time frame. The environmental characteristic of the physical zone is adjusted for the time frame based on the accessed environmental preferences for the entities. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for automatically managing an environment for a physical zone over a period of time, the method comprising: receiving position coordinates from a plurality of entities; determining by a computer processor which of the entities will occupy the physical zone over a time frame, the physical zone including at least one environmental characteristic; accessing environmental preferences for the entities determined to occupy the physical zone for the time frame; and adjusting the environmental characteristic of the physical zone for the time frame based on the accessed environmental preferences for the entities. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: wherein multiple position coordinates are received from each of the entities over time; and wherein determining which of the entities will occupy the physical zone over the time frame further comprises extrapolating a speed and direction for the entities. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein accessed environmental preferences for a first entity are mined from one or more of a social media profile, a profile describing the first entity's environmental preferences, web content associated with the first entity, and trends based the first entity's demographic information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the environmental characteristic for the time frame further comprises: weighing the accessed environmental preferences for the entities based on one or more parameters associated with the entities; and adjusting the environmental characteristic based on the weighing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein parameters associated with the entities comprise at least one of spending history, spending potential, past behavior, entity size, language preference, and duration of time spent in the physical zone during the time frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying one or more advertisements to the entities in the physical zone over the time frame; and adjusting the one or more advertisements for the time frame based on the accessed environmental preferences for the entities. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting the advertisements for the time frame further comprises adjusting at least one of images, text size, subject matter, language, and discounts for the advertisements. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the entities comprise at least one of people, groups of people, vehicles, mobile devices and animals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental characteristic comprises one of temperature, lighting, music type, audio volume, scent, air current, humidity and language requirements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the received position coordinates are detected based on one or more of a global positioning satellite (GPS) location, a mobile device signal, social media information, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) signal. ### Claim 11 A system for automatically managing an environment for a physical zone over a period of time, the system comprising: a computer including a processor, the computer configured to: receive position coordinates from a plurality of entities; determine which of the entities will occupy the physical zone over a time frame, the physical zone including at least one environmental characteristic; access environmental preferences for the entities determined to occupy the physical zone for the time frame; and adjust the environmental characteristic of the physical zone for the time frame based on the accessed environmental preferences for the entities. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising: wherein multiple position coordinates are received from each of the entities over time; and wherein determining which of the entities will occupy the physical zone over the time frame further comprises extrapolating a speed and direction for the entities. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein accessed environmental preferences for a first entity are mined from one or more of a social media profile, a profile describing the first entity's environmental preferences, web content associated with the first entity, and trends based the first entity's demographic information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein adjusting the environmental characteristic for the time frame further comprises: weighing the accessed environmental preferences for the entities based on one or more parameters associated with the entities; and adjusting the environmental characteristic based on the weighing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein parameters associated with the entities comprise at least one of spending history, spending potential, past behavior, entity size, language preference, and duration of time spent in the physical zone during the time frame. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the computer is further configured to: display one or more advertisements to the entities in the physical zone over the time frame; and adjust the one or more advertisements for the time frame based on the accessed environmental preferences for the entities. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein adjusting the advertisements for the time frame further comprises adjusting at least one of images, text size, subject matter, language, and discounts for the advertisements. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the entities comprise at least one of people, groups of people, vehicles, mobile devices and animals. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the environmental characteristic comprises one of temperature, lighting, music type, audio volume, scent, air current, humidity and language requirements. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the received position coordinates are detected based on one or more of a global positioning satellite (GPS) location, a mobile device signal, social media information, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) signal. ### Claim 21 A computer program product embodied in a tangible media comprising: computer readable program codes coupled to the tangible media to automatically manage an environment for a physical zone over a period of time, the computer readable program codes configured to cause the program to: receive position coordinates from a plurality of entities; determine which of the entities will occupy the physical zone over a time frame, the physical zone including at least one environmental characteristic; access environmental preferences for the entities determined to occupy the physical zone for the time frame; and adjust the environmental characteristic of the physical zone for the time frame based on the accessed environmental preferences for the entities. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising: computer readable program code to receive wherein multiple position coordinates from each of the entities over time; and wherein the computer readable program code to determine which of the entities will occupy the physical zone over the time frame further comprises computer readable program code to extrapolate a speed and direction for the entities. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising computer readable program code to mine the accessed environmental preferences for a first entity from one or more of a social media profile, a profile describing the first entity's environmental preferences, web content associated with the first entity, and trends based the first entity's demographic information. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer readable program code to adjust the environmental characteristic for the time frame further comprises computer readable program code to: weigh the accessed environmental preferences for the entities based on one or more parameters associated with the entities; and adjust the environmental characteristic based on the weighted environmental preferences. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The computer program product of claim 24, wherein parameters associated with the entities comprise at least one of spending history, spending potential, past behavior, entity size, language preference, and duration of time spent in the physical zone during the time frame.