System and method for remote device recognition at public hotspots

A method for recognizing a wireless device across multiple hotspot locations, the method comprising:

• detecting, using one or more hardware processors, at one of the multiple hotspot locations a wireless transmission sent by the wireless device;
• extracting a unique device identifier of the detected device from said wireless transmission, said unique device identifier automatically embedded within said wireless transmission by the detected device without user input;
• cross-referencing said extracted device identifier with a network accessible database of stored device profiles, each of said device profiles having a respective stored device identifier associated therewith;
• and
• recognizing the detected device upon matching said extracted device identifier with one said stored device identifier;
• otherwise
• automatically creating a new device profile in said database as a function of said extracted device identifier such that the device is recognized upon subsequent detection at any of said multiple hotspot locations.

A system for tracking wireless devices across multiple hotspot locations, the system comprising:

• a network accessible database having stored therein a plurality of device profiles each identifying a respective wireless device by a stored unique device identifier, each said stored unique device identifier indicative of an inherent characteristic of said respective device;
• and
• a network access module, comprising one or more hardware processor, at each of said locations and configured to detect at a given location a wireless transmission sent from a given device and having embedded therein a transmitted unique device identifier inherent to said given device;
• said network access module interfacing with said network accessible database to cross-reference said transmitted unique device identifier with said plurality of device profiles to identify a matching profile and thereby recognize said given device, and otherwise automatically create a new device profile based on said transmitted unique device identifier so to recognize said given device upon subsequent detection at any of said multiple hotspot locations.

A method for recognizing a wireless device across multiple Wi-Fi locations, the method comprising:

• detecting at one of the multiple Wi-Fi locations a wireless transmission sent by the wireless device;
• extracting a unique device identifier of the detected device from said wireless transmission, said unique device identifier automatically embedded within said wireless transmission by the detected device without user input;
• cross-referencing said extracted device identifier with a network accessible database of stored device profiles, each of said device profiles having a respective stored device identifier associated therewith;
• recognizing the detected device upon matching said extracted device identifier with one said stored device identifier;
• associating with said device profile of said recognized device said one of the multiple Wi-Fi locations;
• and
• centrally compiling from said stored device profiles, visit data for each of said multiple Wi-Fi locations.