System and method for wireless device detection, recognition and visit profiling
AssigneeDatavalet Technologies
InventorsTom Camps, Ron Spencer, Brad Gagne, Bennett Kanuka, Rob Madge, Ray Scobie, Don Campbell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described are various embodiments of a system and method in which device-identifying data can be used to uniquely recognize and optionally track and report on device activity at one or more Wi-Fi locations by way of the creation and management of a device and/or visit profile uniquely associated with such devices and stored in a network accessible knowledge base.
Claims18
A method for automatically characterizing a visit of a wireless device at or near a wireless hotspot location via a receiver operated within the location, comprising:
- detecting one or more wireless transmissions from the wireless device via the receiver operated at the wireless hotspot location;
- extracting a unique device identifier from each of said one or more wireless transmissions;
- tracking a visit profile of the wireless device via said unique device identifier;
- processing said visit profile against one or more preset visit characterization criteria defined for the wireless hotspot location to discriminate between two or more designated visit classifications;
- and
- characterizing the visit as being consistent with one of said designated visit classifications based on said processing;
- wherein said one or more visit characterization criteria comprise a device proximity criteria defined so to discriminate between walk-in visitors and walk-by visitors;
- the method further comprising:
- processing a signal strength of said one or more wireless transmissions against a preset signal strength signature of the hotspot location defined by a set signal strengths associated with a set of multiple previous wireless transmissions received from multiple wireless devices via the receiver at the hotspot location so to discriminate between wireless devices operated from within a physical boundary of the location, from those operated outside the physical boundary;
- and
- characterizing the visit as representative of one of a walk-in visitor and a walk-by visitor as a function of said signal strength processing.
A method for automatically identifying a wireless device as being physically located at a Wi-Fi location and within or outside a physical boundary at least partially defining this location, the method comprising:
- detecting a wireless transmission from the wireless device via a receiver operated within the physical boundary;
- processing a signal strength of said wireless transmission against a preset signal strength signature of the location defined by a set of signal strengths associated with a set of multiple previous wireless transmissions received from multiple wireless devices via the receiver at the hotspot location and defining one or more signal strength criteria for discriminating between signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from within the physical boundary, from those predominantly associated with devices operated from outside the physical boundary;
- and
- identifying the device as being within or outside the physical boundary based on said processing.
A system for automatically classifying wireless device visits at or near a wireless hotspot location, comprising:
- a receiver operated from within the wireless hotspot location;
- a data storage device;
- and
- a data processor operable to:
- extract unique device identifiers from wireless transmissions received by said receiver from wireless devices operated at or near the hotspot location;
- track, in said data storage device, respective visits from each of said wireless devices via said extracted unique device identifiers;
- record, in said data storage device, indication of a received signal strength for each of said tracked wireless devices;
- and
- classify each of said respective visits as a function of said indication;
- wherein said processor is operable to compare each said received signal strength with a signal strength signature of the location defined by a set of signal strengths associated with a set of multiple previous wireless transmissions received from multiple wireless devices via the receiver at the hotspot location and defined to discriminate between signal strengths received from devices operated from within the location, and those operated from outside the location, and classify each of said respective visits as a function of said comparison.
A computer-readable medium having statements and instructions stored therein for implementation by a processor to automatically discriminate between wireless signals received by a Wi-Fi receiver operated at a location from wireless devices operated from within a physical boundary at least partially defining this location, from those wireless devices operated from outside the physical boundary, by:
- receiving as input a signal strength value associated with a given wireless transmission;
- comparing said signal strength value against a preset signal strength signature of the location defined by a set of signal strength values associated with a set of multiple previous wireless transmissions received from multiple wireless devices via the receiver at the hotspot location and defining a signal strength criteria for discriminating between signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from within the physical boundary, from those predominantly associated with devices operated from outside the physical boundary;
- and
- identifying said given wireless transmission has having been transmitted from a device operated from within or outside the physical boundary based on said comparing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.