Method and apparatus for determining adjacency of wireless device to POS terminal
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMichael A. Halcrow, Serge E. Hallyn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One or more stationary wireless readers are used to determine the relative strength of calibration signals sent from fixed locations adjacent to POS terminals. Then, the signal strength of signals being transmitted by wireless devices within range of the one or more wireless readers is evaluated to determine the relative position of each wireless device to the POS terminals. This allows an operator of the POS system to determine the proximity of each wireless device relative to the POS terminals.
Claims15
A method of determining, using one or more signal strength readers, the proximity of wireless devices relative to a reference point, comprising the steps of:
- accessing signal strength calibration data associated with said reference point;
- measuring the transmission strength of wireless transmissions from all wireless devices within range of said one or more signal strength readers;
- comparing the signal strength calibration data with the measured transmission strength of the wireless transmissions of each of said wireless devices within range of said one or more signal strength readers;
- identifying the proximity of said transmitted devices relative to said reference point based on said comparison;
- measuring, relative to said one or more signal strength readers, the strength of a calibration signal generated at said reference point;
- and
- storing said measured calibration signal strength value as said signal strength calibration data;
- wherein said proximity identifying step comprises the steps of:
- calculating an adjacency metric for each of said wireless devices within transmission range of said one or more signal strength readers;
- and
- identifying the wireless device having the lowest adjacency metric as being closest to said reference point.
A system of determining, using one or more signal strength readers, the proximity of wireless devices relative to a reference point, comprising:
- means for accessing signal strength calibration data associated with said reference point;
- means for measuring the transmission strength of wireless transmissions from all wireless devices within range of said one or more signal strength readers;
- means for comparing the signal strength calibration data with the measured transmission strength of the wireless transmissions of each of said wireless devices within range of said one or more signal strength readers;
- and
- means for identifying the proximity of said transmitted devices relative to said reference point based on said comparison;
- means for measuring, relative to said one or more signal strength readers, the strength of a calibration signal generated at said reference point;
- and
- means for storing said measured calibration signal strength value as said signal strength calibration data
- wherein said proximity identifying means comprises:
- means for calculating an adjacency metric for each of said wireless devices within transmission range of said one or more signal strength readers;
- and
- means for identifying the wireless device having the lowest adjacency metric as being closest to said reference point.
A computer program product for determining, using one or more signal strength readers, the proximity of wireless devices relative to a reference point, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:
- computer-readable program code that accesses signal strength calibration data associated with said reference point;
- computer-readable program code that measures the transmission strength of wireless transmissions from all wireless devices within range of said one or more signal strength readers;
- computer-readable program code that compares the signal strength calibration data with the measured transmission strength of the wireless transmissions of each of said wireless devices within range of said one or more signal strength readers;
- and
- computer-readable program code that identifies the proximity of said transmitted devices relative to said reference point based on said comparison;
- computer-readable program code that measures, relative to said one or more signal strength readers, the strength of a calibration signal generated at said reference point;
- and
- computer-readable program code that stores said measured calibration signal strength value as said signal strength calibration data
- wherein said proximity identifying step comprises:
- computer-readable program code that calculates an adjacency metric for each of said wireless devices within transmission range of said one or more signal strength readers;
- and
- computer-readable program code that identifies the wireless device having the lowest adjacency metric as being closest to said reference point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.