US 9,426,627 B1 · Queue information and prediction system

Abstract

Queue Information & Prediction System (QIPS) uses the probability of queue existing in a given venue to assess the queue time. The instantaneous queue time for a location may be determined using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other wireless networks. QIPS uses the distances from signal strengths along with venue characteristics to determine an estimated queue time. Using queue probability for a venue and the instantaneous queue time for the same area QIPS may generate a Queue Decision Window (QDW). The QDW is a period of time leading up to a transaction or a consumption of a service. QIPS sorts through information surrounding a venue where crowds as well as queues may exists to determine queue time. Knowing the approximate queue time for transactions and consumption of services is helpful for consumers to manage their time.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of electronically predicting queue characteristics of a queue of humans, the method comprising:

broadcasting a query from an originating smart phone to one or more receiving smart phones;
analyzing, on the originating smart phone, responses from the receiving smart phones to determine signal characteristics of the responses;
converting the signal characteristics into a distance between the originating smart phone and the receiving smart phones;
storing an array of the distances and identifications of the receiving smart phones;
sending a location of the originating smart phone and the array of distances and identifications of the receiving smart phones to a cloud server for reporting a total count of smart phones at the location to predict a queue length;
calculating a queue wait time by using the total count of smart phones at the location and analyzing changes in the array of distances between the originating smart phone and the receiving smart phones over time;
and
repeating the broadcast, analysis, conversion, storage, and sending on a periodic basis.

5 more elements

A system for reporting queue characteristics of a queue of humans, including a smart phone and a cloud server, the system comprising:

the smart phone comprising:
a special purpose processor;
a memory electrically connected to the special purpose processor;
a cellular transceiver electrically connected to the special purpose processor;
a wireless transceiver electrically connected to the special purpose processor;
a display screen electrically connected to the special purpose processor;
a queue monitoring application executed on the special purpose processor;
wherein the queue monitoring application
determines a distance between the apparatus and one or more remote smart through a broadcast of a broadcast message to the remote phones, using the wireless transceiver,
receives signal characteristics from one or more reply messages received from the one or more remote smart phones,
predicts a queue length using a total count of smart phones that replied to the broadcast,
calculates a queue wait time based on the total count of smart phones that reply to the broadcast and on changes in an array of distances between the phone and the remote phones, and
sends a reporting message containing the queue length, the queue wait time and the array of the distances, through the cellular transceiver to the internet and further to the cloud server;
the cloud server comprising:
one or more special purpose cloud processors for high speed processing of data messages;
an internet transceiver electrically connected to the special purpose cloud processors;
a database electrically connected to the special purpose cloud processors;
wherein the reporting message from the smart phone is received by the internet transceiver and passed to the cloud processor for storage in the database.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Queue information and prediction system

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Queue information and prediction system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20