# US 9,883,339 B1 · Method of social-fencing based on physical proximity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,883,339 B1 - Document ID: US9883339B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/279,876 - Filed: 2016-09-29 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-29 - Assignees: Symantec Corporation - Applicants: Symantec Corporation - Inventors: Lei Gu; Kevin B. Jiang; Keith Newstadt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9883339B1 ## CPC - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04L 67/306: User profiles - H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)} - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A system and method for establishing patterns of social behavior for users of mobile devices. An administrator registers a person of interest with a service by identifying a mobile device used by the person of interest and generates one or more rules. The registered mobile device monitors network traffic of other surrounding mobile devices and sends their unique identifiers to the service. The service accesses one or more registries to identify users associated with the other surrounding mobile devices. The service determines whether any rule infractions occur based on one or more of the identified users, distances between the registered mobile device and other surrounding devices, frequencies of occurrences of mobile devices being relatively near and detected time periods. If any rule infractions occur, then the service generates an alert and sends it to the administrator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a first mobile device; and a server; wherein the first mobile device is configured to: detect a communication conveyed by a second mobile device, wherein the second mobile device is within range of the first mobile device and the communication conveyed by the second mobile device includes an identifier that is unique to the second mobile device; retrieve the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device from the communication; and send the retrieved identifier to the server; wherein the server is configured to: receive the identifier; search stored data that associates identifiers to users; and generate an alert responsive to determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is associated with a given condition, wherein the given condition is associated with one or more rules regarding generation of alerts for designated individuals based at least in part a user associated with the second mobile device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein to detect the communication and retrieve the identifier, the first mobile device is configured to capture wirelessly transmitted data of the second mobile device and identify the identifier within the wirelessly transmitted data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first mobile device is further configured to send an indication of a distance between the first mobile device and the second mobile device to the server. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the indication of a distance comprises an indication of a signal strength. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system as recited in claim 2, wherein determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is associated with a given condition comprises determining a user associated with the second mobile device is identified as a prohibited user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The system as recited in claim 2, wherein determining the user associated with the second mobile device is identified as a prohibited user comprises: accessing an account associated with the first mobile device; determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is registered with the account; and determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is identified as corresponding to a prohibited user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is associated with a given condition comprises: determining a user associated with the second mobile device is an unidentified user; and the second mobile device has been detected to be at least one of: in close proximity to the first mobile device for greater than a threshold amount of time; in close proximity to the first mobile device a threshold number of times within a given time period; and in close proximity to the first mobile device at a particular time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to determine one or more of an age range, a job title, and a student status corresponding to a user associated with the second mobile device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the server is further configured to determine a user associated with the second mobile device is a permissible user responsive to determining the user associated with the second mobile device meets a requirement corresponding to one or more of said age range, said job title and said student status. ### Claim 10 A method comprising: detecting by a first mobile device a communication conveyed by a second mobile device, wherein the second mobile device is within range of the first mobile device and the wherein the communication conveyed by the second mobile device includes an identifier that is unique to the second mobile device; retrieving, by the first mobile device, the identifier from the communication; and sending the retrieved identifier to a server; receiving the unique identifier at the server; searching stored data that maps identifiers to users; and generating, by the server, an alert responsive to determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is associated with a given condition, wherein the given condition is associated with one or more rules regarding generation of alerts for designated individuals based at least in part on users associated with mobile devices. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10, wherein to detect the communication and retrieve the unique identifier, the method comprises the first mobile device capturing wirelessly transmitted data of the second mobile device and identifying the identifier within the wirelessly transmitted data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising the first mobile device sending an indication of a distance between the first mobile device and the second mobile device to the server. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the indication of a distance comprises an indication of a signal strength. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, wherein determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is associated with a given condition comprises determining a user associated with the second mobile device is identified as a prohibited user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method as recited in claim 11, wherein determining the user associated with the second mobile device is identified as a prohibited user comprises: accessing an account associated with the first mobile device; determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is registered with the account; and determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is identified as corresponding to a prohibited user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10, wherein determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is associated with a given condition comprises: determining a user associated with the second mobile device is an unidentified user; and the second mobile device has been detected to be at least one of: in close proximity to the first mobile device for greater than a threshold amount of time; in close proximity to the first mobile device a threshold number of times within a given time period; and in close proximity to the first mobile device at a particular time. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising determining one or more of an age range, a job title, and a student status corresponding to a user associated with the second mobile device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising determining a user associated with the second mobile device is a permissible user responsive to determining the user associated with the second mobile device meets a requirement corresponding to one or more of said age range, said job title and said student status. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to: detect by a first mobile device a communication conveyed by a second mobile device, wherein the second mobile device is within range of the first mobile device and the wherein the communication conveyed by the second mobile device includes an identifier that is unique to the second mobile device; retrieve, by the first mobile device, the identifier from the communication; send the identifier to a server; receive the unique identifier at the server; and search stored data that associates identifiers to users; and generate an alert, by the server, responsive to determining the identifier corresponding to the second mobile device is associated with a given condition, wherein the given condition is associated with one or more rules regarding generation of alerts for designated individuals based at least in part on users associated with mobile devices. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein to detect the communication and retrieve the identifier, the program instructions are executable to cause the first mobile device to capture wirelessly transmitted data of the second mobile device and identify the identifier within the wirelessly transmitted data.