System and method for wireless device detection, recognition and visit profiling

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.

1 . 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.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said two or more designated visit classifications comprise at least one of a walk-in visit classification and a walk-by visit classification. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said one or more preset visit characterization criteria comprise a visit duration threshold, said tracking comprising tracking a duration of the visit based on respective timestamps associated with said detected wireless transmissions, said characterizing comprising characterizing the visit as a walk-in upon said duration exceeding said duration threshold and/or characterizing the visit as a walk-by upon said duration being lesser than said duration threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said one or more preset visit characterization criteria comprise a device proximity threshold, said tracking comprising estimating a proximity of the device based on a signal strength associated with said detected wireless transmissions, and said characterizing comprising characterizing the visit as a walk-in upon said estimated proximity being greater than said device proximity threshold and/or characterizing the visit as a walk-by upon said estimated proximity being lesser than said device proximity threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said tracking comprises tracking a duration of the visit based on respective timestamps associated with said detected wireless transmissions, and further comprises estimating a proximity of the device based on a signal strength associated with said detected wireless transmissions;   said processing comprises classifying said duration and said proximity in accordance with designated visit duration and device proximity criteria, respectively; and   said characterizing comprises combining visit duration and device proximity classifications in accordance with one or more preset characterization rules to characterize the visit as one of a walk-in visit and a walk-by visit.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 recording respective timestamps in said visit profile for said one or more wireless transmissions;   associating a visit duration value with said visit profile based on said respective timestamps; and   characterizing the visit as being consistent with one of two or more visit duration classifications based on said visit duration value.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , 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 so to discriminate between 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.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein establishment of said preset signal strength signature comprises:
 recording a set of signal strengths from multiple wireless transmissions detected by the receiver at the location;   producing a signal strength distribution for the wireless location based on said set;   identifying, from said distribution, signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from within the physical boundary; and   defining said preset signal strength signature as a function of said identified signal strengths.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said identifying comprises:
 comparing said produced signal strength distribution with a designated baseline distribution to identify a deviation therefrom characteristic of the location; and   identifying from said deviation said signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from within the physical boundary.   
     
     
         10 . 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 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.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said signal strength signature is defined by:
 recording a set of signal strengths from multiple wireless transmissions detected by the receiver at the location;   producing a signal strength distribution for the location based on said set;   identifying, from said distribution, signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from within and/or outside the location; and   defining said signal strength criteria based on said identified signal strengths.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said identifying comprises:
 comparing said produced signal strength distribution with a designated baseline distribution to identify a deviation therefrom characteristic of the location; and   discriminating from said deviation said signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from within the location, from those operated from outside the location.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said designated baseline distribution consists of an estimated unobstructed signal strength distribution, and wherein said deviation is representative of at least one of a physical layout at the location and the physical boundary. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said discriminating from said deviation comprises fitting a distribution curve to said deviation and extracting therefrom curve parameters representative of said signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from within the physical boundary. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said comparing comprises fitting said produced signal strength distribution with a designated baseline distribution function, and comparing said fitted baseline distribution function with said produced signal strength distribution to identify said deviation. 
     
     
         16 . 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 at least one of a visit duration and a received signal strength for each of said tracked wireless devices; and 
 classify each of said respective visits as a function of said indication. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said data processor is operable to classify each of said respective visits as one of a walk-in visit and a walk-by visit based on said indication. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said processor is operable to compare each said visit duration with a duration threshold stored in said data storage device, and classify each of said respective visits as a function of said comparison. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said processor is operable to compare each said received signal strength with a signal strength signature of the location 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. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said processor comprises at least one packet listener to extract said unique device identifiers. 
     
     
         21 . The system of any one of  claim 16 , wherein said processor comprises at least one RTLS processor to extract said unique device identifiers and to further detect said received signal strength. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said receiver consists of a single receiver. 
     
     
         23 . 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 defining a signal strength criteria for discriminating between signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from with 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.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , further for defining said signal strength criteria by:
 receiving as input a set of signal strength values associated with multiple wireless transmissions received by the receiver at the location;   producing a signal strength distribution for the location based on said set;   identifying, from said distribution, signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from at least one of within the location and outside the location; and   defining said signal strength criteria based on said identified signal strengths.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein said identifying comprises:
 comparing said produced signal strength distribution with a stored designated baseline distribution to identify a deviation therefrom characteristic of the location; and   discriminating from said deviation said signal strengths predominantly associated with devices operated from within the location, from those operated from outside the location, to define said signal strength criteria.