Beacon mall experience

Abstract

Systems and methods that provide mobile and analytic capabilities that may be utilized by retailers and mall operators are described. The systems and methods include mobile capabilities, such as the offering of a smartphone application to customers of the retailers and the malls. The mobile application provides the customers with an elevated shopping experience and includes a unique rewards program that drives repeat business and increases customer foot traffic to the mall and retailers. The mobile application also provides retailers and mall operators customer-specific analytics. The customer-specific analytics may be used to provide an improved shopping experience for the customers including, but not limited to, customer-specific advertisements, customer-specific greetings, location-based information, and the like.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing system including a processor and a memory, a first beacon identifier relating to a first location of a mobile device associated with a customer and a second beacon identifier relating to a previous location of the mobile device associated with the customer,   wherein the first beacon identifier is transmitted in response to the mobile device being in radio frequency communication with a first beacon, and the second beacon identifier is transmitted in response to the mobile device being in radio frequency communication with a second beacon;   determining, by the computing system, the first location of the mobile device based on the first beacon identifier and the previous location of the mobile device based on the second beacon identifier;   determining, by the computing system, that the customer is next to an area of a parking lot based on the first beacon identifier, the first location being outside of the area of the parking lot, the parking lot is associated with a plurality of beacon identifiers in a beacon database, the first beacon identifier being a beacon identifier that is different from the plurality of beacon identifiers;   determining, by the computing system, that the mobile device is moving towards the parking lot based on the first beacon identifier and the second beacon identifier;   storing, by the computing system, location information relating to the first location with a customer entry in a customer database, the customer entry associated with the customer, wherein the customer database stores information comprising location and purchase information relating to a plurality of customers; and   automatically transmitting, by the computing system and in response to the determination that the mobile device is moving towards the parking lot, customer-specific information based on the information stored in the customer database, wherein the customer-specific information comprises a location of a car of the customer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting customer-specific information comprises transmitting information relating to the customer to a valet computing device or a greeter computing device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first location relates to a valet parking area, and wherein the method further comprising:
 receiving, by the computing system, a parking confirmation relating to the customer from the valet computing device; and   transmitting, by the computing system, a digital claim ticket to the mobile device, the digital claim ticket including a ticket number used to redeem the digital claim in picking up a vehicle.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computing system, the digital claim ticket from the mobile device; and   transmitting, by the computing system, the digital claim ticket to the valet computing device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting customer-specific information comprises transmitting an indication of the area of the parking lot to the customer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first location relates to a restaurant, and wherein transmitting customer-specific information comprises transmitting a reservation check-in associated with the customer to a restaurant computing system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computing system, a plurality of other customers in a vicinity of the customer based on the first location; and   populating, by the computing system, a chat list with the plurality of other customers such that the customer can engage in peer-to-peer messaging with any of the plurality of other customers via the mobile device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computing system, a navigation request from the mobile device to navigate from the first location to a designated location; and   transmitting, by the computing system, step-by-step navigation instructions to the mobile device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the computing system, a direction and a speed in which the customer is traveling based at least in part on the first location. 
     
     
         10 . A computing system comprising:
 a plurality of beacons positioned at different locations of the shopping center, each of the plurality of beacons including a radio frequency transmitter that transmits a beacon identifier, wherein the each of the beacons is associated with a different beacon identifier;   a mall computing system having a network interface configured to permit data communication between the mall computing system and a plurality of mobile devices associated with a plurality of customers of the shopping center, a memory, and a processor configured to:   receive a first beacon identifier of a first beacon of the plurality of beacons, the first beacon identifier relating to a first location of a mobile device associated with a customer and a second beacon identifier of a second beacon of the plurality of beacons, the second beacon identifier relating to a previous location of the mobile device associated with the customer,
 wherein the first beacon identifier is transmitted in response to the mobile device being in radio frequency communication with a first beacon of the plurality of beacons, and the second beacon identifier is transmitted in response to the mobile device being in radio frequency communication with a second beacon of the plurality of beacons; 
 determine the first location of the mobile device based on the first beacon identifier and the previous location of the mobile device based on the second beacon identifier, 
 determine that the customer is next to an area of a parking lot based on the first beacon identifier, the first location being outside of the area of the parking lot, the parking lot is associated with a plurality of beacon identifiers in a beacon database, the first beacon identifier being a beacon identifier that is different from the plurality of beacon identifiers, 
 determine that the mobile device is moving toward the parking lot based on the first beacon identifier and the second beacon identifier; 
 store location information relating to the first location with a customer entry in a customer database, the customer entry associated with the customer, wherein the customer database stores information comprising location and purchase information relating to a plurality of customers; and 
 automatically in response to the determination that the mobile device is moving towards the parking lot, transmit customer-specific information based on the information stored in the customer database, wherein the customer-specific information comprises a location of a car of the customer. 
   
     
     
         11 . The computing system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit information relating to the customer to a valet computing device or a greeter computing device. 
     
     
         12 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein the first location relates to a valet parking area, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a parking confirmation relating to the customer from the valet computing device; and   transmit a digital claim ticket to the mobile device, the digital claim ticket including a ticket number used to redeem the digital claim in picking up a vehicle.   
     
     
         13 . The computing system of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive the digital claim ticket from the mobile device; and   transmit the digital claim ticket to the valet computing device.   
     
     
         14 . The computing system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit an indication of the area of the parking lot to the customer. 
     
     
         15 . The computing system of  claim 10 , wherein the first location relates to a restaurant, and wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a reservation check-in associated with the customer to a restaurant computing system. 
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine a plurality of other customers in a vicinity of the customer based on the first location; and   populate a chat list with the plurality of other customers such that the customer can engage in peer-to-peer messaging with any of the plurality of other customers via the mobile device.   
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a navigation request from the mobile device to navigate from the first location to a designated location; and   transmit step-by-step navigation instructions to the mobile device.   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a direction and a speed in which the customer is traveling based at least in part on the first location. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied therein, when executed by a processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a process, the process comprising:
 receiving a first beacon identifier relating to a first location of a mobile device associated with a customer and a second beacon identifier relating to a previous location of the mobile device associated with the customer,   wherein the first beacon identifier is transmitted in response to the mobile device being in radio frequency communication with a first beacon, and the second beacon identifier is transmitted in response to the mobile device being in radio frequency communication with a second beacon;   determining the first location of the mobile device based on the first beacon identifier;   determining the previous location of the mobile device based on the second beacon identifier;   determining, by the computing system, that the customer is next to an area of a parking lot based on the first beacon identifier, the first location being outside of the area of the parking lot, the parking lot is associated with a plurality of beacon identifiers in a beacon database, the first beacon identifier being a beacon identifier that is different from the plurality of beacon identifiers;   determining, by the computing system, that the mobile device is moving towards the parking lot based on the first beacon identifier and the second beacon identifier;   storing location information relating to the first location with a customer entry in a customer database, the customer entry associated with the customer, wherein the customer database stores information comprising location and purchase information relating to a plurality of customers; and   automatically in response to the determination that the mobile device is moving towards the parking lot, transmitting customer-specific information based on the information stored in the customer database, wherein the customer-specific information comprises a location of a car of the customer.   
     
     
         20 . The media of  claim 19 , wherein transmitting customer-specific information comprises transmitting information relating to the customer to a valet computing device or a greeter computing device. 
     
     
         21 . The media of  claim 20 , wherein the first location relates to a valet parking area, and wherein the process further comprises:
 receiving a parking confirmation relating to the customer from the valet computing device; and   transmitting a digital claim ticket to the mobile device, the digital claim ticket including a ticket number used to redeem the digital claim in picking up a vehicle.   
     
     
         22 . The media of  claim 21 , wherein the process further comprises:
 receiving the digital claim ticket from the mobile device; and   transmitting the digital claim ticket to the valet computing device.   
     
     
         23 . The media of  claim 19 , wherein transmitting customer-specific information comprises transmitting an indication of the area of the parking lot to the customer. 
     
     
         24 . The media of  claim 19 , wherein the first location relates to a restaurant, and wherein transmitting customer-specific information comprises transmitting a reservation check-in associated with the customer to a restaurant computing system. 
     
     
         25 . The media of  claim 19 , wherein the process further comprises:
 determining a plurality of other customers in a vicinity of the customer based on the first location; and   populating a chat list with the plurality of other customers such that the customer can engage in peer-to-peer messaging with any of the plurality of other customers via the mobile device.   
     
     
         26 . The media of  claim 19 , wherein the process further comprises:
 receiving a navigation request from the mobile device to navigate from the first location to a designated location; and   transmitting step-by-step navigation instructions to the mobile device.   
     
     
         27 . The media of  claim 19 , wherein the process further comprises determining a direction and a speed in which the customer is traveling based at least in part on the first location. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first beacon and the second beacon establish a first geo-fence area and a second geo-fence area respectively, and wherein the first beacon identifier is transmitted in response to the mobile device entering the first geo-fence area and the second beacon identifier is transmitted in response to the mobile device entering the second geo-fence area.