Systems and methods for automatic path management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10779128-B2
Application number	US-202016782804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for path management. Consistent with disclosed embodiments, path management system may be configured to perform a series of operations for real time path analysis. The embodiments may determine a user location based on received location data, and then determine a user path based on a sequence of user locations. The embodiments may calculate a path map based on user locations, and then determine one or more of a user density map and a user velocity map based on the path map. The embodiments may determine regions of the user density maps and user velocity maps, and provide instructions to one or more of an environment and a user device. The embodiments may provide guidance to a user of user of the path management system, and/or instructions to change a status of a service location; or modify a product layout or fixture arrangement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented path management method performed using at least one processor, comprising:
receiving from a first user device a request to provide a path;
recommending a first user device path in an environment;
receiving location information from a plurality of user devices;
identifying a first area in the environment, the first area having a first user density value;
identifying a second area in the environment, the second area having a second user density value, wherein the first user density value is greater than the second user density value;
when the first density value exceeds a threshold density value, generating an instruction to, based on a location of the first area and a location of the second area, add a fixture into the environment, remove a fixture from the environment, or modify a fixture in the environment; and
modifying the recommended first user device path based on the instruction to add a fixture into the environment, remove a fixture from the environment, or modify a fixture in the environment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving location information from a plurality of user devices comprises receiving, at each user device of the plurality of user devices, signals from beacons located within the environment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each user device of the plurality of user devices is configured to estimate a distance between the user device and one or more beacons within the environment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environment is partitioned into a grid of discretized areas, including the first area and second area, and the at least one processor assigns each discretized area a density value.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the threshold value is defined by historical density values within the first area.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the threshold value is defined by statistical analysis of the density values assigned to each discretized area in the grid.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
generating a density map for display indicating the grid of discretized areas and each discretized area's associated density value.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first user density value indicates the density of only users associated with a preconfigured parameter.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the preconfigured parameter is an age bracket, income bracket, or status level.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location information from a plurality of user devices is received periodically.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of user devices are configured to receive a Bluetooth low energy signal.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to provide a path is received from an application running on the first user device.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating one or more destination options for the first user in response to receiving the request to provide a path.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed by at least one processor cause a system to perform operations comprising:
receiving from a first user device a request to provide a path;
recommending a first user device path in an environment;
receiving location information from a plurality of user devices;
identifying a first area in the environment, the first area having a first user density value;
identifying a second area in the environment, the second area having a second user density value, wherein the first user density value is greater than the second user density value;
when the first density value exceeds a threshold density value, generating an instruction to, based on a location of the first area and a location of the second area, add a fixture into the environment, remove a fixture from the environment, or modify a fixture in the environment; and
modifying the recommended first user device path based on the instruction to add a fixture into the environment, remove a fixture from the environment, or modify a fixture in the environment.

15. The medium of claim 14 , wherein the environment is partitioned into a grid of discretized areas, including the first area and second area, and the at least one processor assigns each discretized area a density value.

16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the threshold value is defined by historical density values within the first area.

17. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the threshold value is defined by statistical analysis of the density values assigned to each discretized area in the grid.

18. The medium of claim 14 , wherein the location information from a plurality of user devices is received periodically.

19. The medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
generating one or more destination options for the first user in response to receiving the request to provide a path.

20. A path management system comprising:
one or more processors; and
at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the path management system to perform operations comprising:
receiving from a first user device a request to provide a path;
recommending a first user device path in an environment;
receiving location information from a plurality of user devices;
identifying a first area in the environment, the first area having a first user density value;
identifying a second area in the environment, the second area having a second user density value, wherein the first user density value is greater than the second user density value;
when the first density value exceeds a threshold density value, generating an instruction to, based on a location of the first area and a location of the second area, add a fixture into the environment, remove a fixture from the environment, or modify a fixture in the environment; and
modifying the recommended first user device path based on the instruction to add a fixture into the environment, remove a fixture from the environment, or modify a fixture in the environment.

Assignees

• Capital One Services Llc

Inventors

• Douglas Lawrence
• Clarke Thomas Christopher
• Nally Deborah

Classifications

• H04W4/027

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• H04W4/023 Primary

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04W40/20

  based on geographic position or location · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W4/029 Primary

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title