Beacon tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11068835-B2
Application number	US-201916524374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to the use of Bluetooth beacons for enhancing delivery tracking. A Bluetooth beacon may be carried by a delivery agent. A ID of the beacon may be detected by one or more sensors. Tracking of the delivery agent may be performed by determining where the ID is detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
controlling, by at least one processor:
receiving, an order for at least one item from a first computing device;
transmitting the order to a second computing device;
receiving a first indication from the second computing device that a first signal from a wireless beacon of a third computing device has been detected by the second computing device;
in response to receiving the first indication,
(i) associating the wireless beacon of the third computing device with the order, and
(ii) transmitting a confirmation that controls operation of a wireless receiver associated with the first computing device to detect a given signal from the wireless beacon;

after the wireless beacon is associated with the order, receiving a second indication from the first computing device that a second signal from the wireless beacon has been detected by the wireless receiver; and
in response to receiving the second indication, determining that the order has been delivered.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second signals includes a unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon and the first and second indications include the unique identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising controlling, by the at least one processor:
storing a plurality of unique identifiers corresponding to a plurality of wireless beacons in memory coupled to the at least one processor; and
comparing the unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon to the plurality of unique identifiers stored in the memory.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising controlling, by the at least one processor:
determining that the unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon is not included in the plurality of unique identifiers, and
storing the unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon in the memory.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising controlling, by the at least one processor:
determining that the unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon matches one of the plurality of unique identifiers stored in the memory,
wherein associating the wireless beacon with the order includes associating the matching unique identifier stored in the memory with the order.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein determining that the order has been delivered includes comparing the unique identifier received with the second indication to the matching unique identifier stored in the memory and determining that the unique identifier received with the second indication and the matching unique identifier stored in the memory are a match.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein determining that the order has been delivered includes comparing the unique identifier received with the second indication to the unique identifier received with the first indication and determining that the unique identifier received with the second indication matches the unique identifier received with the first indication.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
controlling, by the at least one processor, the first computing device whether to operate to detect the given signal, when the order is determined to have been delivered.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling, by the at least one processor, de-activating the wireless receiver to detect the given signal from the wireless beacon, when the order is determined to have been delivered.

10. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor configured to control:
receiving an order for at least one item from a first computing device;
transmitting the order to a second computing device;
receiving a first indication from the second computing device that a first signal from a wireless beacon of a third computing device has been detected by the second computing device;
in response to receiving the first indication,
(i) associating the wireless beacon of the third computing device with the order, and
(ii) transmitting a confirmation that controls operation of a wireless receiver associated with the first computing device to detect a given signal from the wireless beacon;

after the wireless beacon is associated with the order, receiving a second indication from the first computing device that a second signal from the wireless beacon has been detected by the wireless receiver; and
in response to receiving the second indication, determining that the order has been delivered.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second signals includes a unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon and the first and second indications include the unique identifier.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to control:
storing a plurality of unique identifiers corresponding to a plurality of wireless beacons in memory coupled to the at least one processor; and
comparing the unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon to the plurality of unique identifiers stored in the memory.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor is configured to control:
determining that the unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon is not included in the plurality of unique identifiers, and
storing the unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon in the memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to control:
determining that the unique identifier corresponding to the wireless beacon matches one of the plurality of unique identifiers stored in the memory,
wherein associating the wireless beacon with the order includes associating the matching unique identifier stored in the memory with the order.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein determining that the order has been delivered includes comparing the unique identifier received with the second indication to the matching unique identifier stored in the memory and determining that the unique identifier received with the second indication and the matching unique identifier stored in the memory are a match.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein determining that the order has been delivered includes comparing the unique identifier received with the second indication to the unique identifier received with the first indication and determining that the unique identifier received with the second indication matches the unique identifier received with the first indication.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to control the first computing device whether to operate to detect the given signal, when the order is determined to have been delivered.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to control de-activating the wireless receiver to detect the given signal from the wireless beacon, when the order is determined to have been delivered.

19. A non-transitory storage medium configured to record instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, control:
receiving an order for at least one item from a first computing device;
transmitting the order to a second computing device;
receiving a first indication from the second computing device that a first signal from a wireless beacon of a third computing device has been detected by the second computing device;
in response to receiving the first indication,
(i) associating the wireless beacon of the third computing devic

Assignees

• Cfph Llc

Inventors

• Sims Colin
• Winters Jay

Classifications

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G06Q10/083

  Shipping · CPC title

• G06Q10/0833 Primary

  Tracking · CPC title