Wireless beacon devices for use in managing transportation service terminals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9585079-B2
Application number	US-201414543440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2014
Priority date	Nov 17, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

There are provided systems and methods for wireless beacon devices for use in managing transportation service terminals. A user may travel with a device, such as a communication device, that includes a communication module that may utilize specialized hardware features to establish short range wireless communications with nearby wireless beacons. The wireless beacons may be established at or nearby transportation service terminals, such as bus/train stops. The beacon may provide the aforementioned communication services with the communication device and be utilized to determine whether the user will utilize a transportation service for the terminal. If the user wishes to utilize the transportation service, a transportation service may be alerted. The user may also be alerted of an expected time of arrival for the transportation service, other transportation services available at the transportation terminal, and/or of nearby transportation terminals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a non-transitory memory;
one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to execute instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
receiving a first communication device identifier for a first communication device from a first connection between the first communication device and a first wireless beacon of a plurality of wireless beacons associated with a first transportation terminal, wherein the first wireless beacon determines that the first communication device is within a first distance of the first wireless beacon by monitoring short range communications frequencies and connecting to the first communication device;
determining the first transportation service is associated with the first transportation terminal using transportation routing information about the first transportation service;
receiving the first communication device identifier from a second connection, after the first connection, between the first communication device and a second wireless beacon of the plurality of wireless beacons, wherein the second wireless beacon is located within the first transportation terminal;
generating a first notification comprising an alert to the first transportation service of a potential use of the first transportation service by a first user associated with the first communication device; and
communicating the first notification to a first device associated with the first transportation service.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first connection and the second connection use one of near field communication, radio communication, infrared communication, Bluetooth communication, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, WiFi communication, or LTE Direct communication.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first transportation service comprises one of a bus, a train, a subway, a car service, a taxi service, a boat service, or a shuttle service, and wherein the first device comprises a a display for displaying the first notification to a second user associated with the first transportation service.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first communication device communicates personal information identifying the first user to the first wireless beacon, and wherein the first notification comprises the personal information.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a second communication device identifier for a second communication device for a second user connected to the second wireless beacon located within the first transportation terminal; and
determining a first number of users at the first transportation terminal including the first user and the second user, wherein the notification comprises the first number of users.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the notification further comprises a second number of users at a second transportation terminal.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first device displays the first number of users and the second number of users on a map comprising the first transportation terminal and the second transportation terminal.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the first notification is further based on a length of time for the second connection.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
communicating a second notification comprising first information for the first transportation service to one of the first communication device and the second wireless beacon.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a second transportation service serving the first transportation terminal using the transportation routing information; and
communicating a second third notification comprising second information for the second transportation service to one of the first communication device and the second wireless beacon.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a second notification from the first transportation service comprising a status that the first transportation service is at or approaching a maximum capacity;
determining a second transportation service serving the first transportation terminal using the transportation routing information; and
communicating the first notification to a second device associated with the second transportation service.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
communicating a third notification comprising the status and information for the second transportation service to one of the first communication device and the second wireless beacon.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a second transportation terminal associated with the first transportation service; and
communicating a second notification comprising information for the second transportation terminal to the first communication device.

14. A method comprising:
receiving, by a transportation terminal information processing module executed by at least one hardware processor, first connection information from a first wireless beacon, wherein the first wireless beacon determines that a communication device for a user is within a predetermined distance of the first wireless beacon by monitoring short range communications frequencies and connecting to the communication device, and wherein the first connection information comprises a first connection between the communication device for the user and the first wireless beacon at a first transportation terminal;
receiving second connection information from a second wireless beacon, wherein the second connection information comprises a second connection between the communication device and the second wireless beacon after the first connection, and wherein the second wireless beacon is located within the first transportation terminal;
accessing, by the transportation terminal information processing module, transportation services information for the first transportation terminal;
determining, by the transportation terminal information processing module, a first transportation service for use by the user using the transportation services information and the second connection;
determining a potential use by the user of the first transportation service based on the first connection and the second connection; and
communicating, via a communication module of the server device, a first alert to the first transportation service that the user is located at the first transportation terminal.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
communicating, via the communication module, a notification to the user that the first transportation service is approaching the first transportation terminal.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the notification comprises a time until arrival for the first transportation service.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
receiving, via the communication module, a request for a second transportation service at the first transportation terminal;
determining, by the transportation terminal information processing module, whether the second transportation service serves the first transportation terminal using the transportation services information; and
communicating, via the communication module, the determination to the user.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
communicating, via the communication module, a second alert to the second transportation service that the user is loca

Assignees

• Paypal Inc

Inventors

• Todasco Michael Charles
• Williams Megan Marie
• Hwang Michael
• Serrano Michelle

Classifications

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W76/021

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W40/244 Primary

  using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing · CPC title

• H04W40/20

  based on geographic position or location · CPC title