Crowd-Based Bonus Targeting With Thermal and RFID Detection

The patent introduces sensors as an intermediary device that indirectly detects consumer presence and characteristics without requiring direct consumer interaction or card usage. The sensors detect thermal signatures, RFID signals, or other physical markers to identify consumers and deliver bonuses, serving as a mediator between the bonus distribution system and consumers who would otherwise refuse to engage with traditional card-based systems

The patent replaces the mechanical card-swiping or card-insertion system with a sensor-based detection system. Instead of requiring consumers to physically interact with card readers, the system uses thermal sensors, RFID readers, or other non-contact detection methods to automatically identify and target consumers for bonus distribution, eliminating the participation barrier while maintaining targeting capability

The patent employs sensors with multiple detection capabilities (thermal detection, RFID reading, proximity sensing) that can serve various functions beyond just bonus distribution. These sensors can track consumer movement patterns, identify demographic characteristics, monitor crowd density, and trigger different types of promotions, allowing a single sensor deployment to support multiple marketing objectives and reducing the need for separate systems for each function

The system automatically processes sensor data to identify consumers, determine their preferences and behaviors, and deliver appropriate bonuses without requiring manual intervention. The sensor network self-configures to track consumers through the facility, automatically cross-references detected consumers with customer databases, and triggers promotion delivery, reducing operational complexity despite the sophisticated detection capabilities