Venue Patron Tracking via Wireless Signal Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies lack an efficient means to determine when a patron is onsite at a venue and track their presence effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involves downloading a mobile application to collect personally identifiable information, associating it with a device address, and using wireless communications to trigger personalized marketing activities based on the patron's location within a venue, utilizing WIFI sensors and MAC addresses to track and identify patrons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If player cards are used to track patrons, then patron identification is possible, but the card must be active and the patron must be playing a game
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical player card system with a wireless communication system using mobile devices. Instead of requiring physical card insertion into slot machines, the system uses wireless signals (WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular) to detect and identify patrons' mobile devices, eliminating the need for active game participation to track patron presence and preferences
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces mobile devices as intermediaries between patrons and the venue management system. These devices continuously emit wireless signals that can be detected by venue sensors, serving as a persistent identifier that doesn't require active game engagement, thus bridging the gap between passive tracking and active identification
2Reliability
If wireless communication protocols are used to track patrons, then continuous tracking is possible, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the universal nature of mobile devices that patrons already carry. These multi-functional devices serve both as communication tools and as tracking identifiers. The venue's wireless infrastructure (WiFi access points, Bluetooth sensors) serves dual purposes of providing network coverage and detecting patron presence, reducing the need for dedicated tracking hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the mobile device's own wireless transmission capabilities to identify itself to the venue's detection network. The device doesn't require special tracking hardware or active participation - its normal wireless communications (WiFi connections, Bluetooth pings, cellular signals) are sufficient for identification and tracking, making the system self-identifying rather than requiring external assignment
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for personalized venue marketing is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an application that is resident on a mobile communication device of a patron sends personally identifiable information and the identifying device address to a server when the patron enters a venue. The server associates the identifying device address of the mobile device with the patron in a customer relations management (CRM) database for the venue. The identifying device address allows for tracking of the patron by WiFi sensors positioned throughout the venue.