Wireless Device Detection and Visit Profiling via Signal Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless network systems lack the ability to automatically detect, recognize, and profile wireless devices visiting or approaching hotspots, which limits their capacity to manage network access and understand user behavior effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for automatically characterizing wireless device visits by detecting transmissions, extracting unique device identifiers, associating visit profiles, and tracking subsequent transmissions to differentiate between walk-in and walk-by devices, and classify visits based on signal strength and duration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless network systems provide open access to all devices, then network accessibility is improved, but network management and user behavior analysis capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system comprising a detector, extractor, and profiler that mediates between open wireless access and network management. The detector captures wireless transmissions, the extractor obtains device identifiers, and the profiler creates visit profiles, thereby enabling user behavior analysis without restricting network accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring wireless transmissions, extracting device identifiers, and updating visit profiles. This feedback loop enables the network system to adapt to user behavior patterns while maintaining open access, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and management capability.
2Loss of information
If the system tracks and profiles all wireless device transmissions, then user behavior analysis capability is improved, but system complexity and processing requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction by isolating only the essential device identifier information from wireless transmissions. The extractor component specifically extracts unique device identifiers from captured transmissions, filtering out unnecessary data and reducing processing complexity while maintaining user behavior analysis capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by creating specific visit profiles for different devices based on their individual transmission patterns. Each device receives tailored profiling attention only when relevant, rather than uniform processing of all data, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining analysis capability.
3Measurement precision
If the system distinguishes between walk-in and walk-by devices using signal strength analysis, then visit characterization accuracy is improved, but measurement and detection difficulty worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing signal strength as a key parameter to differentiate between walk-in and walk-by devices. The system monitors changes in signal strength parameters over time and uses these variations to characterize device visits, improving accuracy while managing detection complexity through focused parameter analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
Described are various embodiments of a system and method in which device-identifying data can be used to uniquely recognize and optionally track and report on device activity at one or more Wi-Fi locations by way of the creation and management of a device and/or visit profile uniquely associated with such devices and stored in a network accessible knowledge base.