Device and system for providing current information for a geographic point of interest

Abstract

A computer-based system manages and communicates the identity, attributes, and current state of a geographic point of interest. The system includes a beacon device and a distributed data network. The beacon device includes a housing supporting control electronics, a display, and communication electronics. The beacon is placed at a visible location at the geographic point of interest and receives information concerning the geographical point of interest. The display visibly communicates the information while the communication electronics communicates the same information to the distributed data network. A user can query a location-based service and receive the same information from the distributed data network that is being communicated by the display, assuring communication of accurate and consistent information concerning the geographic point of interest.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing information concerning a geographic point of reference to a user comprising:
 a system including a beacon device connected to a distributed data network, the beacon device providing an authoritative layer over the distributed data network, the beacon device under control of an operator of the geographic point of interest and located at the geographic point of interest, the system configured to:   receive identity information;   store the identity information;   receive new information at the geographic point of interest into the beacon device the new information including one or more of attribute information and operating status information;   transfer the new information from the beacon device to the distributed data network; and   transfer the new information from the distributed data network to a location based service which is one of an online directory service, a search engine, a social media service, and a navigation service;   wherein as the authoritative layer the beacon device stores both the identity information and the new information while the distributed data network relies on the beacon device in order to provide the new information to the distributed data network.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the beacon device is configured to visibly display the same new information that is transferred to the location based service. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the new information is transferred from the beacon device to the distributed data network in response to a user query received from the location based service. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the new information is received by and transferred from the beacon device to the location based service in response to a periodic trigger generated in the beacon device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a data feed module configured to transfer the new information from the distributed data network to the location based service. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the new information includes information received by the beacon device from a sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the sensor includes one or more of a web camera, a motion sensor, a microphone, and a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the identity information is stored in at least one data field including one or more of a business name, a tax identification code, and a business address. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the attribute information includes one or more of operating times, payment types received, product lines carried, services provided, GPS coordinates, and associated businesses. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the operating status information includes one or more of whether or not the geographic point of interest is open or closed, whether or not there is access to an entrance, whether certain personnel are present, access road conditions, local weather conditions, services immediately available, and whether certain products are in stock. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the location based service is a distributed location based service that obtains the new information by directly accessing the distributed data network to obtain the new information from the beacon device. 
     
     
         12 . A method of providing information concerning a geographic point of reference to a user comprising:
 providing a system which includes a beacon device connected to a distributed data network, the beacon device providing an authoritative layer over the distributed data network within the system, the beacon device under control of an operator of the geographic point of interest and located at the geographic point of interest during a provision of new information, the method comprising:   the system receiving identity information concerning the geographic place of interest;   the system storing the identity information;   the beacon device receiving new information including one or more of attribute information and operating status information; and   transferring the new information to a location based service which is one of an online directory service, a search engine, a social media service, and a navigation system;   wherein as the authoritative layer the beacon device stores both the identity information and the new information while the distributed data network relies on data from the beacon device in order to transfer the new information to the location based service.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising visibly displaying the new information upon the beacon device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein transferring the identity information and the new information is in response to one of: a query received from the location based service and a periodic trigger generated in the beacon device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the new information includes information received from a sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the sensor includes one or more of a web camera, a motion sensor, a microphone, and a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the identity information is stored in at least one data field including one or more of a business name, a tax identification code, and a business address. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the new information includes one or more of operating times, payment types received, product lines carried, services provided, GPS coordinates, associated businesses, whether or not the geographic point of interest is open or closed, whether or not there is access to an entrance, whether certain personnel are present, access road conditions, local weather conditions, services immediately available, and whether certain products are in stock. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  wherein as the authoritative layer the beacon device stores at least some new information that is not available to a user of the location based service without being transferred from the beacon device to the location based service in response to a query from the user. 
     
     
         20 . A method of providing information concerning a geographic point of reference to a user comprising:
 providing an electronic publishing system which includes a beacon device connected to a distributed data network, the beacon device under control of an operator of the geographic point of interest and located at the geographic point of interest during a provision of new information, the method comprising:   receiving identity information concerning the geographic point of interest;   storing the identity information;   the beacon device receiving the new information;   storing the new information within the beacon device;   receiving a query at the beacon device that originates from a location based service which is one of an online directory service, a search engine, a social media service, and a navigation system; and   transferring the new information from the beacon device to the location based service in response to the query originally received by the location based service.