System, methods and nodes for providing zone-based services based on pairings between compatible profiles

Abstract

Disclosed methods and systems allow provision of zone-based services to users. Both zones and users have their own profiles. A detection system allows determining when users enter or leave a zone. A pairing is calculated between compatible elements of zone profiles, or between compatible elements of the user profiles. Delivery of zone-based services may conditionally be granted according to a level of the pairing. Pairings may also be established between users or between zones. A server may manage profiles for the zones and for the users.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing zone-based services to users, comprising:
 detecting presence of a user in a zone;   calculating a pairing between compatible elements of a profile of the zone and of a profile of the user; and   offering a service to the user based on the pairing.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 conditionally offering the service to the user if the pairing meets or exceeds a threshold value.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising:
 assigning a weighting value to each profile element for calculation of the pairing.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising:
 assigning greater than zero weighting values to compatible profile elements; and   assigning a weighting value set to zero or to a negative value to incompatible profile elements.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 receiving a displayed user profile from the user;   wherein the profile of the user comprises at least the displayed profile.   
     
     
         6 . A method for providing zone-based services to users, comprising:
 receiving from a first user a searched user profile (SUP);   receiving from a second user a displayed user profile (DUP); and   calculating a pairing between compatible elements of the SUP and of the DUP.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 conditionally establishing a communication between the first and second users if the pairing meets or exceeds a threshold value.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 editing by the second user of an element of the displayed user profile (DUP) according to a desired service.   
     
     
         9 . A method for providing zone-based services to users, comprising:
 calculating a pairing between compatible elements of a searched profile of a first user and of a displayed profile of a second user;   detecting a presence of the second user in a given zone; and   conditionally establishing a communication between the first and second users if the pairing meets or exceeds a threshold value.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , comprising:
 detecting a presence of the first user in the given zone.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the second user is virtually present in the given zone.   
     
     
         12 . A system for providing zone-based services to users, comprising:
 a plurality of detection systems associated with zones for detecting presence of the users in the zones; and   a server communicatively coupled to the detection systems and comprising a database for storing areas of coverage of each zone and for storing location information about the users.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 a detection system associated with a given zone is configured to inform the server of the presence of a given user; and   the server is configured to:
 calculate a pairing between compatible elements of a profile of the given zone and of a profile of the given user, and 
 conditionally grant a service to the given user if the pairing meets or exceeds a threshold value. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the database is further configured to store weighting levels for each element of the profile of the given zone and for each element of the profile of the given user; and   the server is further configured to use the weighting levels to calculate the pairing.   
     
     
         15 . A method for acquiring a service at a terminal, comprising:
 receiving, at the terminal, a displayed zone profile (DZP) and a searched user profile (SUP);   selecting, at the terminal, a displayed user profile (DUP) and a searched zone profile (SZP) based on a desired service corresponding to the DZP and to the SUP; and   transmitting, from the terminal, the DUP and the SZP.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  15 , wherein:
 selecting, at the terminal, a displayed user profile (DUP) comprises selecting one or more information elements of a generic user profile.   
     
     
         17 . A terminal, comprising:
 a receiver for receiving a displayed zone profile (DZP) and a searched user profile (SUP);   a controller for selecting a displayed user profile (DUP) and a searched zone profile (SZP) based on a desired service corresponding to the DZP; and   a transmitter for transmitting the DUP and the SZP.   
     
     
         18 . The terminal of  17 , wherein:
 the controller selects the displayed user profile (DUP) by selecting one or more information elements of a generic user profile.   
     
     
         19 . A method of detecting presence of mobile terminals in a zone, comprising:
 receiving, from a mobile terminal, a signal indicating that the mobile terminal is entering or leaving a coverage area of the zone; and   forwarding toward a server a message indicating that the mobile terminal has entered or left the coverage area of the zone.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising:
 transmitting, within the coverage area of the zone, a signal allowing the mobile terminal to detect boundaries of the coverage area of the zone.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the signal allowing the mobile terminal to detect boundaries of the coverage area of the zone comprises a system code and an identification code of the zone.   
     
     
         22 . A device for detecting presence of mobile terminals in a zone, comprising:
 a receiver for receiving, from a mobile terminal, a signal indicating that the mobile terminal is entering or leaving a coverage area of the zone; and   a controller for forwarding toward a server a message indicating that the mobile terminal has entered or left the coverage area of the zone.   
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22 , comprising:
 a transmitter for transmitting, within the coverage area of the zone, a signal allowing the mobile terminal to detect boundaries of the coverage area of the zone.   
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the signal allowing the mobile terminal to detect boundaries of the coverage area of the zone comprises a system code and an identification code of the zone.   
     
     
         25 . A zone for providing services to users, comprising:
 a displayed profile of services provided by the zone; and   a searched profile of a user or of another zone.   
     
     
         26 . The zone of  claim 25 , comprising:
 a geographical coverage area; and   a detection system for detecting presence of a given user in the coverage area.   
     
     
         27 . The zone of  claim 26 , wherein:
 the detection system is communicatively coupled to a server and is configured to inform the server of a presence of the given user within the geographical coverage area.