Method and system for wireless tracking of a portable device throughout a premises

Abstract

A system and method for operating a reward points accumulation and redemption program wherein a user earns reward points from a plurality of independent reward points issuing entities, with each tracking the user's earned reward points in a user reward point account stored on a multi-function card (such as a frequent flyer account or a credit card loyalty account). The multi-function card is adapted to aggregate some or all of the user's earned reward points from the reward accounts and credit the aggregated points into a single reward exchange account on the multi-function card. The user may then select an item for purchase with the accumulated reward points from the multi-function card. The item is provided to the user in exchange for a subset or all of the reward points from the multi-function card.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system comprising:
 a portable hand-held multi-function device comprising radio frequency circuitry adapted to transmit a radio frequency signal comprising an identification of the portable hand-held multi-function device; and   a tracking system interoperable with the portable hand-held multi-function device, the tracking system comprising:
 a computer network; 
 a plurality of radio frequency transponders interconnected to the computer network, each of the transponders strategically located throughout a premises, each of the transponders comprising circuitry for reading the identification of the portable hand-held multi-function device transmitted by the radio frequency circuitry of the portable hand-held multi-function device; and 
 a tracking server computer interconnected to the computer network, the tracking server computer programmed to
 communicate with each of the plurality of radio frequency transponders; 
 generate tracking information by determining if the portable hand-held multi-function device is within a predetermined proximity to at least one of the radio frequency transponders; and 
 analyze the tracking information to track a path of the portable hand-held multi-function device throughout the premises. 
 
   
     
     
         36 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 35  wherein the radio frequency circuitry comprises RFID circuitry and the radio frequency transponders comprise an RFID transponder. 
     
     
         37 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 35  wherein at least one of the plurality of radio frequency transponders is located at an entry point of the premises. 
     
     
         38 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 35  wherein the plurality of radio frequency transponders are strategically located throughout a plurality of aisles of the premises. 
     
     
         39 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 35  wherein at least one of the plurality of radio frequency transponders is located at a point of sale terminal in the premises. 
     
     
         40 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 37  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to determine when the portable hand-held multi-function device has entered the premises. 
     
     
         41 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 38  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to determine in which of the plurality of aisles the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of. 
     
     
         42 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 41  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to determine for how long the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of each of the aisles. 
     
     
         43 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 42  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to generate a purchase incentive based on an analysis of
 in which of the plurality of aisles the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of, and 
 how long the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of each of the aisles. 
 
     
     
         44 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 43  wherein the purchase incentive comprises a coupon. 
     
     
         45 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 43  wherein the purchase incentive comprises reward points. 
     
     
         46 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 45  wherein the portable hand-held multi-function device comprises memory for storing a reward account, and wherein the reward points are loaded into the reward account in the memory of the portable hand-held multi-function device by a point of sale terminal interconnected to the computer network and in communication with the tracking server computer. 
     
     
         47 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 43  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to analyze a product purchase made with the portable hand-held multi-function device and generate the purchase incentive based on the analysis of the product purchase history. 
     
     
         48 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 35  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to generate a purchase incentive as a function of a user profile accessed by the tracking server computer based on the identification of the portable hand-held multi-function device. 
     
     
         49 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 48  wherein the user profile comprises prior product purchase information. 
     
     
         50 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 35  wherein the portable hand-held multi-function device comprises a smart card. 
     
     
         51 . The combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system of  claim 35  wherein the portable hand-held multi-function device comprises a peripheral device. 
     
     
         52 . A tracking system interoperable with a portable hand-held multi-function device, the tracking system comprising:
 a computer network;   a plurality of radio frequency transponders interconnected to the computer network, each of the transponders strategically located throughout a premises, each of the transponders comprising circuitry for reading an identification of a portable hand-held multi-function device transmitted by the portable hand-held multi-function device; and   a tracking server computer interconnected to the computer network, the tracking server computer programmed to
 communicate with each of the plurality of radio frequency transponders; 
 generate tracking information by determining if the portable hand-held multi-function device is within a predetermined proximity to at least one of the radio frequency transponders; and 
 analyze the tracking information to track a path of the portable hand-held multi-function device throughout the premises. 
   
     
     
         53 . The tracking system of  claim 52  wherein the radio frequency transponders comprise an RFID transponder. 
     
     
         54 . The tracking system of  claim 52  wherein at least one of the plurality of radio frequency transponders is located at an entry point of the premises. 
     
     
         55 . The tracking system of  claim 52  wherein the plurality of radio frequency transponders are strategically located throughout a plurality of aisles of the premises. 
     
     
         56 . The tracking system of  claim 52  wherein at least one of the plurality of radio frequency transponders is located at a point of sale terminal in the premises. 
     
     
         57 . The tracking system of  claim 54  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to determine when the portable hand-held multi-function device has entered the premises. 
     
     
         58 . The tracking system of  claim 55  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to determine in which of the plurality of aisles the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of. 
     
     
         59 . The tracking system of  claim 58  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to determine for how long the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of each of the aisles. 
     
     
         60 . The tracking system of  claim 59  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to generate a purchase incentive based on an analysis of
 in which of the plurality of aisles the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of, and 
 how long the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of each of the aisles. 
 
     
     
         61 . The tracking system of  claim 60  wherein the purchase incentive comprises a coupon. 
     
     
         62 . The tracking system of  claim 60  wherein the purchase incentive comprises reward points. 
     
     
         63 . The tracking system of  claim 60  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to analyze a product purchase made with the portable hand-held multi-function device and generate the purchase incentive based on the analysis of the product purchase history. 
     
     
         64 . The tracking system of  claim 52  wherein the tracking server computer is further programmed to generate a purchase incentive as a function of a user profile accessed by the tracking server computer based on the identification of the portable hand-held multi-function device. 
     
     
         65 . The tracking system of  claim 64  wherein the user profile comprises prior product purchase information. 
     
     
         66 . A computer-implemented method of operating a combination portable hand-held multi-function device and tracking system 
       comprising:
 a portable hand-held multi-function device transmitting a radio frequency signal comprising an identification of the portable hand-held multi-function device; 
 at least one of a plurality of radio frequency transponders interconnected to a computer network and strategically located throughout a premises reading the identification of the portable hand-held multi-function device transmitted by the portable hand-held multi-function device; and 
 a tracking server computer interconnected to the computer network
 communicating with each of the plurality of radio frequency transponders; 
 generating tracking information by determining if the portable hand-held multi-function device is within a predetermined proximity to at least one of the radio frequency transponders; and 
 analyzing the tracking information to track a path of the portable hand-held multi-function device throughout the premises. 
 
 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66  wherein the portable hand-held multi-function device transmits a radio frequency signal comprising an identification of the portable hand-held multi-function device radio frequency circuitry with RFID circuitry. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 66  wherein at least one of the plurality of radio frequency transponders is located at an entry point of the premises. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 66  wherein the plurality of radio frequency transponders are strategically located throughout a plurality of aisles of the premises. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 66  wherein at least one of the plurality of radio frequency transponders is located at a point of sale terminal in the premises. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 68  further comprising the step of the tracking server computer determining when the portable hand-held multi-function device has entered the premises. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 69  further comprising the step of the tracking server computer determining in which of the plurality of aisles the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 72  further comprising the step of the tracking server computer determining how long the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of each of the aisles. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73  further comprising the steps of the tracking server computer generating a purchase incentive based on an analysis of
 in which of the plurality of aisles the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of, and 
 how long the portable hand-held multi-function device has been in proximity of each of the aisles. 
 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 74  wherein the purchase incentive comprises a coupon. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 74  wherein the purchase incentive comprises reward points. 
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76  further comprising the step of loading the reward points into a reward account in a memory of the portable hand-held multi-function device by a point of sale terminal interconnected to the computer network and in communication with the tracking server computer. 
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 74  further comprising the step of analyzing a product purchase made with the portable hand-held multi-function device and generate the purchase incentive based on the analysis of the product purchase history. 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 66  further comprising the step of the tracking server computer generating a purchase incentive as a function of a user profile accessed by the tracking server computer based on the identification of the portable hand-held multi-function device. 
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 79  wherein the user profile comprises prior product purchase information.