Using beacons to author and deliver wrap packages of cards with custom content to target individuals

Abstract

A method for defining and delivering wrap packages of cards with custom content to target individuals. The method involves (a) defining a set of cards of a wrap package with one or more variable content container(s), (b) ascertaining if a target recipient of the wrap package has roamed into a range of a beacon, (c) identifying the target recipient in the range of the beacon, (d) associating custom content with the one or more variable content container(s) of the set of cards of the wrap package after the target recipient is identified and (e) distributing the wrap package to the target recipient, the distributed wrap package having the custom content associated with the one or more variable content container(s) of the set of cards of the wrap package respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 (a) defining a set of cards of a wrap package with one or more variable content container(s);   (b) ascertaining if a target recipient of the wrap package has roamed into a range of a beacon;   (c) identifying the target recipient in the range of the beacon;   (d) associating custom content with the one or more variable content container(s) of the set of cards of the wrap package after the target recipient is identified; and   (e) distributing the wrap package to the target recipient, the distributed wrap package having the custom content associated with the one or more variable content container(s) of the set of cards of the wrap package respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 specifying a content type for each of the one or more variable content container(s); and   associating the custom content to the one or more variable content container(s) by the specified content type respectively.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more variable content container(s) comprises one of the following:
 a variable text content component container;   a variable photo/image content component container;   a variable video content component container; or   a variable trigger content component container.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defining the custom content further comprising applying analytics to a set of data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the analytics include one or more of the following:
 (a) age or age group of the identified target recipient;   (b) gender of the identified target recipient;   (c) location of the target recipient;   (d) buying history of the target recipient;   (e) demographics of the target recipient; and/or   (f) income of the target recipient.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more analytics include:
 (a) geographic location of the beacon;   (b) products and/or services offered within the range defined by the beacon;   (c) a party responsible for providing the beacon; and/or   (d) a time period in which the beacon is triggered when the target recipient has entered the range of the beacon   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defining the set of cards of the wrap package further comprises performing one or more of the following:
 (a) defining one or more styles for the set of cards of the wrap package;   (b) defining one more behaviors for the set of cards of the wrap package;   (c) defining one or more triggers for the set of cards for triggering an action when selected during consumption of the wrap package; and/or   (d) defining one or more attributes for the set of cards of the wrap package.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a set of card descriptors for the set of cards of the wrap package respectively, the set of card descriptors including one or more data objects representative of the custom content associated with the set of cards of the wrap package. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a wrap descriptor for the wrap package, the wrap descriptor including a set of card descriptors including one or more data objects representative of the custom content associated with the set of cards of the wrap package. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a wrap descriptor for the wrap package, the wrap descriptor defining the wrap package by:
 (a) specifying the set of cards of the wrap package;   (b) specifying a set of card descriptors for the set of cards respectively, each of the card descriptors defining the content, including any of the associated custom content, structure and layout for the corresponding card among the set of cards respectively.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defining the set of cards of the wrap package further comprises:
 defining the set of cards of the wrap package from one or more card templates;   designating one or more empty component container(s) in the set of cards; and   designating the custom content to be inserted into the one or more empty component container(s) when the target recipient has been identified.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defining the set of cards of the wrap package further comprises:
 specifying one or more card templates defined by an authoring tool; and   creating and authoring the set of cards of the wrap package from the one or more card templates respectively.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defining the set of cards of the wrap package further comprises authoring one or more linear sequences for rendering the set of cards. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more sequences include:
 (i) a horizontal sequence;   (ii) a vertical sequence; or   (iii) both the horizontal and the vertical sequences.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defining the set of cards of the wrap package further comprises defining a card type among a plurality of card types for each of the set of cards of the wrap package, the plurality of card types including:
 (a) a textual card;   (b) an image or photo card;   (c) a video card;   (d) a document card;   (e) a gallery card;   (f) a chat card;   (g) a location or GPS functionality card;   (h) a transact card;   (i) an appointment/reservation/booking card; and   (j) an end of the wrap package card.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defining the set of cards of the wrap package further comprises specifying a component into a select card of the wrap package. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the specified component is a dynamic component that is capable of dynamically updating when the select card is rendered. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) text;   (b) an image or photo   (c) video;   (d) a document;   (e) a chat function;   (f) a location or GPS function;   (g) a transact function; or   (h) an appointment/booking making function.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising assigning a unique wrap identifier to the wrap package with the associated custom content, the wrap identifier used by the target recipient to access the wrap package. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising associating a cover with the wrap package, the cover defining a wrap identifier for identifying and accessing a wrap descriptor associated with the wrap package. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a plurality of beacons, each of the plurality of beacons defining a range respectively;   identifying target recipients as they roam into the range of the plurality of beacons respectively;   generating a plurality of wrap packages, each with associated custom content, as the identified target recipients roam into the range of the plurality of beacons respectively, and   distributing the plurality of generated wrap packages, each with the associated custom content, to the identified target recipients after they roam into the range of the plurality of beacons respectively.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the custom content associated with the plurality of wrap packages is relevant to each of the target recipients roaming into the range of one of the plurality of beacons respectively. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 ; further comprising:
 defining one or more analytics;   defining the custom content, for each of the plurality of wrap packages, at least partially based on the one or more analytics.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising defining the custom content, for each of the plurality of wrap packages, at least partially based on analytics related to the identified target recipients respectively. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising generating the custom content, for each of the plurality of wrap packages, at least partially based on analytics related to a specific beacon, among the plurality of beacons, a corresponding identified target recipient has roamed into. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of beacons are associated with a plurality of departments of a department store respectively. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the target recipient further comprises using a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol to identify a mobile communication device associated with the target recipient when the mobile communication device has roamed into the range of the beacon. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the target recipient further comprises establishing a communication session between a mobile communication device associated with the target recipient and the beacon when the mobile communication device has roamed into the range of the beacon and exchanging information during the session so that the target recipient can be identified.