Wireless locator system

Abstract

The disclosure relates to technology for determining a location of a user in a physical venue, the method comprising receiving, at a central processor, a signal from a wireless transmitter in the user's possession, the signal containing an encoded message and additional metadata, determining a location of the wireless transmitter in the physical venue based on the encoded message and the additional metadata, and outputting the location.

1 - 29 : (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method for determining a location of a mobile device as the mobile device moves within a predefined physical venue, the method comprising:
 simultaneously receiving at two or more fixedly located radio receivers disposed in the venue, a data signal broadcast from a radio transmitter provided in the mobile device, the broadcast data signal containing an encoded message that includes a unique identifier associated with the mobile device;   determining a location of the mobile device in the physical venue based on the encoded message contained in the broadcast data signal and simultaneously received by the at the two or more radio receivers; and   outputting the determined location.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the data signal is broadcast by the radio transmitter in response to submission of a request for at least one of a product or service that is to be provided in the predefined physical venue by a provider. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the request specifies a product to be provided by the provider. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the request specifies a service to be provided by the provider. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the transmitter provided in the mobile device repeatedly transmits additional data signals each containing the encoded message. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30  wherein:
 the broadcast data signal further contains metadata in addition to the encoded message, the metadata providing additional information about the location of the mobile device; and 
 the determining of the location of the mobile device is based on the received metadata as well as on the encoded message that is simultaneously received by the at the two or more radio receivers. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein:
 the determining of the location of the mobile device includes measuring respective strengths of the respective data signals respectively received at respective ones of the two or more radio receivers. 
 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the additional information about the location of the mobile device is derived from a GPS device that tracks the location of the mobile device. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 30  wherein:
 the determining of the location of the mobile device includes measuring respective strengths of the respective data signals respectively received at respective ones of the two or more radio receivers. 
 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein:
 the determining of the location of the mobile device includes determining how far away the mobile device is from each of the fixedly located radio receivers based on the respectively measured strengths of the respective data signals received at respective ones of the two or more radio receivers. 
 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38  wherein:
 the two or more radio receivers are operatively coupled to a shared data processing unit and relay the respectively measured strengths of the respective data signal to the shared data processing unit; and 
 the determining of the location of the mobile device is carried out in the shared data processing unit. 
 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein:
 each of the two or more radio receivers adds a timestamp indicating time of receipt of its respective data signal to its respectively measured signal strength and relays the timestamp with respectively measured signal strength to the shared data processing unit. 
 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 30  wherein:
 the mobile device includes a cellular transceiver. 
 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein:
 the mobile device includes a touch sensitive user interface. 
 
     
     
         44 . An electronic system adapted for determining a location of a mobile device as the mobile device moves within a predefined physical venue, the system comprising:
 two or more fixedly located radio receivers disposed in the venue and configured to simultaneously receive at each of the two or more fixedly located radio receivers, a data signal broadcast from a radio transmitter provided in the mobile device, the broadcast data signal containing an encoded message that includes a unique identifier associated with the mobile device;   a data processor operatively coupled to the two or more fixedly located radio receivers and configured to determine a location of the mobile device in the physical venue based on the encoded message contained in the broadcast data signal and simultaneously received by the at the two or more radio receivers; and   a location outputting device operatively coupled to the data processor and configured to output the determined location.   
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44  wherein:
 the broadcast data signal further contains metadata in addition to the encoded message, the metadata providing additional information about the location of the mobile device; and 
 the data processor is configured to determine the location of the mobile device based on the received metadata as well as on the encoded message that is simultaneously received by the at the two or more radio receivers. 
 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 44  wherein:
 each of the two or more fixedly located radio receivers respectively measures a respective signal strength of the respective data signal respectively received at the respective radio receivers and relays the measured signal strength to the data processor. 
 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46  wherein:
 the data processor determines how far away the mobile device is from each of the two or more fixedly located radio receivers based on the respective signal strengths measured by the respective fixedly located radio receivers. 
 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 44  wherein:
 the predefined physical venue in which the two or more radio receivers are fixedly located is a food providing venue. 
 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 44  wherein:
 the predefined physical venue in which the two or more radio receivers are fixedly located is a retail store.