Presence detection based on crowd surfing signal strength

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a merchant device, wireless signals from consumer devices that are in communicable range of the merchant device, wherein the wireless signals each include a unique identifier associated with one of the consumer devices;

generating signal strength data that includes at least one signal strength value associated with the unique identifier of each of the wireless signals;

storing the signal strength data in a data storage device;

accessing the signal strength data from the data storage device;

analyzing the signal strength data to determine how many of the consumer devices achieved various signal strength levels;

determining a threshold signal strength value based, at least in part, on the analyzing of how many of the consumer devices achieved the various signal strength levels;

determining a consumer device is present within a physical area when a subsequent wireless signal from a subsequent consumer device is greater than the threshold signal strength value; and

determining the subsequent consumer device is outside the physical area when the subsequent wireless signal from the subsequent consumer device is less than the threshold signal strength value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing time duration data as part of the signal strength data, wherein the time duration data indicates how long each of the consumer devices attain the signal strength levels.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing a first signal strength associated with a wireless communication from a first consumer device with the threshold signal strength value; and

determining presence of the consumer device within the physical area when the first signal strength is greater than the threshold signal strength value.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the threshold signal strength value based, at least in part, on presence data indicating that one or more of the consumer devices that are in communicable range of the merchant device are within the physical area.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the presence data comprises at least one of completion of payment transaction data and global positioning information and familiarity.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical area is an interior of a merchant's shop.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical area is within a predetermined distance from a point of sale device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the threshold signal strength value after the merchant device is relocated.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating the threshold signal strength value at a predetermined time after determining the threshold signal strength value.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a first signal strength of a first wireless signal from a first consumer device;

determining a second signal strength of a second wireless signal from the first consumer device;

comparing the first signal strength to the second signal strength to determine a maximum signal strength value; and

recording the maximum signal strength value.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a first signal strength of a first wireless signal from a first consumer device;

determining a second signal strength of a second wireless signal from the first consumer device;

comparing the first signal strength to the second signal strength; and

determining a time duration value for the first signal strength when the first signal strength is different from the second signal strength.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the wireless signals from the consumer devices that are in communicable range of the merchant device includes receiving the wireless signals at a predetermined polling frequency.

13. A merchant device comprising:

a wireless receiver; and

a processor configured to:

generate signal strength data that includes at least one signal strength value associated with unique identifiers of wireless signals, the wireless signals received at the wireless receiver from consumer devices in communicable range of the merchant device;

store the signal strength data in a data storage device;

access the signal strength data from the data storage device;

analyze the signal strength data to determine how many of the consumer devices achieved various signal strength levels;

determine a threshold signal strength value based, at least in part, on the analyzing of how many of the consumer devices achieved the various signal strength levels;

determine a consumer device is present within a physical area when a subsequent wireless signal from a subsequent consumer device is greater than the threshold signal strength value; and

determine the subsequent consumer device is outside the physical area when the subsequent wireless signal from the subsequent consumer device is less than the threshold signal strength value.

14. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein a memory storage device is configured to storing time duration data as part of the signal strength data, wherein the time duration data indicates how long each of the consumer devices attain the signal strength levels.

15. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a signal strength value in which the average time is greater than a predetermined time value.

16. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare a first signal strength associated with a wireless communication from a first consumer device with the threshold signal strength value; and

determine presence of the consumer device within the physical area based when the first signal strength is greater than the threshold signal strength value.

17. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the threshold signal strength value based, at least in part, on presence data indicating that one or more of the consumer devices that are in communicable range of the merchant device are within the physical area.

18. The merchant device of claim 17 , wherein the presence data comprises at least one of completion of payment transaction data and global positioning information and familiarity.

19. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein the physical area is an interior of a merchant's shop.

20. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein the physical area is within a predetermined distance from a point of sale device.

21. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to update the threshold signal strength value after the merchant device is relocated.

22. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to update the threshold signal strength value at a predetermined time after determining the threshold signal strength value.

23. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a first signal strength of a first wireless signal from a first consumer device;

determine a second signal strength of a second wireless signal from the first consumer device;

compare the first signal strength to the second signal strength to determine a maximum signal strength value; and

record the maximum signal strength value.

24. The merchant device of claim 13 , wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive the wireless signals from the consumer devices that are in communicable range of the merchant device includes receiving the wireless signals at a predetermined polling frequency.

25. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and computer program instructions stored therein, the computer program instructions comprising program instructions executable by a processor and configured to:

receive, by a merchant device, wireless signals from consumer devices that are in communicable range of the merchant device, wherein the wireless signals each include a unique identifier associated with one of the consumer devices;

generate signal strength data that includes at least one signal strength value associated with the unique identifier of each of the wireless signals;

store the signal strength data in a data storage device;

access the signal strength data from the data storage device;

analyze the signal strength data to determine how many of the consumer devices achieved various signal strength levels;

determine a threshold signal strength value based, at least in part, on the analyzing of how many of the consumer devices achieved the various signal strength levels;

determine a consumer device is present within a physical area when a subsequent wireless signal from a subsequent consumer device is greater than the threshold signal strength value; and

determine the subsequent consumer device is outside the physical area when the subsequent wireless signal from the subsequent consumer device is less than the threshold signal strength value.