IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,587,624

Granted Patent B2

US 10,587,624 · App. 15/710,786 · Granted Mar 10, 2020

Networking application for controlled-access-establishment

Inventors: J. Stuart Fitts (Dallas, TX); Phillip J. Romano (Dallas, TX)

Assignee: TNB Growth Corporation

H04L63/104 G06F21/31 G06F21/40 G06F21/41 G06F21/44 G06Q30/0631 G06Q50/01 H04L63/0876 H04L63/102 H04L67/303 H04L67/306 H04L63/08

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 10,587,624
App. No.: 15/710,786
Granted: Mar 10, 2020
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

This disclosure provides an apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for operating networking for members and supporting a controlled-access establishment. The apparatus includes a memory and a processor couple to the memory. The memory stores a plurality of member profiles corresponding to a plurality of member devices including a first member profile corresponding to a first member device, where each member profile contains information about a member related to the member a member device. The processor receives a new member application related to a second member device not included in the plurality of member profiles; determines member attributes of the second member profile based on the received new member application related to the second member device; generates a networking recommendation based on the member attributes, recommendation information, recommendation trigger information, and recommendation target information; and transmits the networking recommendation to the first member device.

Claims (138)

1. An apparatus operating a networking application for an establishment, comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of member profiles, corresponding to a plurality of mobile devices, wherein a first member profile of the plurality of member profiles is associated with a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to:

receive a new member application not included in the plurality of member profiles;

identify member attributes of an applicant profile based on the received new member application;

generate a second member profile based on the member attributes of the applicant profile;

associate the second member profile with a second mobile device;

identify the second mobile device in an entryway of the establishment;

receive a request from the second mobile device to unlock an entrance separating the entryway and a member area;

responsive to receiving the request, unlock the entrance; and

transmit the second member profile to the first mobile device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare the member attributes to past networking recommendations for both the first mobile device and the plurality of mobile devices;

generate a networking recommendation based on one of:

when recommendation information of the first mobile device indicates a request for networking recommendations with a specific attribute of the member attributes;

when the recommendation information of the first mobile device indicates accepting networking recommendations of other member profiles with similar member attributes; and

when recommendation target information of the plurality of member profiles with similar member attributes to the first mobile device have accepted networking recommendations of networking trigger information of other member profiles with similar member attributes.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an indication whether the networking recommendation was accepted;

adjust the recommendation information of the first member profile of the first mobile device based on whether the networking recommendation was accepted; and

adjust recommendation trigger information and the recommendation target information for the plurality of member profiles based on whether the networking recommendation was accepted, wherein the recommendation trigger information is related to the second mobile device transmitting the new member application and the recommendation target information is related to the first mobile device and the plurality of mobile devices that are already associated with the networking application.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor, when the networking recommendation is accepted, an interaction of the first mobile device and the second mobile device, wherein to monitor the interaction of the first mobile device and the second mobile device includes the processor configured to:

monitor a proximity using location sensors of the first mobile device and the second mobile device and a time of the proximity,

monitor biometrics sensed by sensors of the first mobile device and the second mobile device, and

monitor members related to the first mobile device and the second mobile device using sensors of the establishment where the first mobile device and the second mobile device are located;

transmit a recommendation survey to be completed by both the first mobile device and the second mobile device; and

adjust the recommendation information, the recommendation trigger information, and the recommendation target information based on the monitored interaction and the recommendation survey.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the new member application for a new member from the first mobile device;

randomly select a predetermined number of member profiles from the plurality of member profiles;

transmit a voting ballot with the new member application to mobile devices associated with the randomly selected member profiles;

receive a voting preference from each of the randomly selected member profiles based on the voting ballot from each of the mobile devices;

determine whether the new member is accepted based on the received voting preferences;

when the new member is accepted:

generate a new member profile based on the new member application to be stored in the plurality of member profiles,

transmit an acceptance notice of the new member profile to the first mobile device, and

transmit the new member profile to each of the mobile devices in the plurality of member profiles; and

when the new member is not accepted:

store the new member profile with rejected applications, and

transmit a non-acceptance of the new member profile to the first mobile device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor the member area for a presence of the plurality of mobile devices,

retrieve the plurality of member profiles associated with the plurality of member mobile devices located in the member area, and

transmit, to each of the plurality of mobile device located in the member area, the plurality of member profiles associated with the plurality of mobile devices located in the member area.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

relock the entrance after the second mobile device has passed through the entrance; and

in response to receiving a request from an unauthorized member profile, notify a management profile or staff profile that an unauthorized mobile device corresponding to the unauthorized member profile is attempting to gain entrance to the establishment.

8. A method for operating a networking application for an establishment, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of member profiles, corresponding to a plurality of mobile devices, wherein a first member profile of the plurality of member profiles is associated with a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices;

receiving a new member application not included in the plurality of member profiles;

identifying member attributes of an applicant profile based on the received new member application;

generating a second member profile based on the member attributes of the applicant profile;

associating the second member profile with a second mobile device;

identifying the second mobile device in an entryway of the establishment;

receiving a request from the second mobile device to unlock an entrance separating the entryway and a member area;

responsive to receiving the request, unlocking the entrance; and

transmitting the second member profile to the first mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

comparing the member attributes to past networking recommendations for both the first mobile device and the plurality of mobile devices;

generating a networking recommendation based on one of:

when recommendation information of the first mobile device indicates a request for networking recommendations with a specific attribute of the member attributes;

when the recommendation information of the first mobile device indicates accepting networking recommendations of other member profiles with similar member attributes; and

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving an indication whether the networking recommendation was accepted;

adjusting the recommendation information of the first member profile of the first mobile device based on whether the networking recommendation was accepted; and

adjusting recommendation trigger information and the recommendation target information for the plurality of member profiles based on whether the networking recommendation was accepted, wherein the recommendation trigger information is related to the second mobile device transmitting the new member application and the recommendation target information is related to the first mobile device and the plurality of mobile devices that are already associated with the networking application.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

monitoring, when the networking recommendation is accepted, an interaction of the first mobile device and the second mobile device, wherein to monitor the interaction of the first mobile device and the second mobile device includes:

monitoring a proximity using location sensors of the first mobile device and the second mobile device and a time of the proximity,

monitoring biometrics sensed by sensors of the first mobile device and the second mobile device, and

monitoring members related to the first mobile device and the second mobile device using sensors of the establishment where the first mobile device and the second mobile device are located;

transmitting a recommendation survey to be completed by both the first mobile device and the second mobile device; and

adjusting the recommendation information, the recommendation trigger information, and the recommendation target information based on the monitored interaction and the recommendation survey.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving the new member application for a new member from the first mobile device;

randomly selecting a predetermined number of member profiles from the plurality of member profiles;

transmitting a voting ballot with the new member application to mobile devices associated with the randomly selected member profiles;

receiving a voting preference from each of the randomly selected member profiles based on the voting ballot from each of the mobile devices;

determining whether the new member is accepted based on the received voting preferences;

when the new member is accepted:

generating a new member profile based on the new member application to be stored in the plurality of member profiles,

transmitting an acceptance notice of the new member profile to the first mobile device, and

transmitting the new member profile to each of the mobile devices in the plurality of member profiles; and

when the new member is not accepted:

storing the new member profile with rejected applications, and

transmitting a non-acceptance of the new member profile to the first mobile device.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

monitoring a member area for a presence of the plurality of mobile devices,

retrieving the plurality of member profiles associated with the plurality of mobile devices located in the member area, and

transmitting, to each of the plurality of mobile device located in the member area, the plurality of member profiles associated with the plurality of mobile devices located in the member area.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

relocking the entrance after the second mobile device has passed through the entrance; and

in response to receiving a request from an unauthorized member profile, notifying a management profile or staff profile that an unauthorized mobile device corresponding to the unauthorized member profile is attempting to gain entrance to the establishment.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium for operating a networking application for an establishment, comprising instructions stored thereon, that when executed cause a processor to:

store a plurality of member profiles, corresponding to a plurality of mobile devices, wherein a first member profile of the plurality of member profiles is associated with a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices;