IP Library Granted Patent US 10,721,706
Granted Patent B2
US 10,721,706 · App. 15/893,773 · Granted Jul 21, 2020

Reminders based on device proximity using bluetooth LE

Inventors: Nicholas Kenneth Hobbs (San Francisco, CA); Randall Cole Luecke (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
H04W64/00G06Q10/109G06Q30/0255H04W4/21H04W4/80H04W8/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,721,706
App. No.
15/893,773
Granted
Jul 21, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one general aspect, a method can include identifying, by a computing device, a geographic proximity of an entity, establishing, by the computing device, direct short-range communications with the entity, the computing device and the entity being able to communicate with one another using a short-range communication protocol. The method can further include receiving, by the computing device, an indication that the computing device shares an identifier with the entity, and receiving, by the computing device, information relevant to the computing device regarding the entity based on the shared identifier.

Claims (52)

1. A method implemented by one or more processors, the method comprising:

determining, by a computer system and based on a connection between a Bluetooth beacon and a first computing device, that a first user has entered a location that includes an entity associated with the Bluetooth beacon,

wherein the Bluetooth beacon is configured to provide an identifier that is acknowledged by an application of the first computing device in response to the first computing device connecting with the Bluetooth beacon according to a short-range communication protocol;

accessing, in response to determining that the first user has entered the location that includes the entity associated with the Bluetooth beacon, a user contact list that is accessible to the first computing device via a long-range network connection between the first computing device and the computer system;

determining, based on accessing the user contact list, that the user contact list identifies a second user that is associated with a second computing device, which is currently, or has previously, connected to the Bluetooth beacon associated with the entity;

generating a message for display at an interface of the application of the first computing device,

wherein the message includes information that is related to the entity, and

wherein the message is generated based on determining that the user contact list identifies the second user that is associated with the second computing device, which is currently, or has previously, connected to the Bluetooth beacon associated with the entity; and

causing, in response to the first computing device connecting with the Bluetooth beacon according to the short-range communication protocol, the message to be presented at the interface of the application of the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, based on determining that the user contact list identifies the second user, that the second user has allowed access, to the first user, to information associated with both the entity and the second user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the message for display is further based on shared interests between the first user and the entity, the shared interests determined using an entity interest database and information stored on the first computing device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first computing device receives the identifier from the Bluetooth beacon, and generating the message for display comprises using the identifier provided by the Bluetooth beacon to identify entity interest data stored in the entity interest database.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the message for display is further based on shared interests between the first user and the second user, as indicated by data accessible via the first computing device and the second computing device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the message further identifies the data, which was generated by the second user using the second computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, in response to determining that the first user has entered the location that includes the entity associated with the Bluetooth beacon, that the first user has granted permission for the first computing device to receive the identifier from the Bluetooth beacon.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors perform operations that include:

determining, by a computer system and based on a connection between a Bluetooth beacon and a first computing device, that a first user has entered a location that includes an entity associated with the Bluetooth beacon,

wherein the Bluetooth beacon is configured to provide an identifier that is acknowledged by an application of the first computing device in response to the first computing device connecting with the Bluetooth beacon according to a short-range communication protocol;

accessing, in response to determining that the first user has entered the location that includes the entity associated with the Bluetooth beacon, a user contact list that is accessible to the first computing device via a long-range network connection between the first computing device and the computer system;

determining, based on accessing the user contact list, that the user contact list identifies a second user that is associated with a second computing device, which is currently, or has previously, connected to the Bluetooth beacon associated with the entity;

generating a message for display at an interface of the application of the first computing device,

wherein the message includes information that is related to identifies the entity, and

wherein the message is generated based on determining that the user contact list identifies the second user that is associated with the second computing device, which is currently, or has previously, connected to the Bluetooth beacon associated with the entity; and

causing, in response to the first computing device connecting with the Bluetooth beacon according to the short-range communication protocol, the message to be presented at the interface of the application of the first computing device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include:

determining, based on determining that the user contact list identifies the second user, that the second user has allowed access, to the first user, to information associated with both the entity and the second user.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein generating the message for display is further based on shared interests between the first user and the entity, the shared interests determined using an entity interest database and information stored on the first computing device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the first computing device receives the identifier from the Bluetooth beacon, and generating the message for display comprises using the identifier provided by the Bluetooth beacon to identify entity interest data stored in the entity interest database.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein generating the message for display is further based on shared interests between the first user and the second user, as indicated by data accessible via the first computing device and the second computing device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the message further identifies the data, which was generated by the second user using the second computing device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include:

determining, in response to determining that the first user has entered the location that includes the entity associated with the Bluetooth beacon, that the first user has granted permission for the first computing device to receive the identifier from the Bluetooth beacon.

15. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations that include:

determining, by a computer system and based on a connection between a Bluetooth beacon and a first computing device, that a first user has entered a location that includes an entity associated with the Bluetooth beacon,

wherein the Bluetooth beacon is configured to provide an identifier that is acknowledged by an application of the first computing device in response to the first computing device connecting with the Bluetooth beacon according to a short-range communication protocol;

accessing, in response to determining that the first user has entered the location that includes the entity associated with the Bluetooth beacon, a user contact list that is accessible to the first computing device via a long-range network connection between the first computing device and the computer system;

determining, based on accessing the user contact list, that the user contact list identifies a second user that is associated with a second computing device, which is currently, or has previously, connected to the Bluetooth beacon associated with the entity;

generating a message for display at an interface of the application of the first computing device,

wherein the message includes information that is related to the entity, and

wherein the message is generated based on determining that the user contact list identifies the second user that is associated with the second computing device, which is currently, or has previously, connected to the Bluetooth beacon associated with the entity; and

causing, in response to the first computing device connecting with the Bluetooth beacon according to the short-range communication protocol, the message to be presented at the interface of the application of the first computing device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operations further include:

determining, based on determining that the user contact list identifies the second user, that the second user has allowed access, to the first user, to information associated with both the entity and the second user.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein generating the message for display is further based on shared interests between the first user and the entity, the shared interests determined using an entity interest database and information stored on the first computing device.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein generating the message for display is further based on shared interests between the first user and the second user, as indicated by data accessible via the first computing device and the second computing device.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the message further identifies the data, which was generated by the second user using the second computing device.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operations further include:

determining, in response to determining that the first user has entered the location that includes the entity associated with the Bluetooth beacon, that the first user has granted permission for the first computing device to receive the identifier from the Bluetooth beacon.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2018
From: HOBBS, NICHOLAS KENNETH; LUECKE, RANDALL
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 045126/0045 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 6, 2018
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 045513/0428 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14166335 · Jan 28, 2014
Provisional Application 61912703 · Dec 6, 2013
Related Publication 20180302875A1 · Oct 18, 2018