IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,236,309
Granted Patent B2
US 12,236,309 · App. 18/466,734 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

Sensor enabled location awareness system

Inventors: Shahpour Ashaari (Bethesda, MD); David C. Lin (Falls Church, VA); Seth S. Vasa (Olney, MD); Scott R. Bombaugh (Burke, VA); Mario Andre Salisbury (Miami, FL); Thomas Jay Graham (Chantilly, VA); Erich Joseph Petre (Gainesville, VA)
Assignee: United States Postal Service
G06K7/10099G06K7/10475G06K19/07758H04W4/021H04W4/33H04W4/35G05B19/4183
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,236,309
App. No.
18/466,734
Granted
Feb 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods of identifying wearable tags or other items within a facility. The location of the identifiable item can be calculated by the system and used to improve the efficiency of the facility or to dispatch emergency help or maintenance to the location of the badge.

Claims (12)

1. A method for detecting the location of an item comprising:

storing, in a memory, a virtual map of a building, the virtual map identifying a wait zone and a service zone within the building;

detecting, in a sensor, a unique identifier associated with a mobile device of a customer within the building;

determining, in a processor, based at least in part on the detected unique identifier and the virtual map of the building, a location of the mobile device within the building;

determining a quantity of mobile devices in the building and a positional order of the mobile devices, and, based on the quantity of mobile devices in the building and the positional order of the mobile devices, determining, in the processor, a wait time of the customer before entering the service zone; and

sending a wait time notification to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier comprises a media access control address or embedded identity document of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining wait time further comprises averaging a historical wait time of a plurality of mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining wait time further comprises averaging a historical transaction time of a plurality of mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining wait time further comprises averaging a historical transaction type of a plurality of mobile devices.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a density of mobile devices within the building and displaying one or more areas of high and low traffic.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a proximity of the mobile devices to a counter.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 4, 2024
From: ASHAARI, SHAHPOUR; LIN, DAVID C.; VASA, SETH S.; BOMBAUGH, SCOTT R.; SALISBURY, MARIO ANDRE; GRAHAM, THOMAS JAY; PETRE, ERICH JOSEPH
To: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
Reel/Frame 069482/0195 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17660377 · Apr 22, 2022
Continuation 17207324 · Mar 19, 2021
Continuation 15930826 · May 13, 2020
Continuation 16387872 · Apr 18, 2019
Provisional Application 62660775 · Apr 20, 2018
Related Publication 20230419056A1 · Dec 28, 2023
References Cited (41)
US 8723648B2 · Attew · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 10235857B2 · Jones · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10699152B1 · Adam et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10783484B1 · Mishra · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20030110103A1 · Sesek · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 20060229895A1 · Kodger, Jr. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20070008129A1 · Soliman · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20070188341A1 · Seifert · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20080030359A1 · Smith et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080143482A1 · Shoarinejad et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20080296373A1 · Zmood et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20090109049A1 · Frederick · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100225447A1 · Adra · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20120001765A1 · Boccola · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20140282257A1 · Nixon et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150051994A1 · Ward · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150298813A1 · Cavan et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150369618A1 · Barnard et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160078264A1 · Armstrong et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160152350A1 · Puentes et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160195602A1 · Meadow · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160282858A1 · Michalscheck · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160371516A1 · Debates et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170018042A1 · Pudipeddi · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170053143A1 · Cristache · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170067983A1 · Teicher · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170359412A1 · Haebler et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170371322A1 · Lake et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180077535A1 · Todeschini · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180169858A1 · Jain et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180240067A1 · Oz et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190012705A1 · Todeschini et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190034851A1 · Swieter et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190097668A1 · Nicolaidis · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190362304A1 · Vivas Suarez et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190373431A1 · Gabriele et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200017313A1 · Mori · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200074402A1 · Adato et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200096599A1 · Hewett et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200125813A1 · Flores · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200293851A1 · Bakke · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Cited By (1)
US 12,743,592