System and method for proximity detection
The present invention is for a system and method for determining the proximity of a mobile device to a location without the use of a satellite based or other location awareness system, nor a stationary beacon of any kind. Instead, the mobile device monitors radio frequency broadcast identification codes from nearby mobile devices, and determines if the set of detected identification codes is sufficiently similar to a weighted set of identification codes attributed to specified location. If the calculation of similarity meets the confidence conditions of the system, notification is made that the customer or visitor has arrived. The invention utilizes a combination of confidence interval computation, machine learning, and fault tolerance mechanisms to optimize the success of correctly detecting that the device is near the relevant location.
1. A system for detecting a user's mobile device in proximity to a location comprising:
a central server computer capable of data communication with a plurality of known mobile devices capable of a wireless short range data communication protocol;
wherein the central server is configured to receive a unique associated digital identity value from each of said detected known mobile devices;
wherein the central server is configured to associate each of said detected known mobile devices with one or more known locations; wherein the detected known mobile devices are capable of being, and may or may not be, located at associated known locations while the system is operating;
wherein the central server is configured to receive data from at least one user mobile device capable of a wireless short range data communication protocol;
wherein the central server is configured to receive data from said user mobile device capable of detecting said any of said known devices including each device's unique associated digital identity value; said user mobile device capable of long distance wireless data communication;
wherein the central server computer hosting a data processing system accepts as input sets of said detected known device identity values from said user mobile device; said central computer hosting a database of values corresponding to selected locations and associated said detected known mobile device identities; said central server computer hosting a data processing program which computes the probability of said user device proximity to said selected location by processing the input sets of detected known mobile device identities by an algorithm which utilizes said database; said central server program capable of notifying selected devices of user device proximity to said location; whereby the detection by said system of sets of one or more detected known mobile devices, whose combined proximity to each other exceeds a threshold value for probability, indicates probable proximity to the desired location.
2. A system as in claim 1 further comprising: said central server computer probability computation utilizing a numerical weight associated with each of the said detected known mobile device identities; said numerical weight value modified and updated by said proximity detection data processing program.
3. Non-transitory computer readable media comprising computer instructions executed by a computing device to detect the proximity of a mobile device to a location, the instructions comprising:
instructions for compiling identification information on a central server from for a plurality of detected known mobile devices associated with one or more selected locations, said detected known mobile devices may or may not be located at the associated locations while the system is operating;
instructions for receiving a communication from one or more of the detected known mobile devices by the central server; comprising said detected known mobile device identification information by a wireless data transmission;
instructions for computing the proximity probability of said user device to said location by a data processing program on said central server computer;
instructions for comparing said proximity probability to an arrival confidence threshold value;
instructions for notifying selected recipients of said user device proximity to said location if said proximity probability exceeds said arrival confidence threshold; and updating selected parameters related to proximity probability calculation.
4. Non-transitory computer readable media as in claim 3 ; wherein said proximity probability computation utilizes a numerical weight associated with each of the detected known device identities; said numerical weight value modified and updated by said proximity detection data processing program.
5. Non-transitory computer readable media as in claim 3 wherein said user device operates to detect said known devices only when the said user device is detected to be in proximity to a vehicle associated with said user.