IP Library Granted Patent US 9,697,539
Granted Patent B2
US 9,697,539 · App. 14/952,822 · Granted Jul 4, 2017

Method and system for presence detection

Inventors: Aaron T. Emigh (Woodside, CA); Steven Stanek (Fremont, CA); Yen C. Lee (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: shopkick, Inc.
G06Q30/0261G01S1/72G01S1/763G01S5/02G01S5/0257G01S5/18G01S15/04G06Q30/00G06Q30/0205G06Q30/0207G06Q30/0211G06Q30/0214G06Q30/0217G06Q30/0224G06Q30/0226G06Q30/0236G06Q30/0238G06Q30/0267H04B11/00H04L67/18H04W4/02H04W4/20G06K2209/23H04W4/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,697,539
App. No.
14/952,822
Granted
Jul 4, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various presence detection techniques are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system comprises a signal generator configured to generate a signal that includes a plurality of selected frequencies that are selected from among a set of candidate frequencies, wherein inclusion or exclusion of each candidate frequency in the signal encodes a bit of information and wherein the encoded information comprises a store identifier that identifies a retail store; and a transmitter configured to transmit the signal within the retail store; wherein presence of a device in the retail store is determined in response to reception of the signal at the device and extraction of the store identifier from the received signal by decoding the received signal.

Claims (48)

1. A system, comprising:

a signal generator configured to generate a signal that includes a plurality of selected frequencies that are selected from among a set of candidate frequencies, wherein inclusion or exclusion of each candidate frequency in the signal encodes a bit of information and wherein the encoded information comprises a store identifier that identifies a retail store and a Doppler correction code; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the signal within the retail store;

wherein presence of a device in the retail store is determined in response to reception of the signal at the device and extraction of the store identifier from the received signal by decoding the received signal and compensating for Doppler shift introduced by motion of the device in the retail store using the Doppler correction code.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein information is encoded on the signal based on which of the candidate frequencies are selected to be included in the signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded information further comprises a department identifier that identifies a department within the retail store.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded information further comprises a code for error detection, error correction, or both.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a subset of the set of candidate frequencies encodes the store identifier.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of selected frequencies comprises a prescribed frequency dedicated to Doppler correction.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the prescribed frequency for Doppler correction is transmitted with higher power than other selected frequencies.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein detection of a presence or an absence of each candidate frequency in the received signal is used to recover the encoded information.

9. A system, comprising:

a receiver of a device present in a retail store configured to receive a signal that is transmitted within the retail store and that includes a plurality of selected frequencies that are selected from among a set of candidate frequencies, wherein inclusion or exclusion of each candidate frequency in the transmitted signal encodes a bit of information and wherein the encoded information comprises a store identifier that identifies the retail store and a Doppler correction code; and

a processor configured to:

decode the received signal, wherein detection of a presence or an absence of each candidate frequency in the received signal is used to recover information encoded in the received signal and wherein Doppler shift introduced by motion of the device in the retail store is compensated using the Doppler correction code; and

determine presence of the device in the retail store in response to extracting the store identifier from the received signal.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein information is encoded on the transmitted signal based on which of the candidate frequencies are selected to be included in the transmitted signal.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the encoded information further comprises a department identifier that identifies a department within the retail store.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the encoded information further comprises a code for error detection, error correction, or both.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein a subset of the set of candidate frequencies encodes the store identifier.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of selected frequencies comprises a prescribed frequency dedicated to Doppler correction.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the prescribed frequency for Doppler correction is transmitted with higher power than other selected frequencies.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor determines Doppler shift based on an amount of Doppler shift experienced by the prescribed frequency dedicated to Doppler correction.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein to decode the received signal comprises to compensate for background noise.

18. The system of claim 9 , wherein to decode the received signal comprises to perform error correction, error detection, or both.

19. A method, comprising:

configuring a signal generator to generate a signal that includes a plurality of selected frequencies that are selected from among a set of candidate frequencies, wherein inclusion or exclusion of each candidate frequency in the signal encodes a bit of information and wherein the encoded information comprises a store identifier that identifies a retail store and a Doppler correction code; and

configuring a transmitter to transmit the signal within the retail store;

wherein presence of a device in the retail store is determined in response to reception of the signal at the device and extraction of the store identifier from the received signal by decoding the received signal and compensating for Doppler shift introduced by motion of the device in the retail store using the Doppler correction code.

20. A method, comprising:

configuring a receiver of a device present in a retail store to receive a signal that is transmitted within the retail store and that includes a plurality of selected frequencies that are selected from among a set of candidate frequencies, wherein inclusion or exclusion of each candidate frequency in the transmitted signal encodes a bit of information and wherein the encoded information comprises a store identifier that identifies the retail store and a Doppler correction code; and

configuring a processor to decode the received signal, wherein detection of a presence or an absence of each candidate frequency in the received signal is used to recover information encoded in the received signal and wherein Doppler shift introduced by motion of the device in the retail store is compensated using the Doppler correction code, and to determine presence of the device in the retail store in response to extracting the store identifier from the received signal.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein information is encoded on the signal based on which of the candidate frequencies are selected to be included in the signal.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the encoded information further comprises a department identifier that identifies a department within the retail store.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the encoded information further comprises a code for error detection, error correction, or both.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein a subset of the set of candidate frequencies encodes the store identifier.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of selected frequencies comprises a prescribed frequency dedicated to Doppler correction.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the prescribed frequency for Doppler correction is transmitted with higher power than other selected frequencies.

27. The method of claim 19 , wherein detection of a presence or an absence of each candidate frequency in the received signal is used to recover the encoded information.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein information is encoded on the transmitted signal based on which of the candidate frequencies are selected to be included in the transmitted signal.

29. The method of claim 20 , wherein the encoded information further comprises a department identifier that identifies a department within the retail store.

30. The method of claim 20 , wherein the encoded information further comprises a code for error detection, error correction, or both.

31. The method of claim 20 , wherein a subset of the set of candidate frequencies encodes the store identifier.

32. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of selected frequencies comprises a prescribed frequency dedicated to Doppler correction.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the prescribed frequency for Doppler correction is transmitted with higher power than other selected frequencies.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein the processor determines Doppler shift based on an amount of Doppler shift experienced by the prescribed frequency dedicated to Doppler correction.

35. The method of claim 20 , wherein to decode the received signal comprises to compensate for background noise.

36. The method of claim 20 , wherein to decode the received signal comprises to perform error correction, error detection, or both.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2026
From: COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: TRAX TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PTE. LTD.; SHOPKICK, INC.
Reel/Frame 074717/0014 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2023
From: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
To: TRAX TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PTE. LTD.; SHOPKICK INC.
Reel/Frame 065028/0871 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2023
From: TRAX TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PTE. LTD.; SHOPKICK, INC.
To: COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 065016/0744 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME NO. 054048/0646 Recorded Oct 27, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: TRAX TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PTE. LTD; SHOPKICK, INC.; CVDM SOLUTIONS SAS; TRAX RETAIL, INC.
Reel/Frame 057944/0338 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2021
From: TRAX TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.; SHOPKICK, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 058184/0438 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2020
From: TRAX TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PTE. LTD.; SHOPKICK, INC.; CVDM SOLUTIONS SAS; TRAX RETAIL, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 054048/0646 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2020
From: PACIFIC WESTERN BANK
To: SHOPKICK, INC.
Reel/Frame 052664/0441 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2020
From: SHOPKICK, INC.
To: PACIFIC WESTERN BANK
Reel/Frame 051683/0192 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 13197763 · Aug 3, 2011
Continuation In Part 12762556 · Apr 19, 2010
Provisional Application 61273040 · Jul 29, 2009
Provisional Application 61253009 · Oct 19, 2009
Related Publication 20160078484A1 · Mar 17, 2016