Patent Issued for Beacon-Based Management Of Queues (USPTO 10,636,069)

2020 MAY 08 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Knas, Michal (Monson, MA); John, Jiby (Suffield, CT), filed on March 22, 2017, was published online on May 11, 2020.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 10,636,069, is Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (Springfield, Massachusetts, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Waiting in queues is extremely tedious and time-consuming, whether it is for buying products, such as meals, shoes, or phones, or for benefiting from a service, such a haircut or a medical exam, or in places, such as the airport and the department of motor vehicles. Waiting in long queues without receiving any updates regarding anticipated time of service or information regarding the queue turnover discourages customers from return purchases or visits, and negatively affects the overall revenues and customer experience. Moreover, monitoring queues will facilitate the commercial entities providing the product or the service to better serve their customers, by increasing the number of sales assistants or service providers or providing real-time queue analytics communicating wait-times. These entities can also engage the customers in other experiences, such as providing discounts, signing them up for loyalty programs, conducting customer surveys, or visiting other sections of the facility.

“Beacons are small, battery-friendly devices that send out low-voltage signals, such as Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE), for a programmable distance between about a few cm to 40-50 m. Some smartphones can act as beacons. The frequency of sending the signal can also be programmable; for example, a signal can be sent every 100-400 milliseconds. Beacons can be placed strategically indoors or outdoors to perform many actions. There is a need to integrate the beacon technology and other indoor positioning systems, so that customers can sign-in using their mobile devices, track the queue turnover, and arrive at an appropriate time to acquire the product or service. Customers can also provide other inputs to the product or service provider, such as need for additional products or services, or questions regarding memberships or products or services. Systems for queue management also need to account for people standing in the physical queue, who do not use their mobile devices or log into the queue management application.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “The systems and methods disclosed herein attempt to address the above-mentioned shortcomings in the art and provide a variety of other benefits. The systems and methods described herein can create, maintain, transmit, and utilize data from customer devices and beacons.

“Embodiments of the invention involve one or more beacons transmitting information at different ranges and other indoor positioning systems to provide more granular location information. Provided herein is a computer-implemented method for communicating with a customer device for management of a queue. The method includes receiving, by a server, a device identifier and location information from a customer device, the location information being associated to location of the customer device and determined from a plurality of location signals received from a plurality of beacons; verifying, by the server, the device identifier and the location information from the customer device as being associated with the customer device in a database configured to store a first plurality of records of a first plurality of preexisting queues and one or more records of a plurality of customer devices; retrieving, by the server, a second plurality of records associated to a second plurality of preexisting queues in the database, the second plurality of preexisting queues being selected from the first plurality of preexisting queues responsive to the current location of the customer device; generating, by the server, on a customer device a first graphical user interface configured to display a second plurality of preexisting queues; receiving, by the server, an input from the customer device requesting participation in a desired queue, the desired queue being selected from the second plurality of preexisting queues presented on the first graphical user interface; retrieving, by the server, a third plurality of records associated to one or more tokens in the database issued to one or more previous participants in the desired queue. Each of the one or more previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input requesting participation in the desired queue and received by the server ahead of receiving the input from the customer device; and each of the one or more tokens is assigned sequentially to each of the one or more previous participants successively entering the desired queue. The method further includes determining, by the server, an estimated processing time responsive to the one or more tokens being processed in a predetermined period of time; assigning, by the server, a next token to be associated with the consumer device, the next token being associated with the input requesting participation in the desired queue from the customer device and being sequentially next to the token assigned to last of the one or more previous participants in the entry queue; and generating, by the server, a second graphical user interface on the customer device configured to provide the estimated processing time and information associated to the next token. The plurality of preexisting queues can include a queue in a physical location. The plurality of preexisting queues can include a virtual queue. Each of the one or more previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input that can be obtained via a mobile application on a mobile device. At least one of the one or more previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input that can be obtained using an infrared detector. The information associated to the next token can include a number indicating a place in the desired queue. The information associated to the next token can include a haptic alert indicating user of the customer device to physically join the desired queue.

“Embodiments of the invention involve a computer-implemented method for communicating with a customer device, which includes receiving, by a server, a device identifier associated to a customer device; verifying, by the server, the device identifier from the customer device as being associated with the customer device in a database configured to store one or more records of a plurality of customer devices and a first plurality of records of a first plurality of preexisting queues in a first plurality of physical locations defined by a plurality of location signals received from a plurality of beacons; receiving, by the server, from a first graphical user interface displayed at the customer device a query configured to identify one or more of a second plurality of preexisting queues in one or more of a second plurality of physical locations, wherein the second plurality of preexisting queues is selected from the first plurality of preexisting queues and the second plurality of physical locations is selected from the first plurality of physical locations; querying, by the server, the database containing the first plurality of records of the first plurality of preexisting queues to identify one or more of the second plurality of preexisting queues responsive to the query; generating, by the server, on the customer device a second graphical user interface configured to display the one or more of the second plurality of preexisting queues responsive to the query; receiving, by the server, an input from the customer device requesting participation in a desired queue, the desired queue being selected from the one or more of the second plurality of preexisting queues presented on the second graphical user interface; retrieving, by the server, a third plurality of records associated to one or more tokens in the database issued to one or more previous participants in the desired queue, wherein each of the one or more previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input requesting participation in the desired queue and received by the server ahead of receiving the input from the customer device; and each of the one or more tokens is assigned sequentially to each of the one or more previous participants successively entering the desired queue; determining, by the server, an estimated processing time responsive to the one or more tokens being processed in a predetermined period of time; assigning, by the server, a next token to be associated with the consumer device, the next token being associated with the input requesting participation in the desired queue from the customer device and being sequentially next to the token assigned to last of the one or more previous participants in the entry queue; and generating, by the server, a third graphical user interface on the customer device configured to provide the estimated processing time and information associated to the next token.

“Additional features and advantages of an embodiment will be set forth in the description, which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the exemplary embodiments in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A computer-implemented method for communicating with a customer device, the method comprising: periodically monitoring, by a server, locations of a plurality of electronic devices comprising at least the customer device by receiving a device identifier and location information from each electronic device, the location information being associated with location of each electronic device and determined from a plurality of location signals received, by each electronic device, from a plurality of beacons configured to periodically transmit the location signals within a predetermined location; verifying, by the server, the device identifier and the location information from the customer device as being associated with the customer device in a database configured to store a first plurality of records of a first plurality of preexisting queues and one or more records of a plurality of customer devices; upon the customer device being located within the predetermined location, retrieving, by the server, a second plurality of records associated with a second plurality of preexisting queues in the database, the second plurality of preexisting queues being selected from the first plurality of preexisting queues responsive to the predetermined location; generating, by the server, on the customer device a first graphical user interface configured to display a second plurality of preexisting queues; receiving, by the server, an input from the customer device requesting participation in a desired queue, the desired queue being selected from the second plurality of preexisting queues presented on the first graphical user interface; retrieving, by the server, a third plurality of records associated with one or more tokens in the database issued to one or more electronic devices corresponding to previous participants in the desired queue, wherein each of the one or more previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input requesting participation in the desired queue and received by the server before receiving the input from the customer device; and each of the one or more tokens is assigned sequentially to each of the one or more previous participants successively entering the desired queue; determining, by the server, an estimated processing time responsive to one or more tokens being processed in a predetermined period of time, wherein the server monitors a time duration corresponding to a time that each token entered the desired queue until each token was processed to calculate the estimated processing time; assigning, by the server, a next token to be associated with the customer device, the next token being associated with the input requesting participation in the desired queue from the customer device and being sequentially next to the token assigned to last of the one or more previous participants in the entry queue; and generating, by the server, a second graphical user interface on the customer device configured to provide the estimated processing time and information associated with the next token.

“2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of preexisting queues comprises a queue in a physical location.

“3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of preexisting queues comprises a virtual queue.

“4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input obtained via a mobile application on a mobile device.

“5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input obtained using an infra-red detector.

“6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the next token comprises a number indicating a place in the desired queue.

“7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the next token comprises a haptic alert indicating user of the customer device to physically join the desired queue.

“8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data record associated with the one or more tokens in the database issued to one or more previous participants in the desired queue are modified as expired once the previous participants have been processed.

“9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the expiration of the one or more tokens in the database issued to one or more previous participants is in response to receiving, by the server, from an electronic device associated with a service station associated with the desired queue, an indication that the participants have been processed.

“10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second graphical user interface on the customer device is configured to display a message to be transmitted to a queue management server.

“11. A computer system comprising: a server configured to: periodically monitor location of a plurality of electronic devices comprising at least a customer device by receiving a device identifier and location information from each electronic device, the location information being associated with location of each electronic device and determined from a plurality of location signals received, by each electronic device, from a plurality of beacons configured to periodically transmit the location signals within a predetermined location; verify the device identifier and the location information from the customer device as being associated with the customer device in a database configured to store a first plurality of records of a first plurality of preexisting queues and one or more records of a plurality of customer devices; upon the customer device being located within the predetermined location, retrieve a second plurality of records associated with a second plurality of preexisting queues in the database, the second plurality of preexisting queues being selected from the first plurality of preexisting queues responsive to the predetermined location; generate on the customer device a first graphical user interface configured to display a second plurality of preexisting queues; receive an input from the customer device requesting participation in a desired queue, the desired queue being selected from the second plurality of preexisting queues presented on the first graphical user interface; retrieve a third plurality of records associated with one or more tokens in the database issued to one or more electronic devices corresponding to previous participants in the desired queue, wherein each of the one or more previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input requesting participation in the desired queue and received by the server before receiving the input from the customer device; and each of the one or more tokens is assigned sequentially to each of the one or more previous participants successively entering the desired queue; determine an estimated processing time responsive to the one or more tokens being processed in a predetermined period of time, wherein the server monitors a time duration corresponding to a time that each token entered the desired queue until each token was processed to calculate the estimated processing time; assign a next token to be associated with the customer device, the next token being associated with the input requesting participation in the desired queue from the customer device and being sequentially next to the token assigned to last of the one or more previous participants in the entry queue; and generate a second graphical user interface on the customer device configured to provide the estimated processing time and information associated with the next token.

“12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of preexisting queues comprises a queue in a physical location.

“13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of preexisting queues comprises a virtual queue.

“14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input obtained via a mobile application on a mobile device.

“15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein at least one of previous participants corresponds to a uniquely identified input obtained using an infra-red detector.

“16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the information associated with the next token comprises a number indicating a place in the desired queue.

“17. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the information associated with the next token comprises a haptic alert indicating user of the customer device to physically join the desired queue.

“18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the data record associated with the one or more tokens in the database issued to one or more previous participants in the desired queue are modified as expired once the previous participants have been processed.

“19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the expiration of the one or more tokens in the database issued to one or more previous participants is in response to receiving, by the server, from an electronic device associated with a service station associated with the desired queue, an indication that the participants have been processed.

“20. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the second graphical user interface on the customer device is configured to display a message to be transmitted to a queue management server.”

For more information, see this patent: Knas, Michal; John, Jiby. Beacon-Based Management Of Queues. U.S. Patent Number 10,636,069, filed March 22, 2017, and published online on May 11, 2020. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,636,069.PN.&OS=PN/10,636,069RS=PN/10,636,069

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