Generating business insights using beacons on online social networks

US10917481B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• FACEBOOK, INC. · US

Inventors

• Michael J. LeBeau · New York, US
• Samuel Lessin · San Francisco, US
• Joseph David Barillari · New York, US
• Amir Shimoni · Brooklyn, US
• Arlene Gabriana Murillo · Union City, US
• Mateusz Marek Niewczas · San Francisco, US
• Manish Modi · San Jose, US
• Caitlin Elizabeth Kalinowski · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 23, 2017
• Grant date: Feb 9, 2021
• Expiry date: Sep 3, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04L67/535
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from beacons of a third-party (e.g., a business), session information for a user of an online social network. A mobile device of the user may have been in at least one wireless communication session with at least one beacon, and during the session the mobile device was proximate to the at least one beacon. The session information may include an identifier for the user, which may be used to access social-networking information for the user. Session information and the social-networking information of the user may be sent back to the third-party. User-specified permissions may delimit which information may be sent.