Consumer profiling using network connectivity
US11113701B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 18, 2015 |
| Grant date | Sep 7, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 27, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W4/029
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and associated apparatus (30) which, based on profiles of shoppers (100), along with the time spent by shoppers at each of a plurality of retail establishments, suggest offers most suitable to that particular profile. Shoppers' trails (past and present) are considered in order to generate and update profiles and predict future behavior and offer tailored incentives. For locating shoppers, an active Wi-Fi receiver on a mobile phone or other personal communication device can be identified by an access point (20, 22, 24) in a shop (10, 12, 14) by its MAC address as the shopper moves through a shopping centre, even if the device never connects to the access point. It is not necessary to identify the shoppers as named individuals; rather, it is possible to anonymously recognize them based on the MAC address.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.