Surveying wireless device users by location

摘要

The present invention is a system and method for conducting survey using wireless devices. The system architecture of the present invention comprises a location server and a location system. The location server can receive a survey request from a subscriber, delineate a survey area for the survey, broadcast a query containing the survey to a plurality of wireless devices, process responses received from the wireless devices, and deliver a result of the survey to the subscriber. The location system can generate location information for each of the wireless devices that received the query. The location system may be a network-based unit or a portable unit provisioned at each of the wireless devices. In one of the embodiments, the location system is a GPS receiver that generates the longitude and the latitude of the wireless devices at which it is provisioned.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
delineating, at a server comprising a processor, a survey area comprising a targeted geographic area that is associated with nodes of a communications network, wherein the survey area is located within a wireless coverage area associated with one of the nodes; facilitating, by the server, communication of a survey within the survey area; receiving, by the server, responses of responding wireless devices that receive the communication of the survey; obtaining, by the server, location information that indicates locations of the responding wireless devices; and determining, by the server based on the location information, a count of the responding wireless devices.