System and method for remote device recognition at public hotspots

摘要

Described are various embodiments of a system and method in which device-identifying data can be used to uniquely recognize and optionally track and report on device activity at one or more hotspot locations by way of the creation and management of a device profile uniquely associated with such devices and stored in a network accessible knowledge base.

主权项

1. A method for recognizing a wireless device across multiple hotspot locations, the method comprising:
detecting at one of the multiple hotspot locations a wireless transmission sent by the wireless device; extracting a unique device identifier of the detected device from said wireless transmission, said unique device identifier automatically embedded within said wireless transmission by the detected device without user input; cross-referencing said extracted device identifier with a network accessible database of stored device profiles, each of said device profiles having a respective stored device identifier associated therewith; recognizing the detected device upon matching said extracted device identifier with one said stored device identifier; otherwise automatically creating a new device profile in said database as a function of said extracted device identifier such that the device is recognized upon subsequent detection at any of said multiple hotspot locations; automatically detecting and recognizing one or more subsequent wireless transmissions sent by the wireless device while at said one hotspot location; characterizing a visit profile of the device as a function of said subsequent wireless transmissions, said visit profile at least characterized by or as a function of a duration value defined by a time period between a first recognized transmission and a last recognized transmission; associating said visit profile with said device profile; classifying said duration in accordance with two or more preset visit duration classifications; compiling for a given hotspot location or for a designated group of said hotspot locations, and for a designated reporting time period, a number or a percentage of said recognized devices classified in accordance with at least one of said classifications over said time period; and outputting said number, said percentage or an indicia representative thereof.