CONFIGURABLE COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EVENT SPACES

Number: 20180098363
Published: 2018-04-05
Filed: 2016-09-30
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: Boling; Shawn et al.
CPC: H04W76/10; H04W84/18; H04W48/10; H04W4/029; H04W12/08; H04W4/02; H04W76/11; H04W12/50
Verdict: Set aside event-space communication infrastructure, networking plumbing
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

Abstract

One embodiment provides a system for event space communication infrastructure, including: a plurality of mobile infrastructure devices; each of the plurality of mobile infrastructure devices being associated with one or more predetermined users; each of the plurality of mobile infrastructure devices comprising a wireless communication device that: broadcasts a unique identifier associated with a predetermined user; detects a response from at least one client mobile device; switches into a communication mode after detecting the response; and establishes data exchange with the at least one client mobile device. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Background

BACKGROUND

Convention floor spaces, trade show venues and similar event spaces pose challenges with respect to providing a communication infrastructure therewith. This is at least in part due to the fact that event spaces change dynamically, e.g., vendor or booth locations change over the course of a convention or between events.

Typically, broad-coverage Wi-Fi® access or cellular networks are used for providing indoor or outdoor wireless communication capabilities in such scenarios, but these networks tend to cover the entire event space (or large portions thereof) indiscriminately. Wi-Fi® access points or routers are installed in fixed locations in an un-configured event space, which results in uneven coverage patterns. Moreover, the coverage pattern will often change unpredictably once the event space is configured for a particular event as temporary structures, signage, and even people cause signal attenuation and reflection. Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance in the United States and other countries.

Conventionally, attendees at events have relied on wide area coverage wireless networks, e.g., Wi-Fi® or cellular networks, and turned to more traditional solutions for targeted exchange of information. For example, conference attendees have Wi-Fi® access but still rely on leaving a business card with a booth or vendor of interest. In some cases, scanning a magnetic strip card are used to pass simple identifying information. In order to obta

Claims

1. A system for event space communication infrastructure, comprising: a plurality of mobile infrastructure devices; each of the plurality of mobile infrastructure devices being associated with one or more predetermined users; each of the plurality of mobile infrastructure devices comprising a wireless communication device that: broadcasts a unique identifier associated with a predetermined user; detects a response from at least one client mobile device; switches into a communication mode after detecting the response; and establishes data exchange with the at least one client mobile device. 11. A method for event space communication, comprising: broadcasting, with a mobile infrastructure device, a unique identifier associated with a predetermined user; detecting, at the mobile infrastructure device, a response from at least one client mobile device; switching the mobile infrastructure device into a communication mode after detecting the response; and establishing, between the mobile infrastructure device and the at least one client mobile device, data exchange. 14. A method for event space communication, comprising: providing, to a client mobile device, an application comprising predetermined user information; receiving, from the client mobile device, an indication of interest in at least one predetermined user included in the predetermined user information; identifying, using a processor, a predetermined user based on the indication of interest; providing, to the client mobile device, a unique identifier of the predetermined user; and thereafter communicating, to a mobile infrastructure device assigned to the predetermined user, a unique identifier of the client mobile device. 17. A mobile infrastructure device for event space communication, comprising: a communication device that broadcasts a unique identifier associated with a predetermined user; a processor that detects a response from at least one client mobile device and switches into a communication mode after detecting the response; and a communication device that, after detecting the response from the at least one client device, establishes data exchange with the at least one client mobile device.