Patent ID: 11922460
Assignee: COLLATERAL OPPORTUNITIES OF NEVADA, LLC
Field: IT methods for management (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 8:
9. An electronic method for determining when an individual is present within a geographical area, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) wirelessly transmitting electronic data in the form of a signal from a portable electronic device for receipt by one or more beacons of a plurality of beacons located in the geographical area that are in communication range with the portable electronic device; wherein the portable electronic device belongs to an individual who carries the portable electronic device or has the portable electronic device on his or her person while the individual is located in the geographical area;
(b) transmitting the received electronic data by each particular beacon receiving the signal to a tracking computer system;
(c) configuring the tracking computer system to only use transmitted signals that have signal strengths exceeding a predetermined signal strength percentage or threshold for at least a predetermined minimum or threshold period of time (“Criteria”) when making a location determination; wherein the predetermined minimum or threshold period of time is a preset minimum time period that a strength of a signal received by a beacon from the portable electronic device must remain above a specific preset signal strength threshold for the beacon in order to be considered by the tracking computer when making the location determination; and
(d) using only signals which meet the Criteria determining a current location of the individual within the geographical area by the tracking computer system using signal strengths for the transmitted signals which meet the Criteria for each beacon from the plurality of beacons that received the transmitted signals which meet the Criteria from the portable electronic device to identify a highest signal strength for at least a predetermined minimum or threshold period of time from all signal strengths received;
wherein step (d) comprises selecting a particular beacon from the plurality of beacons that had the highest signal strength for its communication with the portable electronic device and which met the Criteria and assigning a current location for the individual based on a location of the particular beacon in the geographical area.