CPC G06Q 30/0261 (2013.01) [G06Q 10/0833 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0639 (2013.01); H04W 4/021 (2013.01); H04W 4/023 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
1. An electronic system for determining or tracking a current location for an individual within a geographical area, said system comprising:
an identification and location tracking computer specifically programmed to monitor, track and determine a current location of an individual within a geographical area;
an identification and location tracking electronic database storing any permissions information for the individual, the electronic database in electronic communication with the tracking computer;
a plurality of beacons disposed throughout the geographical area, the plurality of beacons are in electronic communication with the tracking computer;
wherein the tracking computer is configured to determine a current location of the individual within the geographical area by determining a highest signal strength received from a plurality of signals sent by a portable electronic device physically possessed by the individual to the one or more of the plurality of beacons using only signals from the plurality of signals having signal strengths exceeding a predetermined signal strength percentage or threshold for at least a predetermined minimum or threshold period of time; and
a software application running on the portable electronic device for permitting electronic wireless communication between the portable electronic device and the plurality of beacons, the portable electronic device carried by or on the individual when the individual travels or is present within the geographical area;
wherein when the individual is in a communication range of the plurality of beacons, the portable electronic device is configured to transmit a signal to the plurality of beacons with the transmitted signal containing electronic data and the plurality of beacons transmit the electronic data to the tracking computer to allow the tracking computer to determine the current location of the individual within the geographical area; wherein the tracking computer is programmed to use a physical location data for a beacon from the plurality of beacons that received the highest signal strength for at least a predetermined minimum or threshold period of time as compared to all other beacons from the plurality of beacons that received the transmitted signal from the portable electronic device for the tracking computer determination of the current location of the individual within the geographical area;
wherein the predetermined minimum or threshold period of time is a period of time that a signal strength of a signal received by the beacon sent by the portable electronic device must remain above a specific preset signal strength threshold configured for the beacon in order to be considered by the tracking computer when making a location determination;
wherein the tracking computer is configured to include only signals whose signal strengths exceed the specific preset signal strength threshold for the predetermined minimum or threshold period of time (collectively “Criteria”) when making the location determination and to exclude any other signals received by one or more beacons of the plurality of beacons that do not meet the Criteria.
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