Method and device to unambiguously identify a mobile radio communications device

Abstract

A computerized terminal adapted to authorize or deny opportunities in relation to the authorization level of a person includes a computer associated with a system to unambiguously identify a portable mobile radio communications device when a plurality of the mobile radio communications devices is present, all of which can emit a unique identification radio signal. The system includes a bi-directional antenna to receive the identification signals, a control driver for the antenna to send the signals to the computer, and an electronic card inserted in the computer to process the signals, so to identify the signal of highest intensity received from the antenna and the activation of the authorization or denial of the opportunities for the bearer the mobile radio communications device. A related method enables the unambiguous identification of a portable mobile radio communications device among a plurality of the mobile communications devices present in the same area.

Claims

1. A computerized terminal adapted to unambiguously identify a portable mobile radio communications device when a plurality of said mobile radio communications devices are present, each radio communications device being configured to emit an identification signal that unambiguously identifies said radio communications device, said terminal comprising: a computer associated with: a bi-directional antenna, configured to receive said identification signals; a control driver for said antenna, to send said identification signals to said computer; and an electronic card that is inserted in said computer to process said identification signals received from said antenna, wherein electronic card selects the identification signal of highest intensity within an intensity range comprised between 50 dB and 7 dB.

2. The computerized terminal according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is configured to receive signals adapted to determine an RSSI value.

3. The computerized terminal according to claim 1, wherein said driver is configured to drive said antenna.

4. The computerized terminal according to claim 1, wherein said card is associated with the antenna and is connected to the computer with a data transmission cable.

5. The computerized terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a support for laying said mobile radio communications device during identification of said device.

6. The computerized terminal according to claim 5, wherein said antenna is housed in said support and keeps a distance between said mobile radio communications device and said antenna by no more than 3 cm.

7. A method for unambiguously identifying a portable mobile radio communications device among a plurality of mobile radio communications devices, each radio communications device being configured to emit an identification radio signal that unambiguously identifies said radio communications device, said method being implemented with a terminal that comprises a computer associated with a system that carries out identification, said method comprising the following steps: receiving, through said computer, said identification radio signals emitted from said plurality of portable mobile radio communications devices; performing the identification of a signal of highest intensity between all received signals and processing said signal to identify the radio communications device which has emitted said signal of highest intensity; and selecting the signal of highest intensity having an intensity comprised between 50 dB and 7 dB.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said identification radio signal is an MAC address code.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said signal is received by way of a Bluetooth transmission.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein selecting the signal of highest intensity comprises selecting the signal of highest intensity within a range between 30 dB and 10 dB.

Description

[0040] The attached FIGURE illustrates the terminal according to the invention in a preferred embodiment, albeit schematic.

[0041] The FIGURE illustrates a normal POS, that is, a point of sale, or better the cash area of a normal shop.

[0042] The area comprises, in a per se known manner, a desk 1 on which the customer lays the purchased goods to allow for accounting. On the desk a monitor 2 connected with a computer 3, a keyboard 4, a mouse 5, preferably of wireless type and not illustrated, the device for the reading of the credit cards and the cash printer are provided.

[0043] All the software needed for managing the point of sale and for the identification of registered customers is usually housed inside the computer. In fact, the computer also contains a database, or is connected with a server containing said database which contains profiles of all the customers cards registered at the company owning the point of sale. As such, said customers are entailed to stated authorizations or may enjoy certain benefits. The assembly of all these devices is more simply defined here as terminal.

[0044] According to the invention, on the desk a bluetooth bidirectional antenna 7 is also provided, whereas in the computer a hardware card and a control driver for the management of the aforementioned bidirectional antenna are also housed. Alternatively, the aforementioned card is directly associated with the antenna and in said case is connected to the computer by means of a data transmission cable 8. In order to facilitate the customer, whose hands are engaged in payment transactions, the terminal may provide a support 6, on which the cell phone can be laid during the customer identification step. In this case, the antenna is inserted in said support so as to maintain the distance between the cell phone and the antenna no more than 3 cm.

[0045] The terminal according to the invention is characterized in that said antenna is capable of receiving the RSSI signals, and in that said driver is capable of driving said antenna.

[0046] The antenna can be located at any convenient point, above the desk as well as below the same, but, preferably, for protective purposes, the antenna can be housed in the support 6 and even more preferably, it may even be embedded in a specific material which can also form the support 6 itself.

[0047] As mentioned previously, the customer who enjoys certain trade benefits, as being previously registered at the POS, activates the MAC address emission from her/his device (cell phone 9), then approaches the antenna with the device and eventually lays the latter on the support; the MAC address emitted from the cell phone is identified by the antenna along with those emitted by the plurality of mobile radio communications devices (those of other customers waiting) in the cash area, and all are sent to the computer.

[0048] In said computer an electronic card is inserted which decodes said signals making them readable by the software which unambiguously identifies, due to the greater intensity, the signal received from the cell phone nearer to the antenna than the others, and thus authorizes or denies the use of the benefits provided in relation to the authorization level that the customer has.

[0049] From what has been described it is evident that the invention also provides a method for unambiguously identify a portable mobile radio communications device among a plurality of said mobile radio communications devices, as long as each device is provided with the possibility to emit an identification signal that unambiguously identifies it, in order to authorize or deny certain opportunities in relation to the authorization level that the bearer of said mobile radio communications device has. The method is implemented by means of a terminal that comprises a computer associated with a system for carrying out the aforementioned identification, and comprises, according to the invention, the steps of activating the emission of said identification signal from a portable mobile radio communications device, bring said mobile radio communications device close to an antenna for receiving said signal, sending said signal to said computer, perform the identification of said signal and process said signal to activate the authorization or denial of the above opportunities to the bearer of said mobile radio communications device.

[0050] Preferably, the identification signal is the MAC address of the mobile radio communications device to be identified and the transmission of said signal between the mobile radio communications device and the antenna is done by means of a Bluetooth card.

[0051] Preferably, the intensity of the signal processed by the computer is selected between 50 dB and 7 dB, and even more preferably, between 30 dB and 10 dB.

[0052] The disclosed invention offers important advantages.

[0053] Above all, it allows to identify the user of a device without the user having to show an instrument or an object (e.g. a RFID card or tag) or a software to be downloaded on her/his device (e.g. an App) to be identified. The customer, instead of having to provide a plurality of cards, one for each commercial store, or having to download on her/his device a plurality of Apps, uses always the usual identification code, the MAC address of her/his device.

[0054] The possible applications of the invention are countless; thinking, for example, to open a room in a hotel, or enter into a protected area, as well as activating a vehicle, a burglar alarm, or a timecard puncher (all without the need to download a specialized App).

[0055] Secondly, the invention provides the guarantee that the code read is that of the device facing the antenna, in fact, if the device does not approach the antenna it is impossible to obtain its code.

[0056] The confidentiality of the customer privacy data is also ensured as the operator receiving the MAC address cannot replicate the device code in any way, therefore fraudulent behavior, like copying a bar code or a magnetic stripe, are avoided. In fact, the software that physically acts on the antenna and reads the message sent by the device does not reveal it, but answers if the device found (the MAC address is associated with the personal data sheet of the holder) is in the data base, without disclosing the identity of the MAC address code to the operator.

[0057] According to the method, the customer must perform a maneuver to make his cell phone available to be identified, otherwise the same will always be invisible. This maneuver, that is, moving the cell phone near the antenna together with making visible the cell phone Bluetooth signal, fits perfectly the need for the customer to make a movement in order to be identified, resulting in accepting the system and therefore compliance with the privacy laws.

[0058] Finally, the identification method according to the invention is absolutely respectful of the customer pausing time at the terminal, and therefore of the waiting time of the customers that follow, as it performs all the detections and the calculations necessary in a time not exceeding 5 seconds, but normally implemented in only 3 seconds while the cell phone rests on the support.

[0059] In the present description all the possible structural and dimensional alternatives to the embodiments of the invention specifically described have not been normally illustrated; in fact, it did not seem necessary to expand in construction details of the inventive system as each technician skilled in the art, following the instructions given here, will have no difficulty in designing, by choosing appropriate materials and sizes, the most advantageous technical solution. These alternatives, however, are intended to be comprised within the scope of protection of the present patent, said alternative embodiments being per se easily derivable from the description of the relationship that links each embodiment with the result herein provided, that the invention wishes to obtain.