Associating multiple user devices with a single user

{
  "publication_number": "US9843898B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Associating multiple user devices with a single user",
  "abstract": "A computer-implemented method includes: monitoring, by a computing device, respective locations of a plurality of user devices; determining, by the computing device, that a particular group of user devices of the plurality of user devices are located within a threshold distance of each other based on monitoring the respective locations of the plurality of user devices; and storing or outputting, by the computing device, grouping information indicating that the particular group of user devices are associated with a single user based on the determining that the particular group of user devices are located within a threshold distance of each other.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A computer-implemented method comprising: monitoring, by a computing device, respective locations of a plurality of user devices; determining, by the computing device, that a particular group of user devices of the plurality of user devices are located within a threshold distance of each other based on monitoring the respective locations of the plurality of user devices; storing or outputting, by the computing device, grouping information indicating that the particular group of user devices are associated with a single user based on the determining that the particular group of user devices are located within a threshold distance of each other, determining that the particular group of user devices are located within the threshold distance of each other for a threshold period of time, wherein the storing or outputting the grouping information is further based on determining that the particular group of user devices are located within the threshold distance of each other for a threshold period of time; and storing information identifying a distance between the plurality of user devices at different time indexes, wherein the determining that the particular group of user devices are located within the threshold distance of each other for a threshold period of time is based on the stored information identifying a distance between the plurality of user devices at different time indexes.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring the respective locations of the plurality of user devices includes receiving location information for the plurality of user devices from one or more location information devices.",
    "3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more location information devices includes a beacon.",
    "4. The method of claim 2, wherein: the location information includes location information for the one or more location information devices and signal strength information for signals received by the one or more location information devices from a particular one of the plurality of user devices, and monitoring the location for the particular one of the plurality of user devices includes determining the location for the particular one of the plurality of user devices based on the location information for the one or more location information devices and the signal strength information for signals received by the one or more location information devices.",
    "5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting that the distance between user devices in the particular group of user devices is greater than the threshold distance; and updating the grouping information to indicate that the particular group of user devices are no longer associated with the single user based on the detecting that the distance between user devices in the particular group of user devices is greater than the threshold distance.",
    "6. The method of claim 5, further comprising detecting that the distance between user devices in the particular group of user devices is greater than the threshold distance for a threshold period of time, wherein updating the grouping information is further based on the detecting that the distance between user devices in the particular group of user devices is greater than the threshold distance for a threshold period of time.",
    "7. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting content to a single user device of the particular group of user devices.",
    "8. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computing device.",
    "9. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.",
    "10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes software provided as a service in a cloud environment.",
    "11. The method of claim 1, further comprising deploying a system for grouping user devices, comprising providing a computer infrastructure operable to perform the steps of claim 1.",
    "12. A computer program product for grouping user devices, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to: monitor respective locations of a plurality of user devices within a particular area wherein the monitoring the respective locations of the plurality of user devices includes receiving location information for the plurality of user devices from one or more location information devices; determine that two or more of the plurality of user devices remain within a threshold distance of each other for a threshold period of time based on the monitoring the respective locations of a plurality of user devices; determine that the two or more of the plurality of user devices are associated with a single user based on the determining that the two or more of the plurality of user devices remain within a threshold distance of each other for a threshold period of time; store or output grouping information indicating that the two or more of the plurality of user devices are associated with a single user; and store information identifying a distance between the two or more of the plurality of user devices at different time indexes, wherein the determining that the two or more of the plurality of user devices are located within the threshold distance of each other for a threshold period of time is based on the stored information identifying a distance between the two or more of the plurality of user devices at different time indexes.",
    "13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the program instructions further cause the computing device to output content to a single user device of the particular group of user devices without outputting the content to other user devices of the particular group of user devices.",
    "14. A system comprising: a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage medium associated with a computing device; program instructions to monitor respective locations of a plurality of user devices within a particular area; program instructions to detect that two or more user devices of the plurality of user devices remain within a threshold distance of each other for a threshold period of time; program instructions to associate the two or more user devices of the plurality of user devices to a single user based on the detecting that the two or more user devices of the plurality of user devices remain within the threshold distance of each other for the threshold period of time; program instructions to store or output grouping information indicating that the two or more of the plurality of user devices are associated with a single user; and program instructions to store information identifying a distance between the two or more of the plurality of user devices at different time indexes, wherein the determining that the two or more of the plurality of user devices are located within the threshold distance of each other for a threshold period of time is based on the stored information identifying a distance between the two or more of the plurality of user devices at different time indexes, wherein the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.",
    "15. The system of claim 14, further comprising program instructions to output content to a single user device of the particular group of user devices without outputting the content to other user devices of the particular group of user devices."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention generally relates to associating multiple user devices with a single user and, more particularly, to associating multiple user devices with a single user based on the proximity of the multiple user devices to each other.\n\nMultiple different user devices, such as smartphones, tablets, wearable devices (e.g., smart watches, fitness bands, smart glasses, etc.) may be associated with a single individual or user. For example, the user may own a smartphones, tablet, and wearable device, and may have the multiple user devices in their possession at any given time.\n\nIn an aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented method includes: monitoring, by a computing device, respective locations of a plurality of user devices; determining, by the computing device, that a particular group of user devices of the plurality of user devices are located within a threshold distance of each other based on monitoring the respective locations of the plurality of user devices; and storing or outputting, by the computing device, grouping information indicating that the particular group of user devices are associated with a single user based on the determining that the particular group of user devices are located within a threshold distance of each other.\n\nIn an aspect of the invention, there is a computer program product for grouping user devices.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 4/023",
    "H04B 17/318",
    "H04L 47/29"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H04B 17/318",
    "H04L 12/801",
    "H04W 4/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "International Business Machines Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Jeremy A. Greenberger",
    "Ciaran E. Hannigan"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-07-21",
  "publication_date": "2017-12-12",
  "grant_date": "2017-12-12",
  "priority_date": "2016-07-21",
  "application_number": "US-201615216032-A",
  "family_id": "60516418",
  "cited_by_count": 16,
  "citations": [
    "US20080120362A1",
    "US20080146205A1",
    "US20130110623A1",
    "US20150169336A1",
    "JP5745670B2"
  ]
}