Location verification using networked client peripherals

• US 10,210,482 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Underwriters, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applied Underwriters, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Justin N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Obaid, Fateh M
• Application Number:
  US15/055,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20160180295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/125 Finance or payroll
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system verifies the location of a first person during a specified period by sending random alerts to the smart phone of the first person. A user must respond to the alerts. A second person defines acceptable locations. The smart phone has location measuring capability, such as a GPS or connection to a WAN. The identity of the user can be verified by requiring the input of a security code that also gives the user access to confidential information of the first person.

Claims

1. A system directed to automatically verifying whether or not an employee is actually on a job in variable and remote locations, said system comprising:

a) a personal programmable communications device that is with said employee when said employee is on said job; and

b) a first server;

wherein;

c) said personal programmable communications device is controlled by computer readable instructions stored on a permanent memory to carry out the steps of;

1) allowing a user access to said device after said user inputs a personal security code that is confidential to said employee;

2) receiving from said user a clock-in command at a clock-in time;

3) receiving from said user a clock-out command at a clock-out time;

4) transmitting to said first server said clock-in time and said clock-out time;

5) receiving from said first server after said clock-in command but before said clock-out command, a first message which causes said personal programmable communications device to issue an audible alert;

6) receiving from said user said personal security code within a specified time interval after said first message; and

7) sending to said server a notice if said personal security code is not received in said time interval;

d) said first server is modified to automatically carry out the step of transmitting a second message triggering an audible alert to said personal programmable communications device at a random interval after said first message, said random interval being determined by a Poisson process wherein said Poisson process is controlled by a Poisson parameter;

e) said personal programmable communications device is modified to;

1) receive from said user said personal security code within said specified time interval after said second message; and

2) send said first server a notice if said personal security code is not received from said user after said specified time interval after said second message;

f) said system is further directed to verifying that said employee is in an acceptable location area after said clock in time and before said clock out time wherein;

1) said first server is controlled by computer readable instructions stored in a permanent memory to carry out the step of receiving from an employer of said employee a definition of said acceptable location area for said employee; and

2) said steps controlling said personal programmable communications device further comprise the step of automatically verifying said user is within said acceptable location area using location sensing technology when said personal security code is received after said first message; and

g) said system is further directed to verifying that said employee is in said acceptable location area when said acceptable location area comprises the interior of a building shielded from external GPS signals but covered by an internal Wi-Fi network, wherein said verification comprises the step of connecting said personal programmable communications device to said Wi-Fi network and verifying the location of said employee thereby.

2. The system of claim 1 which is further directed to verifying that said employee is in said acceptable location area when said acceptable location area comprises a route that is shielded from GPS signals by large buildings, wherein said verification comprises the step of connecting said personal programmable communications device to a Wi-Fi network said employer has deemed acceptable.

3. The system of claim 1 which is further directed to ensuring said employee is performing said clock in and clock out actions and not another user fraudulently acting on said employee'"'"'s behalf, wherein said steps controlling said personal programmable communications device further comprise allowing said user to have access to confidential information of said employee through said personal programmable communications device upon receipt of said personal security code by said first server.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said confidential information comprises confidential financial data of said employee.

5. The system of claim 1 which is further directed to ensuring that an employer of said employee, and not said employee, sets said Poisson parameter, wherein said first server is modified to allow said Poisson parameter to be set upon receipt of one or more permissions assigned to said employer.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said confidential financial data of said employee comprises said employee'"'"'s wage and benefit data.

7. The system of claim 1 which is further directed to allowing said employee enough time to put down tools safely in order to respond to one of said audible alerts, wherein said specified time interval is set to about 10 minutes.