Systems and methods for use in determining detailed locations for certain entities

• US 10,346,445 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hu, Po, Weinberger, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Kuen S
• Application Number:
  US14/978,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20170177618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 707724
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of systems and methods are provided for determining detailed locations of entities. One exemplary method includes receiving at least one signal record for a communication device associated with a user. The at least one signal record includes multiple signal strengths, a temporal indicator, and an identifier unique to the communication device. The exemplary method further includes accessing multiple discrete event records associated with the entity, correlating one of the multiple discrete event records to the at least one signal record based on the temporal indicator included in the at least one signal record, and generating a location range associated with the entity, based on the signal strengths included in the at least one signal record, whereby a location of the entity, distinct from one or more other entities, is indicated by the location range.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for use in defining a location of an entity through correlated signal strength and discrete event records, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, at least one signal strength record for a communication device associated with a user, the at least one signal strength record including;

an identifier unique to the communication device, a temporal indicator, and multiple signal strength values, each of the multiple signal strength values indicative of a signal strength of a wireless network of a different one of the multiple router devices, at the communication device and at a time and/or a date indicated by the temporal indicator;

accessing, by the computing device, multiple discrete event records associated with one entity;

correlating, by the computing device, one of the multiple discrete event records to the at least one signal strength record based on the temporal indicator included in the at least one signal strength record and a temporal indicator included in the one of the multiple discrete event records; and

generating, by the computing device, a location range associated with the one entity, based on the signal strength values included in the at least one signal strength record, whereby a location of the one entity relative to the multiple router devices, distinct from one or more other entities, is indicated by the location range.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the multiple discrete event records includes a transaction record;

and

wherein the one entity includes a merchant.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising receiving, by the computing device, multiple signal strength records from a second communication device associated with a second user;

and

correlating a different one of the multiple discrete event records to at least one of the multiple signal strength records from the second communication device based on a temporal indicator included in the different one of the multiple discrete event records and the temporal indicator of the at least one of the multiple signal strength records from the second communication device;

wherein generating the location range is further based on signal strength values of the one of the multiple signal strength records from the second communication device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a zone map based on at least the location range associated with the one entity, whereby a presence of a subsequent communication device at the one entity may be determined by comparing signal strength values of a subsequent signal strength record to the zone map.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the location range associated with the one entity includes an average signal strength score range based on signal strength values of a plurality of signal strength records associated with event records of the one entity.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising locating, by the computing device, a second communication device at a zone of the zone map when a signal strength record associated with the second communication device indicates the second communication device is within the location range associated with the one entity.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein correlating the one of the multiple discrete event records to the at least one signal strength record is further based on the one of the multiple discrete event records being associated with the user associated with the communication device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the one of the multiple discrete event records is a transaction record associated with a payment account of the user.

9. A computer-implemented method for correlating a consumer with a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, at least one signal strength record associated with the communication device, the at least one signal strength record including a signal temporal indicator and signal location data, the signal location data including at least two signal strength values, each of the at least two signal strength values indicative of a signal strength, of a wireless network of a different one of multiple router devices, at the communication device and at a time and/or a date indicated by the temporal indicator;

accessing, by the computing device, at least one transaction record associated with the consumer; and

correlating, by the computing device, the consumer with the communication device when the signal temporal indicator of the at least one signal strength record coincides with a transaction temporal indicator of the at least one transaction record and when the signal location data of the at least one signal strength record and transaction location data for the at least one transaction record indicate the same location, whereby future signal strength records associated with the communication device identify a location of the consumer.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a plurality of signal strength records, each signal strength record associated with one of a plurality of communication devices;

accessing, by the computing device, a plurality of transaction records, each transaction record associated with one of a plurality of payment accounts; and

wherein correlating the consumer with the communication device includes correlating the consumer with the communication device when at least two signal strength records, of the plurality of signal strength records, associated with the communication device coincide with at least two transaction records, of the plurality of transaction records, associated with the consumer.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

accessing, by the computing device, a zone map including at least one zone defined by at least one zone signal strength value relative to at least one router device in proximity to the at least one zone, said at least one zone representing a location of a merchant; and

determining, by the computing device, that the signal location data and the transaction location data indicate the same location when the at least one signal strength value associated with the communication device is within a variance threshold of the at least one zone signal strength value of the zone of the merchant, and the transaction location data indicates the transaction occurred at the merchant.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the variance threshold of the at least one zone signal strength value is based on an average signal strength score associated with signal strength values of a set of past signal strength records that coincide with past transaction records associated with the merchant.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the variance threshold of the at least one zone signal strength value is based on a minimum signal strength score and a maximum signal strength score associated with signal strength values of a set of past signal strength records that coincide with past transaction records associated with the merchant.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the transaction record is associated with a payment account of the consumer;

and

wherein correlating the consumer with the communication device includes correlating the payment account of the consumer with the communication device.

15. A system for correlating a communication device with a consumer, the system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface in communication with the processor;

at least one memory device in communication with the processor and the network interface, the at least one memory device storing signal strength records associated with a plurality of communication devices, transaction records associated with a plurality of consumers, and processor-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

access, from the signal strength records, a signal temporal indicator and signal location data for each of the signal strength records, the signal location data for each of the signal strength records including multiple signal strength values, each of the multiple signal strength values indicative of a signal strength, of a wireless network of a different one of a plurality of router devices, at one of the plurality of communication devices and at a time and/or a date indicated by the signal temporal indicator;

access, from the transaction records, a transaction temporal indicator and transaction location data for each of the transaction records;

for each of the signal strength records, compare the signal temporal indicator and signal location data of the signal strength record to the transaction temporal indicator and transaction location data of each of the transaction records;

correlate a communication device of the plurality of communication devices with a consumer of the plurality of consumers when a signal temporal indicator and signal location data of a signal strength record associated with the communication device coincides with a transaction temporal indicator and transaction location data of a transaction record associated with the consumer, whereby future signal strength records associated with the communication device identify a location of the consumer;

calculate an error value of a correlation between the communication device and the consumer based on a number of signal strength records associated with the communication device that coincide with transaction records associated with the consumer, the error value indicating an accuracy of the correlation between the communication device and the consumer; and

store, at the at least one memory device, the correlation between the communication device and the consumer, when the error value of the correlation is within an error threshold.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising processor-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a current signal strength record from a communication device of the plurality of communication devices;

access, from the at least one memory device, a stored correlation of the communication device and a consumer of the plurality of consumers; and

locate the consumer based on signal location data of the current signal strength record.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the error value of a correlation is calculated based on at least a number of the plurality of consumers, a number of possible transaction locations, and a time period covered by the stored transaction records.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the error value of the correlation is within the error threshold when at least two signal strength records associated with the communication device coincide with at least two transaction records associated with the consumer.