Systems and methods for identifying merchant locations based on transaction records
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for identifying a merchant location for a target merchant based on one or more transactions, the method comprising:
- accessing multiple router records, each router record generated by a portable communication device and assigned to one of multiple cells of a grid structure indicative of geographic location, each of the multiple cells associated with signal strengths of routers, and each router record including at least;
(a) a temporal indicator specific to one or more signal strengths recognized by the portable communication device at a time and date indicated by the temporal indicator, each signal strength defining a strength, at the portable communication device, of a signal of a corresponding router; and
(b) a grid structure cell designation specific to one of the multiple cells of the grid structure to which the router record is assigned, based on the signal strengths recognized by the portable communication device being within the associated signal strengths of the one of the multiple cells of the grid structure;
for each of the multiple router records, searching, by a computing device, for a match between the router record and at least one of multiple transaction records associated with the target merchant, each of the multiple transaction records including at least a temporal indicator indicative of a time and date at which a transaction represented by the transaction record was initiated, the match based on a consistency between the temporal indicator of the router record and the temporal indicator of the at least one of the multiple transaction records;
based on the searching, for each one of the multiple cells of the grid structure, counting a number of matches between one or more router records assigned to the one of the multiple cells of the grid structure and ones of the multiple transaction records associated with the target merchant; and
reporting one or more of the multiple cells as a location associated with the target merchant, based on the counted number of matching router records assigned to said one or more of the multiple cells exceeding a predetermined threshold, thereby further permitting portable communication devices to be located at the target merchant apart from use of a global positioning system (GPS) and without revealing information identifiable to consumers associated with said portable communication devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of systems and methods for identifying a merchant location based on transaction records for the merchant. In an exemplary embodiment, a method generally includes accessing multiple router records. Each router record is assigned to one of multiple cells of a grid structure indicative of geographic location. Each router record is associated with a target merchant. The method further includes, for each of the multiple router records, searching for a match between the router record and at least one of multiple transactions at the target merchant, based on time, and reporting one or more of the multiple cells as a location associated with the target merchant, when a number of matching router records assigned to said one or more of the multiple cells exceeds a predetermined threshold.
34 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for identifying a merchant location for a target merchant based on one or more transactions, the method comprising:
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accessing multiple router records, each router record generated by a portable communication device and assigned to one of multiple cells of a grid structure indicative of geographic location, each of the multiple cells associated with signal strengths of routers, and each router record including at least;
(a) a temporal indicator specific to one or more signal strengths recognized by the portable communication device at a time and date indicated by the temporal indicator, each signal strength defining a strength, at the portable communication device, of a signal of a corresponding router; and
(b) a grid structure cell designation specific to one of the multiple cells of the grid structure to which the router record is assigned, based on the signal strengths recognized by the portable communication device being within the associated signal strengths of the one of the multiple cells of the grid structure;for each of the multiple router records, searching, by a computing device, for a match between the router record and at least one of multiple transaction records associated with the target merchant, each of the multiple transaction records including at least a temporal indicator indicative of a time and date at which a transaction represented by the transaction record was initiated, the match based on a consistency between the temporal indicator of the router record and the temporal indicator of the at least one of the multiple transaction records; based on the searching, for each one of the multiple cells of the grid structure, counting a number of matches between one or more router records assigned to the one of the multiple cells of the grid structure and ones of the multiple transaction records associated with the target merchant; and reporting one or more of the multiple cells as a location associated with the target merchant, based on the counted number of matching router records assigned to said one or more of the multiple cells exceeding a predetermined threshold, thereby further permitting portable communication devices to be located at the target merchant apart from use of a global positioning system (GPS) and without revealing information identifiable to consumers associated with said portable communication devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for identifying a merchant location based on one or more transactions, the system comprising:
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a memory including a data structure, the data structure including; multiple transaction records associated with a target merchant, each transaction record including a time and date at which a transaction represented by the transaction record occurred; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to; access multiple router records, each router record generated by a portable communication device and associated with the target merchant, each router record including a time and date at which signal strengths of routers were recognized by the portable communication device; for each of the multiple router records, search for a match between the router record and at least one of the multiple transaction records associated with the target merchant, the match based on a consistency between the time and date of the router record and the time and date of the at least one of the multiple transaction records; for each matching router record; designate the router record with a transaction indicator, whereby the transaction indicator indicates a match between the time and date of the router record and the time and date of the transaction record; and assign to the router record an authorization intensity indicative of a number of transactions at the target merchant for a particular interval; and report each matching router record to a location provider based on the authorization intensity exceeding a predefined intensity. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification