Identifying users via mobile hotspots

• US 10,448,313 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Madan, Arjita, Gwalani, Sumit, Rawat, Paridhi, Khanna, Heman
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassim, Khaled M
• Application Number:
  US15/949,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20180295564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• 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 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A user device receives a service device identifier via a Wi-Fi scan at a location and transmits the received service device identifier to an management system via a network. If the management computing system receives multiple service device identifiers from the user computing device, the management computing system receives location data of the user computing device and signal strength data associated with each of the service device identifiers. The management system receives location data from the user computing device and determines a particular service device identifier from the multiple identified service device identifiers having a strongest signal strength where the user computing device location data also indicates the user computing device to be located within a geofence boundary associated with the service device. The management system transmits user account information to the selected service system computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to identify users at service system locations, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices and from a user computing device, a user account identifier and two or more service computing device identifiers, the user computing device receiving the two or more service computing device identifiers and signal strength data associated with each of the two or more service computing device identifiers via a Wi-Fi scan at a service system location;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices and from the user computing device, location data logged by the user computing device;

retrieving, by the one or more computing devices, user account information based at least in part on the user account identifier;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a respective geofence boundary associated with each of the two or more received service computing device identifiers;

comparing, by the one or more computing devices, each respective geofence boundary associated with each of the two or more received service computing device identifiers with the location data received from the user computing device;

identifying, by the one or more computing device and based on the comparison of each respective geofence boundary, one or more service computing device identifiers corresponding to one or more of the respective geofence boundaries within which the user computing device is located;

ranking, by the one or more computing devices, each of the one or more identified service computing device identifiers corresponding to the one or more geofence boundaries within which the user computing device is located according to the corresponding signal strength data associated with each of the identified one or more service computing device identifiers;

selecting, by the one or more computing devices, a particular service computing device identifier having a highest signal strength from the identified one or more service computing device identifiers corresponding to the one or more geofence boundaries within which the user computing device is located; and

transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the user account information to a particular service computing device associated with the particular service computing device identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the user computing device is signed in to an application, wherein transmitting the user account information to the particular service system computing device is performed in response to determining that the user computing device is signed in to the application.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the user computing device has signed out of the application at a time after determining that the user computing device is signed in to the application;

in response to determining that the user computing device is not signed in to the application, transmitting, by the one or more computing devices and to the particular service system computing device, an instruction to the delete the user account information from the service system computing device; and

removing, by the one or more computing devices, a facial template of the user and a service system location from a current user log.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user account information transmitted to the service system computing device comprises one or more of a facial image and a username and password associated with the user account, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying, by the service system computing device, one or more of the facial image and a request for the user to input the username and password, and

receiving, via the service system computing device, one or more of a selection of the user by an operator of the service system computing device and an input of the username and password by the user,

wherein the selection of the user account information is based on one or more of the received selection of the user by the operator of the service system computing device and the received input of the username and password by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to identifying the service system computing device associated with the service system computing device network identifier, transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, one or more data to the user computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the one or more computing devices and based on the location data received from the user computing device, a second geofence boundary around the user computing device;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, that one or more geofence boundaries associated with one or more corresponding service computing device identifiers coincide with the second geofence boundary around the user computing device; and

transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, information associated with each of one or more service locations associated with the one or more corresponding service computing device identifiers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the geofence boundary around the user computing device comprises a specified radius around the user computing device.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to identify users, the computer-executable program instructions comprising;

computer-executable program instructions to receive, from a user computing device, a user account identifier and two or more service computing device identifiers, the user computing device receiving the two or more service computing device identifiers and signal strength data associated with each of the two or more service computing device identifiers via a Wi-Fi scan at a service system location;

computer-executable program instructions to receive, from the user computing device, location data logged by the user computing device;

computer-executable program instructions to retrieve user account information based at least in part on the user account identifier;

computer-executable program instructions to determine a respective geofence boundary associated with each of the two or more received service computing device identifiers;

computer-executable program instructions to compare each respective geofence boundary associated with each of the two or more received service computing device identifiers with the location data received from the user computing device;

computer-executable program instructions to identify, based on the comparison of each respective geofence boundary, one or more service computing device identifiers corresponding to one or more of the respective geofence boundaries within which the user computing device is located;

computer-executable program instructions to rank each of the one or more identified service computing device identifiers corresponding to the one or more geofence boundaries within which the user computing device is located according to the corresponding signal strength data associated with each of the identified one or more service computing device identifiers;

computer-executable program instructions to select a particular service computing device identifier having a highest signal strength from the identified one or more service computing device identifiers corresponding to the one or more geofence boundaries within which the user computing device is located; and

computer-executable program instructions to transmit the user account information to a particular service computing device associated with the particular service computing device identifier.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising computer-executable program instructions to determine that the user computing device is signed in to an application, wherein transmitting the user account information to the particular service system computing device is performed in response to determining that the user computing device is signed in to the application.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

computer-executable program instructions to determine that the user computing device is not signed in to the application at a time after determining that the user computing device is signed in to the application;

computer-executable program instructions to transmit, to the particular service system computing device in response to determining that the user computing device is not signed in to the application, an instruction to the delete the user account information from the service system computing device; and

computer-executable program instructions to remove a facial template of the user and a service system location from a current user log.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the user account information transmitted to the service system computing device comprises a facial image and/or a username and password associated with the user account, wherein the service system computing device displays the facial image and/or a request for the user to input the username and password, wherein the service system computing device receives a selection of the user by an operator of the service system computing device and/or an input of the username and password by the user, and wherein the selection of the user account information is based on the received selection of the user by the operator of the service system computing device and/or the received input of the username and password by the user.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to identifying the service system computing device associated with the service system computing device network identifier, computer-executable program instructions to transmit one or more data to the user computing device.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

computer-executable program instructions to determine, based on the location data received from the user computing device, a geofence boundary around the user computing device;

computer-executable program instructions to determine that one or more geofence boundaries associated with one or more corresponding service locations coincide with the geofence boundary around the user computing device; and

computer-executable program instructions to transmit information associated with each of the one or more service locations comprising geofence boundaries that coincide with the geofence boundary around the user computing device.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the geofence boundary around the user computing device comprises a specified radius around the user computing device.

15. A system to identify users, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to;

receive, from a user computing device, a user account identifier and two or more service computing device identifiers, the user computing device receiving the two or more service computing device identifiers and signal strength data associated with each of the two or more service computing device identifiers via a Wi-Fi scan at a service system location;

receive, from the user computing device, location data logged by the user computing device;

retrieve user account information based at least in part on the user account identifier;

determine a respective geofence boundary associated with each of the two or more received service computing device identifiers;

compare each respective geofence boundary associated with each of the two or more received service computing device identifiers with the location data received from the user computing device;

identify, based on the comparison of each respective geofence boundary, one or more service computing device identifiers corresponding to one or more of the respective geofence boundaries within which the user computing device is located;

rank each of the one or more identified service computing device identifiers corresponding to the one or more geofence boundaries within which the user computing device is located according to the corresponding signal strength data associated with each of the identified one or more service computing device identifiers;

select a particular service computing device identifier having a highest signal strength from the identified one or more service computing device identifiers corresponding to the one or more geofence boundaries within which the user computing device is located; and

transmit the user account information to a particular service computing device associated with the particular service computing device identifier.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor further executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to determine that the user computing device is signed in to an application, wherein transmitting the user account information to the particular service system computing device is performed in response to determining that the user computing device is signed in to the application.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor further executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to:

determine that the user computing device is not signed in to the application at a time after determining that the user computing device is signed in to the application;

transmit, to the particular service system computing device in response to determining that the user computing device is not signed in to the application, an instruction to the delete the user account information from the service system computing device; and

remove a facial template of the user and a service system location from a current user log.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the user account information transmitted to the service system computing device includes a facial image and/or a username and password associated with the user account, and wherein the processor further executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to:

display, by the service system computing device, the facial image and/or a request for the user to input the username and password, and

receive, via the service system computing device, a selection of the user by an operator of the service system computing device and/or an input of the username and password by the user,

wherein the selection of the user account information is based on the received selection of the user by the operator of the service system computing device and/or the received input of the username and password by the user.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor further executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to:

determine, based on the location data received from the user computing device, a geofence boundary around the user computing device;

determine that one or more geofence boundaries associated with one or more corresponding service locations coincide with the geofence boundary around the user computing device; and

transmit information associated with each of the one or more service locations comprising geofence boundaries that coincide with the geofence boundary around the user computing device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the geofence boundary around the user computing device comprises a specified radius around the user computing device.