Systematic crowdsourcing of geolocation data

• US 10,482,441 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Watson, James Christopher, Smith, Gina R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US15/064,887
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 705 21, 705 16, 705 39, 705 44, 713168, 713150, 235487, 235492, 726 7, 726 3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4015 using location information
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include systems and methods for systematic crowdsourcing of geolocation data. Transaction data that includes an identification of a point of sale device and an identification of a payment vehicle used in the transaction can be received. A confidence in a location of the point-of-sale device can be calculated. When the confidence of the location of the point-of-sale device is lower than a threshold confidence, a location of a device associated with an owner of the payment vehicle can be determined. An updated confidence in the location of the point-of-sale device can be generated based at least in part on the location of the device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

in response to receiving a transaction request for a transaction at a point-of-sale device, collecting location data from a device associated with the transaction at the point-of-sale device, wherein the location data is collected from a plurality of devices during a plurality of transactions;

receiving, at a computer system from the point-of-sale device via a first communication network, transaction data that includes an identification of the point-of-sale device and an identification of a payment vehicle;

determining, by the computer system, a confidence in a location of the point-of-sale device based on the location data associated with the plurality of devices, wherein the confidence indicates a reliability of the location of the point-of-sale device;

in response to the confidence of the location of the point-of-sale device being lower than a threshold confidence, determining a location of a device associated with an owner of the payment vehicle; and

generating, by the computer system, an updated confidence in the location of the point-of-sale device based at least in part on the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle comprises:

transmitting, via a second communications network, a communication to the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle requesting confirmation that a transaction associated with the transaction data was authorized; and

collecting or receiving the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a confirmation message indicating that the transaction associated with the transaction data was authorized.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the confirmation message indicates the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the confidence is further calculated based on at least one of:

a consistency of location information resulting from the devices polled or a time between receiving the location information from the device being polled and receiving the transaction request.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein when the confidence of the location of the point-of-sale device is above the threshold confidence, the method further comprises:

comparing the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle with the location of the point-of-sale device; and

authorizing the transaction when the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the location of the point-of-sale device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle is determined using at least one of:

a Wi-Fi signal, a radio-frequency identification signal, an near field communications signal, a satellite signal, a cellular signal, a Bluetooth signal, or an indication received from a user associated with the device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the updated confidence with the threshold confidence; and

revising the location of the point-of-sale device based on the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle when the updated confidence meets or exceeds the threshold confidence.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a machine to:

in response to receiving a transaction request at a point-of-sale device, collect location data from a device associated with the transaction at the point-of-sale device, wherein the location data is collected from a plurality of devices during a plurality of transactions;

receive, from the point-of-sale device via a first communication network, transaction data that includes an identification of the point-of-sale device and an identification of a payment vehicle;

determine a confidence in a location of the point-of-sale device based on the location data associated with the plurality of devices;

in response to the confidence of the location of the point-of-sale device being lower than a threshold confidence, determine a location of a device associated with an owner of the payment vehicle; and

generate an updated confidence in the location of the point-of-sale device based at least in part on the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the machine to determine the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle, further cause the machine to:

transmit, via a second communications network, a communication to the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle requesting confirmation that a transaction associated with the transaction data was authorized; and

collect or receive the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to receive a confirmation message indicating that the transaction associated with the transaction data was authorized.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the confirmation message indicates the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the confidence is further calculated based on a time between receiving the location information from the device being polled and receiving the transaction request.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein in response to the confidence of the location of the point-of-sale device being above the threshold confidence, the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

compare the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle with the location of the point-of-sale device; and

authorize the transaction when the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the location of the point-of-sale device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle is determined using at least one of:

a Wi-Fi signal, a radio-frequency identification signal, a near field communications signal, a satellite signal, a cellular signal, a Bluetooth signal, or an indication received from a user associated with the device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

compare the updated confidence with the threshold confidence; and

revise the location of the point-of-sale device based on the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle when the updated confidence meets or exceeds the threshold confidence.

17. A data processing system for determining a location of a point-of-sale, the data processing system comprising:

at least one computer having a microprocessor for computing data input to the computer;

at least one site management application including at least one of a software or firmware installation that provides computer coded instructions to the computer for managing data manipulated by the computer;

at least one database communicating with the computer for storing data regarding a threshold confidence of a location of a point-of-sale device;

data inputs from the point-of-sale device to the computer detailing;

location data from a device associated with a transaction at the point-of-sale device, wherein the location data is collected from a plurality of devices during a plurality of transactions;

transaction data that includes an identification of the point-of-sale device and an identification of a payment vehicle, and

a location of a device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle; and

outputs generated by the data processing system including;

a confidence of the location of the point-of-sale device based on the location data associated with the plurality of devices; and

an updated confidence in the location of the point-of-sale device based at least in part on the location of the device associated with the owner of the payment vehicle in response to the confidence of the location of the point-of-sale device being lower than the threshold confidence.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a user interface generated by the data processing system and including an updated location of the point-of-sale device when a comparison of the updated confidence meets or exceeds the threshold confidence.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one database communicating with the computer further is for storing data regarding at least one of:

a number of devices polled during transaction requests, a consistency of location information resulting from the devices polled, or a time between receiving the location information from the device being polled and receiving the transaction request.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computer coded instructions include instructions for calculating the confidence based at least in part on at least one of:

the number of devices polled during transaction requests, the consistency of location information resulting from the devices polled, or the time between receiving the location information from the device being polled and receiving the transaction request.