Bluetooth low energy (BLE) pre-check in

• US 10,499,224 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Griffin, Kent, Granbery, John Hastings, Ferguson, Hill, Marcus, David, Todasco, Michael Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Oyebisi, Ojo O
• Application Number:
  US14/479,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35, 705 39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0631 : Substitution permutation network [SPN], i.e. cipher composed of a number of stages or rounds each involving linear and nonlinear transformations, e.g. AES algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 : Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 : Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 : Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 : Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/75 : Temporary identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 : using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 : using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 : Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

One or more Bluetooth® low energy (BLE) beacons in communication with a remote server that provides check in capabilities and payment capabilities may be installed at a location. The BLE beacons may connect with a user'"'"'s mobile device when the user enters the location and allow the user to check in to the location and authorize payments to be made at the location. Once the user is checked in to the location, the user may be provided with additional functionality, benefits, offers, and applications related to the location and facilitated by the check in. Further, the user may be pre-checked in into a next location when the user is at a current location.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing check-in history of a user; and

one or more hardware processors in communication with the memory and configured to execute instructions to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving a first check-in request from a user device of the user; and

in response to receiving the first check-in request;

detecting that the user device is at a first location;

accessing the check-in history of the user;

determining a second location of a next check-in of the user based on analyzing the check-in history of the user and identifying a sequence of check-ins that corresponds to a current pattern of user activity, the sequence of check-ins including a check-in at the first location; and

processing a pre-check-in of the user for the second location before the user arrives at the second location and without the user device establishing communication with a check-in device associated with the second location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring travel directions and travel routes of the user device; and

inferring the second location based further on the travel directions and travel routes of the user device toward the second location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise authenticating the user based on the travel directions and travel routes of the user device and the check-in history of the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the first check-in request, the operations further comprise:

generating a unique identification associated with the pre-check in of the user at the second location; and

communicating the unique identification to the user device and an operator of the second location.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the unique identification from the user device via a BLE beacon installed at the second location when the user arrives at the second location;

verifying the unique identification received from the user device with the unique identification previously communicated to the user device during pre-check-in; and

checking the user in at the second location without authenticating the user when the unique identification is verified.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise communicating information related to the user and applicable to the second location to an operator of the second location.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second location is a medical facility and the information includes health information of the user.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the second location is a lodging facility and the information includes lodging preferences of the user.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the second location is a business facility and the information includes business information of the user.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a hardware processor, a check-in request from a user device of a user at a first location;

accessing, by the hardware processor, a check-in history of the user;

determining, by the hardware processor, a second location of a next check-in of the user based on analyzing the check-in history of the user and identifying a sequence of check-ins that corresponds to a current pattern of user activity, the sequence of check-ins including a check-in at the first location; and

processing, by the hardware processor, a pre-check-in of the user for the second location before the user arrives at the second location and without the user device establishing communication with a check-in device associated with the second location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user is pre-checked in when the user is traveling in a direction of the second location and is within a predetermined distance from the second location.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the user has a history of checking in at the second location after checking in at the first location.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating a unique identification associated with the pre-check-in of the user at the second location; and

communicating the unique identification to the user device and an operator of the second location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the unique identification has an expiration time after which the pre-check-in of the user expires.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving the unique identification from the user device via a BLE beacon installed at the second location when the user arrives at the second location;

verifying the unique identification received from the user device with the unique identification previously communicated to the user device during pre-check-in; and

checking the user in at the second location without authenticating the user when the unique identification is verified and the unique identification is not expired.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

wherein the second location is inferred based on one or more of a calendar, a schedule, a social network account, a to-do list, an online posting, or a communication of the user.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a check-in request from a user device of a user at a first location;

accessing a check-in history of the user;

determining a second location of a next check-in of the user based on analyzing the check-in history of the user and identifying a sequence of check-ins that corresponds to a current pattern of user activity, the sequence of check-ins including a check-in at the first location; and

processing a pre-check-in of the user for the second location before the user arrives at the second location and without the user device establishing communication with a check-in device associated with the second location.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

analyzing the check-in history of the user; and

inferring the second location based on the check-in history.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second location is identified by the user for pre-check-in.