Transaction Completion Based on Geolocation Arrival

• US 20110238514A1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carr, Michael, Ramalingam, Harsha, Walsh, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,681,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/229 Hierarchy of users of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 : based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 : User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 : based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 : based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 : based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 : Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 : Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 : Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 : Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 : Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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: H04L 63/107 : wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 : according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 : by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 : Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 : Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• 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 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 : based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

Techniques for providing friction-free transactions using geolocation and user identifiers are described herein. These techniques may ascertain a user'"'"'s location based on a location of a mobile device. A transaction between the user and a merchant may be completed with zero or minimal input from the user based on the geolocation of the mobile device and the user identifiers. In some implementations, a transaction initiated earlier is completed when the mobile device arrives at the merchant. Additionally, a parent-child or similar relationship may be established between multiple devices. Security on the mobile device based may be provided by biometric identification and calculation of variance from regular movement patterns. Advertisements may be sent to the mobile device based on bids from merchants near to the mobile device. Promotions may be sent to the mobile device when more than a threshold number of mobile devices are located at the same merchant.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

detecting that a mobile device associated with a user is at a location of a merchant with whom the user has initiated a transaction;

communicating a presence of the user to the merchant at least partly in response to detecting that the mobile device is at the location of the merchant, the communicating effective to enable the merchant to complete the transaction; and

sending a message to the mobile device confirming completion of the transaction.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transaction has been initiated on a computing device other than the mobile device and at a location other than the location of the merchant.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein communicating the presence of the user to the merchant triggers a point-of-sale device of the merchant to contact a merchant server to complete the transaction.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transaction is associated with a user identifier that is also associated with the mobile device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting that the mobile device is at the location of the merchant comprises detecting the presence of the mobile device within a threshold distance of the location of the merchant.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting that the mobile device is at the location of the merchant comprises the merchant receiving a signal broadcast by the mobile device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting that the mobile device is at the location of the merchant comprises correlating a detected location of the mobile device with a known location of the merchant.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message comprises information used to access a secure location.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message comprises a receipt for the transaction.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing user information associated with the user to the merchant to enable the merchant to modify the transaction based at least in part on the user information.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the user information comprises at least one of payment information associated with the user, a purchase history of the user, a list of trusted merchants for the user, or preferences of the user.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising completing the transaction between the user and the merchant.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein completing the transaction comprises confirming a payment from the user to the merchant based at least in part on payment information of the user.

14. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

determining that a mobile device is within a threshold distance of a location of a merchant;

responsive to the determining, providing information to the merchant sufficient to complete a transaction that was initiated previously;

authorizing a payment to the merchant; and

receiving a message for a user of the mobile device from the merchant at least partly in response to the authorizing of the payment.

15. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 14, wherein the information sufficient to complete the transaction comprises a user identifier associated with the transaction and with the mobile device.

16. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 14, wherein the information sufficient to complete the transaction comprises user information that enables the merchant to modify the transaction based at least in part on the user information.

17. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 14, wherein authorizing the payment is performed automatically by the mobile device without input from a user of the mobile device.

18. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 14, wherein authorizing the payment is performed responsive to a user engaging in a single interaction with the mobile device.

19. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 14, wherein communication between the mobile device and the merchant is conducted over a direct communication path.

20. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 14, wherein the message comprises information used to access a secure location or a receipt for the transaction.

21. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and comprising;

information about a transaction previously initiated between a merchant and a user;

information associated with the user;

a transaction queue comprising information about a plurality of transactions to be completed at a future time; and

a transaction module configured to complete the transaction previously initiated based at least in part on the information associated with the user when a mobile device associated with the user is within a threshold distance of the merchant and the transaction is included in the transaction queue

22. The computing device as recited in claim 21, wherein the information about the transaction previously initiated is supplied by an entity other than the merchant or the mobile device associated with the user.

23. The computing device as recited in claim 21, wherein the information associated with the user comprises at least one of payment information, personal information about a customer, or customer preferences.

24. The computing device as recited in claim 21, wherein the computing device and the mobile device communicates over a direct communication path.

25. The computing device as recited in claim 21, wherein the computing device comprises a point-of-sale device.

26. The computing device as recited in claim 21, wherein the transaction, the information associated with the user, and the mobile device are each associated with a common user identifier.