DIGITAL PUNCH CARD FOR MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20120229256A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: MORSE, Reed, Chew, Grantland
• Granted Patent: US 8,698,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method for verifying a location of a user of a mobile device is disclosed. The method involves: receiving an indicia of a location of the mobile device based on an at-location element proximate to the mobile device; receiving a global positioning system (GPS) position associated with the mobile device; determining whether at least one security condition is satisfied based on the indicia of the location and the GPS position; and causing a next action to occur when the at least one security condition is satisfied, or not causing the next action to occur when the at least one security condition is not satisfied.

Claims

1. A method for verifying a location of a user of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving an indicia of a location of the mobile device based on an at-location element proximate to the mobile device;

receiving a global positioning system (GPS) position associated with the mobile device;

determining whether at least one security condition is satisfied based on the indicia of the location and the GPS position; and

causing a next action to occur when the at least one security condition is satisfied, or

not causing the next action to occur when the at least one security condition is not satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia of the location of the mobile device is associated with a first geographic zone, and the at least one security condition specifies that the GPS position within the first geographic zone.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a first timestamp indicating when the mobile device receives the indicia of the location; and

receiving a second timestamp indicating when the mobile device calculates the GPS position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one security condition further includes a second security condition that specifies that a time difference between the first timestamp and the second timestamp is less than a first threshold amount of time.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first geographic zone is associated with a place of business, and the at least one security condition further includes a second security condition that specifies that the first timestamp reflects a time when the place of business is open.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a second indicia of the location of the mobile device that is associated with a third timestamp indicating when the mobile device receives the second indicia of the location and a second GPS position associated with the mobile device as well as a fourth timestamp indicating when the mobile device receives the second GPS position,

wherein the at least one security condition further includes a second security condition that specifies that a time difference between the later of the first timestamp and the second timestamp and the earlier of the third timestamp and the fourth timestamp exceeds a first threshold amount of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device executes a digital punch card software application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein causing a next action comprises crediting a digital punch card associated with the digital punch card software application when the at least one security condition is satisfied, and wherein not causing the next action comprises not crediting the digital punch card associated with the digital punch card software application when the at least one security condition is not satisfied.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to verify a location of a user of a mobile device, by performing the steps of:

receiving an indicia of a location of the mobile device based on an at-location element proximate to the mobile device;

receiving a global positioning system (GPS) position associated with the mobile device;

determining whether at least one security condition is satisfied based on the indicia of the location and the GPS position; and

causing a next action to occur when the at least one security condition is satisfied, or

not causing the next action to occur when the at least one security condition is not satisfied.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the indicia of the location of the mobile device is associated with a first geographic zone, and the at least one security condition specifies that the GPS position within the first geographic zone.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise the steps of:

receiving a first timestamp indicating when the mobile device receives the indicia of the location; and

receiving a second timestamp indicating when the mobile device calculates the GPS position.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one security condition further includes a second security condition that specifies that a time difference between the first timestamp and the second timestamp is less than a first threshold amount of time.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first geographic zone is associated with a place of business, and the at least one security condition further includes a second security condition that specifies that the first timestamp reflects a time when the place of business is open.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise the steps of:

receiving a second indicia of the location of the mobile device that is associated with a third timestamp indicating when the mobile device receives the second indicia of the location and a second GPS position associated with the mobile device as well as a fourth timestamp indicating when the mobile device receives the second GPS position,

wherein the at least one security condition further includes a second security condition that specifies that a time difference between the later of the first timestamp and the second timestamp and the earlier of the third timestamp and the fourth timestamp exceeds a first threshold amount of time.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the mobile device executes a digital punch card software application.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein causing a next action comprises crediting a digital punch card associated with the digital punch card software application when the at least one security condition is satisfied, and wherein not causing the next action comprises not crediting the digital punch card associated with the digital punch card software application when the at least one security condition is not satisfied.

17. A method for verifying a location of a user of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving an indicia of a location of the mobile device based on an at-location element;

calculating a global positioning system (GPS) position associated with the mobile device;

transmitting the indicia of the location and the GPS position to a server machine; and

receiving a confirmation message when at least one security condition is satisfied based on the indicia of the location and the GPS position, or

receiving a denial message when at least one security condition is not satisfied based on the indicia of the location and the GPS position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicia of the location comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) signal or a near-field communication (NFC) signal, and the at-location element comprises a transmitter device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the indicia of the location comprises a photograph of a barcode or a quick response (QR) code, and the at-location element comprises the barcode or the QR code.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the mobile device executes a digital punch card software application, and the confirmation message specifies that a digital punch card associated with the digital punch card software application receives a credit when the at least one security condition is satisfied, or the denial message specifies that the digital punch card associated with the digital punch card software application is denied a credit when the at least one security condition is not satisfied.