SETTING PEER-TO-PEER AUTHORIZATION LEVELS WITH SOCIAL NETWORK CONTENT

• US 20130332357A1
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Green, Travis Harrison Kroll, Cozens, Narelle, Pennarun, Avery, Schmitt, Peter, DePasquale, Michael, Mizhen, Boris
• Application Number:
  US13/490,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332357A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/223 based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

The invention provides a computer-implemented method for using the social networking content of a user to determine authentication levels required for a peer-to-peer transaction. A user inputs transaction counter-party and transaction details into a payment application. The information can be transmitted to a server located in a peer-to-peer payment system. The system may search the social network content of the user to determine the account information of the counter-party and to assess the security risk of the counter-party according to a preconfigured set of factors that define the strength of the connection to the user. These factors may include the counter-party'"'"'s status in the user'"'"'s social networks, frequency of contact, prior transactions, or other factors that further establish a relationship. The system may determine the level of transaction authentication required to process the transaction. The user may enter the authentication data to complete the transaction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for using social networking information of a user to determine an authorization level for a peer-to-peer financial transaction, comprising:

receiving, by a computer, a request to initiate a financial transaction;

identifying, by the computer, network devices associated with potential financial transaction counter-parties within a configured geographic range of a user computing device associated with a payor, and identifying users associated with the identified network devices as potential financial transaction counter-parties;

searching, by the computer, social network information of the payor for occurrences of each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties;

assessing, by the computer, for each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties, a security risk of a financial transaction based on a strength of corresponding social network information connections of each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties to the payor, the strength based on the corresponding occurrences of each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties in the social network information of the payor and the quantity of previous financial transactions between the user and the financial transaction counter-party;

determining, by the computer, an authorization procedure required of the payor to complete the financial transaction with each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties based at least in part on the corresponding security risk of the financial transaction with each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties;

providing, by the computer, a list of a plurality of the identified financial transaction counter-parties for display on the user computing device, the list comprising the authorization procedure required for each identified financial transaction counter-party;

receiving, by a computer, a selection of one of the identified financial transaction counter-parties from the list of the identified financial transaction counter-parties;

receiving, by a computer, transaction details of the financial transaction, comprising at least a value of the financial transaction;

receiving, by the computer, a required authorization in accordance with the authorization procedure corresponding to the selected identified financial transaction counter-party for the financial transaction from the payor; and

processing, by the computer, the financial transaction in accordance with the selected one of the identified financial transaction counter-parties and the financial transaction details.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer is a mobile network device associated with the payor.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer is a peer-to-peer payment system, and

wherein the computer provides the list by communicating the list to a user network device associated with the payor.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the authorization procedure is based on the quantity of previous financial transactions between the user and the financial transaction counter-party.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the social network information comprises a social graph of the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the social graph comprises information from at least one of a social network site and a contact application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the authorization procedure comprises responding to a request for at least one of:

a personal identification number;

a challenge question, a challenge-response test;

a password re-entry;

one or more financial transaction counter-party identification details; and

one or more financial transaction counter-party account information details.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the strength of the financial transaction counter-party'"'"'s social network information connections to the payor is based on one or more of:

a number of occurrences of the financial transaction counter-party in the social network;

a number of communications between the payor and the financial transaction counter-party;

a relationship level in a social network between the payor and the financial transaction counter-party;

a number of instances of financial transactions at a similar time;

a number of instances of financial transactions in a similar location a number of different social networks of the payor in which the financial transaction counter-party appears; and

a number of different contact applications of the payor in which the financial transaction counter-party appears.

8. (canceled)

10. A computer program product for using social networking information for a user to determine an authorization level for a peer-to-peer financial transaction, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage device having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising;

computer program instructions for receiving a request to initiate a financial transaction;

computer program instructions for identifying network devices associated with potential financial transaction counter-parties within a configured geographic range of a user computing device associated with a payor, and identifying users associated with the identified network devices as potential financial transaction counter-parties;

computer program instructions for searching social network information of the payor for occurrences of each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties;

computer program instructions for assessing, for each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties, a security risk of a financial transaction based on a strength of corresponding social network information connections of each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties to the payor, the strength based on the corresponding occurrences of each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties in the social network information of the payor and the quantity of previous financial transactions between the user and the financial transaction counter-party;

computer program instructions for determining an authorization procedure required of the payor to complete the financial transaction with each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties based at least in part on the corresponding security risk of the financial transaction with each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties; and

computer program instructions for providing a list of a plurality of the identified financial transaction counter-parties for display on the user computing device, the list comprising the authorization procedure required for each identified financial transaction counter-party;

computer program instructions for receiving a selection of one of the identified financial transaction counter-parties from the list of potential financial transaction counter-parties;

computer program instructions for receiving transaction details of the financial transaction, comprising at least a value of the financial transaction;

computer program instructions for receiving a required authorization in accordance with the authorization procedure corresponding to the selected identified financial transaction counter-party for the financial transaction from the payor; and

computer program instructions for processing the financial transaction in accordance with the selected one of the identified financial transaction counter-parties and the financial transaction details.

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

computer program instructions for receiving the required authorization for the financial transaction from the payor; and

computer program instructions for processing the financial transaction.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein all of the computer program instructions are stored on a user network device associated with the payor.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein all of the computer program instructions are stored peer-to-peer payment system, and

wherein the system provides the list by communicating the required authorization level to a user network device associated with the payor.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the authorization procedure is based on the quantity of previous financial transactions between the user and the financial transaction counter-party.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the social network information comprises a social graph of the user.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the social graph comprises information from at least one of a social network site and a contact application.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the authorization procedure comprises responding to a request for at least one of:

a personal identification number;

a challenge question, a challenge-response test;

a password re-entry;

one or more financial transaction counter-party identification details; and

one or more financial transaction counter-party account information details.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the strength of the financial transaction counter-party'"'"'s social network information connections to the payor is based on one or more of:

a number of occurrences of the financial transaction counter-party in the social network;

a number of communications between the payor and the financial transaction counter-party;

a relationship level in a social network between the payor and the financial transaction counter-party;

a number of different social networks of the payor in which the financial transaction counter-party appears; and

a number of different contact applications of the payor in which the financial transaction counter-party appears.

19. An system for using the social networking content of a user to determine authorization levels required for a financial transaction, the apparatus comprising:

an application configured to execute on a user computing device associated with a payor and operable to;

communicate a request to conduct a financial transaction, the request comprising a request to initiate a financial transaction, an identification of the payor, and a location of the user computing device,

a computer configured to;

receive the request to initiate a financial transaction

identify network devices within a configured geographic range of the user computing device, and identifying users associated with the identified network devices as potential financial transaction counter-parties;

search social network information of the payor identified in the request for occurrences of each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties;

assess, for each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties, a security risk of a financial transaction based on a strength of corresponding social network information connections of each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties to the payor, wherein the strength is determined based on the corresponding occurrences of each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties in the social network information of the payor and the quantity of previous financial transactions between the user and the financial transaction counter-party;

determine an authorization procedure required of the payor to complete the financial transaction with each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties based at least in part on the corresponding security risk of the financial transaction with each of the identified financial transaction counter-parties;

provide a list of a plurality of the identified financial transaction counter-parties for display on the user computing device, the list comprising the authorization procedure required for each identified financial transaction counter-party;

receive a selection of one of the identified financial transaction counter-parties from the list of potential financial transaction counter-parties;

receive transaction details of the financial transaction, comprising at least a value of the financial transaction;

receive a required authorization in accordance with the authorization procedure corresponding to the selected identified financial transaction counter-party for the financial transaction from the payor; and

process the financial transaction in accordance with the selected one of the identified financial transaction counter-parties and the financial transaction details.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the application further configured to:

receive the required authorization procedure;

receive an input of information to authorize the financial transaction; and

transmit to the computer the information to authorize the financial transaction.

21. (canceled)