GPS validation for transactions

• US 7,669,759 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Zettner, Steven Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US11/591,031
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 235/381, 235/492, 705/44, 705/16, 705/17, 705/39, 705/41
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012

Abstract

A location verification provision is implemented to determine the location of a device associated with a user at the time of an attempted transaction. The attempted transaction includes receiving user identification and/or payment information, which is associated with the device in an entry stored in a database. Location information of the device, as well as a time at each location, may also be stored in the database. To verify that the device is located at the location of the transaction, a comparison operation may be performed. If the device is located where the transaction is being processed, the transaction may be completed. Predetermined criteria may be defined to account for possible inaccuracies in location and time calculations.

Claims

1. A method of verifying a location of a transaction, the method comprising:

receiving, by a point of sale terminal at a retail location, a credit card number associated with a user attempting to complete a transaction;

transmitting, by the point of sale terminal to a remote database, a request for the location of a mobile device associated with the user attempting to complete the transaction;

receiving information indicative of the location of the mobile device associated with the user attempting to complete the transaction;

comparing, by the point of sale terminal, the location of the mobile device associated with the user to the location of the retail location; and

transmitting a credit authorization request to a credit card authorization service if the location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information indicative of the location of the mobile device associated with the user comprises receiving global positioning system (GPS) information related to the mobile device from the remote database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining if the location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location comprises comparing global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the location of the mobile device with GPS coordinates of the location of the retail location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the credit authorization request to the credit card authorization service further comprises:

transmitting the credit authorization request to the credit card authorization service if the current location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions for a point of sale terminal application that executes on a point of sale terminal located at a retail location, the point of sale terminal application including instructions for processing a credit card number associated with a user attempting to complete a transaction;

the point of sale terminal application further including instructions for transmitting, to a remote database, a request for the location of a mobile device associated with the user attempting to complete the transaction;

the point of sale terminal application further including instructions for receiving, from the remote database, information indicative of the location of the mobile device associated with the user attempting to complete the transaction at a retail location;

the point of sale terminal application further including instructions for comparing the location of the mobile device associated with the user to the location of the retail location; and

the point of sale terminal application further including instructions for denying the request prior to transmitting a credit authorization request to a credit card authorization service when the location of the mobile device is different than the location of the retail location.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein receiving information indicative of the location of the mobile device associated with the user comprises receiving global positioning system (GPS) information related to the mobile device from the remote database.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the point of sale terminal application further comprises instructions for:

determining if the location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining if the location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location comprises comparing global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the location of the mobile device with GPS coordinates of the location of the retail location.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, further wherein the point of sale terminal application instructions for transmitting the credit authorization request to the credit card authorization service further comprises instructions for:

transmitting the credit authorization request to the credit card authorization service if the current location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location.

11. A point of sale terminal configured to be placed at a retail location comprising:

at least one subsystem configured to receive a credit card number associated with a user attempting to complete a transaction;

at least one subsystem configured to transmit a request for the location of a mobile device associated with the user attempting to complete the transaction to a remote database;

at least one subsystem configured to receive, from the remote database, information indicative of the location of the mobile device associated with the user attempting to complete the transaction;

at least one subsystem configured to compare the location of the mobile device associated with the user to the location of the retail location;

at least one subsystem configured to determine that the location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location based on the comparison; and

at least one subsystem configured to transmit, based on a determination that the location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location, a credit authorization request to a credit card authorization service.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one subsystem configured to receive the information indicative of the location of the mobile device associated with the user comprises at least one subsystem configured to receive global positioning system (GPS) information related to the mobile device from the remote database.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one subsystem configured to determine if the location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one subsystem configured to determine that the location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location comprises at least one subsystem configured to compare global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the location of the mobile device with GPS coordinates of the location of the retail location.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one subsystem configured to transmit the credit authorization request to the credit card authorization service further comprises:

at least one subsystem configured to transmit the credit authorization request to the credit card authorization service if the current location of the mobile device is the same as the location of the retail location.