Location based rules architecture systems and methods

• US 7,697,942 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stevens, Gilman R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly; Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US11/219,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20070053306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/404.1, 455/414.2, 455/440, 370/328, 370/338
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/43 wireless channels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• 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: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software for identifying location based rules related to a network connected device are described. A network connected device may transmit a set of data identifying the location of the device and an identifier unique to the device to a server. The server may also receive an action request, wherein the action request is associated with the identifier. The server may select a rule in a database to address the action request, the rule applicable to the identifier and location of the device. Various embodiments related to financial card transactions, access to financial information, emergency services contact, and electronic message filtering are also addressed.

Claims

1. A system for processing location based rules for a network connected device;

the system comprising;

the network connected device, wherein the device is configured to;

receive a set of data identifying the location of the device; and

transmit a communications signal which comprises both the set of data and an identifier unique to the device; and

a database which comprises;

a table of identifiers, each identifier in the table unique to one of a plurality of network connected devices, wherein the table of identifiers includes the identifier unique to the device;

a plurality of rules dictating how an action request to be performed by a location comparison server shall be performed, each rule associated with at least one identifier in the table;

a plurality of geographic regions;

each geographic region associated with a rule, wherein the applicability of each rule is limited to the geographic region associated with that rule; and

the location comparison server, in communication with the device and the database, wherein the location comparison server is configured to;

receive the communications signal;

receive the action request, the action request associated with the identifier unique to the device; and

identify an applicable rule associated with the identifier unique to the device and the geographic region within which the device is located, wherein,

the network connected device comprises credit card processing equipment at a retail location;

the action request which is received by the location comparison server is transmitted from the device, and included in the communications signal;

the action request comprises a request to authorize a credit card; and

the applicable rule comprises authorizing the transaction if the location of the device is within a specified distance of the home or workplace of a holder of the credit card.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network connected device comprises a mobile communications device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the network connected device comprises a personal computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network connected device comprises a server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the location comparison server is configured to store the set of data in the database.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of data is received by hardware configured to receive the set of data identifying the location of the device, wherein the hardware is coupled with the device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the hardware is removable from the device, and may be coupled with another network connected device without reconfiguration of the hardware.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the hardware configured to receive the set of data identifying the location of the device comprises a GPS receiver.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of data identifying the location of the device comprises GPS coordinates.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier unique to the device comprises a MAC address.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier unique to the device comprises an IP address.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications signal comprises more than one signal, each one signal transmitted at different times.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the location comparison server comprises the database.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the action request comprises validating the location of a user of the device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the action request comprises a request to allow access to resources of the location comparison server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the resources comprise a password.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the action request is made by a person or entity other than a user of the device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the action request to be performed by the location comparison server is associated with the network connected device, and the action request is associated with the identifier unique to the device thereby.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein each geographic region is variable.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the action request is associated with a location from which the action request originated;

and each geographic region is variable and dependent on the location associated with the action request.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the geographic region comprises an area within a specified distance of the location associated with the action request.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein, a user is associated with the identifier unique to the device;

the database includes an account number of the user;

the action request comprises a request to authorize a transaction for the account number and second set of data identifying the location of the transaction; and

the applicable rule comprises authorizing the transaction only if the location of the network connected device and the location of the transaction are within a specified distance of each other.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein, the network connected device comprises a mobile communications device;

the account number comprises a credit card number; and

the transaction comprises a credit card transaction.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein, a user is associated with the identifier unique to the device;

the database includes an account number of the user;

the action request comprises a request to access information associated with the account number and a second set of data identifying a location associated with the request; and

the applicable rule comprises allowing access only if the location of the network connected device and the location associated with the request are within a specified distance of each other.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein, the information associated with the account number comprises financial information of the user.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein, the database includes information about a user associated with the identifier unique to the device;

the action request which is received by the location comparison server is transmitted from the device, and included in the communications signal;

the action request comprises a request for emergency services; and

the applicable rule comprises forwarding the request for emergency services, the information about a user, and the set of data to an emergency services provider for the geographic region within which the device is located.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein, the information about a user is selected from the group consisting of:

an address, a floor plan, a listing of family members, geography and building information related to the location of the device, and any combination thereof and the information about a user is associated with the location of the device.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein, an electronic message received by the location comparison server is associated with the identifier unique to the device;

the action request comprises a request to filter the electronic message associated with the identifier if the electronic message was sent from a specified geographic region;

the applicable rule comprises filtering the electronic message associated with the identifier because the electronic message was sent from the specified geographic region.

29. A method of processing location based rules on a server related to a network connected device, the method comprising:

maintaining a database which comprises;

a table of identifiers, each identifier unique to one of a plurality of network connected devices, wherein the network connected device is included in the plurality;

a plurality of rules, each rule associated with at least one identifier in the table and dictating how an action request to be performed on the server shall be performed;

a plurality of geographic regions;

each geographic region associated with at least one of the plurality of rules, wherein the applicability of each rule is limited to the geographic region associated with that rule;

receiving a communications signal from the network connected device comprising a set of data identifying the location of the network connected device and the identifier unique to the network connected device;

receiving an action request, the action request associated with the identifier unique to the network connected device; and

identifying an applicable rule associated with the identifier unique to the network connected device and the geographic region within which the device is located, wherein,

the network connected device comprises credit card processing equipment at a retail location;

the action request which is received is transmitted from the device, and included in the communications signal;

the action request comprises a request to authorize a credit card; and

the applicable rule comprises authorizing the transaction if the location of the device is within a specified distance of the home or workplace of a holder of the credit card.

30. The method of claim 29, which further comprises storing the action request in the database.

31. A computer program embodied on at least one computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions executable by a computer to process location based rules on a server related to a network connected device, including to:

maintain a database which comprises;

a table of identifiers, each identifier unique to one of a plurality of network connected devices, wherein the network connected device is included in the plurality;

a plurality of rules, each rule associated with at least one identifier in the table and dictating how an action request to be performed on the server shall be performed;

a plurality of geographic regions;

each geographic region associated with at least one of the plurality of rules, wherein the applicability of each rule is limited to the geographic region associated with that rule;

receive a communications signal from the network connected device comprising a set of data identifying the location of the network connected device and the identifier unique to the network connected device;

receive the action request, the action request associated with the identifier unique to the network connected device; and

identify an applicable rule associated with the identifier unique to the network connected device and the geographic region within which the device is located, wherein,

the network connected device comprises credit card processing equipment at a retail location;

the action request which is received is transmitted from the device, and included in the communications signal;

the action request comprises a request to authorize a credit card; and

the applicable rule comprises authorizing the transaction if the location of the device is within a specified distance of the home or workplace of a holder of the credit card.