User profile and geolocation for efficient transactions

• US 8,140,403 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• 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: Ramalingam, Harsha, Walsh, Paul J., Carr, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): PALAVECINO, KATHLEEN GAGE
• Application Number:
  US12/820,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• 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 method comprising:

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

associating user information with a mobile device, wherein the user information comprises payment information and preference information identifying a good or service available for purchase at a merchant;

determining, by the one or more computer systems, a location of the mobile device;

correlating the location with the merchant;

determining, based at least in part on the determined location of the mobile device, that the mobile device is located within a threshold distance of the merchant; and

automatically completing a transaction between a user of the mobile device and the merchant at least partly in response to the determining, wherein the transaction comprises purchasing the good or service identified by the preference information by providing the payment information to the merchant without direct interaction between the user and the mobile device at the location of the merchant.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the associating comprises associating the user information with a user identifier and associating the mobile device with the same user identifier.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises an electronic book reader device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises determining a latitude and a longitude of the mobile device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining the location of the mobile device comprises receiving a broadcast from a wireless network connection inside the merchant that identifies the merchant.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the correlating the location comprises correlating the location of the mobile device with a map comprising a location of the merchant and multiple other merchants.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining that the mobile device is located within the threshold distance of the merchant comprises determining that the mobile device is located within the merchant.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transaction comprises purchasing a tangible good from the merchant.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transaction comprises purchasing a service that includes granting an access privilege to the user of the mobile device to a secure location.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the secure location comprises a hotel room, an airplane, a home, or a business.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the merchant comprises a medical services provider and the transaction comprises providing medical information about the user to the merchant, wherein the medical information includes a photo of the user and is encoded so that the medical information is released to merchants that provide medical services but not to merchants that do not provide medical services.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the threshold distance of the merchant is based at least in part on a density of other merchants in the merchant location.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the threshold distance of the merchant decreases as the density of merchants increases.

14. A method comprising:

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

associating user information with a mobile device with a user identifier, wherein the user information comprises at least payment information associated with the user and preference information identifying a good or service desired by the user from a merchant;

determining, by the one or more computer systems, a location of the mobile device;

correlating the location with the merchant;

determining, based at least in part on the determined location of the mobile device, that the mobile device is located within the merchant; and

completing a transaction between a user of the mobile device and the merchant, the transaction purchasing the good or service specified in the preference information of the user, being paid for by providing the payment information to the merchant, and occurring at least partly in response to determining that the mobile device is located within the merchant and without direct interaction between the user and the mobile device.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the mobile device comprises an electronic book reader device.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the determining the location of the mobile device comprises receiving a broadcast from a wireless network connection inside the merchant that identifies the merchant.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising receiving an indication from the merchant that the user provided the user identifier to the merchant.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the user identifier is conveyed to the merchant by the user providing an identification document to the merchant or providing a password to the merchant.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, instruct a computing device to perform acts comprising:

associating user information with a mobile device, wherein the user information comprises payment information and preference information identifying a good or service desired by the user from a merchant;

determining a location of the mobile device;

comparing the location of the mobile device with one or more merchant locations stored in a map of merchant locations;

determining, based at least in part on the comparing, that the mobile device is located at the merchant or within a threshold distance of the merchant; and

when the mobile device is located at or within a threshold distance of the merchant, automatically purchasing the good or service identified by the preference information by authorizing the merchant to charge a payment instrument identified in the payment information and instructing the merchant to automatically complete a transaction with the user without direct interaction between the user and the mobile device.

20. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 19, wherein the associating comprises associating the user information and the mobile device with a user identifier.

21. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 19, wherein the user information comprises at least one of a purchase history of the user, a list of trusted merchants for the user, or preferences of the user.

22. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 19, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises determining a latitude and a longitude of the mobile device.