Mobile device security

• US 8,521,131 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• 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): Washington, Erika A
• Application Number:
  US12/820,816
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/410
• 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. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, instruct a computing device to perform acts comprising:

receiving biometric data from a user of a mobile device via a sensor associated with the mobile device;

analyzing the received biometric data received via the sensor associated with the mobile device; and

granting access to a functionality of the mobile device when the analyzing of the received biometric data determines a match between the received biometric data and biometric data stored in or accessible by the mobile device, the functionality comprising initiating a transaction with a merchant based at least in part on a comparison of a current position of the mobile device with a route associated with a geolocation signature of the mobile device.

2. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a camera, the received biometric data comprises an image, and the analyzing comprises conducting facial recognition of the image perceived by the camera.

3. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a microphone, the received biometric data comprises speech, and the analyzing comprises conducting voice recognition of the speech detected by the microphone.

4. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a fingerprint scanner, the received biometric data comprises a scanned fingerprint, and the analyzing comprises analyzing the scanned fingerprint.

5. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the functionality comprises associating the mobile device with a user identity, data associated with the user identity being stored at least in part on a device remote from the mobile device.

6. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the acts further comprise periodically soliciting an input of biometric data.

7. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the acts further comprise receiving an additional input of biometric data from the user of the mobile device via a different sensor of the mobile device.

8. The computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the acts further comprise initiating a security event when analyzing the received biometric data fails to identify a match between the received biometric data and the biometric data stored in or accessible by the mobile device.

9. A mobile device comprising:

one or more processors;

a clock in communication with the one or more processors configured to determine a date, a time, or both;

a location sensor in communication with the one or more processors and configured to determine a geolocation of the mobile device;

a wireless network interface in communication with the one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and comprising;

a user identification correlated with user information, the user information available over a network accessed by the wireless network interface; and

a security module configured to;

create a geolocation signature of routes of the mobile device over time by storing a series of geolocations detected by the location sensor with a series of time points as calculated by the clock;

compare a current position of the mobile device at a particular time with a route for the particular time associated with the geolocation signature to determine if the current position varies from the route for the particular time associated with the geolocation signature by more than a threshold amount; and

initiate a security event in response to determining that the current position varies from the route for the particular time associated with the geolocation signature by more than the threshold amount.

10. The mobile device as recited in claim 9, wherein the location sensor comprises a global positioning system receiver.

11. The mobile device as recited in claim 9, wherein the location sensor is configured to infer a location of the mobile device based on information provided by the wireless network interface.

12. The mobile device as recited in claim 9, further comprising a biometric sensor coupled to the one or more processors, the biometric sensor is configured to collect biometric data and present the biometric data to the security module for comparison with stored biometric data.

13. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, wherein the security module is further configured to initiate a security event when the collected biometric data differs from the stored biometric data.

14. The mobile device as recited in claim 12, wherein the biometric sensor comprises at least one of a camera, a microphone, or a fingerprint scanner.

15. The mobile device as recited in claim 9, wherein the security module is further configured to initiate a security event responsive to input from the user, the input comprising a phone call, an e-mail, or a command entered on a webpage.