GPS validation for transactions

• US 8,825,073 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• 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): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US11/590,996
• Time in Patent Office: 2,863 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

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 comprising:

receiving a location verification provision initiated by a retail location, wherein the location verification provision is initiated by the retail location based on predetermined criteria and includes a request for a location of a device associated with a user at a time of a transaction, wherein the location verification provision is initiated by the retail location when the user has not completed a prior transaction at the retail location;

accessing a storage device that is remote from the device associated with the user to obtain the location of the device at the time of the transaction;

verifying, using a processor associated with a location determination module at a location of the transaction, that the location of the device meets the predetermined criteria, wherein verifying the location of the transaction includes determining if a time associated with the location of the device is within a predetermined time period of the time of the transaction; and

determining whether the retail location is a virtual retail location or a physical location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying the location of the transaction if the location of the device is at the location of the transaction at the time of the transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location verification provision includes a user identifier that associates the user with the device, and the method further comprises accessing a database to obtain the location of the device provided to the database by a global positioning system (GPS) by searching the database by the user identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the retail location of the location of the device at the time of the transaction; and

completing the transaction if the predetermined criteria are satisfied.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the location verification provision is initiated by the retail location when the user is randomly selected.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein when the retail location is the virtual retail location, the location of the transaction is the location of the device used to access the virtual retail location.

5. A tangible computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to verify a location of a transaction, the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving a location verification provision initiated by a retail location, wherein the location verification provision is initiated by the retail location based on predetermined criteria and includes a request for a location of a device associated with a user at a time of a transaction at the retail location, wherein the location verification provision is initiated by the retail location when the user has not completed a prior transaction at the retail location;

accessing a storage device that is remote from the device associated with the user to obtain the location of the device associated with the user;

verifying that the location of the device meets the predetermined criteria, wherein verifying a location of the transaction comprises determining if a time associated with the location of the device is within a predetermined time period of the time of the transaction; and

determining whether the retail location is a virtual retail location or a physical location.

6. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions for:

verifying the location of the transaction if the location of the device is at the location of the transaction at the time of the transaction.

7. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the location verification provision includes a user identifier that associates the user with the device, and wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions for:

accessing a database to obtain the location of the device provided to the database by a global positioning system (GPS) by searching the database by the user identifier.

8. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions further comprise instructions for:

notifying the retail location of the location of the device at the time of the transaction; and

completing the transaction if the predetermined criteria are satisfied.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the location verification provision is initiated by the retail location when the user is randomly selected.

9. A system comprising:

a retail communication module to receive a location verification provision initiated by a retail location based on predetermined criteria, and wherein the location verification provision includes a request for a location of a device associated with a user at a time of a transaction at the retail location, wherein the location verification provision is initiated by the retail location when the user has not completed a prior transaction at the retail location;

a storage device that is remote from the device associated with the user having stored thereon the location of the device at multiple time intervals;

a storage communication module communicably coupled to the storage device and configured to receive a user identifier associated with the user and access the storage device to determine the location of the device associated with the user identifier around the time of the transaction; and

a location determination module at a location of the transaction to;

verify that the location of the device meets the predetermined criteria, wherein verifying the location of the transaction comprises determining if a time associated with the location of the device is within a predetermined time period of the time of the transaction.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least one subsystem that:

verifies the location of the transaction if the location of the device is at the location of the transaction at the time of the transaction.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the location verification provision includes the user identifier that associates the user with the device, and the system further comprising at least one subsystem that:

accesses a database to obtain the location of the device provided to the database by a global positioning system (GPS) by searching the database by the user identifier.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least one subsystem that:

receives notification of the location of the device at the time of the transaction; and

completes the transaction if the predetermined criteria are satisfied.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the location determination module determines whether the retail location is a virtual retail location or a physical location.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the location verification provision is initiated by the retail location when the user is randomly selected.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein when the retail location is the virtual retail location, the location of the transaction is the location of the device used to access the virtual retail location.