Systems and methods for determining device location using wireless data and other geographical location data

• US 9,693,202 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Howe, Justin, MacNair, Bruce William
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US14/789,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20170006434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 4554562, 4554561, 4554563
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• 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 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for determining device location of a user device within a venue using a wireless positioning system is provided. The method includes identifying a plurality of signal sample sets, wherein each signal sample set includes a sample location within the venue and one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points positioned at the venue, wherein the sample location is determined based on location data associated with a corresponding payment card transaction within the venue. The method also includes receiving a subject wireless signal strength sample of the wireless access points captured by the user device at an unidentified location within the venue. The method further includes determining a subject location of the user device based on the plurality of signal sample sets and the one or more subject wireless signal strength samples, and providing the subject location of the user device within the venue.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining device location of a user device within a venue, the method implemented using a wireless positioning system including a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of signal sample sets, wherein a signal sample set of the plurality of signal sample sets includes a sample location within the venue and one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points positioned at the venue, wherein the signal sample set of the plurality of signal sample sets is generated by;

receiving notification of a payment card transaction of a cardholder conducted at a point-of-sale (POS) device at the venue;

identifying a cardholder device associated with the cardholder by matching a personal account number (PAN) of a payment card of the cardholder to a device ID of the cardholder device;

requesting, from the cardholder device, a wireless signal strength sample set representing one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points positioned within the venue captured at the cardholder device; and

associating the signal strength sample set with a sample location of the POS device in the venue;

receiving one or more subject wireless signal strength samples of the wireless access points captured by the user device at an unidentified location within the venue;

determining, by the processor, a subject location of the user device within the venue based at least in part on the plurality of signal sample sets and the one or more subject wireless signal strength samples; and

providing the subject location of the user device within the venue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

requesting a wireless strength sample set comprises requesting the one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points captured at the cardholder device at approximately the time of the payment card transaction, and wherein associating the signal strength sample set with a sample location of the POS device in the venue comprises determining the sample location as a location of the POS device within the venue based on location information associated with the payment card transaction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein requesting the one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points captured at approximately the time of the payment card transaction further comprises receiving the one or more wireless signal strengths captured by the cardholder device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving notification of a payment card transaction of a cardholder conducted at a point-of-sale (POS) device at the venue comprises receiving transaction data associated with the payment card transaction from a payment processor processing the payment card transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the subject location of the user device further comprises:

determining, based on the sample signal sets, a signal range for each wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points; and

comparing the subject wireless signal sample strength of each wireless access point to the determined signal range for each wireless access point; and

triangulating the location of the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the one or more subject wireless signal strength samples further comprises receiving the one or more subject wireless signal strength samples from one of the user device, one or more of the wireless access points, and a hub associated with one or more of the wireless access points.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the subject location of the user device further comprises providing a location uncertainty associated with the determined subject location the user device.

8. A wireless positioning system for determining device location of a user device within a venue, said wireless positioning system comprising a processor communicatively coupled to a memory, said wireless positioning system programmed to:

generate a plurality of signal sample sets, wherein a signal sample set of the plurality of signal sample sets includes a sample location within the venue and one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points positioned at the venue, wherein to generate the signal sample set of the plurality of signal sample sets, said wireless positioning system is programmed to;

receive notification of a payment card transaction of a cardholder conducted at a point-of-sale (POS) device at the venue;

identify a cardholder device associated with the cardholder by matching a personal account number (PAN) of a payment card of the cardholder to a device ID of the cardholder device;

request, from the cardholder device, a wireless signal strength sample set representing one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points positioned within the venue captured at the cardholder device; and

associate the signal strength sample set with a sample location of the POS device in the venue;

receive one or more subject wireless signal strength samples of the wireless access points captured by the user device at an unidentified location within the venue;

determine a subject location of the user device within the venue based at least in part on the plurality of signal sample sets and the one or more subject wireless signal strength samples; and

provide the subject location of the user device within the venue.

9. The wireless positioning system of claim 8, wherein said wireless positioning system is further programmed to:

request the one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points captured at the cardholder device at approximately the time of the payment card transaction; and

determine the sample location as a location of the POS device within the venue based on location information associated with the payment card transaction.

10. The wireless positioning system of claim 9, wherein said wireless positioning system is further programmed to request the one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points captured at approximately the time of the payment card transaction by receiving the one or more wireless signal strengths captured by the cardholder device.

11. The wireless positioning system of claim 8, wherein said wireless positioning system is further programmed to receive transaction data associated with the payment card transaction from a payment processor processing the payment card transaction.

12. The wireless positioning system of claim 8, wherein said wireless positioning system is further programmed to:

determine, based on the sample signal sets, a signal range for each wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points; and

compare the subject wireless signal sample strength of each wireless access point to the determined signal range for each wireless access point; and

triangulate the location of the user device.

13. The wireless positioning system of claim 8, wherein said wireless positioning system is further programmed to receive the one or more subject wireless signal strength samples from one of the user device, one or more of the wireless access points, and a hub associated with one or more of the wireless access points.

14. The wireless positioning system of claim 8, wherein said wireless positioning system is further programmed to provide a location uncertainty associated with the determined subject location the user device.

15. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

generate a plurality of signal sample sets, wherein a signal sample set of the plurality of signal sample sets includes a sample location within the venue and one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points positioned at the venue, wherein to generate the signal sample set of the plurality of signal sample sets, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to;

receive notification of a payment card transaction of a cardholder conducted at a point-of-sale (POS) device at the venue;

identify a cardholder device associated with the cardholder by matching a personal account number (PAN) of a payment card of the cardholder to a device ID of the cardholder device;

request, from the cardholder device, a wireless signal strength sample set representing one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points positioned within the venue captured at the cardholder device; and

associate the signal strength sample set with a sample location of the POS device in the venue;

receive one or more subject wireless signal strength samples of the wireless access points captured by a user device at an unidentified location within the venue;

determine a subject location of the user device within the venue based at least in part on the plurality of signal sample sets and the one or more subject wireless signal strength samples; and

provide the subject location of the user device within the venue.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

request the one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points captured at the cardholder device at approximately the time of the payment card transaction; and

determine the sample location as a location of the POS device within the venue based on location information associated with the payment card transaction.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to request the one or more wireless signal strengths of associated wireless access points captured at approximately the time of the payment card transaction by receiving the one or more wireless signal strengths captured by the cardholder device.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to receive transaction data associated with the payment card transaction from a payment processor processing the payment card transaction.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

determine, based on the sample signal sets, a signal range for each wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points; and

compare the subject wireless signal sample strength of each wireless access point to the determined signal range for each wireless access point; and

triangulate the location of the user device.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to receive the one or more subject wireless signal strength samples from one of the user device, one or more of the wireless access points, and a hub associated with one or more of the wireless access points.

21. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to provide a location uncertainty associated with the determined subject location the user device.