Accessing secure areas based on identification via personal device

• US 9,734,643 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Stittsworth, Kim, Hanson, Carrie Anne, Grigg, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US14/327,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 705 44, 705 13, 705 39, 4554561, 4554221, 455458, 34082543, 340 525, 713186, 713172
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/25 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for using proximity positioning systems to determine a location of a user, identify the user and provide additional services and/or functionality to the user based on the determined location and/or identity are presented. In some examples, a low-power radio signal emitted from a location beacon may be received or detected by a personal computing device. The location of the beacon, and the device detecting the signal, may be determined. The location information, as well as a unique identifier associated with the personal computing device, may be used to identify a user associated with the personal computing device and the location of the user. This information may be used to provide additional services and/or functionality to the user. For instance, the location and identity information may be used to provide the user with access to secure areas within a location.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a location determination and user identification system operating in a personal computing device having at least one processor, data associated with a signal from a location beacon, the signal being a low-power radio signal emitted from a location beacon at a banking center of a financial institution;

determining, by the location determination and user identification system operating in the personal computing device, a location of the personal computing device based on the received data associated with the signal emitted from the location beacon, wherein the location of the personal computing device is within a predefined proximity of a location of the location beacon;

identifying, by the location determination and user identification system, a unique identifier associated with the personal computing device within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon, the unique identifier including an international mobile station equipment identity (IMEI) of the personal computing device;

based on the unique identifier associated with the personal computing device within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon, identifying a user associated with the personal computing device within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon;

determining, by the location determination and user identification system, whether the identified user is entitled to access a secure area within the banking center;

responsive to determining that the user is entitled to access to the secure area, providing access to the secure area within the banking center to the user based on the identification of the user associated with the personal computing device, the access being provided for a predetermined amount of time;

determining whether the user has accessed the secure area within the predetermined amount of time; and

responsive to determining that the user has not accessed the secure area within the predetermined amount of time, canceling the provided access.

2. The method of claim 1, further including, responsive to determining that the user is entitled to access to the secure area, requesting additional authenticating information from the user prior to providing access to the secure area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the requested additional authenticating information includes at least one of:

a personal identification number (PIN) of the user and biometric data of the user.

4. The method of claim 2, further including:

receiving the requested additional authenticating information;

determining, based on the received additional authenticating information, whether the user is authorized to access the secure area; and

responsive to determining that the user is authorized to access the secure area, providing access to the secure area within the banking center to the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the requested additional authenticating information includes receiving, by the location determination and user identification system, the requested additional authenticating information from the personal computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the secure area includes generating a notification of access being permitted and transmitting the generated notification to the personal computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further including generating, by the location determination and user identification system, a diagram of the secure area and transmitting the generated diagram to the personal computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further including:

generating, by the location determination and user identification system, an electronic record of the provided access to the secure area.

9. The method of claim 1, further including:

responsive to determining that the user is not entitled to access to the secure area, requesting additional identifying information from the user.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the apparatus to;

receive data associated with a signal from a location beacon, the signal being a low-power radio signal emitted from a location beacon at a banking center of a financial institution;

determine a location of a personal computing device of a user based on the received data associated with the signal emitted from the location beacon, wherein the location of the personal computing device is within a predefined proximity of a location of the location beacon;

identify a unique identifier associated with the personal computing device within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon, the unique identifier including an international mobile station equipment identity (IMEI) of the personal computing device;

based on the unique identifier associated with the personal computing device within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon, identify a user associated with the personal computing device within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon;

determine whether the identified user is entitled to access a secure area within the banking center;

responsive to determining that the user is entitled to access to the secure area, provide access to the secure area within the banking center to the user based on the identification of the user associated with the personal computing device, the access being provided for a predetermined amount of time;

determine whether the user has accessed the secure area within the predetermined amount of time; and

responsive to determining that the user has not accessed the secure area within the predetermined amount of time, canceling the provided access.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further including, instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

responsive to determining that the user is entitled to access to the secure area, request additional authenticating information from the user prior to providing access to the secure area.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the requested additional authenticating information includes at least one of:

a personal identification number (PIN) of the user and biometric data of the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

receive the requested additional authenticating information;

determine, based on the received additional authenticating information, whether the user is authorized to access the secure area; and

responsive to determining that the user is authorized to access the secure area, provide access to the secure area within the banking center to the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein receiving the requested additional authenticating information includes receiving the requested additional authenticating information from the personal computing device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein providing access to the secure area includes generating a notification of access being permitted and transmitting the generated notification to the personal computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

generate an electronic record of the provided access to the secure area.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:

responsive to determining that the user is not entitled to access to the secure area, request additional identifying information from the user.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to:

receive, by a personal computing device, data associated with a signal from a location beacon, the signal being a low-power radio signal emitted from a location beacon at a banking center of a financial institution;

determine a location of the personal computing device based on the received data associated with the signal emitted from the location beacon, wherein the location of the personal computing device is within a predefined proximity of a location of the location beacon;

identify a unique identifier associated with the personal computing device within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon, the unique identifier including an international mobile station equipment identity (IMEI) of the personal computing device;

based on the unique identifier associated with the personal computing device within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon, identify a user associated with the personal computing device within the predefined proximity of the location of the location beacon;

determine whether the identified user is entitled to access a secure area within the banking center;

responsive to determining that the user is entitled to access to the secure area, provide access to the secure area within the banking center to the user based on the identification of the user associated with the personal computing device, the access being provided for a predetermined amount of time;

determine whether the user has accessed the secure area within the predetermined amount of time; and

responsive to determining that the user has not accessed the secure area within the predetermined amount of time, canceling the provided access.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, further including, instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more computers to:

responsive to determining that the user is entitled to access to the secure area, request additional authenticating information from the user prior to providing access to the secure area.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more computers to:

receive the requested additional authenticating information;

determine, based on the received additional authenticating information, whether the user is authorized to access the secure area; and

responsive to determining that the user is authorized to access the secure area, provide access to the secure area within the banking center to the user.