GPS validation for transactions

• US 9,858,565 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• 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:
  US14/472,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• 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 computerized method comprising:

receiving, by a virtual retail location of a merchant from a transacting computing device, an account identifier associated with a user;

receiving a location of the transacting computing device;

receiving, by a location verification module integrated with a merchant computing device of the merchant, information related to a location and a time of a user device associated with the account identifier;

comparing, by the location verification module integrated with the merchant computing device of the merchant, the location of the user device with the location of the transacting computing device;

determining, by the location verification module integrated with the merchant computing device of the merchant, whether the location of the user device is within a range of the location of the transacting computing device;

receiving, by the virtual retail location of the merchant, a request for a transaction; and

canceling the transaction prior to transmitting a transaction authorization request to a transaction validation system when the location of the user device is not within the range of the location of the transacting computing device.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the virtual retail location of the merchant, a request for a transaction; and

sending a transaction authorization request to an authorization service when the location of the user device is within the range of the location of the transacting computing device.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the transacting computing device is a public computing device.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the merchant computing device to a remote database, a request for the location of the user device and the location of the transacting computing device.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the location verification module is initiated by the merchant computing device when the user is randomly selected.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the virtual retail location of the merchant, a request for a transaction; and

when the location of the user device is not within the range of the location of the transacting computing device, sending an authorization request to the user device for authorization to complete a transaction.

7. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a machine to:

receive an account identifier associated with a user, the account identifier received from a transacting computing device;

receive a location of the transacting computing device;

receive information related to a location and a time of a user device associated with the account identifier;

compare the location of the user device with the location of the transacting computing device;

determine whether the location of the user device is within a range of the location of the transacting computing device;

receive a request for a transaction; and

cancel the transaction prior to transmitting a transaction authorization request to a transaction validation system when the location of the user device is not within the range of the location of the transacting computing device.

8. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

receive a request for a transaction; and

send a transaction authorization request to an authorization service when the location of the user device is within the range of the location of the transacting computing device.

9. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the transacting computing device is a public computing device.

10. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

transmit, to a remote database, a request for the location of the user device and the location of the transacting computing device.

11. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein comparing the location of the user device with the location of the transacting computing device is initiated when the user is randomly selected.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

receive a request for a transaction; and

when the location of the user device is not within the range of the location of the transacting computing device, send an authorization request to the user device for authorization to complete a transaction.