User profile and geolocation for efficient transactions

• US 9,916,608 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• 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, Carr, Michael, Walsh, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Palavecino, Kathleen
• Application Number:
  US13/725,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,908 Days
• 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:

detecting that a mobile device of a user is present within a predetermined proximity of a merchant location based at least in part on a determination that location data of the mobile device indicates that the mobile device has been within a distance range from the merchant location for a time period, wherein the location data is available based at least in part on sensor data of the mobile device, and wherein the distance range and the time period are pre-defined based at least in part on the merchant location;

determining if the user has designated the merchant, in a user profile of the user, as a trusted merchant based at least in part on the mobile device being within the predetermined proximity of the merchant location, wherein the trusted merchant is preauthorized by the user to implement a transaction with the user based at least in part on preference data of the user, the preference data stored in the user profile; and

when the user has designated the merchant as a trusted merchant;

logging in to the merchant;

sharing information about the user of the mobile device with the merchant, the information comprising a user identifier associated with the mobile device; and

completing a purchase transaction between the merchant and the user by at least identifying the preference data from the user profile based at least in part on the user identifier and using the preference data at least partly in response to detecting that the mobile device is present within the predetermined proximity of the merchant location, wherein the purchase transaction comprises an automatic selection of a good or service indicated in the preference data for purchase from the merchant, and wherein completing the transaction comprises automatically providing, to the merchant, payment information for the purchase transaction based at least in part on the merchant being preauthorized to implement the transaction.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting is performed by at least one of the mobile device, the merchant, or a network component.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises receiving a broadcast from inside the merchant that identifies the merchant.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein determining is based at least in part on a list of trusted merchants created by the user of the mobile device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the logging in comprises providing the user identifier that is associated with the user and with the mobile device to the merchant.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment information includes at least one of credit card information, debit card information, bank account information, or electronic payment system information.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the merchant comprises a point-of-sale computer system.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 7, wherein sharing the information about the user comprises communication between the mobile device and the point-of-sale computer system by displaying a code on the mobile device to a human operator or to a scanning device at the merchant.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 7, wherein sharing the information about the user comprises providing the user identifier from the mobile device to the point-of-sale computer system to enable the point-of-sale computer system to retrieve the payment information associated with the user identifier from a server.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein completing the purchase transaction comprises automatically completing the purchase transaction without the user interacting with the mobile device within the predetermined proximity of the merchant location.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein completing the purchase transaction comprises the user engaging in a single interaction with the mobile device, wherein the single interaction comprises the user pressing one key, button, or touch screen display of the mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the information is provided by the user of the mobile device prior to logging in to the merchant.

13. The one or more non-transitory of claim 1, wherein completing the purchase transaction comprises:

determining based at least in part on the preference data, that a particular motion associated with the mobile device is required to complete the purchase transaction; and

detecting that the particular motion is performed based at least in part on data transmitted from the mobile device and associated with the motion.

14. A method comprising:

detecting that a mobile device of a user is present within a predetermined proximity of a merchant location based at least in part on a determination that location data of the mobile device indicates that the mobile device has been within a distance range from the merchant location for a time period, wherein the location data is available based at least in part on sensor data of the mobile device;

determining if the user has designated the merchant, in a user profile of the user, as a trusted merchant based at least in part on the mobile device being within the predetermined proximity of the merchant location, wherein the trusted merchant is preauthorized by the user to implement a transaction with the user based at least in part on preference data of the user, the preference data stored in the user profile; and

when the user has designated the merchant as a trusted merchant;

logging in to the merchant;

sharing information about the user of the mobile device with the merchant, the information comprising a user identifier associated with the mobile device; and

completing a purchase transaction between the merchant and the user by at least identifying the preference data from the user profile based at least in part on the user identifier and using the preference data at least partly in response to detecting that the mobile device is present within the predetermined proximity of the merchant location, wherein the purchase transaction comprises an automatic selection of a good or service indicated in the preference data for purchase from the merchant, and wherein completing the transaction comprises automatically providing, to the merchant, payment information for the purchase transaction based at least in part on the merchant being preauthorized to implement the transaction.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the distance range and the time period are pre-defined based at least in part on a density of other merchants in the merchant location.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein sharing the information about the user comprises communication between the mobile device and a point-of-sale computer system of the merchant by displaying a code on the mobile device to a human operator of the point-of-sale computer system or to a scanning device of the point-of-sale computer system.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein completing the purchase comprises:

automatically completing the purchase transaction without the user interacting with the mobile device within the predetermined proximity of the merchant location;

or

the user engaging in a single interaction with the mobile device, wherein the single interaction comprises the user pressing one key, button, or touch screen display of the mobile device.

18. A mobile device of a user comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors;

a transaction module stored in the memory and executed on the one or more processors to;

detect that the mobile device is present within a predetermined proximity of a merchant location based at least in part on a determination that location data of the mobile device indicates that the mobile device has been within a distance range from the merchant location for a time period, wherein the location data is available based at least in part on sensor data of the mobile device;

access user information in a user profile of the user and determine if the user has designated the merchant as a trusted merchant based at least in part on the mobile device being within the predetermined proximity of the merchant location, wherein the trusted merchant is preauthorized by the user to implement a transaction with the user based at least in part on preference data of the user, the preference data stored in the user profile;

log the user into the merchant;

share information about the user with the merchant, the information comprising a user identifier associated with the mobile device; and

complete a purchase transaction between the merchant and the user by at least identifying the preference data from the user profile based at least in part on the user identifier and using the preference data, wherein the purchase transaction is completed at least partly in response to the detection that the mobile device is presented within the predetermined proximity of the merchant location and the purchase transaction comprises an automatic selection of a good or service indicated in the preference data for purchase from the merchant, and wherein completing the transaction comprises automatically providing, to the merchant, payment information for the purchase transaction based at least in part on the merchant being preauthorized to implement the transaction.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the transaction module determines if the user has designated the merchant as a trusted merchant based at least in part on reference to a list of trusted merchants created by the user.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein when the transaction module shares the information about the user the transaction module provides the user identifier from the mobile device to a point-of-sale computer system of the merchant to enable the point-of-sale computer system to retrieve the payment information associated with the user identifier from a server.