Techniques to verify location for location based services

• US 10,554,638 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Herzog, Shai, Kimchi, Gur
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Mia M
• Application Number:
  US15/453,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Techniques to verify a participant'"'"'s visit to a specific location are described. An embodiment may provide a system that generates a pattern that is unique to the location, and that may further be unique to a date or time, a transaction, or other criteria. Participants may capture the pattern, for example, using a mobile device, and transmit the pattern to a verification system. The verification system may decode, translate, decrypt or otherwise obtain information from the pattern. The information obtained from the pattern may be used to verify that the pattern came from the location. The participant may then receive credit for the visit. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a visit proof from a participant device associated with a first participant of a location based application, the visit proof captured during a visit to a physical location that is associated with a second participant of the location based application for confirming the visit to the physical location by the first participant;

verifying the visit proof comprises a pattern that uniquely identifies the physical location and the visit, the pattern including an indication of whether one or more conditions were satisfied during the visit, the one or more conditions comprising a condition that at least one purchase be made by the first participant during the visit at the physical location; and

upon verification of the visit proof, processing the pattern to determine whether the one or more conditions were satisfied during the visit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern comprises a non-static pattern that is produced by a pattern generator and is specific to the physical location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more conditions further comprise a particular item to be purchased; and

the method further comprises determining, from the visit proof, that the particular type of item was purchased at the physical location during the visit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more conditions further comprise an amount of money to be spent on the particular item; and

the method further comprises determining, from the visit proof, the amount of money was spent on the purchase at the physical location during the visit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more conditions further comprise a specified amount of money to be spent during the visit; and

the method further comprises determining, from the visit proof, an amount of money spent on the purchase at the physical location during the visit equaled or exceeded the specified amount of money.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the visit proof comprises at least one of:

a visual pattern;

a recorded sound of an audio pattern;

an alphanumeric string;

or

a wireless signal exchange.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying that the visit proof comprises the pattern comprises:

extracting location information from the visit proof;

identifying a location owner key using the location information;

decrypting the visit proof with the location owner key; and

decoding the visit proof to retrieve visit data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying that the visit proof is not an unauthorized duplicate of a previously received visit proof.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on a determination that the one or more conditions were satisfied, sending a visit receipt to the participant device indicating satisfaction of the one or more conditions; and

based on a determination that the one or more conditions were not satisfied, sending a visit failure notification to the participant device indicating the one or more conditions were not satisfied.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the verified visit proof.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing data from the stored verified visit proof to at least one of the first participant or the second participant.

12. An article comprising storage memory containing instructions that when executed enable a system to:

receive a visit proof comprising a non-static pattern that is unique to a physical location and unique for each visit to the physical location by a participant of a location based application, the visit proof confirming a visit to the physical location and the non-static pattern including an indication of whether one or more conditions were satisfied during the visit, the one or more conditions comprising a condition that a particular type of item be purchased at the physical location during the visit;

determine, from the visit proof, that the particular type of item was purchased at the physical location during the visit; and

transmit a visit receipt to at least one of a participant device or an application server that provides the location based application.

13. The article of claim 12, wherein the visit proof is encrypted and the article further comprises instructions that when executed enable the system to decrypt the visit proof.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the visit proof is encrypted using a location owner key shared with the location based application.

15. The article of claim 12, wherein the visit proof comprises at least one of:

a visual pattern;

a recorded sound of an audio pattern;

an alphanumeric string;

or

a wireless signal exchange.

16. A system, comprising:

an output device;

a processing unit; and

a memory for storing instructions, that when executed by the processing unit, perform a method, comprising;

generating a pattern unique for a physical location and unique for each visit to the physical location by a participant of a location based application, wherein the pattern comprises an indication of whether one or more conditions were satisfied during the visit, the one or more conditions comprising a condition that at least one purchase be made at the physical location during the visit;

when the one or more conditions were met, collecting information related to the visit, the collected information comprising a type of item purchased at the physical location during the visit; and

providing the pattern to the output device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the collected information further comprises an amount of money spent on the type of item purchased at the physical location during the visit.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the output device comprises at least one of:

a visual display to display the pattern as a visual pattern;

a speaker to produce the pattern as an audio pattern;

or

a transmitter to transmit a signal comprising a wireless electronic pattern of the pattern.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the pattern is generated according to at least one of:

a time, a date, a transaction, a visit condition, or a data collection requirement.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises encrypting the pattern using a location owner key shared with the location based application.