Payment processing conditioned on multi-party geolocation constraints

• US 10,636,025 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2016
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yumiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Maguire, Lindsay M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Warden, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/992,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 705 44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/223 based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• 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 20/4015 using location information
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for facilitating a payment transaction is disclosed. A server receives an event-setup request from an event organizer to set up an event-based payment session to obtain payments for one or more attendees of a subsequent event. In response to receiving the event set-up request: the server sets up the event-based payment session in accordance with the event-setup request; and provides a payment invitation corresponding to the payment session to each of one or more invitees of the subsequent event in accordance with the event-setup request. The server then receives from at least a first invitee of the one or more invitees, a conditional acceptance to the payment invitation, the acceptance being conditioned on one or more predefined criteria.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating a payment transaction, comprising:

at a server of a social network platform, the server having one or more processors, and memory for storing programs to be executed by the one or more processors;

receiving an event-setup request from an event organizer to set up an event-based payment session to obtain payments for one or more attendees of a subsequent event, wherein;

(i) the event organizer and the one or more attendees are users of the social network platform, (ii) the one or more attendees are contacts of the event organizer in the social network platform, and (iii) the event-setup request includes an event time and a location of the subsequent event;

in response to receiving the event set-up request;

setting up the event-based payment session in accordance with the event-setup request; and

providing, via a message using the social network platform, a payment invitation corresponding to the event-based payment session to each of one or more invitees of the subsequent event in accordance with the event-setup request, wherein the payment invitation includes a plurality of payment options;

receiving from at least a first invitee of the one or more invitees, (i) a selection of one of the plurality of payment options and (ii) a conditional acceptance to the payment invitation, the conditional acceptance being conditioned on detecting that a first device associated with the first invitee and a second device associated with a second invitee of the one or more invitees, distinct from the first invitee, are both present at an event location of the subsequent event for at least a predefined duration of time during an event time of the subsequent event and the first device is within a predefined distance from the second device for at least one certain point in time during the predefined duration of time;

determining that (i) the first device and the second device are both present at the event location of the subsequent event, and (ii) the first device and the second device both stay at the event location for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event and the first device is within the predefined distance from the second device for the at least one certain point in time during the predefined duration of time; and

in accordance with the determining that (i) the first device and the second device are both present at the event location of the subsequent event, and (ii) the first device and the second device both stay at the event location for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event and the first device is within the predefined distance from the second device for the at least one certain point in time during the predefined duration of time, authorizing payment from a payment account associated with the first invitee to the organizer according to the selected payment option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event-setup request comprises an event invitation message composed by the event organizer and addressed to one or more social network contacts of the event organizer, and wherein the payment invitation comprises the event invitation message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditional acceptance to the payment invitation is further conditioned on detecting at least a predefined number of attendees at the subsequent event, and the method further comprises:

determining that respective devices associated with the at least a predefined number of attendees is at the event location of the subsequent event for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event; and

in accordance with the determining that the respective devices associated with the at least the predefined number of attendees is at the event location of the subsequent event for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event, authorizing payment from the payment account associated with the first invitee to the organizer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a payment invitation to each of the one or more invitees comprises:

electing to invite the first invitee based on membership of the first invitee in a social networking group of the social network platform.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting forwarding of the payment invitation from an invitee of the one or more invitees to a sponsor of the invitee; and

receiving from a device associated with the sponsor, confirmation to make a payment corresponding to the payment invitation on behalf of the invitee.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a respective invitee of the one or more invitees, a rejection of the payment invitation;

determining that (i) a device associated with the respective invitee is present at the event location of the subsequent event, and (ii) the device stays at the event location for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event; and

in accordance with the determining, reporting the presence of the respective invitee to the event organizer.

7. A social network platform server, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving an event-setup request from an event organizer to set up an event-based payment session to obtain payments for one or more attendees of a subsequent event, wherein;

(i) the event organizer and the one or more attendees are users of the social network platform, (ii) the one or more attendees are contacts of the event organizer in the social network platform, and (iii) the event-setup request includes an event time and a location of the subsequent event;

in response to receiving the event set-up request;

setting up the event-based payment session in accordance with the event-setup request; and

providing, via a message using the social network platform, a payment invitation corresponding to the event-based payment session to each of one or more invitees of the subsequent event in accordance with the event-setup request, wherein the payment invitation includes a plurality of payment options;

receiving from at least a first invitee of the one or more invitees, (i) a selection of one of the plurality of payment options and (ii) a conditional acceptance to the payment invitation, the conditional acceptance being conditioned on detecting that a first device associated with the first invitee and a second device associated with a second invitee of the one or more invitees, distinct from the first invitee, are both present at an event location of the subsequent event for at least a predefined duration of time during an event time of the subsequent event and the first device is within a predefined distance from the second device for at least one certain point in time during the predefined duration of time;

determining that (i) the first device and the second device are both present at the event location of the subsequent event, and (ii) the first device and the second device both stay at the event location for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event and the first device is within the predefined distance from the second device for the at least one certain point in time during the predefined duration of time; and

in accordance with the determining that (i) the first device and the second device are both present at the event location of the subsequent event, and (ii) the first device and the second device both stay at the event location for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event and the first device is within the predefined distance from the second device for the at least one certain point in time during the predefined duration of time, authorizing payment from a payment account associated with the first invitee to the organizer according to the selected payment option.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the event-setup request comprises an event invitation message composed by the event organizer and addressed to one or more social network contacts of the event organizer, and wherein the payment invitation comprises the event invitation message.

9. The server of claim 7, wherein the conditional acceptance to the payment invitation is further conditioned on detecting at least a predefined number of attendees at the subsequent event, and the method further comprises:

determining that respective devices associated with the at least a predefined number of attendees is at the event location of the subsequent event for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event; and

in accordance with the determining that the respective devices associated with the at least the predefined number of attendees is at the event location of the subsequent event for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event, authorizing payment from the payment account associated with the first invitee to the organizer.

10. The server of claim 7, wherein providing a payment invitation to each of the one or more invitees comprises:

electing to invite the first invitee based on membership of the first invitee in a social networking group of the social network platform.

11. The server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting forwarding of the payment invitation from an invitee of the one or more invitees to a sponsor of the invitee; and

receiving from a device associated with the sponsor, confirmation to make a payment corresponding to the payment invitation on behalf of the invitee.

12. The server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving from a respective invitee of the one or more invitees, a rejection of the payment invitation;

determining that (i) a device associated with the respective invitee is present at the event location of the subsequent event, and (ii) the device stays at the event location for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event; and

in accordance with the determining, reporting the presence of the respective invitee to the event organizer.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a social network platform server, cause the server to:

receive an event-setup request from an event organizer to set up an event-based payment session to obtain payments for one or more attendees of a subsequent event, wherein;

(i) the event organizer and the one or more attendees are users of the social network platform, (ii) the one or more attendees are contacts of the event organizer in the social network platform, and (iii) the event-setup request includes an event time and a location of the subsequent event;

in response to receiving the event set-up request;

set up the event-based payment session in accordance with the event-setup request; and

provide, via a message using the social network platform, a payment invitation corresponding to the event-based payment session to each of one or more invitees of the subsequent event in accordance with the event-setup request, wherein the payment invitation includes a plurality of payment options;

receive from at least a first invitee of the one or more invitees, (i) a selection of one of the plurality of payment options and (ii) a conditional acceptance to the payment invitation, the conditional acceptance being conditioned on detecting that a first device associated with the first invitee and a second device associated with a second invitee of the one or more invitees, distinct from the first invitee, are both present at an event location of the subsequent event for at least a predefined duration of time during an event time of the subsequent event and the first device is within a predefined distance from the second device for at least one certain point in time during the predefined duration of time;

determine that (i) the first device and the second device are both present at the event location of the subsequent event, and (ii) the first device and the second device both stay at the event location for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event and the first device is within the predefined distance from the second device for the at least one certain point in time during the predefined duration of time; and

in accordance with the determination that (i) the first device and the second device are both present at the event location of the subsequent event, and (ii) the first device and the second device both stay at the event location for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event and the first device is within the predefined distance from the second device for the at least one certain point in time during the predefined duration of time, authorize payment from a payment account associated with the first invitee to the organizer according to the selected payment option.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the conditional acceptance to the payment invitation is conditioned on detecting at least a predefined number of attendees at the subsequent event, and further comprising instructions that cause the server to:

determine that respective devices associated with the at least a predefined number of attendees is at the event location of the subsequent event for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event; and

in accordance with the determination that the respective devices associated with the at least the predefined number of attendees is at the event location of the subsequent event for at least the predefined duration of time during the event time of the subsequent event, authorize payment from the payment account associated with the first invitee to the organizer.