METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING LOCATION SERVICES

• US 20140094194A1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schwent, Stephen, Ravenscraft, Cliff
• Granted Patent: US 9,031,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A computer-implemented method including executing instructions stored on a computer-readable medium is provided. The method includes receiving a request for location services from a user, the request including one or more request parameters. The method also includes formatting the request as a single uniform resource locator (URL) string including the one or more request parameters and transmitting the formatted request to a first of a plurality of geolocation service providers. The method also includes receiving from the first of a plurality of geolocation service providers one or more geographic coordinates related to the request and the one or more request parameters. The method includes outputting the one or more geographic coordinates to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method including executing instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the method comprising:

receiving a request for location services from a user, the request including one or more request parameters;

formatting the request as a single uniform resource locator (URL) string including the one or more request parameters;

transmitting the formatted request to a first of a plurality of geolocation service providers;

receiving from the first of a plurality of geolocation service providers one or more geographic coordinates related to the request and the one or more request parameters;

outputting the one or more geographic coordinates to the user.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein receiving a request for location services from a user comprises receiving a request for location services from a user wherein the request including one or more request parameters include a geographical location and a distance.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein receiving a request for location services from a user comprises receiving a request for location services from a user wherein the one or more request parameters include a type of resource to be located.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein receiving a request for location services from a user comprises receiving a request for location services from a user wherein the one or more request parameters include a type of resource to be located, the type of resource to be located further comprising at least one of an entertainment venue, theater, nightclub, restaurant, automated teller machine (ATM), Paypass contactless payment system, Prepaid Travel, Easy Savings, and Repower.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein receiving a request for location services from a user comprises receiving a request for location services from a user wherein the request includes one or more request parameters further comprising the one or more request parameters including a current geographical location of the user and a distance.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein receiving a request for location services from a user comprises receiving a request for location services from a user wherein the request includes one or more request parameters, the one or more request parameters including a current geographical location of the user and a distance further comprising the distance comprising a radius from the current geographical location of the user.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising ordering data associated with the one or more geographic coordinates according to the one or more request parameters.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request is translated from representational state transfer (REST) protocol to simple object access protocol (SOAP) before transmitting the formatted request.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein outputting the one or more geographic coordinates to the user comprises overlaying the one or more geographic coordinates on a map display.

10. A system for displaying a location of a physical resource, said system comprising:

a first application programming interface (API) configured to receive a request for location services from a user, the request including one or more request parameters, the one or more request parameters including a location;

a second API configured to transmit the request to one or more of a plurality of geolocation service providers, the second API configured to receive one or more geographic coordinates and associated accuracy ratings related to the request for location services from the user, the second API configured to parse the request, the second API configured to determine which of the one or more geographic coordinates meet an accuracy threshold, the second API configured to output geographic coordinates that meet the threshold to the user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second API is configured to transmit the request to another of the plurality of geolocation service providers.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second API is configured to transmit the request to another of the plurality of geolocation service providers if a previously contacted provider does not return geographic coordinates related to the request for location services from the user.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more request parameters includes a latitude, a longitude and a radius.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more request parameters includes a type of resource to be located within the radius.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for displaying a location of a desired resource using a computer device, wherein the computer device includes a memory device and a processor, wherein when executed by said processor, said computer-executable instructions cause said processor to:

receive a request for location services from a computer device of a user;

determine a location of the computer device of the user;

extract, from the request, a desired resource to be located and a search radius;

query a database to generate a list of desired resources within the search radius of the location;

transmit the list of desired resources to the user.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 15, wherein the location comprises a current latitude and longitude of the user computer device.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to order the list of desired resources based on a distance of the desired resources from the location.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 17, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to output the ordered data to the user.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to overlay the list of desired resources on a map.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 15, wherein the desired resource comprises at least one of an entertainment venue, theater, nightclub, restaurant, automated teller machine (ATM), Paypass contactless payment system, Prepaid Travel, Easy Savings, and Repower.