Methods and systems for locating a mobile merchant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10332192-B2
Application number	US-201614997139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2016
Priority date	Jan 15, 2016
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A computer-based method for determining a location of a mobile merchant computing device is provided. The method is implemented using a location manager (LM) computing device in communication with a processor and a memory device. The method comprises receiving from the mobile merchant computing device at least one authorization request message including a merchant identifier for the mobile merchant and a first location variable, determining a location of the mobile merchant using the first location variable, transmitting to a consumer computing device operable by a consumer, by the LM computing device, a location data message including the merchant identifier and the location of the mobile merchant, and causing, by the transmission, the consumer computing device to display the location on a display interface coupled to the consumer computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-based method for determining a future location of a mobile merchant computing device associated with a mobile merchant, the method implemented using a location manager (LM) computing device comprising a processor in communication with a memory device, the method comprising:
receiving from the mobile merchant computing device through a payment processing network, by the LM computing device, a plurality of authorization request messages, each authorization request message associated with a payment transaction initiated with the mobile merchant, each authorization request message including a merchant identifier for the mobile merchant and a location variable identifying a location of the payment transaction, and wherein the mobile merchant computing device and the LM computing device are both communicatively coupled to the payment processing network;
identifying, using the LM computing device, the location variable for each of the plurality of authorization request messages;
extracting, using the LM computing device, the location variables from the plurality of authorization request messages;
determining, by the LM computing device, a plurality of locations for the mobile merchant using the location variables extracted from the plurality of authorization request messages;
generating, by the LM computing device, a plurality of location patterns for the mobile merchant from the determined plurality of locations;
determining, by the LM computing device, a number of times that the mobile merchant has followed a particular location pattern of the plurality of location patterns;
comparing, by the LM computing device, the determined number of times to a predetermined threshold number of times;
in response to determining that the number of times exceeds the predetermined threshold number of times, predicting, by the LM computing device, a future location for the mobile merchant;
transmitting to a consumer computing device, by the LM computing device, a location data message including the merchant identifier and the future location; and
causing, by the transmission, the consumer computing device to display the future location on a display interface coupled to the consumer computing device.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising receiving the location variables from the mobile merchant computing device independent of the plurality of authorization request messages.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving from the consumer computing device, by the LM computing device, a location request message including a location of interest, a second merchant identifier associated with the mobile merchant, and a consumer contact identifier;
comparing, by the LM computing device, the location of interest to the future location and the merchant identifier to the second merchant identifier; and
based on the comparison, determining, by the LM computing device, that the location of interest identified in the location request message and the future location of the mobile merchant match.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the consumer contact identifier includes one or more of: a telephone number, an email address, a social network address, and a messaging service address, and wherein comparing the future location to the location of interest comprises comparing one or more of a street identifier, a city identifier, a state identifier, a zip code identifier, and a set of geographic coordinates.

5. A method in accordance with claim 3 , further comprising:
determining a location of the consumer computing device; and
setting the location of interest equal to the determined location.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the location variable and the merchant identifier for each of the plurality of authorization request messages in the memory device;
associating the location variable and the merchant identifier for each of the plurality of authorization request messages in the memory device;
receiving at least one other authorization request message from the merchant computing device, including an updated location variable from the merchant computing device for at least one of the plurality of authorization request messages;
replacing the location variable with the updated location variable in the memory device for the at least one of the plurality of authorization request messages; and
determining, using the location variable and the updated location variable, a recently traveled path of the mobile merchant.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a registration data message from the consumer computing device; and
storing the consumer computing device as a registered device in the memory device.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein transmitting the location data message further comprises:
transmitting the location data message based on a schedule including one or more time intervals;
transmitting the location data message on demand from the consumer computing device; and
transmitting the location data message at a predetermined time.

9. A system for determining a future location of a mobile merchant computing device associated with a mobile merchant, the system comprising:
a database configured to store location data; and
a location manager (LM) computing device configured to be coupled to the database, the LM computing device further configured to:
receive, from the mobile merchant computing device through a payment processing network, a plurality of authorization request messages, each authorization request message associated with a payment transaction initiated with the mobile merchant, each authorization request message including a merchant identifier for the mobile merchant and a location variable identifying a location of the payment transaction, and wherein the mobile merchant computing device and the LM computing device are both communicatively coupled to the payment processing network;
identify the location variable for each of the plurality of authorization request messages;
extract the location variables from the plurality of authorization request messages;
determine a plurality of locations for the mobile merchant using the location variables extracted from the plurality of authorization request messages;
generate a plurality of location patterns for the mobile merchant from the determined plurality of locations;
determine a number of times that the mobile merchant has followed a particular location pattern of the plurality of location patterns;
compare the determined number of times to a predetermined threshold number of times;
in response to determining that the number of times exceeds the predetermined threshold number of times, predict, by the LM computing device, a future location for the mobile merchant;
transmit, to a consumer computing device, a location data message including the merchant identifier and the future location; and
cause the consumer computing device to display the future location on a display interface coupled to the consumer computing device.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the LM computing device is further configured to receive the location variables from the mobile merchant computing device independent of the plurality of authorization request messages.

11. A system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the LM computing device is further configured to:
receive, from the consumer computing device, a location request message including a location of interest, a second merchant identifier associated with the mobile merchant, and a consumer contact identifier;
com

Assignees

• Mastercard International Inc

Inventors

• Zolotov Andrey

Classifications

• G06Q30/0639 Primary

  Locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G01S19/13

  Receivers · CPC title