Guided positional tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10565577-B2
Application number	US-201615373859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2016
Priority date	Dec 16, 2015
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A method of enabling a point of sale (POS) device to perform a transaction is described. The method comprises initiating, by an electronic device, the transaction with the POS terminal; analyzing images of the POS terminal captured by a camera of the electronic device; and identifying the POS terminal based upon the images.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of enabling a point of sale (POS) terminal to perform a transaction, the method comprising:
initiating, by an electronic device, the transaction with the POS terminal;
analyzing at least one image of the POS terminal captured by a camera of the electronic device;
identifying at least one of a class or a model of the POS terminal based upon the at least one image; and
determining a location of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an orientation of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a location of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal comprises employing a proximity sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing guidance, by the electronic device, as to a preferred position of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal on a user interface of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising initiating, by the electronic device, the transaction after the preferred position has been achieved.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising directing a user of the electronic device to provide transaction data by way of a wireless communication circuit or a magnetic reader after the POS terminal has been identified.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a delay in a timeout period for initiating the transaction while the electronic device is identifying the POS terminal.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising employing computer vision techniques to identify the POS terminal.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising storing information related to a determined position of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal in remote storage.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a processor configured to initiate a POS transaction with a POS terminal; and
a camera, coupled to the processor, configured to capture at least one image of the POS terminal;
wherein the processor identifies at least one of a class or a model of the POS terminal based upon the at least one image; and
wherein the processor determines a location of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the processor further determines an orientation of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising,
a sensor coupled to the processor,
wherein the location of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal is determined by the processor based on input from the sensor.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the sensor comprises one of an infrared (IR) sensor, a near field communication (NFC) sensor, a time of flight sensor, a depth sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a radio frequency (RF) sensor.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising,
a display coupled to the processor,
wherein the processor further provides guidance as to a preferred position of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal on a user interface output to the display.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , the processor further configured to initiate the POS transaction after the preferred position has been achieved.

16. The electronic device of claim 10 , the processor further configured to receive input to provide transaction data by way of a wireless communication connection or a magnetic reader after the POS terminal has been identified.

17. The electronic device of claim 10 , the processor further configured to provide a delay in a timeout period to initiate the POS transaction while the POS terminal is being identified.

18. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the processor further employs computer vision techniques to identify the POS terminal.

19. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the processor further directs the electronic device to provide transaction data by way of a wireless communication connection or a magnetic reader after the preferred position is achieved.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 wherein the processor provides a prompt on the display to provide transaction data by way of a wireless communication connection or a magnetic reader.

21. The electronic device of claim 20 further comprising providing a delay in a timeout period for initiating a transaction while providing guidance as to the preferred position.

22. The electronic device of claim 11 further comprising a memory element for storing information related to the determined orientation in at least one of a memory of an electronic device or remote storage.

23. The electronic device of claim 22 wherein the memory element stores information related to transactions associated with a plurality of mobile devices and a plurality of POS terminals.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having data stored therein representing instructions executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:
initiating, by an electronic device, a transaction with a POS terminal;
analyzing at least one image captured by a camera of the electronic device;
identifying at least one of a class or a model of the POS terminal based upon the at least one image; and
determining a location of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24 further comprising determining an orientation of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24 wherein determining a location of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal further comprises receiving input from at least one sensor.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24 further comprising providing guidance, by the electronic device, as to a preferred position of the electronic device relative to the POS terminal on a user interface of the electronic device.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 further comprising initiating, by the electronic device, the transaction after the preferred position has been achieved.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24 further comprising providing transaction data by way of a wireless communication connection or a magnetic reader after the POS terminal has been identified.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 24 further comprising providing a delay in a timeout period for initiating the transaction while the electronic device is identifying the POS terminal.

Assignees

• Peri Christopher A
• Gibbs Simon J
• Park Sung Ho
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Peri Christopher A
• Gibbs Simon J
• Park Sung Ho

Classifications

• G07G1/0054

  with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles · CPC title

• G06Q20/322

  Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices] · CPC title

• G06Q20/202 Primary

  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 title

• G06Q20/3224

  Transactions dependent on location of M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/204

  comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit · CPC title