System and method for age verification over mobile app for purchasing age-restricted items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9881328-B2
Application number	US-201715497538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2017
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for forecasting sales is presented. A transmission by a customer is received indicating an intention for a customer to purchase an item from a retailer via a mobile device. An embodiment determines if the item is subject to an age-restriction. This can be accomplished by using location data of a retailer. Biometric data is received from the customer intending to purchase the item. The biometric data is compared to verified biometric data to confirm the identity of the customer. The age of the customer is determined. Thereafter, the transaction is allowed to proceed if the age of the customer satisfies the age-restriction for the item. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a transmission indicating an intention by a customer to purchase an item via a mobile device, wherein receiving the transmission comprises:
receiving the transmission that the customer has scanned, with the mobile device, a unique identifier of the item to be purchased;
coordinating a first display of item information for the item on the mobile device of the customer;
receiving a purchase confirmation of the item from the mobile device of the customer;
coordinating a second display of one or more item suggestions on the mobile device of the customer; and
receiving a check-out process initiation for the item from the mobile device of the customer;

determining if the item is subject to an age-restriction; and
if the item is subject to the age-restriction:
confirming an identity of the customer;
determining an age of the customer after confirming the identity of the customer; and
allowing the customer to purchase the item if the age of the customer satisfies the age-restriction for the item.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the method further comprises, if the item is subject to the age-restriction, receiving biometric data from the customer by:
using the mobile device to prompt the customer to submit the biometric data; and
receiving the biometric data from a biometric sensing device; and

confirming the identity of the customer comprises confirming the identity of the customer by comparing the biometric data received from the customer with verified biometric data of the customer.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the biometric sensing device comprises a terminal located at a retailer.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the biometric sensing device is coupled to the mobile device; and
no interaction with an employee of a retailer is required.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the biometric data comprises at least one of a fingerprint, a hand print, a facial recognition, a retinal scan, or vocal biometrics.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
receiving the biometric data from the customer comprises receiving original biometric data from the customer; and
the method further comprises:
storing proof of age information regarding the customer in a database, wherein the proof of age information comprises a date of birth of the customer retrieved from a government-issued identification of the customer;
storing the original biometric data as the verified biometric data in the database with the proof of age information; and
validating the proof of age information.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
determining if the item is subject to the age-restriction comprises:
determining a category of the item; and
determining the age-restriction for the category using a location of the transmission.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending an alert if the customer does not meet the age-restriction for the item.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the age of the customer comprises determining the age of the customer by:
retrieving a current date at the mobile device by accessing a time server to determine the current date at the mobile device, wherein the time server is chosen from: a global positioning system (GPS), a network time protocol (NTP) system, or a code division multiple access (CDMA) system; and
subtracting the current date from a date of birth of the customer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the method further comprises receiving biometric data from the customer by:
using the mobile device to prompt the customer to submit the biometric data; and
receiving the biometric data from a biometric sensing device;

confirming the identity of the customer comprises confirming the identity of the customer by comparing the biometric data received from the customer with verified biometric data of the customer;
the biometric sensing device is (1) a terminal located at a retailer, or (2) coupled to the mobile device, wherein no interaction with an employee of the retailer is required;
the biometric data comprises at least one of a fingerprint, a hand print, a facial recognition, a retinal scan, or vocal biometrics;
determining if the item is subject to the age-restriction comprises:
determining a category of the item; and
determining the age-restriction for the category using a location of the transmission;

receiving the biometric data from the customer comprises receiving original biometric data from the customer;
determining the age of the customer comprises determining the age of the customer by:
retrieving a current date at the mobile device by accessing a time server to determine the current date at the mobile device, wherein the time server is chosen from: a global positioning system (GPS), a network time protocol (NTP) system, or a code division multiple access (CDMA) system; and
subtracting the current date from a date of birth of the customer; and

the method further comprises:
storing proof of age information regarding the customer in a database, the proof of age information comprising the date of birth of the customer retrieved from a government-issued identification of the customer;
storing the original biometric data as the verified biometric data in the database with the proof of age information;
validating the proof of age information; and
sending an alert if the customer does not meet the age-restriction for the item.

11. A system comprising:
one or more processing modules; and
one or more non-transitory storage modules storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform acts of:
receiving a transmission indicating an intention for a customer to purchase an item from a retailer via a mobile device, wherein receiving the transmission comprises:
receiving the transmission that the customer has scanned, with the mobile device, a unique identifier of the item to be purchased;
coordinating a first display of item information for the item on the mobile device of the customer;
receiving a purchase confirmation of the item from the mobile device of the customer;
coordinating a second display of one or more item suggestions on the mobile device of the customer; and
receiving a check-out process initiation for the item from the mobile device of the customer;

determining if the item is subject to an age-restriction; and
if the item is subject to the age-restriction:
confirming an identity of the customer;
determining an age of the customer after confirming the identity of the customer; and
allowing the customer to purchase the item if the age of the customer satisfies the age-restriction for the item.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:
the one or more non-transitory storage modules storing the computing instructions are further configured to run on the one or more processing modules and perform an act of receiving biometric data from the customer by:
using the mobile device to prompt the customer to submit the biometric data; and
receiving the biometric data from a biometric sensing device; and

confirming the identity of the customer comprises confirming the identity of the customer by comparing the biometric data received from the customer with verified biometric data of the customer.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the biometric sensing device comprises a terminal located at the retailer.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the biometric sensing device is coupled to the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the biometric data comprises at least one of a fingerprint

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Atikoglu Berk
• Daniyalzade Eytan

Classifications

• G06Q20/40145

  Biometric identity checks · CPC title

• G06Q30/0609 Primary

  Qualifying participants for shopping transactions (payment transaction verification G06Q20/401) · CPC title

• G06F21/32

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title