Payment message routing using geo-location

Abstract

Methods and system for enabling safe and efficient money transfer between a sender and a beneficiary are provided. The method includes communicating with a beneficiary's mobile device to ascertain the beneficiary's current geo-location. Based on the geo-location and funds at hand, one or more receiving agents are selected to fulfill the transfer. The beneficiary is offered a choice of agents and the selected agent is provided with the money transfer details to complete the transfer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a transaction processor computer, information about a beneficiary's mobile device and information about an operation;   contacting, by the transaction processor computer, the beneficiary's mobile device to determine a location of the beneficiary;   determining, by the transaction processor computer, a first plurality of mobile agents, from a second plurality of mobile agents, who can perform the operation based at least in part on the location of the beneficiary;   sending, by the transaction processor computer, information about the first plurality of mobile agents to the beneficiary's mobile device;   receiving, by the transaction processor computer, input from the beneficiary's mobile device, the input indicating selection of a mobile agent from the first plurality of mobile agents; and   sending, by the transaction processor computer, a message to the mobile device of the selected mobile agent, the message including claim information associated with the operation and the information about the beneficiary.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving contacting beneficiary's mobile device includes sending a query to the beneficiary's mobile device requesting current coordinates of the beneficiary's mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the location of the beneficiary is determined using a global positioning system (GPS) signal or by using cellular phone tower triangulation technique. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 periodically contacting the one or more agents to determine their current location; and 
 updating a database with the current location of the one or more agents. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein sending the information about the one or more agents includes:
 querying the database to determine the location of the one or more agents; 
 comparing the location of the beneficiary with the location of the one or more agents; and 
 selecting one or more agents whose location is in close proximity to the beneficiary; and 
 sending the information about the selected one or more agents to the beneficiary's mobile device. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining one or more agents who can perform the operation includes:
 determining one or agents whose location is closest to the location of the beneficiary; and 
 determining one or more agents that can perform the operation. 
 
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computer system, information about a beneficiary of an action to be performed, the information including information about a mobile communication device of the beneficiary;   contacting, by the computer system, the mobile communication device of the beneficiary to request a current location of the mobile communication device of the beneficiary;   receiving, by the computer system from the mobile communication device of the beneficiary, the current location of the mobile communication device of the beneficiary;   searching, by the computer system, a database including information about location of one or more agents;   selecting, by the computer system, one or more agents based at least on the current location of the mobile communication device of the beneficiary and the location of the one or more agents;   communicating, by the computer system, the information about the selected one or more agents to the mobile communication device of the beneficiary;   receiving, by the computer system, input from the mobile communication device of the beneficiary, the input indicating selection of an agent, by the beneficiary, from among the selected one or more agents; and   communicating, by the computer system to the selected agent, information about the action to be performed for the benefit of the beneficiary.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein selecting one or more agents further includes determining whether an agent, from the one or more agents, is capable of performing the action. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the determining includes querying the database. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein contacting the mobile communication device to request a current location includes:
 sending a request to the mobile communication device of the beneficiary to share its current geo-location; and 
 receiving information from the mobile communication device of the beneficiary indicating the current geo-location of the mobile communication device of the beneficiary. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the current geo-location is the GPS coordinates of the mobile communication device of the beneficiary. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the current geo-location is determined using cellular tower triangulation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 receiving input from a mobile device of the selected agent, the input indicating completion of the action. 
 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 a transmitting agent computer configured to:
 receive beneficiary information including information about a mobile communication device of the beneficiary; and 
 receive information about an action to be performed; 
   a receiving agent device for receiving the information about the action; and   a transaction server configured to:
 receive, from the transmitting agent computer, information about the mobile communication device of the beneficiary and the information about the action; 
 communicate with the mobile communication device of the beneficiary to determine a current location of the beneficiary; 
 select a plurality of agents, from an agent database, who can perform the action, the selection based at least in part on a current location of the plurality of mobile receiving agents, the current location of the plurality of mobile receiving agents being provided by the receiving agent device associated with each of the plurality of receiving agents; 
 send the information about the one or more agents to the mobile communication device of the beneficiary; 
 receive input from the mobile communication device of the beneficiary, the input indicating selection of an agent, from among the plurality of agents, by the beneficiary; and 
 send the beneficiary information the information about the action to be performed to the receiving agent device of the selected agent. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the transaction server is further configured to receive input from the receiving agent device indicating completion of the action by the agent. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the transaction server is further configured to determine the current location of the beneficiary by requesting a current geo-location of the mobile communication device of the beneficiary. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the current geo-location of the mobile communication device of the beneficiary is determined using one of global positioning system (GPS) coordinates or cellular phone tower triangulation technique. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a transaction server computer, information about an action to be performed and information about a mobile communication device of a beneficiary of the action;   communicating, by the transaction server computer, with the mobile communication device of the beneficiary to request a current geo-location of the beneficiary;   selecting, by the transaction server computer, a receiving agent, from among a plurality of receiving agents, to perform the action based at least in part on the current geo-location of the beneficiary;   communicating, by the transaction server computer, with a mobile device of the selected receiving agent to request an attribute associated with the selected receiving agent;   receiving, by the transaction server computer from the mobile device of the selected agent, the attribute associated with the selected receiving agent; and   communicating, by the transaction server computer, the attribute associated with the selected receiving agent to the mobile communication device of the beneficiary.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the attribute includes one of a physical attribute of the selected receiving agent, location attribute, a password, or a challenge-response. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein selecting a receiving agent further comprises:
 searching a database to determine an agent who is in close proximity to the beneficiary based on the geo-location of the beneficiary and is capable of performing the action. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the mobile communication device of the beneficiary determines its geo-location based on a global positioning system (GPS) signal, by using cellular phone tower triangulation technique, or based on wireless access points in the vicinity.