Location-based services

Abstract

A method for providing incentives based on geolocation of mobile devices. The method includes storing, by a server, data including merchant information of merchants and points of interest, and associated incentive information. The method includes determining, based on communication with user's device of a user, a first location of the mobile device. The method includes determining, based on the first location, a first subset of merchants and associated first subset of incentives. The method includes communicating merchant data, including information on the first subsets of merchants and incentives, to the mobile device. The method includes communicating to the mobile device, in response to a determination that the mobile device is inside a geofence associated with at least one of the first subset of merchants, additional information on the at least one of the first subset of merchants, the additional information comprising one or more related incentives.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for authenticating transactions, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a server and from a mobile phone, a financial transaction request for initiating a financial transaction at the mobile phone, the financial transaction to be processed by the server, the financial transaction associated with user account;   determining a first location of the mobile phone of a user, said determining the first location based on one or more of first internet protocol address (IP) of the mobile phone, first Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, first Wi-Fi signals, and first cellular signals accessed by the mobile phone;   determining a first geofence associated with the transaction, the first geofence indicating an area where the transaction is permitted;   determining, based on the first location and the first geofence, whether the mobile phone is located within the first geofence; and   responsive to a determination that the mobile phone is located within the first geofence, authorizing, at the server, the financial transaction request including enabling a specific user interface capability of the mobile phone, the specific user interface capability for receiving additional data related to the financial transaction.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the authorizing is further based on verifying an identity of the user based on additional communication between the mobile phone and the server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said determining the first location indicates that location services are enabled on the mobile phone, the location services including one or more of allowing one or more of the mobile phone or the server to determining the location of the mobile phone based on one or more of first internet protocol address (IP) of the mobile phone, first Global Positioning System (GPS) first Wi-Fi signals, and first cellular signals as accessed by the mobile phone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the financial transaction comprises a transaction associated with a user account of the user, wherein the user account is maintained by an entity controlling the server. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the financial transaction request comprises information indicative of the first location of the mobile phone, including information obtained from one or more of first internet protocol address (IP) of the mobile phone, the first Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, the first Wi-Fi signals, and the first cellular signals accessed by the mobile phone. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said determining the first location of the mobile phone comprises communicating, responsive to receiving the financial transaction request, with the mobile phone to determine the first location of the mobile phone. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first geofence comprises a geographic area with predefined boundaries, wherein the determination that the mobile phone is located within the first geofence comprises a determination that the mobile phone is located within the predefined boundaries of the geographical area. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 selecting a geographical location based on a proximity of the location of the mobile phone the geographical location;   determining one or more items of content associated with the selected geographical location; and   transmitting, from the server to the mobile phone, information including the one or more items of content associated with the selected geographical location, wherein an application operating on the mobile phone configures the mobile phone to output the one or more items of content associated with the selected geographical location at a user interface of the application.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said enabling the specific user interface capability of the mobile phone for receiving additional data related to the financial transaction comprises effecting a display of the specific user interface on the mobile phone. 
     
     
         11 . An authentication server device, comprising:
 a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and   a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the authentication server device to:   receive, from a mobile phone, a selection of a financial transaction, the financial transaction to be processed by the authentication server device, the financial transaction associated with user account;   responsive to receiving the selection of the financial transaction, determine a location of the mobile phone of a user, said determining the location based on communication with the mobile phone to obtain one or more of internet protocol address (IP) of the mobile phone, Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, Wi-Fi signals, and cellular signals accessed by the mobile phone;   determine whether the financial transaction is associated with boundaries of a predefined area from which the transaction is permitted to be originated;   determine whether the mobile phone is located within the boundaries of the predefined area; and   responsive to a determination that the mobile phone is located within the boundaries of the predefined area, authorize processing of the financial transaction including using additional data from the mobile phone for the processing of the financial transaction.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein executing the instructions further causes the device to, responsive to a determination that the mobile phone is located outside the boundaries of the predefined area, deny processing of the financial transaction. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the financial transaction is between a user account of the user and another account, the user account maintained by an entity controlling the authentication server device. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein executing the instructions further causes the device to,
 perform an analysis of data indicating one or more items of content associated with one or more geographical locations;   select a geographical location of the one or more geographical locations based on a proximity of the location of the mobile phone the geographical location;   determine one or more items of content associated with the selected geographical location; and   transmit, from the server to the mobile phone, information including the one or more items of content associated with the selected geographical location, wherein an application operating on the mobile phone configures the mobile phone to output the one or more items of content associated with the selected geographical location at a user interface of the application.   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein said using additional data from the mobile phone for the processing of the financial transaction comprises enabling a specific user interface capability of the mobile phone, the specific user interface capability for receiving additional data related to the financial transaction. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the authorizing is further based on verifying an identity of the user based on additional communication between the mobile phone and the authentication server device. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions executable to cause performance of operations comprising:
 receiving, at a server and from a mobile phone, a selection of a financial transaction, the financial transaction to be processed by an authenticating server device, the financial transaction associated with user account;   responsive to receiving the selection of the financial transaction, accessing a location of the mobile phone of a user, the location of the mobile phone determined based on geo-location data obtained via the mobile phone;   determine whether the financial transaction has processing limitations associated with a geographical area;   determine, based on the location and the geographical area, whether the mobile phone is located within the geographical area associated with the financial transaction; and   responsive to a determination that the mobile phone is not located within the geographical area, deny processing of the financial transaction and provide a notification for display on a user interface of the mobile phone indicating a denial of the financial transaction.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise verifying an identity of the user based on additional communication between the mobile phone and the server. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the geographic area is defined using predefined boundaries, wherein the determination that the mobile phone is not located within the geographical area comprises a determination that the mobile phone is not located within the predefined boundaries of the geographical area. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 selecting a geographical location based on a proximity of the location of the mobile phone the geographical location;   determining one or more items of content associated with the selected geographical location; and   transmitting, from the server to the mobile phone, information including the one or more items of content associated with the selected geographical location, wherein an application operating on the mobile phone configures the mobile phone to output the one or more items of content associated with the selected geographical location at a user interface of the application.   
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein said determining the location indicates that location services are enabled on the mobile phone, the location services including one or more of allowing one or more of the mobile phone or the server to determining the location of the mobile phone based on one or more of internet protocol address (IP) of the mobile phone, Global Positioning System (GPS) signals, Wi-Fi signals, and cellular signals as accessed by the mobile phone.