Apparatus, systems, and methods for authorization of electronic transactions based on secured zones

Abstract

Electronic transaction systems and methods are operable to conduct transaction verification and authorization process for an electronic transaction. An exemplary embodiment determines location of a personal electronic device of a consumer during an electronic transaction; determines location of an electronic transaction device that the consumer is using to conduct the electronic transaction; determines a distance between the personal electronic device of the consumer and the electronic transaction device; compares the determined distance with a predefined distance; and verifies and authorizes the electronic transaction when the determined distance less than or equal to the predefined distance.

1 . A method in a transaction verification computing system for electronic transaction verification and authorization, the method comprising:
 receiving an indication of an initiated electronic transaction from an electronic transaction device having a physical location being used to conduct the indicated transaction;   determining a location of a personal electronic device of a consumer during the electronic transaction, wherein the personal electronic device of the consumer is not communicatively connected to the electronic transaction device;   on a real time basis, determining a distance between the personal electronic device of the consumer and the electronic transaction device;   determining a consumer specified predefined distance that indicates a consumer authorized secured zone from the personal electronic device to conduct electronic transactions with that consumer by retrieving blockchain information that is uniquely associated with that consumer and not accessible by persons other than the consumer;   determining a third party specified predefined defined distance that indicates a third party authorized secured zone to conduct electronic transactions when the consumer is conducting a card-based electronic transaction;   determining whether the indicated electronic transaction was initiated using a card:   when the indicated electronic transaction was initiated using the card,
 comparing the determined distance to the third party specified predefined distance to automatically determine whether the determined distance is within the third party authorized secured zone; and 
 when the comparison of the determined distance to the third party authorized secured zone indicates that the determined distance is within the third party authorized secured zone, automatically verifying and authorizing the electronic transaction; 
   when the indicated electronic transaction was not initiated using the card,
 comparing the determined distance to the consumer specified predefined distance to automatically determine whether the determined distance is within the consumer authorized secured zone; and 
 when the comparison of the determined distance to the consumer authorized secured zone indicates that the determined distance is within the consumer authorized secured zone, automatically verifying and authorizing the electronic transaction. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the electronic transaction is verified when the determined distance is less than or equal to the predefined distance. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the location of the personal electronic device is determined from an intermediate device with a known location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing a graphical user interface on the personal electronic device to present on a display of the personal electronic device an indication of the consumer specified predefined distance for determining whether the transaction is authorized and to execute logic for allowing the consumer to adjust the consumer specified predefined distance to a larger or smaller distance.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the graphical user interface is a map and the predefined distance is displayed as a shape relative to an indication of the determined location of an electronic transaction device that the consumer is using to conduct the electronic transaction. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the shape is at least one of a geometric shape, a polygon, or a building outline. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the indication of an electronic transaction is received from the personal electronic device of the consumer or the electronic transaction device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 rejecting the electronic transaction when the determined distance is not within the consumer specified predefined distance and the indicated electronic transaction was not initiated using the card.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 causing a graphical user interface of the personal electronic device to present on a display of the personal electronic device an interface for the consumer to modify the consumer specified predefined distance;   receiving an indication of the modified consumer specified predefined distance; and   comparing the determined distance between the personal electronic device of the consumer and the electronic transaction device with the modified consumer specified predefined distance to determine whether the determined distance is within the modified consumer specified predefined distance.   
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer readable memory medium in a transaction verification computing system containing instructions for controlling a computer processor when executed to perform a method for electronic transaction verification and authorization comprising:
 determining a location of a personal electronic device of a consumer during an initiated electronic transaction;   determining a location of an electronic transaction device that the consumer is using to conduct the initiated electronic transaction;   determining whether the initiated electronic transaction is being conducted using a card reading device;   determining a distance between the personal electronic device of the consumer and the electronic transaction device;   determining a consumer specified predefined distance that indicates a first secured zone from the personal electronic device to conduct electronic transactions by retrieving blockchain information that is uniquely associated with the consumer and not accessible by persons other than the consumer;   determining a third party specified predefined distance that indicates a second secured zone to conduct electronic transactions when the transaction is being conducted using a card reading device;   when the transaction is being conducted using a card reading device, comparing the determined distance to the third party specified predefined distance to automatically determine whether the determined distance is within the second secured zone, and when the comparison of the determined distance to the second secured zone indicates that the determined distance is within the second secured zone, automatically verifying and authorizing the electronic transaction; and   when the transaction is not being conducted using a card reading device,   comparing the determined distance to the consumer specified predefined distance to automatically determine whether the determined distance is within the consumer specified predefined distance;   automatically verifying and authorizing the initiated electronic transaction when the determined distance is within the first secured zone; and   automatically rejecting the initiated electronic transaction when the determined distance is not within the first secured zone.   
     
     
         12 . An electronic transaction authorization system, comprising:
 a block chain ledger system storing a block chain data structure and ledger of a first predefined distance unique to a consumer; and   a transaction verification system having a processor that is configured to automatically determine whether a transaction is authorized by:
 determining a physical location of a personal electronic device of the consumer during an initiated electronic transaction; 
 determining a physical location of an electronic transaction device that the consumer is using to conduct the initiated electronic transaction; 
 determining whether the initiated electronic transaction is being conducted using a card reading device; 
 determining a distance between the personal electronic device of the consumer and the electronic transaction device; 
 determining the first predefined distance from the block chain ledger system for the initiated electronic transaction; 
 when the transaction is being conducted using a card reading device,
 determining a third party specified predefined distance that indicates a second secured zone to conduct electronic transactions when the transaction is being conducted using a card reading device; and 
 comparing the determined distance to the third party specified predefined distance to automatically determine whether the determined distance is within the second secured zone, and when the comparison of the determined distance to the second secured zone indicates that the determined distance is within the second secured zone, automatically verifying and authorizing the electronic transaction; and 
 
 when the transaction is not being conducted using a card reading device,
 comparing the determined distance between the personal electronic device and the electronic transaction device to the determined first predefined distance to automatically assess whether the determined distance is within the first secured zone; 
 automatically verifying and authorizing the initiated electronic transaction when the determined distance is within the first secured zone; and 
 automatically rejecting the initiated electronic transaction when the determined distance is not within the first secured zone. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the electronic transaction device is at least one of an automated teller system or a point of purchase device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the personal electronic device is a mobile device. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 program logic downloadable to the personal electronic device configured to display a graphical user interface to the consumer to facilitate adjusting the first predefined distance unique to the consumer.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 when the indicated electronic transaction was initiated using the card and when the comparison of the determined distance to the third party authorized secured zone indicates that the determined distance is not within the third party authorized secured zone, automatically denying the electronic transaction.   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , the method further comprising:
 when the transaction is being conducted using a card reading device and when the comparison of the determined distance to the second secured zone indicates that the determined distance is not within the second secured zone, automatically denying the electronic transaction.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the transaction verification system is further configured to automatically determine whether a transaction is authorized by:
 when the transaction is being conducted using a card reading device and when the comparison of the determined distance to the second secured zone indicates that the determined distance is not within the second secured zone, automatically denying the electronic transaction.