U.S. patent application number 15/907706 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-23 for system for communicable integration of an automobile system and a toll system.
The applicant listed for this patent is BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Karen Lea MacQueen, Mark Allan Nelson, Stephen Philip Selfridge, Ashish B. Tajpuria, Steven Michael Twombly.
Application Number | 20190156589 15/907706 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 66532645 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-23 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190156589 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nelson; Mark Allan ; et
al. |
May 23, 2019 |
SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICABLE INTEGRATION OF AN AUTOMOBILE SYSTEM AND A
TOLL SYSTEM
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for
transferring one or more resources associated with an interaction
via an automobile. The system is typically configured for receiving
a travel route to a destination from a user, via one or more
components of an automobile, identifying one or more tolls
associated with the travel route, continuously monitoring a current
location of the user, identifying that the current location of the
user is within a predetermined distance from a toll location of the
one or more tolls, establishing a communication link with at least
one remote toll system associated with the toll location based on
identifying that the current location is within the predetermined
distance from the toll location, initiating transfer of resources
to complete an interaction with the at least one remote toll
system, and completing the interaction by transferring the
resources to the at least one remote toll system.
Inventors: |
Nelson; Mark Allan; (Waxhaw,
NC) ; MacQueen; Karen Lea; (Lyndhurst, OH) ;
Selfridge; Stephen Philip; (Huntersville, NC) ;
Tajpuria; Ashish B.; (San Francisco, CA) ; Twombly;
Steven Michael; (Saco, ME) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION |
Charlotte |
NC |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
66532645 |
Appl. No.: |
15/907706 |
Filed: |
February 28, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62589953 |
Nov 22, 2017 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01C 21/3461 20130101;
H04W 76/10 20180201; G07B 15/02 20130101; H04W 72/04 20130101; H04L
67/18 20130101; G08G 1/144 20130101; H04L 29/08 20130101; G06Q
30/0611 20130101; G08G 1/143 20130101; G06Q 30/0613 20130101; G06Q
30/0635 20130101; G01C 21/3484 20130101; H04L 67/125 20130101; G01S
19/51 20130101; G05D 23/1917 20130101; B62D 15/0285 20130101; H04M
1/72572 20130101; H04W 64/006 20130101; G06F 16/29 20190101; G06Q
20/34 20130101; G06Q 2240/00 20130101; H04L 67/22 20130101; G07B
15/063 20130101; G08G 1/148 20130101; G06F 16/9537 20190101; G01C
21/3617 20130101; H04W 4/02 20130101; G01C 21/362 20130101; G01C
21/3685 20130101; H04L 67/12 20130101; G06Q 10/0834 20130101; H04M
1/6091 20130101; G01C 21/3492 20130101; H04L 67/20 20130101; G01C
21/3469 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G07B 15/06 20060101
G07B015/06 |
Claims
1. A system for communicable integration of an automobile system
and a toll system, the system comprising: one or more memory
devices having computer readable code stored thereon; one or more
processing devices operatively coupled to the one or more memory
devices, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured
to execute the computer readable code to: receive a travel route to
destination from a user, via one or more components of an
automobile; identify one or more tolls associated with the travel
route; continuously monitor a current location of the user;
identify that the current location of the user is within a
predetermined distance from a toll location of the one or more
tolls; establish a first communication link between the automobile
and at least one remote toll system associated with the toll
location based on identifying that the current location is within
the predetermined distance from the toll location; initiate
transfer of resources to complete an interaction with the at least
one remote toll system; and complete the interaction by
transferring the resources to the at least one remote toll
system.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing
devices are configured to execute the computer readable code to: in
response to completing the interaction, receive a notification from
the at least one remote toll system; and transmit the notification
to the user, via the one or more components.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing
devices are configured to execute the computer readable code to
establish a direct communication link with the one or more
components of the automobile.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing
devices are configured to execute the computer readable code to
establish a communication link with a smart computing device of the
user, wherein the smart computing device is connected to the
automobile.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more processing
devices are configured to execute the computer readable code to
complete the interaction by: extracting information associated with
one or more resource pools stored in the smart computing device of
the user; and transferring the resources in the one or more
resource pools to the at least one remote toll system.
6. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more processing
devices are configured to execute the computer readable code to: in
response to completing the interaction, receive a receipt
associated with the interaction from the at least one remote toll
system; and integrate the receipt with the interaction posted into
a user application stored in the smart computing device.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing
devices are configured to execute the computer readable code to
complete the interaction by transferring the resources to the at
least one toll system device via a card reader located in the
automobile.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more components
comprise at least input devices, output devices, positioning
system, and other automotive components.
9. A computer program product for communicable integration of an
automobile system and a toll system, the computer program product
comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium
having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein,
the computer-readable program code portions comprises one or more
executable portions for: receiving a travel route to destination
from a user, via one or more components of an automobile;
identifying one or more tolls associated with the travel route;
continuously monitoring a current location of the user; identifying
that the current location of the user is within a predetermined
distance from a toll location of the one or more tolls;
establishing a first communication link between the automobile and
at least one remote toll system associated with the toll location
based on identifying that the current location is within the
predetermined distance from the toll location; initiating transfer
of resources to complete an interaction with the at least one
remote toll system; and completing the interaction by transferring
the resources to the at least one remote toll system.
10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the
computer-readable program code portions comprises one or more
executable portions for: in response to completing the interaction,
receiving a notification from the at least one remote toll system;
and transmitting the notification to the user, via the one or more
components.
11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the
computer-readable program code portions comprises one or more
executable portions for establishing a direct communication link
with the one or more components of the automobile.
12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the
computer-readable program code portions comprises one or more
executable portions for establishing a communication link with a
smart computing device of the user, wherein the smart computing
device is connected to the automobile.
13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the
computer-readable program code portions comprises one or more
executable portions for completing the interaction by: extracting
information associated with one or more resource pools stored in
the smart computing device of the user; and transferring the
resources in the one or more resource pools to the at least one
remote toll system.
14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the
computer-readable program code portions comprises one or more
executable portions for: in response to completing the interaction,
receiving a receipt associated with the interaction from the at
least one remote toll system; and integrating the receipt with the
interaction posted into a user application stored in the smart
computing device.
15. A computer implemented method for communicable integration of
an automobile system and a toll system, the method comprising:
receiving a travel route to destination from a user, via one or
more components of an automobile; identifying one or more tolls
associated with the travel route; continuously monitoring a current
location of the user; identifying that the current location of the
user is within a predetermined distance from a toll location of the
one or more tolls; establishing a first communication link between
the automobile and at least one remote toll system associated with
the toll location based on identifying that the current location is
within the predetermined distance from the toll location;
initiating transfer of resources to complete an interaction with
the at least one remote toll system; and completing the interaction
by transferring the resources to the at least one remote toll
system.
16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the method
comprises: in response to completing the interaction, receiving a
notification from the at least one remote toll system; and
transmitting the notification to the user, via the one or more
components.
17. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the method
comprises establishing a direct communication link with the one or
more components of the automobile.
18. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the method
comprises establishing a communication link with a smart computing
device of the user, wherein the smart computing device is connected
to the automobile.
19. The computer implemented method of claim 18, wherein the method
further comprises completing the interaction by: extracting
information associated with one or more resource pools stored in
the smart computing device of the user; and transferring the
resources in the one or more resource pools to the at least one
remote toll system.
20. The computer implemented method of claim 18, wherein the method
further comprises: in response to completing the interaction,
receiving a receipt associated with the interaction from the at
least one remote toll system; and integrating the receipt with the
interaction posted into a user application stored in the smart
computing device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 62/589,953, filed Nov. 22, 2017, entitled
"Automobile Resource Distribution Triggering System," the entirety
of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Manual interactions between users and third parties that
traditionally involve manual or face-to-face conveyance of data and
information are inefficient, slow, and often insecure thereby
reducing productivity and security associated with all parties
involved. As such, there exists a need for a system to improve the
efficiency, speed, and data security of performing
interactions.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0003] The following presents a simplified summary of the present
disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some
aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview
of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical
elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the
invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of
the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more
detailed description provided below.
[0004] Embodiments of the present invention address the above needs
and/or achieve other advantages by providing apparatuses (e.g., a
system, computer program product and/or other devices) and methods
for transferring one or more resources associated with an
interaction via an automobile, the invention comprising: receiving
a travel route to destination from a user, via one or more
components of an automobile; identifying one or more tolls
associated with the travel route; continuously monitor a current
location of the user; identifying that the current location of the
user is within a predetermined distance from a toll location of the
one or more tolls; establishing a first communication link between
the automobile and at least one remote device associated with the
toll location based on identifying that the current location is
within the predetermined distance from the toll location;
initiating transfer of resources to complete an interaction with
the at least one remote device; and completing the interaction by
transferring the resources to the at least one remote
[0005] In some embodiments, in response to completing the
interaction, the invention receives a notification from the at
least one remote device; and transmit the notification to the user,
via the one or more components.
[0006] In some embodiments, the invention establishes a direct
communication link with the one or more components of the
automobile.
[0007] In some embodiments, the invention establishes a
communication link with a smart computing device of the user,
wherein the smart computing device is connected to the
automobile.
[0008] In some embodiments, the invention completes the interaction
by: extracting information associated with one or more resource
pools stored in the smart computing device of the user; and
transferring the resources in the one or more resource pools to the
at least one remote device.
[0009] In some embodiments, the invention in response to completing
the interaction, receives a receipt associated with the interaction
from the at least one remote device; and integrates the receipt
with the interaction posted into a user application stored in the
smart computing device.
[0010] In some embodiments, the invention completes the interaction
by transferring the resources to the at least one remote device via
a card reader located in the automobile.
[0011] In some embodiments, the invention establishes a
communication link with the one or more components of the
automobile via a smart device, wherein the smart device is located
in the automobile.
[0012] In some embodiments, the one or more components comprise at
least input devices, output devices, positioning system, and other
automotive components.
[0013] The features, functions, and advantages that have been
discussed may be achieved independently in various embodiments of
the present invention or may be combined with yet other
embodiments, further details of which can be seen with reference to
the following description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Having thus described embodiments of the invention in
general terms, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings,
where:
[0015] FIG. 1 presents an automobile resource distribution
triggering system environment, in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 presents a block diagram illustrating a smart
computing device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 presents a block diagram illustrating an automobile,
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 presents a block diagram illustrating a resource
distribution triggering system, in accordance with an embodiment of
the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 presents a process flow for completing an interaction
associated with fuel purchase via the automobile at a third party
entity location, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 6 presents a process flow for completing an interaction
associated with a parking location via the automobile, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 7 presents a process flow for communicating an order to
a remote device of a third party entity via the automobile, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0022] FIG. 8 presents a process flow for completing an interaction
associated with one or more tolls by communicating with remote
devices at toll booths via the automobile, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Embodiments of the present invention now may be described
more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown.
Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and
should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth
herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this
disclosure may satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers
refer to like elements throughout.
[0024] In some embodiments, an "financial institution" as used
herein may include commercial banks, thrifts, federal and state
savings banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions,
investment companies, insurance companies and the like. In some
embodiments, the financial institution may allow a customer to
establish an account with the financial institution. An "account"
or "resource pool" may be the relationship that the customer has
with the financial institution. Examples of accounts include a
deposit account, such as a transactional account (e.g. a banking
account), a savings account, an investment account, a money market
account, a time deposit, a demand deposit, a pre-paid account, a
credit account, a non-monetary customer profile that includes only
personal information associated with the customer, or the like. The
account is associated with and/or maintained by a financial
institution.
[0025] In some embodiments, the term "entity" or "third party
entity" as used herein may be any merchant offering products or
services to one or more users. This may include Quick Service
Restaurants (QSR), gas stations, merchants providing parking
spaces, toll booths, convenience stores, pharmacy, wholesale
merchants, and/or the like. The term "remote device" as used herein
may be any computing device utilized by third party entities. The
term "third party entity device" may be any computing device
provided by third party entities at third party entity locations.
This may include point of sale (POS) provided by third party
entities at any of the third party locations.
[0026] In some embodiments, a "user" may be a financial institution
customer (e.g., an account holder or a person who have an account
(e.g., banking account, credit account, or the like)). In some
embodiments, a "user" may be a customer of a third party
entity.
[0027] In accordance with embodiments of the invention, an
"interaction" may be a transaction, transfer of funds, transfer of
resources, and may refer to any activities or communication between
a user and an financial institution, between a financial
institution and a third party system, activities or communication
between multiple financial institutions, communication between
technology application and the like. Transfer of resources may
refer to a payment, processing of funds, international transfer of
funds, purchase of goods or services, a return of goods or
services, a payment transaction, a credit transaction, or other
interactions involving user's resource or account. Unless
specifically limited by the context, a "transaction", a "transfer
of funds", a "record" may refer to any activity initiated between a
user and a financial institution or a third party system, or any
combination thereof. Typical financial transactions include point
of sale (POS) transactions, automated teller machine (ATM)
transactions, person to person (p2p) transfers, internet
transactions, online shopping, electronic funds transfers between
accounts, transactions with a financial institution teller,
personal electronic checks, conducting purchases using
loyalty/reward points etc. When discussing the resource transfers
or transactions are evaluated it could mean that the transactions
have already occurred, are in the process of occurring or being
processed, or they have yet to be processed/posted by one or more
financial institutions.
[0028] In accordance with embodiments of the invention, an
"account" or "resource credential" or "resource pool" is the
relationship that a customer has with a financial institution, such
as a financial institution. Examples of accounts include a deposit
account, such as a transactional account (e.g., a banking account),
a savings account, an investment account, a money market account, a
time deposit, a demand deposit, a pre-paid account, a credit
account, a debit/deposit account, a non-monetary user profile that
includes information associated with the user, or the like. The
account is associated with and/or maintained by the financial
institution.
[0029] A "system environment", as used herein, may refer to any
information technology platform of an enterprise (e.g., a national
or multi-national corporation) and may include a multitude of
servers, machines, mainframes, personal computers, network devices,
front and back end systems, database system and/or the like.
[0030] FIG. 1 provides a block diagram illustrating an environment
100 an automobile resource distribution triggering system. As
depicted in FIG. 1, the operating environment 100 may include a
resource distribution triggering system 400 interacting with a
smart computing device 200 and automobile system 300 of a user 105,
one or more remote devices 401, one or more third party entity
devices 402, using a network 150 that includes an internet 151 and
wireless telephone network 152. In some embodiments, the resource
distribution triggering system 400 may be maintained by a financial
institution . In some embodiments, the resource distribution
triggering system 400 may be owned and maintained by the financial
institution . In such an embodiment, the resource distribution
triggering system 400 communicates with a financial institution
system to complete one or more interactions. In some embodiments,
the resource distribution triggering system 400 may be a part of an
financial institution system (not shown). In alternate embodiments,
the resource distribution triggering system 400 may be a part of
the automobile system 300. In some embodiments, the resource
distribution triggering system 400 may be part of a smart chip
which is placed in the automobile system 300. In some embodiments,
the resource distribution triggering system 400 may interact with
smart computing devices and automobiles associated with a plurality
of users (not shown) at any given instance. The user 105 and other
plurality of users may be customers of the financial institution or
the third party entities .
[0031] The environment 100 also may include a plurality of
computing devices of the user 105. The computing devices may
include any machine, apparatus, system or the like that may be
connected to and communicate with other devices over a network 150.
The smart computing device 200 may include a personal computer such
as a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet or any type of
personal computing device that may be connected to a network by
landline or wireless access such as wireless local area network
(WLAN) such as Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards, Bluetooth
short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485
GHz or other wireless access technology.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 2, the smart computing device 200 may
be any computing device utilized by the user 105. In embodiments of
the present invention, the smart computing device may be any device
of the user connected to the automobile of the user via a wired
(e.g., USB port) or wireless technology (e.g., Bluetooth). The
smart computing device may be any wearable device, laptop, mobile
device, smart phone device, PDA, tablet, or any other mobile
device. In one embodiment of the invention, there may be multiple
smart computing devices, wherein the multiple smart computing
devices may be a mobile telephone and a smart watch. Other types of
smart computing devices 200 may include portable digital assistants
(PDAs), pagers, tablets, mobile televisions, gaming devices, laptop
computers, cameras, video recorders, audio/video player, radio,
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) devices, or any combination of the
aforementioned. In one embodiment of the present invention, the
smart computing device 200 is a mobile device.
[0033] Some embodiments of the smart computing device 200 include a
processor 210 communicably coupled to such devices as a memory 220,
user output devices 236, user input devices 240, and a network
interface 260. The smart computing device 200 further includes a
power source 215, such as a battery, for powering various circuits
and other devices that are used to operate the smart computing
device 200. Embodiments of the smart computing device 200 may also
include a clock or other timer 250 configured to determine and, in
some cases, communicate actual or relative time to the processor
210 or one or more other devices. The processor 210, and other
processing devices described herein, generally include circuitry
for implementing communication and/or logic functions of the
associated device. For example, the processor 210 may include a
digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and
various analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters,
and/or other support circuits. Control and signal processing
functions of the smart computing device 200 are allocated between
these devices according to their respective capabilities. The
processor 210 thus may also include the functionality to encode and
interleave messages and data prior to modulation and transmission.
The processor 210 can additionally include an internal data modem.
Further, the processor 210 may include functionality to operate one
or more software programs, which may be stored in the memory 220.
For example, the processor 210 may be capable of operating a
connectivity program, such as a web browser application 223. The
web browser application 223 may then allow the smart computing
device 200 to transmit and receive web content, such as, for
example, location-based content and/or other web page content,
according to a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Hypertext
Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and/or the like. The memory device 220
may include other applications such as financial institution
application 221, a user application 224, resource distribution
triggering application 225, authorization application 222, and/or
the like. The user application 224 may be a digital wallet
application or any application that maintains virtual cards which
is provided by the financial institution system. In some
embodiments, the resource distribution triggering application 225
may be a part of the financial institution application 221. In some
embodiments, financial institution application 221 may be a mobile
banking application. The resource distribution triggering
application 225 interacts with the resource distribution triggering
system 400 to perform one or more functions. In some embodiments,
the authorization application 222 allows the smart computing device
200 to interact with financial institution systems and resource
distribution triggering system 400. In some embodiments, the smart
computing device may include a fitness tracking application,
wherein the fitness tracking application comprises information
associated with diet plans, calorie goals, and/or the like.
[0034] The processor 210 is configured to use the network interface
260 to communicate with one or more other devices on the network
150. In this regard, the network interface 260 includes an antenna
276 operatively coupled to a transmitter 274 and a receiver 272
(together a "transceiver"). The processor 210 is configured to
provide signals to and receive signals from the transmitter 274 and
receiver 272, respectively. The signals may include signaling
information in accordance with the air interface standard of the
applicable cellular system of the wireless telephone network 152.
In this regard, the smart computing device 200 may be configured to
operate with one or more air interface standards, communication
protocols, modulation types, and access types. By way of
illustration, the smart computing device 200 may be configured to
operate in accordance with any of a number of first, second, third,
and/or fourth-generation communication protocols and/or the like.
For example, the smart computing device 200 may be configured to
operate in accordance with second-generation (2G) wireless
communication protocols IS-136 (time division multiple access
(TDMA)), GSM (global system for mobile communication), and/or IS-95
(code division multiple access (CDMA)), or with third-generation
(3G) wireless communication protocols, such as Consolidated Mobile
Telecommunications System (UMTS), CDMA2000, wideband CDMA (WCDMA)
and/or time division-synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), with
fourth-generation (4G) wireless communication protocols, with LTE
protocols, with 3GPP protocols and/or the like. The smart computing
device 200 may also be configured to operate in accordance with
non-cellular communication mechanisms, such as via a wireless local
area network (WLAN) or other communication/data networks.
[0035] The network interface 260 may also include a near field
communication (NFC) interface 270. As used herein, the phrase "NFC
interface" generally refers to hardware and/or software that is
configured to contactlessly and/or wirelessly send and/or receive
information over relatively short ranges (e.g., within four inches,
within three feet, within fifteen feet, and the like). The NFC
interface 270 may include a smart card, key card, proximity card,
Bluetooth.RTM. device, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag
and/or reader, transmitter, receiver, and/or the like. In some
embodiments, the NFC interface 270 communicates information via
radio, infrared (IR), and/or optical transmissions. In some
embodiments, the NFC interface 270 is configured to operate as an
NFC transmitter and/or as an NFC receiver (e.g., an NFC reader).
Also, it will be understood that the NFC interface 270 may be
embedded, built, carried, and/or otherwise supported in and/or on
the smart computing device 200. In some embodiments, the NFC
interface 270 is not supported in and/or on the smart computing
device 200, but the NFC interface 270 is otherwise operatively
connected to the smart computing device 200 (e.g., where the NFC
interface 270 is a peripheral device plugged into the smart
computing device 200). Other apparatuses having NFC interfaces
mentioned herein may be configured similarly. In some embodiments,
the NFC interface 270 of the smart computing device 200 is
configured to contactlessly and/or wirelessly communicate
information to and/or from a corresponding NFC interface of another
apparatus (e.g., a point of sale (POS) device, an automated teller
machine (ATM) or another mobile or computing device). In one
embodiment of the present invention, the NFC interface of the smart
computing device 200 wirelessly communicates information (virtual
card information such as virtual card number, CVV code, expiration
date) stored in the user application 224 to perform a
transaction.
[0036] As described above, the smart computing device 200 has a
user interface that may be made up of user output devices 236
and/or user input devices 240. The user output devices 236 include
a display 230 (e.g., a liquid crystal display or the like) and a
speaker 232 or other audio device, which are operatively coupled to
the processor 210. The user input devices 240, which allow the
smart computing device 200 to transmit data, may include any of a
number of devices allowing the smart computing device 200 to
transmit data, such as a keypad, keyboard, touch-screen, touchpad,
microphone, mouse, joystick, other pointer device, button, soft
key, and/or other input device(s). The user interface may also
include a camera 280, such as a digital camera.
[0037] The smart computing device 200 may also include a
positioning system device 275 that is configured to be used by a
positioning system to determine a location of the smart computing
device 200. For example, the positioning system device 275 may
include a GPS transceiver. In some embodiments, the positioning
system device 275 is at least partially made up of the antenna 276,
transmitter 274, and receiver 272 described above. For example, in
one embodiment, triangulation of cellular signals may be used to
identify the approximate location of the smart computing device
200. In other embodiments, the positioning system device 275
includes a proximity sensor or transmitter, such as an RFID tag,
that can sense or be sensed by devices known to be located
proximate a location to determine that the smart computing device
200 is located proximate these known devices.
[0038] The memory 220 is operatively coupled to the processor 210.
As used herein, "memory" or "memory device" includes any computer
readable medium (as defined herein below) configured to store data,
code, or other information. The memory 220 may include volatile
memory, such as volatile Random Access Memory (RAM) including a
cache area for the temporary storage of data. The memory 220 may
also include non-volatile memory, which can be embedded and/or may
be removable. The non-volatile memory can additionally or
alternatively include an electrically erasable programmable
read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or the like. The memory 220
can store any of a number of applications which include
computer-executable instructions/code executed by the processor 210
to implement the functions of the smart computing device 200 and/or
one or more of the process/method steps described herein.
[0039] These applications also typically provide a graphical user
interface (GUI) on the display 230 that allows the user 105 to
communicate with the smart computing device 200, the financial
institution system and/or other devices or systems. The memory 220
can also store any of a number of pieces of information, and data,
used by the smart computing device 200 and the applications and
devices that make up the smart computing device 200 or are in
communication with the smart computing device 200 to implement the
functions of the smart computing device 200 and/or the other
systems described herein. For example, the memory 220 may include
such data as user authentication information.
[0040] Referring now to FIG. 3, the automobile system 300 comprises
one or more components of an automobile. The automobile may be any
wheeled motor vehicle comprising user output devices 305, user
input devices 315, memory 320, positioning system device 325, other
automotive components, and a smart device 330. In some embodiments,
the smart device 330 may be a smart chip. The smart chip may be a
micro device in the automobile. In embodiments of the invention,
the smart chip 330 is provided the financial institution . The
smart chip 330 may be integrated into any wheeled vehicles with
user input and output devices. In some embodiments, the smart chip
is maintained by the financial institution . As shown in the FIG.
3, the smart chip 330 may include a network communication interface
331, microprocessor 332, and memory device 333. The microprocessor
332 is configured to use the network communication interface 331 to
communicate with one or more other devices on the network 150. In
this regard, the network communication interface 331 may include an
antenna operatively coupled to a transmitter and a receiver
(together a "transceiver"). In some embodiments, the smart chip 330
may utilize a transceiver of the automobile. The microprocessor 332
is configured to provide signals to and receive signals from the
transmitter and receiver, respectively. The smart chip 330 may
utilize wireless network including satellite or any other wireless
network of the automobile to provide signals and receive signals.
In some embodiments, the smart chip 330 may utilize wireless
network of the smart computing device 200 connected to the
automobile system 300 to provide signals and receive signals to
perform one or more steps in the process flows described below. The
smart chip 330 may be configured to raise certain triggers and
alert the resource distribution triggering system upon occurrence
on any of one or more conditions. For example, the smart chip may
identify an input from a user via any of the user input devices and
may alert the system. In one example, the smart chip may identify
that the user has entered a destination location via the user input
devices and alerts the system to trigger processes.
[0041] The network communication interface 331 may also include a
near field communication (NFC) interface. As used herein, the
phrase "NFC interface" generally refers to hardware and/or software
that is configured to contactlessly and/or wirelessly send and/or
receive information over relatively short ranges (e.g., within four
inches, within three feet, within fifteen feet, and the like). The
NFC interface may include a smart card, key card, proximity card,
Bluetooth.RTM. device, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag
and/or reader, transmitter, receiver, and/or the like. In some
embodiments, the NFC interface communicates information via radio,
infrared (IR), and/or optical transmissions. In some embodiments,
the NFC interface is configured to operate as an NFC transmitter
and/or as an NFC receiver (e.g., an NFC reader). Also, it will be
understood that the NFC interface may be embedded, built, carried,
and/or otherwise supported in and/or on the smart computing device
200. In some embodiments, the NFC interface is not supported in
and/or on the smart computing device 200, but the NFC interface is
otherwise operatively connected to the smart computing device 200.
For example, smart computing device 200 may be internally connected
to the electronic and communication system of the automobile and
may utilize the NFC interface of the automobile. In some
embodiments, the NFC interface of the smart computing device 200 is
configured to contactlessly and/or wirelessly communicate
information to and/or from a corresponding NFC interface of another
apparatus (e.g., a point of sale (POS) device, an automated teller
machine (ATM) or another mobile, remote device, third party entity
devices, or computing device). In one embodiment of the present
invention, the NFC interface of the smart computing device 200
wirelessly communicates information (virtual card information such
as virtual card number, CVV code, expiration date) stored in the
memory 320 of the automobile or user application 224 of the smart
computing device 200 to and/or from a corresponding NFC interface
of a POS device to perform an interaction.
[0042] The memory device 333 may include one or more applications
or information accessed or received by the smart chip 330. The
memory device, as shown, comprises one or more applications
including a network server application 334, resource distribution
triggering application 335, and/or the like. The network server
application 334 may be configured to cause the microprocessor to
interact with other components of the automobile, smart computing
device 200, resource distribution triggering system 400, remote
device 401, third party entity device 402, and/or other device
associated with the network 150. The resource distribution
triggering application may be utilized to receive and communicate
information to the resource distribution triggering system 400 to
perform one or more steps in the process flow described herein. The
smart chip 330 may receive instructions from the resource
distribution triggering system to perform one or more steps
described herein. In some embodiments, the smart chip 330 may
receive information from the resource distribution triggering
system 400, the third party entity device 402, or the remote device
401 and communicate the information to the user 105 utilizing the
user output devices 305 including, but not limited to, display 308
and speaker 310 of the automobile 300. In some embodiments, the
smart chip 330 may receive information from the user 105 via the
user input devices including, but not limited to, microphone,
keypad, touchpad, and/or the like of the automobile and communicate
the information received form the user to the resource distribution
triggering system 400, the third party entity device 402, or the
remote device 401 to perform one or more steps in the process flows
described herein. In some embodiments of the present invention, the
smart chip 330 may identify current location of the automobile
utilizing the positioning system device 325 of the automobile. In
some other embodiments, the smart chip 330 may utilize other
automotive components 328 or information available in the other
automotive components 328 of the automobile. The automotive
components, may include any body and main parts, electrical and
electronics (including navigation system, gauges and meters,
sensors, electrical switches, cameras, audio/video devices, and/or
the like), interior components (car seats, floor components, and/or
the like), power train and chassis, and/or the like. In some
embodiments, the automobile further comprises a chip reader to
facilitate completion of one or more interactions. In some
embodiments, the system comprises any other built in mechanism to
facilitate completion of one or more interactions. In some
embodiments, the built in mechanism and the chip reader may be
provided by a financial institution. All or some components of the
automobile described above may be considered as an automobile
system.
[0043] FIG. 4 provides a block diagram illustrating the resource
distribution triggering system 400, in greater detail, in
accordance with embodiments of the invention. As illustrated in
FIG. 4, in one embodiment of the invention, the resource
distribution triggering system 400 includes one or more processing
devices 420 operatively coupled to a network communication
interface 410 and a memory device 450. In certain embodiments, the
resource distribution triggering system 400 is operated by a
financial institution , such as a financial institution. In some
embodiments, the resource distribution triggering system 400 is
part of a system of the automobile system 300, wherein the resource
distribution triggering system 400 may be embedded within any
component of the automobile. In some embodiments of the invention,
the resource distribution triggering system 400 is part of the
smart chip 330, wherein the smart chip 330 is placed in the
automobile and is a part of the automobile. In such an embodiment,
the system establishes a direct communication link with the
automobile system. In some embodiments, the resource distribution
triggering system 400 may be an independent system, wherein the
resource distribution triggering system 400 communicates with the
automobile to performs one or more actions described in the process
flows below via the smart chip 330 of the automobile. In such an
embodiment, the system establishes a communication link with the
automobile system via the smart chip. For example, the system may
communicate with user input devices 315, positioning device 325,
other automotive components 328, and user output devices 305 via
the smart chip 330. In such embodiments, the system may connect
with the smart computing device 200 of the user via the smart chip
330, wherein the smart computing device 200 is present with the
user and wherein the smart computing device 200 may be connected
with the automobile system 300. In some embodiments, the smart
computing device 200 may not be connected with the automobile
system 300 via wired or wireless technology.
[0044] In one embodiment, the resource distribution triggering
system 400 is part of a financial institution system. In such an
embodiment, a resource distribution application performing the
operations of the resource distribution triggering system 400 is
stored in the entity system. In such embodiments, the smart chip
may be configured to perform one or more steps of the process flows
described herein and the resource distribution triggering system
monitors and controls the smart chip and provides any additional
information required to perform the one or more steps. In some
embodiments, the resource distribution triggering system 400 may be
a part of the smart chip 330 in the automobile.
[0045] It should be understood that the memory device 450 may
include one or more applications and one or more databases or other
data structures/repositories. The memory device 450 also includes
computer-executable program code that instructs the processing
device 420 to operate the network communication interface 410 to
perform certain communication functions of the resource
distribution triggering system 400 described herein. For example,
in one embodiment of the resource distribution triggering system
400, the memory device 450 includes, but is not limited to, a
network server application 470, a resource distribution triggering
application 470, control application 480, a data storage
application 483, artificial intelligence engine application 485 and
other computer-executable instructions or other data. The
computer-executable program code of the network server application
470, the resource distribution triggering application 470, the
control application 480, and the data storage application 483,
artificial intelligence engine application 485 may instruct the
processing device 420 to perform certain logic, data-processing,
and data-storing functions of the resource distribution triggering
system 400 described herein, as well as communication functions of
the resource distribution triggering system 400.
[0046] As used herein, a "communication interface" generally
includes a modem, server, transceiver, and/or other device for
communicating with other devices on a network. The network
communication interface 410 is a communication interface having one
or more communication devices configured to communicate with one or
more other devices on the network 150, such as computing device
200. The processing device 420 is configured to use the network
communication interface 410 to transmit and/or receive data and/or
commands to and/or from the other devices connected to the network
150. The resource distribution triggering system 400, communicates
with the smart chip 330 of the automobile to perform various steps
described herein. The resource distribution triggering system 400,
communicates with remote devices 401 and third party entity devices
402 to perform various steps described herein. In some embodiments,
the resource distribution triggering system 400, communicates with
other systems such as traffic monitoring system, entity system,
authorization systems, and/or the like. The resource distribution
triggering system 400 also comprises an artificial intelligence
engine.
[0047] FIG. 5 presents a process flow 500 for completing an
interaction associated with fuel purchase via the automobile at a
third party entity location. As shown in block 510, the resource
distribution triggering system 400 receives an input from the user
105 to search for at least one third party entity selling fuel.
Fuel may be any of the available forms of fuel including, but not
limited to, diesel, gas, electric, or the like. The input may be a
voice command, a text command, and/or the like received from the
user via the user input devices 315 of the automobile. The system
instantly recognizes the input received from the user via the user
input devices. In some embodiments, the system may identify that
fuel in the automobile has dropped below a predetermined limit and
automatically communicates a low fuel input to the system. In some
embodiments, the system may communicate with other automobile
components such as gauges or meters to identify that fuel in the
automobile has dropped below a predetermined limit. For example,
the predetermined limit may be 1 gallon in non-electric automobiles
or 10 percent in electric automobiles. In some embodiments, the
system may identify that the user is travelling to a destination
and determine that refueling is required to reach the destination.
The system then prompts the user, via the user output devices 305,
to determine if the user would like to refuel. Upon receiving an
input from the user, the system continues the process and proceeds
to block 520.
[0048] As shown in block 520, the system then identifies, a current
location of the user. The system communicates with the positioning
system device 325 to identify the current location of the user and
transfer it back to the system. In some embodiments, the system may
connect with the smart computing device 200 such as mobile device
and may utilize the positioning system device 275 to determine the
current location of the user. In such embodiments, the smart
computing device 200 may be connected with the automobile via wired
or wireless technology associated with the smart computing device
200. In some embodiments, the system may connect with the smart
computing device 200 via the smart chip 330 in the automobile. In
some embodiments, the system may use satellite data to determine
the location of the user. The system along with identifying the
current location of the user, determines the level of fuel in a gas
tank of the automobile 300 by communicating with other automobile
components 328 of the automobile 300. For example, the system may
communicate with a system/component of the automobile to retrieve
fuel gauge data.
[0049] As shown in block 530, the system calculates a first limit
based on the location of the user. The first limit is the maximum
distance that the user can travel before running out of fuel based
on the current location of the user and the level of fuel in the
gas tank previously identified by the system. In other words, the
maximum distance is based on the fuel consumption of the
automobile. In some embodiments, the system may also identify the
travel route and the destination of the user and communicate with
traffic monitoring systems (not shown) to determine traffic in the
travel route of the user. The system uses the current traffic
information to calculate the first limit. As shown in block 540,
the system identifies the one or more third party entities located
within the calculated first limit. The one or more third parties
may be any merchants (e.g., gas stations) selling fuel located
within the first limit from the current location of the user. The
system identifies the one or more third parties along the travel
route of the user.
[0050] As shown in block 550, the system applies logic to select a
first third party entity from the one or more third party entities.
For example, the system may identify that a merchant `A` located at
distance `A` is selling fuel at a lower price than a merchant `B`
located at distance `B` which is lower than distance `A` at a price
higher than the price offered by Merchant `A.` In such an exemplary
embodiment, the system considers the current traffic, user
preferences (such as a particular gas station or a type of fuel
available at the gas stations, and/or the like), and supplemental
resources (rewards or cashback, membership perks, or any other
incentives) associated with the resource pool (credit account,
debit account, or the like) of the user to select a merchant from
the one or more merchants initially identified by the system. In
some embodiments, the automobile may be utilized by the one or more
users. The system applies logic based on the user driving the car.
The system identifies the user driving the car by communicating
with the other automotive components of the automobile to identify
driving patterns, weight of the user in the driver seat, driver
seat preferences, or the like.
[0051] As shown in block 560, the system transfers a financial
institution location of the first third party entity to the
automobile system. The system may automatically add the financial
institution location to the selected travel route of the user via
the navigation system of the automobile 300. In some embodiments,
the system may add the financial institution location to the
selected travel route of the user after receiving an approval from
the user. In some embodiments, the system may identify a second
third party entity from the one or more third party entities by
applying logic based on receiving disapproval from the user and the
system may add user's disapproval to the user preferences. In some
embodiments, the system may store preferences associated with the
user's disapproval in the memory of the automobile 300. In some
embodiments, the system may store preferences associated with the
user's disapproval in the memory of the smart chip 330. In some
embodiments, the system upon adding the entity location to the
selected travel route of the user, communicates with remote devices
(e.g., fuel dispenser monitoring device) associated with the first
third party entity to identify an empty refueling station and block
the empty refueling station for the user. The system may receive a
confirmation from the remote device about reserving the refueling
station and may communicate the confirmation to the user via the
user output devices of the automobile.
[0052] In some embodiments, the system may access one or more to-do
lists of the user stored in the smart computing device of the user,
and may identify that one or more products in the to-do list (e.g.,
grocery list) are available at the first third party entity
location. The system may then communicate, after receiving an
approval from the user, an order comprising one or more products in
the to-do list to the third party devices (online ordering
platform) associated with the first third party entity, wherein an
employee of the first third party entity after receiving the order
may fulfill the order before the user reaches the third party
entity location. In some embodiments, the system may identify that
the user purchased a set of products after refueling during the
last visit and may prompt the user to identify if he/she would like
to order same products before reaching the third party entity
location.
[0053] The system after transferring the location of the first
third party entity, continuously monitors a current location of the
user, via the one or more components of the automobile and
identifies that the current location of the user matches the
location of the first third party entity. The system may then
establish a communication link between the automobile system and a
third party entity device (e.g., fuel dispenser or point of sale),
at the location of the first third party entity. In some
embodiments, the system establishes the communication link between
the automobile and a third party entity device by utilizing
transmitting devices in the automobile and the third party entity
device. In some embodiments, wherein the current location of the
user matches the location of the first third party entity, the
system may utilize the NFC interface in the automobile and the
third party entity device to establish the communication link.
[0054] As shown in block 570, the system identifies a trigger from
a third party entity device (e.g., fuel dispenser or point of
sale), wherein the trigger is associated with transfer of resources
to complete an interaction (transaction associated with fuel
purchase). The trigger may be a payment request from the point of
sale device, wherein the trigger comprises a unique identifier
associated with the fuel purchase of the user. The system connects
to the third party entity device (point of sale) using NFC
interface to identify a resource amount (purchase amount).
[0055] As shown in block 580, the system in response to identifying
the trigger, initiates the transfer of resources to complete the
interaction. The system selects a best resource pool information
from one or more resource pools of the user based on the
supplemental resources offered (rewards, incentives, or the like).
In some embodiments, the system accesses the resource pool
information from the user application 224 (e.g., mobile wallet
application or the like) in the smart computing device 200
connected to the automobile 300. In some embodiments, the system
accesses the resource pool information from the memory of the
automobile, wherein a system associated with the automobile, after
identifying that the smart computing device is connected to the
automobile 300 via wired or wireless technology, extracts the user
resource pool information from the smart computing device 200 and
stores it in the memory of the automobile 300. The system after
identifying the best resource pool, authenticates the interaction
i.e., transfer of resources by any forms of authentication methods.
In one embodiment, the system verifies that one or more smart
computing devices (mobile device, smart watch, or the like) of the
user are within the proximity of the automobile and the third party
entity device (point of sale). In another embodiment, the system
may use facial recognition or finger printing or the like to
authenticate the interaction. The system utilizes the wireless
network of the automobile to transfer the best resource pool
information to the third party entity device.
[0056] As shown in block 590, the system completes the interaction
by transferring the resources to the third party entity device. The
system transfers the resource amount from the identified best
resource pool to the third party entity device. After completing
the interaction, the third party entity device may transfer a
receipt associated with the interaction to the automobile system.
At this time, the user need not wait at the third party entity
location to receive the receipt. In an exemplary embodiment, after
refueling the user may drive away from the third party entity
location and the transfer of resources may be performed by the
system without having the user to stay at the third party entity
location. Similarly, the third party entity device may transfer a
receipt while the user is not at the third party entity location.
In some embodiments, the system may link or integrate the receipt
into a user application or an financial institution application of
the smart computing device 200. For example, upon completion of the
transaction associated with the fuel purchase, the transaction may
be posted into a resource pool (e.g., checking account) in the
entity application (e.g., online application) on the mobile device
200. The system may integrate the receipt received from the third
party entity device with the transaction posted in the resource
pool via the entity application.
[0057] In some embodiments, the system may also transfer a second
resource amount associated with the order placed before arriving at
the third party entity location, thereby allowing the user to pick
up the one or more products directly. In such embodiments, the
system may utilize a card reader present in the automobile to
perform the interaction before arriving at the third party entity
location. In some embodiments, the system after completion of
transfer of second resource amount to the point of sale, receives a
QR code or any other code from the third party entity device and
transfers the received code to the one or more computing devices of
the user. The user may provide this code at a pick-up location
within the third party entity location to collect the one or more
products of the order. In some embodiments, the system upon
receiving an input from the user to search for Automated Teller
Machines, may follow similar process to place an order at an
Automated Teller Machine for withdrawing cash or the like and
reserving the Automated Teller Machine for the user.
[0058] FIG. 6 presents a process flow 600 for completing an
interaction associated with a parking location via the automobile
system. As shown in block 610, the system receives a second input
from the user, via the input devices of the automobile, to search
for at least one available parking location. The input may be a
voice command, a text command, and/or the like received from the
user via the user input devices 315 of the automobile. The system
instantly recognizes the input received from the user. In some
embodiments, the system may identify current location of the user
and based on the travel patterns may automatically identify that
the user is searching for the at least one available parking
location. In some embodiments, travel patterns may be stored in the
memory of the automobile. In some embodiments, the travel patterns
may be stored in the memory of the smart computing device. In other
embodiments, the travel patterns may be stored in the memory of the
system.
[0059] As shown in block 620, the system identifies a destination
of the user. The system communicates with the navigation system of
the automobile to identify the destination of the user As shown in
block 630, the system determines one or more parking locations
located within a predetermined limit from the destination of the
user. For example, the system may identify all parking locations
within half a mile from the destination. As shown in block 640, the
system communicates with one or more remote devices at the one or
more parking locations to identify one or more available parking
spaces. For example, the system communicates with parking meter
monitoring systems to identify one or more available parking spaces
within each of the one or more parking locations. Additionally, the
system may also identify the exact location of each of the one or
more available parking spaces.
As shown in block 650, the system applies logic to select a first
parking space from the one or more available parking spaces. The
system may apply logic based on the current traffic near each of
the one or more parking locations, distance between the elevator or
stairs and the exact location of each of the one or more available
parking spaces, pricing of the one or more available parking
spaces, offers associated with the one or more available parking
spaces, user preferences, one or more to-do lists, and/or the like.
For example, the system may access one or more to-do lists of the
user stored in the smart computing device (smart watch, mobile
device, or the like) of the user and may identify that the user has
"pick up clothes from dry cleaners" listed in the to-do list of the
user and the system considers a parking space available closer to
the dry cleaners.
[0060] As shown in block 660, the system transmits a location of
the first parking space to the user via the output devices of the
automobile. The system automatically adds the location of the first
parking space as the destination, via the navigational system of
the automobile. In some embodiments, the system may add the
location to the destination after receiving an approval from the
user. The system upon adding the location to the destination,
communicates with remote devices (parking meter monitoring system)
associated with the first parking space to reserve the first
parking space for the user.
[0061] As shown in block 670, the system identifies that the
automobile of the user is at the location of the first parking
space by continuously monitoring the current location of the user.
The system identifies that the user has reached the parking space
by identifying the current location of the user. After identifying
that the user has reached the location of the first parking space,
the system establishes a communication link between the automobile
system and a first remote device (parking meter). In some
embodiments, the system may establish the communication link
between the automobile system and the first remote device when the
current location of the user does not match the location of the
first parking space. In such an embodiment, the system allows the
user to block the first parking space via the communication link
between the automobile system and the first remote device. As shown
in block 680, the system initiates a transfer of resources to the
first remote device associated with the first parking space. The
system selects a best resource pool information from one or more
resource pools of the user based on the supplemental resources
offered (rewards, incentives, or the like). The system after
identifying the best resource pool, authenticates the interaction
i.e., transfer of resources by any forms of authentication methods.
In one embodiment, the system verifies that one or more smart
computing devices (mobile device, smart watch, or the like) of the
user are within the proximity of the automobile and the first
parking space. In another embodiment, the system may use facial
recognition or finger printing or the like to authenticate the
interaction.
[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, a parking meter may not be
available on every floor at all parking locations. The system
connects with the parking meters remotely after identifying that
the automobile of the user is at the location of the first parking
space and initiates transfer of resources (parking fee) to the
parking meter located on another floor at the parking location. As
shown in block 690, the system completes the transfer of resources
to the first remote device and notifies the user. In some
embodiments, the system may utilize the chip reader in the
automobile for completing the interaction. After completion of
transfer of resources, the system may receive a receipt from the
remote device i.e., the parking meter. The system may automatically
save the receipt in the memory of automobile, smart chip, and/or
the smart computing devices of the user. In some embodiments, the
system may link or integrate the receipt into a user application or
an financial institution application of the smart computing device
200. For example, upon completion of the transaction associated
with the first parking space, the transaction may be posted into a
resource pool (e.g., checking account) financial institution
application (e.g., online application) on the mobile device 200.
The system may integrate the receipt received from the first remote
device with the transaction posted in the resource pool via the
financial institution application. In some embodiments, the system
receives the receipt immediately upon completion of the
interaction.
[0063] In some embodiments, the pricing associated with the first
parking space may be hourly pricing. In such embodiments, the
system may identify a resource amount associated with the first
parking space when the user is leaving the location associated with
the first parking space. The system may utilize the communication
link established between the automobile system and the first remote
device to transfer the resource amount to the first remote device.
In some embodiments, the transfer of resources may occur when the
real-time location of the user does not match the location of the
first parking space, thereby allowing the user to pay without
having to wait the parking location or the first parking space.
[0064] FIG. 7 presents a process flow 700 for communicating an
order to a remote device of a third party entity via the
automobile. As shown in block 710, the system receives a request
from the user, via the input devices of the automobile, to place an
order. The order may be a fast food order, a prescription refill
order or the like which involves picking up one or more products
associated with the order at a drive-through. The order may be
received as an input from the user. The input may be a voice
command, a text command, and/or the like received from the user via
the user input devices 315 of the automobile.
[0065] In an exemplary embodiment, the system, after receiving a
fast food order from the user, calculates the number of calories
associated with the fast food order. The system may access the
fitness tracking application in the smart computing device of the
user and may identify that the calculated calories in the current
order of fast food may cross the limit of daily calorie intake of
the user. The system may then suggest alternative fast foods with
less calories to the user and prompts the user to identify if
he/she would like to switch the order. Based on the user input, the
system finalizes the order and may look for one or more third party
entities providing one or more products in the finalized order.
Additionally, the system may also communicate with a budgeting
application of the smart computing device 200 and may alert the
user of spending goals. For example, the system may identify that
the prices of the current order may exceed the spending goals set
by the user and may notify the user via the output devices of the
automobile.
[0066] As shown in block 720, the system identifies current
location of the user. The system communicates with the positioning
system device 325 to identify the current location of the user. In
some embodiments, the system may use satellite data to determine
the location of the user. Additionally, the system may also
identify a destination, via the navigation system of the
automobile. As shown in block 730, the system identifies one or
more third party entities associated with the order within a
predetermined limit from the current location of the user. For
example, the system identifies one or more third parties within
five miles from the current location of the user. In some
embodiments, the predetermined limit may be fixed. In some
embodiments, the predetermined limit may be dynamic. For example,
the system may choose the predetermined limit based on a time
estimate for the order to be ready. In some embodiments, the system
may estimate a time required to prepare one or more products
associated with the order based on time of the day. For example, if
the order is a fast food order and the user sends a request to
place an order during lunch hour, the system may estimate that the
order may take more amount of time than the usual time taken to
prepare one or more products. In other words, the system
intelligently identifies the predetermined limit, therefore
allowing the user to pick up the order at a drive-through without
having to wait for the order. The system identifies one or more
third parties between the current location and destination and
along the travel route selected by the user, that are offering the
one or more products associated with the request.
[0067] As shown in block 740, the system selects a first third
party entity from the one or more third party entities and
transfers a third party entity location of the first third party
entity to the user. The system, via the artificial intelligence
engine, applies logic to select the first third party by
considering one or more factors such as rating of the one or more
third party entities, user preferences, supplemental resources
associated with the one or more third party entities, current
traffic, detour distance, or the like. For example, the system may
find an optimized solution by determining the first third party
entity which matches with the user preferences, has less travel
time, less travel distance, a cash back deal and low price offered
by the first third party entity, five star rating, and/or the like.
As shown in block 750, the system establishes a communication link
between the automobile system and a remote device (online ordering
platform) associated with the first third party entity. The system
communicates with the remote device to open a new order ticket.
[0068] As shown in block 760, the system prompts the user to
confirm the order, via the output devices of the automobile. For
example, the system may read the order to the user via the speaker.
In some embodiments, when the order is a fast food order, the
system identify that the user ordered additional condiments in a
previous order similar to the present order based on the past
ordering history. The system may also read out the additional
condiments placed in the previous order to the user and may prompt
the user to confirm the additional condiments to be requested along
with the order.
[0069] As shown in block 770, the system in response to receiving a
confirmation from the user, via the input devices of the
automobile, communicates the order to the remote device. The system
may add the one or more products and additional condiments to the
new ticket opened by the system by communicating with the remote
device. The system may additionally calculate estimated arrival
time of the user based on the traffic, current location, driving
patterns, or the like and may communicate the calculated estimated
arrival time of the user to the remote device.
[0070] As shown in block 780, the system receives a notification
associated with the order from the remote device. The notification
may include an resource amount i.e., total cost of the order, order
confirmation, a confirmation code(e.g., QR code), drive-through
slot number, order status tracking link, or the like. The system
may then automatically initiate transfer of resources to the remote
device the wireless network of the automobile to the remote device.
In some embodiments, the system may utilize the chip reader in the
automobile to transfer the resources directly to the remote device
via the communication link established between the automobile
system and the remote device. In some embodiments, the system may
cause the entity application (e.g., online banking application) or
user application (e.g., digital wallet)on the smart computing
device to transfer the resources to the remote device. In one such
embodiment, the system may utilize the card reader to transfer the
resources. In alternate embodiments, as shown in block 790, the
system identifies that the automobile of the user is at the third
party entity location and initiates transfer of resources via the
NFC interface to a third party entity device located at the third
party entity location. For example, the system may identify that
the user is at the drive-through slot number associated with the
user and may establish a communication link via the NFC interface
of the automobile with a point of sale device at the drive-through
slot and may communicate the confirmation code to the point of sale
device. The system may access the user application (e.g., digital
wallet application) and choose a best resource pool from the one or
more resource pools associated with the user may transfer the
resources associated with the resource amount from the best
resource pool to the point of sale device. In some embodiments, in
response to transferring the resources, the third party entity
device may transmit a receipt to the user. The system may then
integrate the receipt with a corresponding transaction posted in
the resource pool of the user via the financial institution
application or user application in the smart computing device
200.
[0071] FIG. 8 presents a process flow 800 for process flow for
completing an interaction associated with one or more tolls by
communicating with remote devices (toll systems) at toll booths via
the automobile. As shown in block 810, the system receives a travel
route to a destination from the user, via the input devices of the
automobile. The user may input a destination into the navigation
system of the automobile and select a travel route associated with
the destination. The system identifies that the user selected the
travel route. In some embodiments, the system may automatically
select a best travel route based on the traffic conditions, road
closure, and/or the like. As shown in block 820, the system
identifies one or more tolls associated with the travel route. In
some embodiments, the system may identify one or more tolls by
communicating with navigation systems of the automobile. In some
embodiments, the system may identify the one or more tolls by
communicating with remote navigation systems. Alternatively, the
system may identify one or more tolls by communicating with user
application (navigation application) of the mobile device.
[0072] As shown in block 830, the system continuously monitors a
current location of the user. In some embodiments, the system
monitors the current location of the user via the positioning
system device 325 of the automobile. In alternate embodiments, the
system monitors the current location of the user via the
positioning system device 275 of the smart computing device 200.
Additionally, the system may also current traffic conditions along
the travel route by communicating with the traffic monitoring
systems.
[0073] As shown in block 840, the system identifies that the
current location of the user is within a predetermined distance
from a toll location of the one or more tolls. In some embodiments,
the predetermined distance may be set by the user. For example, the
system identifies that the current location is two miles away from
the next toll booth in the travel route. In some embodiments, the
system based on the current traffic conditions and calculates a new
predetermined distance based on the current traffic conditions. For
example, if the travel time to the next toll booth is thirty
minutes and the travel distance is two miles, the system calculates
a new predetermined limit which may be quarter mile from the next
toll booth. Therefore, by calculating the new predetermined limit,
the system may avoid paying for unnecessary tolls in instances when
there is a traffic diversion.
[0074] As shown in block 850, the system establishes a
communication link between the automobile system and at least one
remote device such as online toll payment platform associated with
the toll location. For example, the system establishes a
communication link and the wireless network of the automobile. The
system, via the communication link identifies a resource amount
associated with the toll. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the
system may identify the resource amount by communicating with any
toll calculator systems. In some embodiments, the system may
identify the resource amount by communicating with user
applications (toll calculator) in the smart computing device
200.
[0075] As shown in block 860, the system initiates transfer of
resources to the at least one remote device. The system selects a
best resource pool information from one or more resource pools of
the user based on the supplemental resources offered (rewards,
incentives, or the like). The system after identifying the best
resource pool, transfers the resource associated with the resource
amount to the at least one remote device. As shown in block 870,
the system completes the transfer of resources. In some
embodiments, the system utilizes the chip reader in the automobile
to complete the transfer of resources.
[0076] As shown in block 880, the system receives a notification
from the remote device. The notification may include a payment
confirmation, a toll lane number, or the like. As shown in block
890, the system transfers the notification to the user via the
output devices of the automobile. For example, the system may read
the toll lane number associated with the notification received from
the at least one remote device via the speaker of the automobile.
Additionally, the system may also receive a receipt associated with
the interaction from the remote device. The system may integrate
the receipt with the interaction posted to the resource pools via
the financial institution application or user application in the
smart computing device.
[0077] Although many embodiments of the present invention have just
been described above, the present invention may be embodied in many
different forms and should not be construed as limited to the
embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are
provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal
requirements. Also, it will be understood that, where possible, any
of the advantages, features, functions, devices, and/or operational
aspects of any of the embodiments of the present invention
described and/or contemplated herein may be included in any of the
other embodiments of the present invention described and/or
contemplated herein, and/or vice versa. In addition, where
possible, any terms expressed in the singular form herein are meant
to also include the plural form and/or vice versa, unless
explicitly stated otherwise. Accordingly, the terms "a" and/or "an"
shall mean "one or more," even though the phrase "one or more" is
also used herein. Like numbers refer to like elements
throughout.
[0078] As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art
in view of this disclosure, the present invention may include
and/or be embodied as an apparatus (including, for example, a
system, machine, device, computer program product, and/or the
like), as a method (including, for example, a business method,
computer-implemented process, and/or the like), or as any
combination of the foregoing. Accordingly, embodiments of the
present invention may take the form of an entirely business method
embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware,
resident software, micro-code, stored procedures in a database, or
the like), an entirely hardware embodiment, or an embodiment
combining business method, software, and hardware aspects that may
generally be referred to herein as a "system." Furthermore,
embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a
computer program product that includes a computer-readable storage
medium having one or more computer-executable program code portions
stored therein. As used herein, a processor, which may include one
or more processors, may be "configured to" perform a certain
function in a variety of ways, including, for example, by having
one or more general-purpose circuits perform the function by
executing one or more computer-executable program code portions
embodied in a computer-readable medium, and/or by having one or
more application-specific circuits perform the function.
[0079] It will be understood that any suitable computer-readable
medium may be utilized. The computer-readable medium may include,
but is not limited to, a non-transitory computer-readable medium,
such as a tangible electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic,
infrared, and/or semiconductor system, device, and/or other
apparatus. For example, in some embodiments, the non-transitory
computer-readable medium includes a tangible medium such as a
portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory
(RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only
memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a compact disc read-only memory
(CD-ROM), and/or some other tangible optical and/or magnetic
storage device. In other embodiments of the present invention,
however, the computer-readable medium may be transitory, such as,
for example, a propagation signal including computer-executable
program code portions embodied therein.
[0080] One or more computer-executable program code portions for
carrying out operations of the present invention may include
object-oriented, scripted, and/or unscripted programming languages,
such as, for example, Java, Perl, Smalltalk, C++, SAS, SQL, Python,
Objective C, JavaScript, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the
one or more computer-executable program code portions for carrying
out operations of embodiments of the present invention are written
in conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C"
programming languages and/or similar programming languages. The
computer program code may alternatively or additionally be written
in one or more multi-paradigm programming languages, such as, for
example, F#.
[0081] Some embodiments of the present invention are described
herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block
diagrams of apparatus and/or methods. It will be understood that
each block included in the flowchart illustrations and/or block
diagrams, and/or combinations of blocks included in the flowchart
illustrations and/or block diagrams, may be implemented by one or
more computer-executable program code portions. These one or more
computer-executable program code portions may be provided to a
processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer,
and/or some other programmable data processing apparatus in order
to produce a particular machine, such that the one or more
computer-executable program code portions, which execute via the
processor of the computer and/or other programmable data processing
apparatus, create mechanisms for implementing the steps and/or
functions represented by the flowchart(s) and/or block diagram
block(s).
[0082] The one or more computer-executable program code portions
may be stored in a transitory and/or non-transitory
computer-readable medium (e.g. a memory) that can direct, instruct,
and/or cause a computer and/or other programmable data processing
apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the
computer-executable program code portions stored in the
computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture
including instruction mechanisms which implement the steps and/or
functions specified in the flowchart(s) and/or block diagram
block(s).
[0083] The one or more computer-executable program code portions
may also be loaded onto a computer and/or other programmable data
processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be
performed on the computer and/or other programmable apparatus. In
some embodiments, this produces a computer-implemented process such
that the one or more computer-executable program code portions
which execute on the computer and/or other programmable apparatus
provide operational steps to implement the steps specified in the
flowchart(s) and/or the functions specified in the block diagram
block(s). Alternatively, computer-implemented steps may be combined
with, and/or replaced with, operator- and/or human-implemented
steps in order to carry out an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0084] While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and
shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that
such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on
the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the
specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since
various other changes, combinations, omissions, modifications and
substitutions, in addition to those set forth in the above
paragraphs, are possible. Those skilled in the art will appreciate
that various adaptations, modifications, and combinations of the
just described embodiments can be configured without departing from
the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be
understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the
invention may be practiced other than as specifically described
herein.
* * * * *