Location Manager for Mobile Merchant Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers face difficulties in locating mobile merchants due to cumbersome querying processes, inaccurate location information, and incompatibility between mobile merchant and consumer systems, especially for merchants that do not broadcast their locations or are unknown to consumers.
Innovation Solution
A Location Manager (LM) computing device is implemented to receive authorization requests from mobile merchants, determine their locations, and transmit this information to consumer devices, enabling accurate and efficient location tracking through transaction data processing and database management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If consumers query mobile merchants for location information through phone numbers or websites, then consumers can obtain location data, but the process becomes cumbersome requiring periodic querying with no guarantee of success and the mobile merchant must constantly store, update, and transmit location information
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile merchant computing device automatically transmits its location information to the location manager without requiring consumer initiation. The system performs self-service by continuously updating its own location data through the authorization request messages it generates during normal operations, eliminating the need for consumers to manually query and for merchants to actively manage location updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile merchant computing device includes location information in authorization request messages before consumers need to access it. By embedding location data in advance within the authorization requests that are naturally generated during transactions, the system ensures location information is readily available without requiring subsequent querying actions.
2Loss of information
If mobile merchants use separate location services to provide their location to consumers, then location information can be provided, but consumers have difficulty locating particular mobile merchants unless they subscribe to the specific location service
Solution Approach 1:
The location manager serves multiple functions: it collects location data from mobile merchants through authorization requests, stores location information in the database, and provides it to consumers. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate dedicated location services, making location information universally accessible through any consumer computing device without requiring subscriptions to specific services.
Solution Approach 2:
The location manager acts as an intermediary between mobile merchants and consumers. It receives authorization requests containing location data from merchants, processes and stores this information, and then provides it to consumers who search for merchants. This intermediary role centralizes location information management and makes it accessible to all consumers without requiring them to subscribe to merchant-specific services.
3Measurement precision
If mobile merchants provide location updates to service providers, then location information is available, but the provided location is inaccurate until the mobile merchant takes time away from its business to provide an update
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous location tracking by automatically extracting location information from every authorization request message generated during normal merchant operations. This continuous extraction process ensures location data is always current without requiring the merchant to pause business activities for manual updates, maintaining both accuracy and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile merchant computing device automatically includes its location information in authorization request messages without requiring merchant intervention. The system self-services by continuously generating these messages during normal transactions, ensuring location data is continuously updated without the merchant needing to take time away from business to provide updates.
4Loss of information
If consumers query for mobile merchant locations, then consumers can find merchants they know, but consumers cannot query a mobile merchant that the consumer is not aware of
Solution Approach 1:
The location manager serves as an intermediary that maintains a centralized database of all mobile merchant locations. Consumers can query this database for any merchant without needing to know the merchant in advance, as the location manager provides location information for all registered merchants. This intermediary database enables serendipitous discovery of merchants in the consumer's vicinity without prior knowledge.
Solution Approach 2:
The location manager provides universal access to location information for all mobile merchants through a single system. Instead of requiring consumers to know specific merchants to query, the system offers a universal search capability where consumers can discover any merchant in the database, including those they are not aware of, by querying the location manager's centralized location data.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-based method for determining a location of a mobile merchant computing device is provided. The method is implemented using a location manager (LM) computing device in communication with a processor and a memory device. The method comprises receiving from the mobile merchant computing device at least one authorization request message including a merchant identifier for the mobile merchant and a first location variable, determining a location of the mobile merchant using the first location variable, transmitting to a consumer computing device operable by a consumer, by the LM computing device, a location data message including the merchant identifier and the location of the mobile merchant, and causing, by the transmission, the consumer computing device to display the location on a display interface coupled to the consumer computing device.