Abstract:
A home network of a mobile subscriber accesses a mapping of mobile switching centers to their physical locations and uses this mapping to locate a mobile subscriber when the mobile subscriber roams out of his or her home network and registers with one of these mobile switching centers. The location of the mobile subscriber may be used to authorize a transaction initiated by the mobile subscriber or to authenticate the mobile subscriber when signing into secure accounts.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to wireless telecommunication systems and, more specifically, to systems and methods for locating a mobile subscriber terminal when roaming. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    It has become common practice for individual consumers to use telecommunications systems for conducting financial and other transactions. Specifically, wireless communication devices and/or the Internet are frequently used for point-of-sale (POS) and on-line transactions, such as banking, purchasing, and other financial transactions. Consequently, the development of robust security and authentication procedures for such transactions is becoming increasingly important, particularly when the individual making the transactions is traveling in a foreign country. 
         [0005]    Further, with the modern ubiquity of foreign travel, the ability to remotely and reliably locate an individual, in either a commercial or personal context, is frequently desirable. Current techniques for determining the physical location of an individual who is traveling involve obtaining the location of a mobile subscriber terminal, e.g., a cell phone, smart phone, or other wireless telecommunication device, by issuing a request to the operational support system of the individual&#39;s wireless communication service provider. For example, the home location register (HLR) of a service provider can identify the mobile switching center (MSC) that is serving a particular mobile subscriber terminal and thereby determine an approximate geographical location of the mobile subscriber terminal. However, such an approach for locating a user assumes that the user of the mobile subscriber terminal is in-network and consequently the approach does not work when the user travels out-of-network, e.g., to a foreign country. Accordingly, there is also a need in the art for reliably and remotely locating a user of a mobile subscriber terminal when the user roams out of the home service network. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    One or more embodiments of the invention provide techniques for locating a mobile subscriber when the mobile subscriber roams out of his or her home network. According to these techniques, a data structure mapping mobile switching centers (MSCs) to the physical location of the MSCs is accessed and this mapping is used to locate a mobile subscriber when the mobile subscriber roams out of his or her home network and registers with one of these MSCs. The location of the mobile subscriber may be used to authorize a transaction initiated by the mobile subscriber or to authenticate the mobile subscriber when signing into secure accounts. 
         [0007]    A method of locating a user of a mobile device who has roamed out of network, according to an embodiment of the invention, comprises the steps of receiving an identifier of a mobile switching center (MSC ID) that is serving the user out of network and accessing a data structure that maps MSC IDs of a plurality of serving networks to physical locations of the MSCs to determine a location corresponding to the MSC ID as the location of the user. 
         [0008]    A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, according to an embodiment of the invention, comprises computer-executable instructions and a data structure that maps identifiers of mobile switching centers (MSC IDs) of a plurality of serving networks to physical locations of the MSCs. When the instructions are carried out by a computer, the computer carries out the steps of receiving from a server of a home network that is managing a home location registry (HLR) database an identifier of an MSC that is outside the home network, determining a location of the MSC corresponding to the identifier of the MSC using the data structure, and transmitting location data indicating the location of the MSC to the server of the home network. The computer that is carrying out the above steps may be part of the home network or outside the home network and operated by a third party. 
         [0009]    A method of authorizing a transaction, according to an embodiment of the invention, comprises the steps of receiving a request to authorize a transaction being conducted at a point-of-sale (POS), acquiring purchaser data from the request, transmitting a request to locate the purchaser and receiving location data indicating a location of the purchaser in response thereto, comparing a POS location with the purchaser location, and authorizing or denying the transaction based on the step of comparing. 
         [0010]    A method of authenticating a user for access to a secure account, according to an embodiment of the invention, comprises the steps of receiving a request to access the secure account from an IP address associated with the user, transmitting a request to locate the user and receiving location data indicating a location of the user in response thereto, comparing a location associated with the IP address with the location of the user, and authorizing or denying the access based on the step of comparing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system that enables location tracking of a mobile subscriber terminal, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  schematically illustrates the contents of a location mapping database, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system that enables location tracking of a mobile subscriber terminal roaming mode outside a home network, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  schematically illustrates the contents of a mapping database, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a transaction processing system illustrating the steps of a financial transaction that are carried out according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart that summarizes, in a stepwise fashion, a method for authorizing transactions based on location information acquired by a location provider, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram comparing the functionality of three different embodiments of the invention for authenticating user/purchaser location based on location information acquired by a location provider module. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a flow chart that summarizes, in a stepwise fashion, a method for authenticating a user for access to a secure account based on location information acquired by a location provider, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
       [0020]    For clarity, identical reference numbers have been used, where applicable, to designate identical elements that are common between figures. It is contemplated that features of one embodiment may be incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system  150  that enables location tracking of a mobile subscriber terminal  100 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. Mobile subscriber terminal  100  may be any type of wireless communication device, such as a cell phone, a smart phone, etc. As shown, mobile subscriber terminal  100 , and presumably also the user of mobile subscriber terminal  100 , is located in the primary serving network serving mobile subscriber terminal  100 . The primary serving network of mobile subscriber terminal  100  is herein referred to as home network  101 , and the user of mobile subscriber terminal  100  is referred to herein as a mobile subscriber. 
         [0022]    Home network  101  is a wireless communication system that includes at least one mobile switching center (MSC)  102 , a home location register (HLR)  103 , and a plurality of cell towers  161 - 165 . MSC  102  connects the landline public switched telephone network system to home network  101 . Home network  101  may be a small network and only include a single MSC  102 . Alternatively, home network  101  may be a relatively large network, i.e., a network that services a large geographical area, and may include multiple MSCs  102 . For clarity, only a single MSC  102  is depicted in  FIG. 1 . Each MSC  102  in home network  101  has a plurality of cell towers  161 - 165  associated therewith, where each of cell towers  161 - 165  serves a specific geographical area, i.e., cells  1 - 5 , respectively. HLR  103  of home network  101  contains geographical information regarding mobile subscriber terminal  100 , where such geographical information may be a place name, a latitude-longitude coordinate or a combination of both. Specifically, HLR  103  contains a data structure  105  that identifies the particular MSC  102  currently serving mobile subscriber terminal  100  and the closest cell tower to mobile subscriber terminal  100 . Information contained in data structure  105  includes a mobile subscriber identification number, MSC identification number (MSCID), cell tower number, mobile subscriber terminal serial number, an indicator telling the mobile subscriber terminal is in the home network, etc. 
         [0023]    System  150  includes a location provider  106  and a location mapping database  108 . Location provider  106  is a logical module, program, or algorithm that determines the location of mobile subscriber terminal  100  by querying location mapping database  108 . Location mapping database  108  is a data structure that maps each MSC  102  in home network  101  to a specific geographical location. In some embodiments, location mapping database  108  also maps each of cell towers  161 - 165  to a specific geographical location. In some embodiments, system  150  may be an integral part of the operational support system (OSS) of the cellular service provider. Consequently, location provider  106  and location mapping database  108  may be constructed, maintained, and populated by the operator of home network  101 . In other embodiments, system  150  may be a separate entity from home network  101  and therefore may be constructed, maintained, and populated by a third party. 
         [0024]    Communication between home network  101  and system  150  is carried out via communication network  107 . In some embodiments, communication network  101  may be the Internet, the Signaling System 7 (SS7) network, the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or a combination thereof. The SS7 network is used for communicating control, status, and signaling information between nodes in a telecommunication network. 
         [0025]    In operation, when mobile subscriber terminal  100  physically enters the geographical region served by home network  101 , mobile subscriber terminal  100  registers with home network  101  and MSC  102  captures the identity of the specific cell tower of cell towers  161 - 165  that is closest to mobile subscriber terminal  100 . This registration process enables mobile subscriber terminal  100  to be alerted to an incoming phone-call or message. Calls are completed and messages delivered via this closest cell tower. 
         [0026]    As mobile subscriber terminal  100  changes location in home network  101 , the identity of the closest cell tower is maintained by MSC  102 . Location provider  106  periodically queries HLR  103  via communication network  107  in order to track the current MSC and/or cell tower that is closest to mobile subscriber terminal  100 . In some embodiments, the cell phone number associated with mobile subscriber terminal  100  is used to identify mobile subscriber terminal  100 . In other embodiments, location provider  106  uses a serialized equipment number associated with mobile subscriber terminal  100  to identify mobile subscriber terminal  100 . If the mobile registry is null, i.e., mobile subscriber terminal  100  is not currently registered in home network  101 , then a “not-in-network” message is returned to location provider  106  by HLR  103 . 
         [0027]    After location provider  106  receives a reply from HLR  103  that identifies the closest MSC and/or cell tower to mobile subscriber terminal  100 , location provider  106  queries location mapping database  108  via query  109 . Query  109  includes the MSCID of said MSC and/or the appropriate cell tower number. Location mapping database  108  then returns the geographical location of MSC  102  to location provider  106  via reply  110 . In some embodiments, the granularity of position of mobile subscription terminal  100  is enhanced by also providing cell tower location in reply  110 . In other embodiments, inclusion of the geographical location of MSC  102  in reply  110  is sufficient. Thus, location provider  106  is continuously updated with the current geographical location of mobile subscriber terminal  100  and, presumably, the mobile subscriber, and consequently can provide such location information to any authorized party, e.g., employer, spouse, bank, on-line merchant, etc. 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  schematically illustrates the contents of location mapping database  108 , according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown, location mapping database  108  provides mappings of MSCs to the physical location of the area served by each MSC. In some embodiments, location mapping database  108  also includes the geographical locations corresponding to each subtending cell tower of each MSC included in mapping database  108 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system  350  that enables location tracking of a mobile subscriber terminal  100  roaming mode outside home network  101 , according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, mobile subscriber terminal  100 , and presumably also the mobile subscriber, is roaming outside home network  101  and is physically located in a roaming network  201 , such as a cell phone network in a foreign country. 
         [0030]    Roaming network  201  is substantially similar in organization and operation to home network  101 , and includes one or more MSCs  202 , each with its attendant cell towers  361 - 365 . In addition to HLR  103 , home network  101  includes a remote HLR, herein referred to as HLR-R  203 . HLR-R  203  contains information regarding the MSC  202  in roaming network  201  in which mobile subscriber terminal  100  has registered. 
         [0031]    Similar to HLR  103 , HLR-R  203  contains geographical information regarding mobile subscriber terminal  100 . In contrast to HLR  103 , HLR-R  203  contains a data structure  205  that identifies the particular MSC  202  in roaming network  201  that is currently serving mobile subscriber terminal  100 . Information contained in data structure  205  includes a mobile subscriber identification number, MSC identification number, mobile subscriber terminal serial number, etc. In some embodiments, data structure  205  may also include the cell tower number of the closest cell tower to mobile subscriber terminal  100 . 
         [0032]    System  350  is substantially similar in organization and operation to system  150  in  FIG. 1 . One difference between system  350  and system  150  is that system  350  includes a location mapping database  308 , analogous to mapping database  108 , that maps each MSC  202  in one or more roaming networks, e.g., roaming network  201 , to a specific geographical location. In some embodiments, location mapping database  308  also maps each of cell towers  361 - 365  to a specific geographical location. In some embodiments the database  308  also maintains a record of the last location mapped for the mobile subscriber terminal. 
         [0033]    When mobile subscriber terminal  100  is outside home network  101 , roaming network  201  accepts registry of mobile subscriber terminal  100 , assuming there is a roaming agreement between the operator of home network  101  and the operator of roaming network  201 . As part of normal operation of home network  101  and roaming network  201 , the identity of mobile subscriber terminal  100  is communicated over a telephony signaling network  210  to home network  101 , together with the appropriate MSC identification for MSC  202  for inclusion in data structure  205 , where MSC  202  is the MSC currently serving mobile subscriber terminal  100 . Such information that is communicated from roaming network  201  to home network  101  may be maintained in roaming network  201  in a database equivalent to data structure  105  in HLR  103  for mobile subscriber terminals from other networks, i.e., mobile subscriber terminals roaming in roaming network  201 . This database containing information related to roaming subscriber units is called the Visitor Location Registry (VLR). 
         [0034]    In operation, location provider  306  queries home network  101  regarding the location of mobile subscriber terminal  100 . When HLR  103  is queried by location provider  306 , mobile subscriber terminal  100  is discovered to be roaming. Location provider  306  then queries HLR-R  203 , and receives the MSC ID of MSC  202 , which is the MSC currently serving mobile subscriber terminal  100  in roaming network  201 . The geographical location of mobile subscriber terminal  100  is then obtained from location mapping database  308  in the same way that system  150  obtains geographical location for mobile subscriber terminal  100  from location mapping database  108 . Thus, location provider  306  is continuously updated with the current geographical location of mobile subscriber terminal  100 , even when mobile subscriber terminal  100  is located in a foreign country or otherwise roaming outside home network  101 . Consequently, location provider  306  can readily provide location information for mobile subscriber terminal  100  to any authorized party, e.g., employer, spouse, bank, on-line merchant, etc. 
         [0035]      FIG. 4  schematically illustrates the contents of mapping database  308 , according to an embodiment of the invention. Location mapping database  308  is substantially similar in organization to mapping database  108 , except that, at a minimum, location mapping database  308  provides mappings of roaming MSCs to the physical location of the area served by all included roaming MSCs. Specifically, the roaming MSCs are selected from one or more roaming networks, e.g., roaming network  201 , and not home network  101 . Other elements of location mapping database  308  that are enhancements over prior art location mapping databases may include serving cell tower ID  401 , latitude/longitude coordinate  402 , timestamp  403 , and error radius  404 . The information contained in location mapping database  308  may be generated and maintained by home network  101  by surveying roaming network operators on an on-demand or on a scheduled basis. 
         [0036]    In some embodiments, location mapping database  308  maps mobile subscriber terminal  100  to the physical location of a serving MSC in roaming network  201 , e.g., MSC  202 . Granularity of the position of mobile subscriber terminal  100  may be increased when location mapping data base  308  includes serving cell tower ID  401  and/or latitude/longitude coordinate  402  in roaming network  201 , thereby mapping to the closest cell-tower and/or latitude/longitude coordinate. Latitude/longitude coordinate  402  may correspond to a fixed cell tower or MSC location, or may be a triangulated position between cell towers  361 - 365  that is determined by roaming network  201 , or may be a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) coordinate received directly from mobile subscriber terminal  100 . Time-stamp  403  serves to indicate when the location entries were made to mapping database  308 , and error radius  404  serves to quantify the granularity of the location estimate for mobile subscriber terminal  100 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a transaction processing system  500  illustrating the steps of a financial transaction that are carried out according to an embodiment of the present invention. As part of the financial transaction illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a transaction is authorizing based on location information acquired using system  150  or system  350 , according to embodiments of the invention. In an exemplary transaction, when a credit card is presented at a point-of-sale (POS) merchant, herein referred to as POS  501 , POS  501  submits an authorization request  502  to an authorization entity  504 , e.g., the issuing entity of the credit-card. POS  501  accepts the credit card as form of payment for the purchase only when the transaction is authorized by authorization entity  504 , i.e., only after receiving authorization response  503  from authorization entity  504 . According to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 5 , prior to sending authorization response  503  to POS  501 , an authorization module  505  of authorization entity  504  confirms the location of the credit card holder by querying a location provider  506  for the current location of the credit card holder. Location provider  506  is substantially similar in organization and operation to either location provider  106  of system  150  or location provider  306  of system  350 . Location requester  507  of authorization entity  504  sends location request  508  to location provider  506  and awaits location response  509 . If the credit card holder&#39;s current location, as determined by location provider  506 , does not match the physical location of POS  501 , the authorization request is denied. If the credit card holder&#39;s current location matches the physical location of POS  501 , then the authorization may be further based on other parameters such as credit limit. 
         [0038]    In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a purchase using a credit-card at a POS is depicted. In other embodiments, other types of transactions are within the scope of the present invention, such as on-line transactions. In the case of certain on-line transactions, authorization of a transaction can be contingent on the location of the computer being used to initiate the on-line transaction. The location of said computer is extracted from the computer IP address and compared to the location of the mobile subscriber&#39;s mobile subscriber terminal  100  as provided by location provider  506 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart that summarizes, in a stepwise fashion, a method  600  for authorizing transactions based on location information acquired by a location provider, according to an embodiment of the invention. By way of illustration, method  600  is described in terms of a transaction processing system substantially similar in organization and operation to transaction processing system  500  in  FIG. 5 . However, other transaction processing systems may also benefit from the use of method  600 . Although the method steps are described in conjunction with  FIG. 6 , persons skilled in the art will understand that any system configured to perform the method steps falls within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0040]    Prior to method  600 , a purchaser, who is also the user of mobile subscriber terminal  100 , initiates a transaction, such as a credit card purchase, at POS  501 . POS  501  queries the authorization entity  504  by transmitting authorization request  502  to authorization entity  504  to confirm allowance of the transaction. Authorization request  502  will include an identification of the subscriber, e.g. the mobile subscriber name and/or phone number. The physical location of POS  501  is either communicated explicitly in request  502 , indirectly by caller ID if authorization request  502  is communicated by modem over a telephone network, or indirectly by IP address if authorization request  502  is communicated over the Internet. In one embodiment, the request includes a time-stamp of authorization request  502 . 
         [0041]    The method begins in step  601 , in which authorization entity  504  receives authorization request  502 . As noted above, authorization request  502  includes the physical location of the transaction taking place. In the case of an on-line transaction, the physical location for the transaction corresponds to a physical location of the IP address associated with the purchaser. 
         [0042]    In step  602 , authorization entity  504  acquires purchaser data from authorization entity  504 , such as purchaser identification data and physical location data for the transaction. 
         [0043]    In step  603 , authorization entity  504  transmits location request  508  to location provider  506 . 
         [0044]    In step  604 , authorization entity  504  receives location response  509  from location provider  506 . Location response  509  includes location data indicating the current physical location of the purchaser based on the location of mobile subscriber terminal  100 . 
         [0045]    In step  605 , authorization entity  504  compares the physical location of the transaction as acquired in step  602  to the physical location of the purchaser reported by location provider  506  in step  604 . In some cases, obtaining the physical location of the transaction may require an additional step. For example, if the transaction is being made with a merchant that has a chain of stores at different physical locations, techniques described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/994,977, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, may be used to obtain the physical location of the transaction. 
         [0046]    In step  606 , authorization entity  504  transmits an appropriate authorization response  503  to POS  501  based on the results of step  605 . For example, the response from authorization entity  504  is “accepted” (or “authorized,” “allowed,” etc.) and the transaction can proceed if the two locations compared in step  605  are found to be within a predetermined minimum radius, e.g., 100 miles. This predetermined minimum radius is dependent on the geographical location being considered and the serving radius of an MSC. In sparsely populated areas, the serving radius of an MSC can be on the order of 100 miles and the predetermined minimum radius is adjusted accordingly. On the other hand, in densely populated areas, the serving radius of an MSC is much less than 100 miles, on the order of 5 miles or so, and the predetermined minimum radius is adjusted accordingly. The response from authorization entity  504  is “denied” if the two locations compared in step  605  are found to be separated by more than the predetermined minimum radius. In the latter case, the merchant may take the appropriate action such as notifying the authorities in the case of fraud. In an alternative embodiment, authorization entity  504  may over-ride the decision based on behavioral patterns of the purchaser and/or behavioral patterns of the merchant. For example, if the purchaser is a frequent traveler, authorization entity  504  may authorize the transaction even if the distance between the two locations compared in step  605  exceeds the predetermined minimum radius. In some embodiments, if authorization entity  504  has not been informed of the nature of the travel by the purchaser, authorization of the transaction may be withheld even if the distance between the two locations compared in step  605  is within the predetermined minimum radius. 
         [0047]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram comparing the functionality of three different embodiments of the invention for authenticating mobile subscriber/purchaser location based on location information acquired by a location provider module, such as location provider  106 ,  306 , or  506 . In each embodiment, the mobile subscriber is a purchaser or other initiator of a transaction. 
         [0048]    In a first embodiment, a location provider, e.g.,  106 ,  306  or  506 , retrieves the MSC ID from home network  101  and then issues an information request  701 . From an information response  702 , the location of the MSC serving mobile subscriber terminal  100  is obtained from a location mapping database  108 ,  308 . If the mobile subscriber/purchaser is in home network  101 , then additional granularity in the form of cell-tower identifiers may be available. If the subscriber is roaming, then the response may only have the MSC ID of the MSC in roaming network  201  that is serving mobile subscriber terminal  100 . 
         [0049]    In a second embodiment, the mobile subscriber is roaming when initiating a transaction. The location provider, e.g., location provider  306  or  506 , retrieves the MSC ID from home network  101  and thereby identifies the roaming network  201 . The location of the mobile subscriber terminal  100  is obtained from roaming network  201  by issuing an information request  703  to the provider of roaming network  201 . Information request  703  may be made over the Internet or over the SS7 network. An information response  704  will include additional granularity of geographical location of mobile subscriber terminal  100  in the form of serving cell tower numbers associated with the serving MSC in roaming network  201 . Such geographical information can be written to the appropriate location mapping database, e.g., location mapping database  108  or  308 . 
         [0050]    In a third embodiment, mobile subscriber terminal  100  has an embedded application and GPS location capability. A location provider issues a location information request  705  directly to mobile subscriber terminal  100  using the Internet or the Short Message Service (SMS) capability of the cellular telephony network. The embedded application transmits an information response  706  with the current location (latitude/longitude) of the mobile. 
         [0051]    The invention has several advantages over existing methods. The method of augmentation based on establishing the location of a mobile subscriber&#39;s mobile subscriber terminal provides an additional layer of security. This additional layer of security is of special importance when the financial transaction occurs in a geographical location different from the mobile subscriber&#39;s home area. The mobile subscriber terminal is therefore likely to be in a roaming mode and this is addressed by the invention. A credit card transaction is rejected when it is ascertained that the mobile subscriber terminal associated with the purchaser is not in the vicinity of the POS terminal. This is of special importance when the credit-card user is traveling, for example, in a foreign country. Embodiments of the invention enable all credit card company fraud alert mechanisms to flag the usage of a credit card as being used in a geographical location distant from the mobile subscriber&#39;s home address. The premise of the augmentation method is that the presence of a mobile subscriber&#39;s mobile subscriber terminal close to a POS terminal will increase the probability that the card is being used by the authorized user. 
         [0052]    The exchange of messages between the various entities can be achieved advantageously by packet communication using encrypted payloads over a conventional Internet Protocol (IP) network. Other methods for such communication include using high-speed voice-band modems over the public switched telephone network. Traditional POS terminals deployed currently communicate with the authorization entity using modems (dial-up). 
         [0053]    The invention can be used to augment security in the case of secure log-in, especially when the subscriber is attempting to access financial institutions from a location, such as an Internet café, that is distinct and separate from his/her normal (e.g., home or office) location. Such situations arise naturally when the subscriber is traveling. The IP address of the log-in point will have an indication as to the location of the server being used and this can be compared with the location of the subscriber&#39;s mobile that is obtained in a manner taught by this invention. Numerous other applications requiring confirmation that are location-oriented can benefit from embodiments of the invention. 
         [0054]      FIG. 8  is a flow chart that summarizes, in a stepwise fashion, a method  800  for authenticating a user for access to a secure account based on location information acquired by a location provider, according to an embodiment of the invention. By way of illustration, method  800  is described in terms of a transaction processing system substantially similar in organization and operation to transaction processing system  500  in  FIG. 5 , except that instead of a transaction that involves initiating a credit card transaction at POS  501 , a user initiates a request to access a secure account via the Internet. Other transaction processing systems may also benefit from the use of method  800 . Although the method steps are described in conjunction with  FIG. 8 , persons skilled in the art will understand that any system configured to perform the method steps falls within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0055]    Prior to method  800 , the user of mobile subscriber terminal  100  initiates a request to access a secure account via the Internet, such as a private bank account. In other embodiments, the account being accessed is not a financial account, but may be any account for which it is desirable for the user to be authenticated prior to having access to the account. When the user attempts to access the secure account, an authentication request is transmitted to an authentication entity, which determines whether the user may access the secure account. The authentication request includes an identification of the user, e.g. user ID, and the IP address from which the user is accessing the secure account. 
         [0056]    The method begins in step  801 , in which the authentication entity receives the authentication request. In step  802 , the authentication entity acquires user data, such as the phone number of the user&#39;s mobile subscriber terminal. In step  803 , the authentication entity transmits a location request to a location provider, such as location provider  106 ,  306 ,  506  described above. The location request includes the phone number of the user&#39;s mobile subscriber terminal. In step  804 , the authentication entity receives a location response from the location provider. The location response includes location data indicating the current physical location of the user based on the location of the user&#39;s mobile subscriber terminal. The location of the user&#39;s mobile subscriber terminal is obtained by the location provider using the phone number of the user&#39;s mobile subscriber terminal in the same manner as described above for location providers  106 ,  306 ,  506 . 
         [0057]    In step  805 , the authentication entity compares the physical location of the IP address associated with the user, as determined from methods known in the art, to the physical location of the user reported by the location provider in step  804  in order to authenticate the user. In step  806 , the authentication entity either permits or denies access to the secure account based on the results of the comparison conducted in step  805 . The authentication entity permits access if the two locations compared in step  805  are found to be within a predetermined minimum radius and denies access if the two locations compared in step  805  are found to be separated by more than the predetermined minimum radius. This predetermined minimum radius is set in the same manner described above in conjunction with  FIG. 6 . 
         [0058]    While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.