# US 2016/0260101 A1 · Method and apparatus for using sensors on a portable electronic device to verify transactions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0260101 A1 - Document ID: US20160260101A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/155,299 - Filed: 2016-05-16 - Published: 2016-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-21 - Assignees: Paypal, Inc. - Applicants: Paypal, Inc. - Inventors: Abraham Doris-Down; Miguel Angel Escobedo; Matthew Wilczynski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160260101A1 ## CPC - G06Q 20/4016: {involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing} - G06F 21/00: Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity - G06Q 20/3224: {Transactions dependent on location of M-devices} - G06Q 20/40: Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists - H04L 43/0811: by checking connectivity - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04W 4/026: {using orientation information, e.g. compass} - H04W 4/027: {using movement velocity, acceleration information} - H04W 8/24: Transfer of terminal data - H04W 12/00: Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04W 12/08: Access security - H04W 12/082: using revocation of authorisation - H04W 12/12: Detection or prevention of fraud - H04W 12/122: Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices - H04W 12/126: Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning - H04W 12/30: Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications - H04W 12/61: Time-dependent - H04W 12/63: Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract An attempt to conduct an electronic transaction using an electronic device is detected. The electronic device contains one or more sensors, such as an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope, a GPS unit, or a transceiver. In response to the detected attempt to conduct the electronic transaction, an analysis is performed using data gathered by the one or more sensors to estimate one or more current statuses of the electronic device. The estimated one or more current statuses of the electronic device are compared with one or more expected statuses of the electronic device according to a model. An alert is generated in response to the comparison indicating that some of the estimated current statuses of the electronic device are inconsistent with the expected statuses of the electronic device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: detecting that an electronic device is attempting to conduct an electronic transaction; analyzing, in response to the detecting, data gathered by one or more sensors of the electronic device to estimate one or more current statuses of the electronic device; comparing the estimated one or more current statuses of the electronic device with one or more expected statuses of the electronic device, the one or more expected statuses being defined by a model; and determining an action based on the comparing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the detecting, the analyzing, the comparing, and the determining is performed by one or more electronic processors of the electronic device comprising a smartphone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the action comprises generating an alert in response to the comparing indicating that at least one of the estimated current statuses of the electronic device is inconsistent with the expected statuses of the electronic device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: establishing the model based on a plurality of previous transactions conducted using the electronic device, the previous transactions each being a first type of transaction as the electronic transaction that the electronic device is attempting to conduct. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the establishing the model comprises: detecting, using data from the one or more sensors, one or more statuses of the electronic device before, during, or after each of the previous transactions is conducted; and correlating the first type of transaction with the detected one or more statuses. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises determining whether a burst of movement for the electronic device was detected via the one or more sensors comprising an accelerometer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises determining whether an ambient light condition change for the electronic device was detected via the one or more sensors comprising an ambient light sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises determining an orientation of the electronic device via the one or more sensors comprising an gyroscope. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises determining a present geographical location of the electronic device via the one or more sensors comprising a GPS unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises determining a wireless connectivity of the electronic device via the one or more sensors comprising a wireless transceiver. ### Claim 11 A system, comprising: a non-transitory memory; and one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising: detecting an attempt to conduct an electronic transaction using an electronic device, the electronic device containing one or more sensors; analyzing, in response to the detecting, data gathered by the one or more sensors to estimate one or more current statuses of the electronic device; comparing the estimated one or more current statuses of the electronic device with one or more expected statuses of the electronic device according to a model; and generating an alert in response to the comparing indicating that at least one of the estimated current statuses of the electronic device is inconsistent with the expected statuses of the electronic device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: building the model based on a plurality of previous transactions conducted using the electronic device, the previous transactions and the electronic transaction that is being attempted being similar types of transactions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the building the model comprises: determining, using the one or more sensors, one or more statuses of the electronic device before, during, or after each of the previous transactions is conducted; and associating the first type of transaction with the detected one or more statuses. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer, and wherein the analyzing comprises determining whether a burst of movement for the electronic device was detected via the accelerometer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an ambient light sensor, and wherein the analyzing comprises determining whether an ambient light condition change for the electronic device was detected via the ambient light sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a gyroscope, and wherein the analyzing comprises determining an orientation of the electronic device via the gyroscope. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, and wherein the analyzing comprises determining a present geographical location of the electronic device via the GPS unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a wireless transceiver, and wherein the analyzing comprises determining a wireless connectivity of the electronic device via the wireless transceiver. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising: detecting that an electronic device is attempting to conduct a first type of electronic transaction, the electronic device containing one or more sensors; estimating, in response to the detecting, one or more present statuses of the electronic device via the one or more sensors; accessing a model that correlates one or more expected statuses of the electronic device with the first type of electronic transaction, the model being established based sensor data gathered by the one or more sensors during a plurality of previously-conducted first type of transactions using the electronic device; comparing the estimated one or more present statuses of the electronic device with the one or more expected statuses; and generating an alert in response to the comparing indicating that at least one of the estimated present statuses of the electronic device is inconsistent with the expected statuses of the electronic device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein: the one or more sensors comprise: an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope, a GPS unit, or a transceiver; and the one or more present statuses comprise: a degree of movement of the electronic device detected via the accelerometer, a light environment surrounding the electronic device detected via the ambient light sensor, an orientation of the electronic device detected via the gyroscope, a geographical location of the electronic device detected via the GPS unit, or a mobile connection between the electronic device and an external device detected via the transceiver.