Patent 20 / Location-Aware Wearable UI
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Siten Sanghvi  ·  Granted Mar 7, 2023

Location-Aware Wearable UI

A wearable device that presents context-sensitive financial transaction menus based on the user's current location, dynamically updates them as the user moves, supports user-defined conditional shortcuts for frequent transactions, and surfaces fraud alerts requiring on-device approval.

US11599242B2Patent
Jun 4, 2021Filed
21 monthsTime to grant
17 Claims / 3 independentScope
1 CitationForward citations
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Visual patent explainer
02 / The Problem

Wearable financial apps show the same menu everywhere. Location is never part of the interface.

Financial applications on wearable devices present a static set of transaction options — the same menu whether the user is at their home ATM, at a foreign bank, or at a merchant in another country. The device has location information but doesn't use it to surface contextually relevant options or remove irrelevant ones. Users waste time navigating options that don't apply to where they are.

Static MenusThe same transaction options appear regardless of the user's current location — even when most options are unavailable or irrelevant at that location
No Shortcut LearningUsers who repeatedly perform the same transaction at the same location (e.g., the same ATM withdrawal every morning) have no way to pre-configure a one-tap shortcut
Out-of-Band Fraud AlertsFraud alerts for unexpected transactions are typically delivered via push notification or SMS — not integrated into the wearable's interface with an actionable approve/decline flow
03 / The Invention

The wearable learns where you are, shows what's available there, and remembers what you do most.

The device presents a first menu of transactions available at the current location. When the user moves, it detects the new location, obtains a second menu for the updated location, and presents it — automatically adding new options and removing ones that no longer apply. Users can configure pre-defined shortcuts with conditions that automate their most frequent transactions based on location context.

Claim 8 adds a fraud-alert layer: the device receives an alert for an unexpected transaction at an unexpected location, surfaces it on the GUI, collects the user's approve or decline input, and communicates the response back to the server — all on-device, without leaving the wearable interface.

04 / Architecture

Location in → Context menu out → Shortcut applied.

The wearable runs a continuous location-aware menu management loop. Menus are stored in device memory and updated from a server based on user profile and location. When the user moves, the device obtains the new menu — either from cache or server — and presents it with any applicable shortcuts already applied.

Shortcut conditions define when a shortcut triggers: the user can configure a shortcut for "withdraw $40 at this ATM every weekday morning" and the device will apply it automatically when those conditions are met, adding the shortcut options directly to the first menu.

Architecture — US11599242B2
Current location
detected
First menu presented
(location-relevant options)
Updated location
detected
Second menu obtained
+ shortcuts applied
User selects option
or shortcut fires
Transaction facilitated
at updated location
05 / Menu Simulator

The menu changes with every location. Irrelevant options are pruned automatically.

Claim 2 specifies that the second menu removes options associated with transactions no longer available at the updated location. The wearable doesn't just add new options — it actively prunes stale ones. Select a location below to see how the menu adapts.

Location-Adaptive Menus
06 / Shortcuts

User-defined shortcuts with conditions — automating the transaction you always do here.

Claim 1 covers the full shortcut system: users configure pre-defined shortcuts for transactions at specific locations, associating each shortcut with one or more conditions that define when it applies. When those conditions are met, the shortcut's menu options are automatically added to the current menu — turning a multi-step transaction into a single tap.

Claim 3 extends this with server-side personalization: a server delivers customization information based on the user's profile and usage pattern, which shapes the second menu. The device's shortcut system layered on top of this server-personalized menu creates a fully adaptive, learnable wearable financial interface.

Shortcut Capabilities — US11599242B2

Condition-Based Trigger

Each shortcut is associated with one or more conditions — location, time, transaction type — that determine when it fires automatically.

Menu Option Injection

When a shortcut triggers, its menu options are added directly to the first menu — no navigation required. The shortcut becomes a top-level choice.

Server Personalization

The server sends customization data based on user profile and pattern, shaping the second menu before shortcuts are applied — combining machine learning with user-defined rules.

Dynamic Menu Evolution

Claim 4: Stored menus are dynamically updated as the user's profile or pattern changes — the wearable's menu set evolves over time without user reconfiguration.

07 / Fraud Alerts

Unexpected transaction at an unexpected location — the wearable is the approval interface.

Claim 8 covers the fraud-alert flow: when a server detects an unexpected transaction at an unexpected location, it sends a fraud-alert to the wearable. The device surfaces it on the GUI, presents the approve or decline option, receives the user's input, and communicates the response back to the server — all on the wearable, without switching to a phone.

This integrates real-time fraud response directly into the wearable's primary financial interface — the device that was already showing location-aware transaction menus is now also the decision surface for fraud resolution.

Fraud Alert Flow — US11599242B2 Claim 8
1
Server detects an unexpected transaction at an unexpected location — inconsistent with user's normal pattern
2
Fraud alert transmitted to the wearable device with transaction details and location information
3
Wearable presents the alert on its GUI — showing transaction details, location, and approve/decline options
4
User inputs decision — approve or decline — directly on the wearable interface
5
Wearable communicates response back to server — which acts on the approval or decline decision immediately
08 / Auth + Location

Location adjusts authentication requirements — foreign regions require more.

Claim 5 adds a location-aware authentication layer: the wearable determines one or more authentication factors required for the transaction at the updated location, with those factors selected based at least in part on location. A transaction at a home ATM might require a PIN; the same transaction abroad might require biometric data plus device ID.

Claim 7 specifies the transaction amount options: the second menu can present multiple pre-set transaction amounts associated with the transactions available at the updated location — enabling the ATM-style "quick amount" pattern directly on the wearable interface.

Location-Sensitive Auth + Amount Selection — US11599242B2

Home Region Auth

Standard authentication factors apply — typically PIN or device identifier. Lower friction for familiar location context.

Foreign Region Auth

Elevated authentication factors triggered by location — biometric data, voice pattern, or multi-factor combination. Higher assurance where risk is elevated.

Pre-Set Amount Options

Wearable presents multiple transaction amounts in the second menu — e.g., $20, $40, $60, $100 — matching denominations available at the current ATM or partner processor.

Location-Keyed Shortcuts

A shortcut for "withdraw $40 here" applies specifically at this location — the same shortcut doesn't fire at other ATMs, preventing unintended automation.

09 / Applications

A wearable that knows where you are and what you do there — without you having to tell it.

The combination of location-aware menus, conditional shortcuts, server personalization, and on-device fraud resolution creates a wearable financial interface that adapts to context rather than requiring the user to navigate to the right function every time.

Use Cases — US11599242B2
Express
Commute ATM Shortcut User configures shortcut: "Withdraw $40 at this ATM, weekday mornings." Device detects location match + time condition → shortcut fires → $40 withdrawal added as top-level option. One tap to complete.
Express
Foreign ATM Adaptation User arrives in Singapore. Second menu replaces home options with Singapore-available transactions and local denomination amounts. Elevated auth (biometric) required due to foreign location. Familiar interface, adapted context.
Express
On-Wrist Fraud Approval Server detects an unexpected charge in a city the user isn't in. Alert surfaces on watch: transaction details + Approve/Decline. User taps Decline in 5 seconds. Server blocks the transaction immediately.
Inferred
Pattern-Driven Menu Evolution Server detects user starts visiting a new gym every Monday. Personalizes second menu at that location to show payment options relevant to gym-area merchants. User notices without having configured anything.
10 / Citations

1 Forward Citation

Cited by Citibank in a 2024 patent on customizing financial user interfaces based on user function completion — directly validating the location-adaptive UI model as a building block for next-generation wearable financial experiences.

Forward citations confirmed via Google Patents · Jun 22, 2026
Forward Citations (1)
Citibank, N.A. US12175265B1  ·  Dec 24, 2024 Customizing user interfaces based on user function completion
11 / Timeline

Patent Lifecycle

Jun 4, 2021
Filed
Application filed — B2 patent (same filing date as patents P18 and P19)
18 months
Dec 8, 2022
Published
Pre-grant publication US20220391048A1
3 months
Mar 7, 2023
Granted
US11599242B2 granted — 21 months from filing
~18 years
Jun 4, 2041
Expires
Est. expiration (subject to maintenance fees)
End / Patent 20