Data structures and methods for location-based services within a wireless network
First Claim
1. An apparatus for use in a wireless telephone network for providing communication between a wireless phone and multiple network access points, the apparatus comprising:
- a database storing tables for multiple subscribers to the wireless telephone network, wherein the subscribers subscribe to location-based services provided under the wireless telephone network, and wherein the tables include for each given user-subscriber;
a first list of subscriber-friends that have permitted the given user-subscriber to locate them;
a second list of subscriber-friends who the given user-subscriber has permitted them to locate that given user-subscriber;
a subscriber data table, wherein the subscriber data table includes data regarding a subscriber-friend or the given user-subscriber, and includes a user name field, a mobile telephone number field and an electronic address field, wherein the electronic address field is an email address, an instant messaging handle or a user name alias; and
an RSVP list, wherein the RSVP list represents pending permission requests, where the permission requests represent a request by the given user-subscriber to locate another subscriber, or a request by another subscriber to locate the given user-subscriber; and
a server computer coupled to the database, wherein the sever computer is configured to;
receive requests from wireless phones to obtain location information associated with subscribers having other wireless phones, for each request, accessing tables in the database to determine whether a given table permits location information to be provided based on the request, and determining whether to provide the location information based on the given table.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for providing wireless telecommunications services to mobile or wireless devices includes data structures and related functionality. One data structure includes at least one location-based services data structure for a wireless device or a user of the wireless device. The location-based services data structure includes first and second data structures representing tables of friends. The first data structure represents a table of friends who may receive a location of the user'"'"'s wireless device, while the second data structure represents a table of friends who have permitted the user to receive a location of wireless devices associated with them. Various other data structures, functionality and systems are disclosed.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. An apparatus for use in a wireless telephone network for providing communication between a wireless phone and multiple network access points, the apparatus comprising:
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a database storing tables for multiple subscribers to the wireless telephone network, wherein the subscribers subscribe to location-based services provided under the wireless telephone network, and wherein the tables include for each given user-subscriber;
a first list of subscriber-friends that have permitted the given user-subscriber to locate them;
a second list of subscriber-friends who the given user-subscriber has permitted them to locate that given user-subscriber;
a subscriber data table, wherein the subscriber data table includes data regarding a subscriber-friend or the given user-subscriber, and includes a user name field, a mobile telephone number field and an electronic address field, wherein the electronic address field is an email address, an instant messaging handle or a user name alias; and
an RSVP list, wherein the RSVP list represents pending permission requests, where the permission requests represent a request by the given user-subscriber to locate another subscriber, or a request by another subscriber to locate the given user-subscriber; and
a server computer coupled to the database, wherein the sever computer is configured to;
receive requests from wireless phones to obtain location information associated with subscribers having other wireless phones, for each request, accessing tables in the database to determine whether a given table permits location information to be provided based on the request, and determining whether to provide the location information based on the given table. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure for use by a wireless system that provides communication between a wireless device and multiple network access points, the data structure comprising:
at least one location-based services data structure for a wireless device or a user of the wireless device, wherein the location-based services data structure comprises;
a first data structure representing a table of friends who may receive, via the system, a current location of the user'"'"'s wireless device; and
a second data structure representing a table of friends who have permitted the user to receive, via the system, a location of wireless devices associated with them. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In a telecommunications system providing location-based services, an apparatus for managing location requests from subscribers to the location-based service, the apparatus comprising:
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means for maintaining a first list of friends who have permission to receive location information regarding a location of a mobile device associated with the user, or a second list of friends that have allowed the user to receive location information regarding locations of mobile devices associated with them, wherein each friend in the first or second lists of friends is identified by, at least in part, a subscriber identifier, means, coupled to the means for maintaining, for receiving a request to allow the user to receive location information regarding a location of a mobile device associated with another subscriber, or a request to allow another subscriber to receive location information regarding the user'"'"'s mobile device; and
means, coupled to the means for receiving, for managing the received requests and updating the first or second lists of friends. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. In a telecommunications system providing location-based services, a method:
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receiving user data from a user, wherein at least a portion of the user data is to be provided to the public, and wherein the user is a subscriber to the location-based services; and
creating a user data structure representing a table based on the received user data, wherein the table includes at least some publicly available fields associated with the user, and wherein the publicly available fields include information about the user that the user has agreed to provide to at least subscribers to the location-based services;
receiving a request, from a subscriber to the location-based services, for at least some data from the user data structure; and
providing at least some of the fields in the user data structure based on the request. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure for use by a wireless system for providing communication between a wireless device and multiple network access points, the data structure comprising:
at least one location-based services data structure for wireless devices or users of the wireless device, wherein each location-based services data structure comprises;
a deny always data structure representing a table of subscribers who may not receive, via the system, a current location of the user'"'"'s wireless device.
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45. A wireless data processing apparatus comprising at least a display device and a memory, wherein the display is configured to display a visual representation of a data structure stored in the memory,
wherein the visual representation includes multiple user-selectable choices associated with location-based services provided by a telecommunications service provider, wherein the choices are arranged in a hierarchical set of choices, and wherein a top-level set of choices in the hierarchical set of choices includes user-selectable choices for: -
obtaining location information with respect to wireless devices associated with friends;
prohibiting friends from obtaining location information with respect to the wireless data processing apparatus; and
altering a list of friends who have permission to receive location information regarding a location of the wireless data processing apparatus, or altering a list of the friends that have allowed the wireless data processing apparatus to obtain location information regarding locations of wireless devices associated with them. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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Specification