System for providing location-based services in a wireless network, such as modifying locating privileges among individuals and managing lists of individuals associated with such privileges

• US 20040203903A1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Brian, Bhuyan, Krishna, Feinstein, Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system for providing wireless telecommunication services to mobile devices includes structure and functionality to manage permissions for location-based services. One method includes receiving a stop request with respect to one mobile device to stop other mobile devices from receiving location information with respect to the one mobile device. The method updates a central database based on the received stop request, and prohibits other mobile devices from receiving location information with respect to the one mobile device until a request to remove the stop is received. Other methods and systems are disclosed.

Claims

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 at least a user record associated with a user'"'"'s wireless phone and a friend record associated with a friend'"'"'s wireless phone, wherein at least the user record includes;

a first table of friends who may receive, via the network, a current location of the user'"'"'s wireless phone; and

a second table of friends who have permitted the user to receive, via the system, a location of wireless devices associated with them; and

a server computer coupled to the database, wherein the sever computer is configured to;

receive an invisibility request from the user'"'"'s wireless phone to stop other wireless phones from receiving location information with respect to the user'"'"'s wireless phone;

update the user or friend records in the database based on the received invisibility request;

prohibit other wireless phones from receiving location information with respect to the user'"'"'s wireless phone;

receive a deny always request from the friend'"'"'s wireless phone, wherein the deny always request indicates that the user'"'"'s wireless phone is not to receive location information with respect to the friend'"'"'s wireless phone;

update the user or friend records in the database based on the received deny always request;

receive a request from the user'"'"'s wireless phone to obtain location information associated with a friend'"'"'s wireless phone; and

not provide location information with respect to the friend'"'"'s wireless device to the user'"'"'s wireless device based on the updated user or friend records for the received deny always request, and not provide notice to the friend'"'"'s wireless device of the location request from the user'"'"'s wireless phone.

2. The apparatus of claim. 1 wherein the server computer is further configured to:

receive a first request from the user'"'"'s wireless phone to remove a friend from the first table;

provide a first inquiry message to the user'"'"'s wireless phone in response to the first request, wherein the first inquiry message asks whether the user would like to remove the friend from the second table;

receive a second request from the user'"'"'s wireless phone to remove a friend from the second table; and

provide a second inquiry message to the user'"'"'s wireless phone in response to the second request, wherein the second inquiry message asks whether the user would like to remove the friend from the first table.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sever is further configured to:

before providing a current location of the user'"'"'s wireless phone, access the user record in the database, wherein the user record includes invisibility options representing times of day or geographic locations when location information regarding the user'"'"'s wireless phone is not to be provided to others;

receive a request from the user'"'"'s wireless device to modify invisibility options in the user record; and

update the user record based on modified invisibility options.

4. In a telecommunications system having multiple base stations communicating with multiple mobile devices, a computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a stop request with respect to one of the mobile devices to stop other mobile devices from receiving location information with respect to the one mobile device;

updating a central database based on the received stop request; and

prohibiting other mobile devices from receiving location information with respect to the one mobile device until the one mobile device provides a request to remove the stop request.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a resume request from the one mobile device to permit other mobile devices to resume receiving location information with respect to the one mobile device; and

updating the central database based on the received resume request.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the stop request includes user-selected conditions when location information regarding the one mobile device is not to be provided to others, wherein the conditions include days, times of day, or specific days, and wherein the method includes:

applying priorities or rules to resolve conflicting conditions.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

not providing location information regarding the one mobile device based on a user-selected schedule.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

not providing location information regarding the one mobile device based on user-selected specific individuals.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

not providing location information regarding the one mobile device based on user-selected geographic criteria.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the stop request includes user-selected conditions when location information regarding the one mobile device is not to be provided to others, and wherein the method includes:

applying priorities or rules to resolve conflicting conditions.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

providing location information regarding the one mobile device to a select individual'"'"'s mobile device, despite receiving the stop request from the one mobile device, wherein the select individual is a sponsor of a wireless account for the one mobile device.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein the stop request includes at least one user-selected condition when location information regarding the one mobile device is not to be provided to others.

14. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one user-selected condition defines when location information regarding the one mobile device is to be provided to others, despite receiving the stop request from the one mobile device.

15. The method of claim 4 wherein location information regarding the one mobile device is never to be provided to others, unless at least one user-selected condition is met.

16. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a user of the one mobile device to access, over a public computer network, to a web page associated with user-selectable options for when to prohibit other mobile devices from receiving location information with respect to the one mobile device.

17. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a notification to the one mobile device when a selected mobile device is within a selected radius or range of the one mobile device.

18. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a notification to the one mobile device when a selected mobile device is approximately at a selected geographic location.

12. The method of 4, wherein the method further comprises:

providing location information regarding the one mobile device to a select individual'"'"'s mobile device, despite receiving the stop request from the one mobile device.

19. In a telecommunications system for providing location-based services, a method performed by a wireless device configured for communicating with the telecommunications system, the method comprising:

receiving a menu of choices for modifying privileges with respect to location-based services;

selecting a menu choice from the menu of choices, wherein the menu of choices include;

(a) removing a friend from a first list of friends who have permitted a user to receive, via the system, a location of wireless devices associated with them, and

(b) requesting a friend to be added to the first list of friends; and

providing input regarding privileges to be modified based on the selected menu choice.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein selecting a menu choice includes selecting to remove a friend, wherein providing input includes identifying a friend on the first list, and wherein the method includes:

receiving, in near-real time, an updated first list with the identified friend removed.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the menu of choices includes:

(c) retracting permissions to a friend in a second list of friends who may receive, via the system, a location of a wireless device associated with the user.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

after removing a selected friend from the first list, receiving an inquiry message asking whether to prohibit the selected friend from receiving a location of a wireless device associated with the user.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing a request to prohibit a selected friend from receiving a location of a wireless device associated with the user; and

receiving an inquiry message asking whether to remove the selected friend from the first list.

24. An apparatus for use in a system for providing communication between a wireless device and multiple network access points, the apparatus comprising:

a database storing at least a first record associated with a first wireless device or a second record associated with a second wireless device; and

a server computer coupled to the database, wherein the sever computer is configured to;

receive a deny always request from the second wireless device, wherein the deny always request indicates that the first wireless device is not to receive location information with respect to the second wireless device;

update the first or second record based on the received deny always request;

receive a request from the first wireless device to obtain location information associated with the second wireless device; and

not provide location information with respect to the second wireless device to the first wireless device.

25. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the server computer is further configured to:

after updating, no longer display an indication to the second wireless device that the first wireless device requests location information.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the server computer is further configured to:

provide a text message indication to the first wireless device of the deny always request.

27. An apparatus for use in a wireless telecommunications network that provides location-based services to subscribers, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing lists that indicate subscribers who wish to receive location information with respect to other subscribers;

means, coupled to the means for storing, for retrieving a list indicating at least one subscriber who wishes to receive location information with respect to a particular subscriber, and for providing the list to the particular subscriber;

means, coupled to the means for providing, for receiving an acceptance message from the particular subscriber; and

means, coupled to the means for storing, for updating the means for storing to reflect that the one subscriber may receive location information with respect to the particular subscriber.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

means for authenticating the particular subscriber before receiving or processing the acceptance message.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

means for confirming with the particular subscriber before updating the means for storing.

30. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause at least one telecommunication mobile device associated with a user to perform a method to receive location based services from at least one telecommunications server, the method comprising:

providing a pending request list indicating at least one subscriber who requests to receive location information with respect to the user'"'"'s mobile device;

receiving a command to reject the one subscriber'"'"'s request and future requests to receive location information with respect to the user'"'"'s mobile device;

wirelessly providing the command to the telecommunications server; and

not receiving an indication at the user'"'"'s mobile device that the one subscriber wishes to receive location information with respect to the user'"'"'s mobile device until the user cancels the command.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

providing to the telecommunications server a cancel command; and

receiving an inquiry message asking the user whether to provide notification to the one subscriber with respect to the cancel command.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving and providing a deny always list of subscribers for whom deny always commands are in place; and

providing to the telecommunications server a command to update the user'"'"'s deny always list.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory in the mobile device.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

receiving a Short Message Service (SMS) message confirming the command.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

providing a request not receive short message service (SMS) notifications.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising:

providing a request to receive short message service (SMS) notifications from only certain subscribers or entities.

37. In a telecommunications system for providing location-based services, a method performed by a wireless device associated with a user, wherein the wireless device is configured for communicating with the telecommunications system, the method comprising:

providing a first displayable folder of a first set of friends who may receive, via the system, a current location of the user'"'"'s wireless device; and

providing a second displayable folder of a second set of friends who have permitted the user to receive, via the system, a location of wireless devices associated with them;

wherein the user may modify the first or second sets of friends in the respective first or second displayable folders.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

displaying the second folder of friends with last received locations of wireless devices associated with them.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a subset of friends in the second folder for which location information is requested.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a subset of friends in the second folder for which location information is requested; and

substantially simultaneously providing location information with respect to the selected subset of friends.

41. The method of claim 37 wherein the first or second folders include at least one subfolder, wherein the subfolder includes a subset of the first or second sets of friends.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving a request to obtain location information with respect to a subset of friends in the first displayable folder; and

approximately simultaneously providing location information with respect to the subset of friends.

43. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving a request to obtain location information with respect to all friends in the first displayable folder.

44. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving a request to obtain location information with respect to at least some friends in the first displayable folder; and

receiving an error message indicating that too many friends have been selected.