System and method for consolidating online privacy preferences

• US 20040259574A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wesley, Ajamu A., Daniels, Fonda J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

A system and method is provided for consolidating user privacy preferences for location-based services. A mobile user is able to control the service providers to which the mobile user'"'"'s location is transmitted as well as control the service providers from which the user wishes to receive content. Service providers and other online vendors request the location and network identifiers of mobile users in order to provide the mobile users with content. The user'"'"'s privacy preferences are described in a document that includes the location format being used by the user, a link to the user'"'"'s preference data, and the current location of the user'"'"'s mobile device. The privacy preference file includes global privacy preferences that apply when the user is outside of established privacy locations and one or more privacy locations defined by a geographical boundaries. These preferences that apply while the user is inside the defined privacy location.

Claims

1. A method for managing location-based privacy preferences, said method comprising:

receiving a device identifier and location data corresponding to a device;

retrieving a location-based privacy preference corresponding to the device identifier and the location data;

comparing the retrieved location-based privacy preference with a privacy policy that corresponds to a service provider; and

determining whether to send content provided by the service provider to the device based upon the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the content and the service provider'"'"'s location from the service provider, wherein the comparing further comprises;

matching the service provider location with one or more location boundaries that correspond to the location-based privacy preference.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

sending the content to a device corresponding to the device identifier in response to the comparison determining that the service provider'"'"'s privacy policy and location are acceptable to the retrieved location-based privacy preference that corresponds to the service provider'"'"'s location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a geographic location corresponding to a device that is associated with the device identifier; and

selecting the location-based privacy preference from a plurality of location based privacy preferences based upon the geographic location, wherein each of the plurality of location based privacy preferences correspond to a different geographical area.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the service provider'"'"'s privacy policy from the service provider;

selecting one or more device identifiers in response to the comparison of the location based privacy preference of each of the selected device identifiers with the received privacy policy; and

sending the selected device identifiers to the service provider.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a geographic location corresponding to the device identifier, wherein the retrieval of the location-based privacy preference is also based on the geographic location.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

packaging the geographic location in a location document, the location document further including a geographic location format and a link to one or more location-based privacy preferences that includes the retrieved location-based privacy preference.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the packaging is performed by a location server, the method further comprising:

sending the location document to a location service agent device, wherein the location service agent device performs the receiving, retrieving, comparing, and determining.

9. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors;

a network interface for connecting the information handling system to a computer network; and

a location-based privacy tool for managing user'"'"'s location-based privacy preferences, the location-based privacy tool comprising software code effective to;

receive a device identifier and location data corresponding to a device;

retrieve a location-based privacy preference corresponding to the device identifier and the location data;

compare the retrieved location-based privacy preference with a privacy policy that corresponds to a service provider; and

determine whether to send content provided by the service provider to the device based upon the comparison.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the software code is further effective to:

receive the content and the service provider'"'"'s location from the service provider, wherein, in order to compare, the software code is further effective to;

match the service provider location with one or more location boundaries that correspond to the location-based privacy preference.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the software code is further effective to:

send the content to a device corresponding to the device identifier in response to the comparison determining that the service provider'"'"'s privacy policy and location are acceptable to the retrieved location-based privacy preference that corresponds to the service provider'"'"'s location.

12. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the software code is further effective to:

receive a geographic location corresponding to a device that is associated with the device identifier; and

select the location-based privacy preference from a plurality of location based privacy preferences based upon the geographic location, wherein each of the plurality of location based privacy preferences correspond to a different geographical area.

13. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the software code is further effective to:

receive the service provider'"'"'s privacy policy from the service provider over the computer network;

select one or more device identifiers in response to the comparison of the location based privacy preference of each of the selected device identifiers with the received privacy policy; and

send the selected device identifiers to the service provider across the computer network.

14. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the software code is further effective to:

identify a geographic location corresponding to the device identifier, wherein the retrieval of the location-based privacy preference is also based on the geographic location.

15. The information handling system of claim 14 wherein the software code is further effective to:

package the geographic location in a location document, the location document further including a geographic location format and a link to one or more location-based privacy preferences that includes the retrieved location-based privacy preference.

16. The information handling system of claim 15 wherein the packaging is performed by a location server, the method further comprising:

receiving the location document sent from the location server to the information handling system.

17. A computer program product stored in a computer operable media for managing location-based privacy preferences, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a device identifier and location data corresponding to a device;

means for retrieving a location-based privacy preference corresponding to the device identifier and the location data;

means for comparing the retrieved location-based privacy preference with a privacy policy that corresponds to a service provider; and

means for determining whether to send content provided by the service provider to the device based upon the comparison.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

means for receiving the content and the service provider'"'"'s location from the service provider, wherein the means for comparing further comprises;

means for matching the service provider location with one or more location boundaries that correspond to the location-based privacy preference.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

means for sending the content to a device corresponding to the device identifier in response to the comparison determining that the service provider'"'"'s privacy policy and location are acceptable to the retrieved location-based privacy preference that corresponds to the service provider'"'"'s location.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

means for receiving a geographic location corresponding to a device that is associated with the device identifier; and

means for selecting the location-based privacy preference from a plurality of location based privacy preferences based upon the geographic location, wherein each of the plurality of location based privacy preferences correspond to a different geographical area.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

means for receiving the service provider'"'"'s privacy policy from the service provider;

means for selecting one or more device identifiers in response to the comparison of the location based privacy preference of each of the selected device identifiers with the received privacy policy; and

means for sending the selected device identifiers to the service provider.

22. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

means for identifying a geographic location corresponding to the device identifier, wherein the retrieval of the location-based privacy preference is also based on the geographic location.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

means for packaging the geographic location in a location document, the location document further including a geographic location format and a link to one or more location-based privacy preferences that includes the retrieved location-based privacy preference.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the means for packaging is performed by a location server, the computer program product further comprising:

means for sending the location document to a location service agent device, wherein the location service agent device performs the receiving, retrieving, comparing, and determining.

25. A method for managing location-based privacy preferences, said method comprising:

receiving a device identifier and location data corresponding to a device;

receiving content, a service provider'"'"'s location, and a service provider'"'"'s privacy policy from a service provider;

retrieving a location-based privacy preference corresponding to the device identifier, wherein the service provider'"'"'s location corresponds to the location data;

comparing the retrieved location-based privacy preference with the service provider'"'"'s privacy policy;

determining whether to send content provided by the service provider to the device based upon the comparison; and

sending the content to a device corresponding to the device identifier in response to the determination.

26. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors;

a network interface for connecting the information handling system to a computer network; and

a location-based privacy tool for managing user'"'"'s location-based privacy preferences, the location-based privacy tool comprising software code effective to;

receive a device identifier and location data corresponding to a device;

receive content, a service provider'"'"'s location, and a service provider'"'"'s privacy policy from a service provider;

retrieve a location-based privacy preference corresponding to the device identifier,

wherein the service provider'"'"'s location corresponds to the location data;

compare the retrieved location-based privacy preference with the service provider'"'"'s privacy policy;

determine whether to send content provided by the service provider to the device based upon the comparison; and

send the content to a device corresponding to the device identifier in response to the determination.

27. A computer program product stored in a computer operable media for managing location-based privacy preferences, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a device identifier and location data corresponding to a device;

means for receiving content, a service provider'"'"'s location, and a service provider'"'"'s privacy policy from a service provider;

means for retrieving a location-based privacy preference corresponding to the device identifier, wherein the service provider'"'"'s location corresponds to the location data;

means for comparing the retrieved location-based privacy preference with the service provider'"'"'s privacy policy;

means for determining whether to send content provided by the service provider to the device based upon the comparison; and

means for sending the content to a device corresponding to the device identifier in response to the determination.