Privacy Control of Location Information

• US 20070264974A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zellner, Samuel, Tischer, Steven, Ruckart, John, Starr, Robert, Frank, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/10 Secret communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

One embodiment of the present is a method of implementing privacy control of location information. Such a method comprises defining a geographic zone for which pseudo-location information is to be reported as the current location of the user, wherein the pseudo-location information is not the current location of the user; receiving the current location of the user; determining that the current location is in the geographic zone; and reporting the pseudo-location information as the current location of the user when the current location is determined to be in the geographic zone. Other methods and systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of implementing privacy control of location information comprising:

defining a geographic zone for which pseudo-location information is to be reported as a current location of a user, wherein the pseudo-location information is not the current location of the user;

receiving the current location of the user;

determining that the current location is in the geographic zone; and

reporting the pseudo-location information as the current location of the user when the current location is determined to be in the geographic zone.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a window of time for which the pseudo-location information is to be reported, wherein the current location of the user at a time outside the window of time is reported as the current location of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a list of persons who are eligible to receive a reporting of the pseudo-location information, wherein a person not on the list is eligible to receive a reporting of the current location of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic zone comprises any location visited by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a current location is determined using an RFID tag which transmits the current location identification to an RFID reader of a personal communications device of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic zone is defined by the user physically moving to an area defining a perimeter of the zone with a user'"'"'s personal communications device and selecting that area as part of the geographic zone.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a pseudo-location which is to be reported for a particular geographic zone.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pseudo-location is defined by the user physically moving to an area and selecting a location address of the area as the pseudo-location.

9. A computer readable storage medium having a program for implementing privacy control of location information, the program when executed by a computer processor, causes the processor to perform:

defining a geographic zone for which pseudo-location information is to be reported as a current location of a user, wherein the pseudo-location information is not the current location of the user;

receiving the current location of the user;

determining that the current location is in the geographic zone; and

reporting the pseudo-location information as the current location of the user when the current location is determined to be in the geographic zone.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising:

defining a window of time for which the pseudo-location information is to be reported, wherein the current location of the user at a time outside the window of time is reported as the current location of the user.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising:

defining a list of persons who are eligible to receive a reporting of the pseudo-location information, wherein a person not on the list is eligible to receive a reporting of the current location of the user.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the geographic zone comprises any location visited by the user.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein a current location is determined using an RFID tag which transmits the current location identification to an RFID reader of a personal communications device of the user.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the geographic zone is defined by the user physically moving to an area defining a perimeter of the zone with a user'"'"'s personal communications device and selecting that area as part of the geographic zone.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising:

defining a pseudo-location which is to be reported for a particular geographic zone.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the pseudo-location is defined by the user physically moving to an area and selecting a location address of the area as the pseudo-location.

17. A system for implementing privacy control of location information comprising:

a location system configured to obtain a current location of a user and determine whether the current location is in a geographic zone defined for the user, wherein the location system reports a pseudo-location information as the current location of the user when the current location is determined to be in the geographic zone, the pseudo-location information not being the current location of the user.

18. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a user interface for defining the geographic zone, wherein the user physically moves to an area defining a perimeter of the zone with a user'"'"'s personal communications device and selects that area as part of the geographic zone using the user interface.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the pseudo-location is defined by the user physically moving to an area and selecting that area'"'"'s location address as the pseudo-location using the user interface.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein a list of persons who are eligible to receive a reporting of the pseudo-location information is defined using the user interface, wherein a person not on the list is eligible to receive a reporting of the current location of the user.