DEVICE-TO-DEVICE LOCATION AWARENESS

• US 20100029302A1
• Filed: 08/04/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Michael M., Gregg, Justin, Seguin, Chad G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,456,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.600
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

During an ongoing wireless telephone call communication session between a pair of mobile devices, a local device responds to its user'"'"'s activation of a virtual or actual button or key, or its user'"'"'s verbal command, by automatically sending an over the air message (e.g., a SMS or text message or other network communication message) to the remote device. The message requests location information of the remote device. Upon obtaining location information from the remote device, a location of the remote device is automatically displayed on the local device. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for communications between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, comprising:

during an ongoing telephone call communication session between the first and second devices,

responding to a user'"'"'s activation of a virtual or actual button or key on the first device, or a user'"'"'s verbal command given to the first device, by the first device automatically sending an over the air message to the second device that requests location information of the second device, and then

upon obtaining location information from the second device, the first device automatically displaying a location of the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

during the ongoing communication session between the first and second devices, receiving by the first device one of a) a SMS or text message, b) a TCP/IP message, c) a UDP message, and d) a cellular network control message, from the second device that contains location information of the second device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the location information contained in the message comprises RF-based locating methodology coordinates.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the RF-based locating methodology coordinates are global positioning system coordinates or RF triangulation coordinates.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the automatically displaying a location of the second device on the first device comprises:

the first device displaying one or more pointers on a map indicating a location of the first second relative to that of the second device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising giving step by step street directions to a user of the first device to travel from the location of the first device to that of the second device.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the message sent to the second device contains location information of the first device calculated by a RF-based locating methodology.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the button or key on the first device is a virtual button or key that is exposed in a contacts area of the first device, or in an on-going call screen of the first device during the communication session.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the button or key on the first device once actuated triggers the sending of the message without additional input from the user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein during the ongoing communication session between the first and second devices, and after sending the message that requests location information of the second device, the method further comprises:

receiving permission from the second device, to obtain the location information of the second device, prior to displaying the location of the second device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said receiving permission comprises:

receiving a SMS or text message from the second device that contains current GPS coordinates of the second device.

12. A mobile telephone device comprising:

a telephony module to manage a telephone call communication session with another mobile telephone device;

a user interface module to detect a user'"'"'s activation of a virtual or actual button or key in the device, or a user'"'"'s verbal command to the device, during the telephone call session;

a messaging module to send or receive a message during the telephone call session; and

a location awareness module, in response to the user'"'"'s activation of the button or key or his verbal command being detected, to instruct the messaging module to send a location request message addressed to said another mobile telephone device, wherein the location request message requests location information of said another mobile telephone device, the messaging module to send the location request message to said another mobile telephone device during the telephone call communication session,

wherein the user interface module is to cause the device to display a location of said another mobile telephone device.

13. The mobile telephone device of claim 12 wherein the messaging module is to receive one of a) a SMS or text message, b) a TCP/IP message, c) a UDP message, and d) a cellular network control message, from said another mobile telephone device that contains coordinates of said another mobile telephone device that have been calculated by an RF-based locator methodology.

14. The mobile telephone device of claim 12 wherein messaging module or the location request module is to cryptographically sign and/or encrypt the location request message to ensure sender authenticity.

15. The mobile telephone device of claim 14 wherein the location request message has a creation date and an expiration built into it to prevent replay spoofing.

16. A mobile telephone device comprising:

a telephony module to manage a telephone call communication session with another mobile telephone device;

a user interface module to detect a user'"'"'s activation of a virtual or actual button or key in the device, or a user'"'"'s verbal command to the device, during the telephone call session;

a messaging module to send or receive a message during the telephone call session; and

a location awareness module, in response to location request message being received from said another mobile telephone device during the telephone call communication session, to automatically prompt the user for permission to release location information.

17. The mobile telephone device of claim 16 wherein the location awareness module, in response to the user'"'"'s activation of the button or key or his verbal command being detected, to instruct the messaging module to send a location release message addressed to said another mobile telephone device, wherein the location release message authorizes said another mobile telephone device to display the current location of the device.

18. The mobile telephone device of claim 16 wherein the location release message contains RF-based locator methodology coordinates of the device.

19. The mobile telephone device of claim 16 having stored therein a profile of the user for permission to release location information of the device, wherein the location awareness module is to check the stored profile for permission to release location information.

20. The mobile telephone device of claim 19 wherein the stored profile is cryptographically signed and/or encrypted.

21. The mobile telephone device of claim 20 wherein the stored profile has a creation date and an expiration date built into it.

22. The mobile telephone device of claim 19 wherein the user is identified within the device by:

a cryptographic hash generated from the user'"'"'s name, the user'"'"'s associated contact numbers, a shared secret key, and a private secret key.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the receiving an over the air message from the first device that requests location information of the second device comprises receiving an address of the first device, and

wherein checking the stored profile of the user of the second device comprises comparing the received address of the first device to an address in the stored profile of the user of the second device.

23. A mobile telephone device comprising:

means for managing a telephone call with another mobile telephone device;

means for detecting a user'"'"'s activation of a virtual or actual button or key or a user'"'"'s verbal command;

means for sending an over the air network communication message to said another mobile telephone device during the telephone call,

means for instructing the sending means to send a message addressed to said another mobile telephone device in response to the user'"'"'s activation of the button or key or his verbal command being detected, wherein the message requests location information of said another mobile telephone device and is sent during the telephone call; and

means for displaying current location of said another mobile telephone device.

24. A method for communications between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, comprising:

during an ongoing telephone call communication session between the first and second devices,

receiving an over the air message from the first device that requests location information of the second device,

performing an RF-based locating methodology that determines location information of the second device, and

replying to the received message by sending the determined location information to the first device.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising, during the ongoing telephone call communication session between the first and second devices, after receiving the message from the first device that requests location information, and before sending the determined location information to the first device:

prompting a user of the second device to give permission to release location information of the second device.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising, during the ongoing telephone call communication session between the first and second devices, after receiving the message from the first device that requests location information, and before sending the determined location information to the first device:

checking a stored profile of a user of the second device for permission to release location information of the second device.