System and method for providing privacy protected navigation between mobile terminals

• US 20100241346A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Waris, Heikki
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

A system of providing location and routing information to a target mobile terminal while still maintaining a specified level of privacy. A target mobile terminal includes a profile having an inaccuracy level contained therein. When a querying terminal desires routing information to the target terminal, a portion of a route to the target terminal is provided, with the portion of the provided route being based upon the level of inaccuracy in the target terminal profile.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for location information for a target terminal from a querying terminal; and

decreasing granularity of the location information of the target terminal, the granularity based in part upon the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal and dependent upon the querying terminal; and

determining to make the target terminal'"'"'s location information with decreased granularity available to the querying terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises at least a portion of a route to the target terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the granularity of the location information is adjustable by a user of the target terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon movement of the target terminal, providing updated location information of the target terminal with the decreased granularity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the granularity comprises a percentage of the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the granularity comprises a threshold distance from the target terminal.

7. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

receiving a request for location information for a target terminal from a querying terminal; and

decreasing the granularity of the location information of the target terminal, the granularity based in part upon the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal and dependent upon the querying terminal; and

determining to make the target terminal'"'"'s location information with decreased granularity available to the querying terminal.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the location information comprises at least a portion of a route to the target terminal.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the granularity of the location information is adjustable by a user of the target terminal.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

upon movement of the target terminal, providing updated location information of the target terminal with the decreased granularity.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the granularity comprises a percentage of the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the granularity comprises a threshold distance from the target terminal.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receiving a request for location information for a target terminal from a querying terminal;

decreasing the granularity of the location information of the target terminal, the granularity based in part upon the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal and dependent upon the querying terminal; and

determining to make the target terminal'"'"'s location information with decreased granularity available to the querying terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the granularity of the location information is adjustable by a user of the target terminal.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

upon movement of the target terminal, determine to provide updated location information of the target terminal with the decreased granularity.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the granularity comprises a percentage of the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the granularity comprises a threshold distance from the target terminal.

18-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method comprising:

receiving a request for location information from a querying terminal for a target terminal; and

determining to provide the location information of the target device with decreased granularity to a remote device in the response to the request, the decreased granularity being dependent upon the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the granularity comprises a threshold distance from the target terminal, or a percentage of the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the remote device comprises a server, or a querying device.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the target terminal one of a plurality of terminals, and wherein the location information with decreased granularity is based upon a midpoint between the plurality of terminals.

25. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive a request for location information from a querying terminal for a target terminal, and

determine to provide the location information of the target device with decreased granularity to a remote device in the response to the request, the decreased granularity being dependent upon the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the granularity comprises either a threshold distance from the target terminal, or a percentage of the distance between the querying terminal and the target terminal.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the remote device comprises either a server or a querying device.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the target terminal one of a plurality of terminals, and wherein the location information with decreased granularity is based upon a midpoint between the plurality of terminals.