SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VERIFIED PRESENCE TRACKING

• US 20100250727A1
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: King, Simon P., Davis, Marc Eliot, Higgins, Christopher William
• Granted Patent: US 8,150,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system and method for verified presence tracking. A request for a location is received over a network. The request comprises a request type, a request source and at least one request target. Location data relating to the request targets is retrieved from a plurality of location data sources. The reliability of the retrieved location data is determined. A response is formulated using based on the request type, the retrieved location data, and the determined reliability of the retrieved location data. The response is then transmitted over the network to the request source.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving, over a network, a request for a location wherein the request comprising a request type, a request source and at least one request target;

retrieving, over a network, location data relating to the at least one request target from a plurality of location data sources;

determining, using the at least one computing device, the reliability of the retrieved location data;

formulating, using at least one computing device, a response, wherein the formulated response is based on the request type, the retrieved location data, and the determined reliability of the retrieved location data; and

transmitting the response, over the network to the request source.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the request for a location additionally includes at least one request parameter specifying a required reliability of the retrieved location data, wherein if the reliability of the retrieved location data is less than the required reliability of the retrieved location data, the method comprises the additional step of:

retrieving, over a network, corroborating location data relating to the at least one request target from at least one corroborating location data source.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one corroborating location data source is a device wherein the device detects the presence of the at least one target at a location.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the device is selected from the list:

cellular phone, mobile computing device, appliance, vehicle, building and sensor.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one corroborating location data source is a user known to the system other than the at least one target, wherein the user verifies the presence of the at least one target at a location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the request type indicates the request is a request for verification that the at least one target is located at a location and the request for a location additionally includes at least one request parameter that specifies the location,

wherein if the at least one target is located at the location, the response comprises information that verifies the at least one target is located at the location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the request type indicates the request is a request for verification that the at least one target was located at a location and the request for a location additionally includes at least one request parameter that specifies the location and at least one request parameter that specifies a time,

wherein the retrieving step retrieves location data relating to the at least one request target at the specified time, and

wherein if the at least one target was located at the location at the specified time, the response comprises information that verifies the at least one target was located at the location at the specified time.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the request for a location additionally includes at least one additional user

wherein the retrieving step retrieves location data relating to the at least one request target and the at least one additional user at the specified time, and

wherein if the at least one target and the at least one additional user were located at the location at the specified time, the response comprises information that verifies the at least one target and the at least one additional user were located at the location at the specified time.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the request type indicates the request is a request for verification that the at least one target was located at a location and the request for a location additionally includes at least one request parameter that specifies a plurality of locations and times

wherein the retrieving step retrieves location data relating to the at least one request target at the plurality of specified times, and

wherein if the at least one target was located at the plurality of locations at the respective times, the response comprises information that verifies the at least one target was located at the plurality of locations at the respective times.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the request source is an advertiser, and request type indicates the request is a request for verification that the at least one target has satisfied the terms of a commercial incentive, wherein at least one request parameter specifies a term of the commercial incentive;

wherein the retrieving step retrieves location data relating to the term of the commercial incentive;

wherein if the at least one target has satisfied the at least one term of the commercial incentive, the response comprises information that verifies the at least one target has satisfied the terms of the commercial incentive.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the request type indicates the request is a request for location data, and the response comprises a representation of location data relating to the at least one request target.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the request type indicates the request is a request for location data, and the request for a location additionally includes at least one request parameter that specifies at the least one time,

wherein the retrieving step retrieves location data relating to the at least one request target at the at the least one time, and

wherein the response comprises a representation of location data relating to the at least one request target at the at least one time.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the request type indicates the request is a request for location data, and the request for a location additionally includes at least one request parameter that specifies a required location data granularity,

wherein the response comprises a representation of location data relating to the at least one request target displayed at the required location data granularity.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein if location data relating to the at least one request target is not available at the required location data granularity, the location data relating to the at least one request target is displayed at the best available data granularity the source is permitted to view.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein reliability of the retrieved location data is determined by comparing the consistency of location data measurements from each of the plurality of location data sources relating to the at least one target to one another.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the reliability of the retrieved location data is determined by comparing the time the location data was retrieved from each of the plurality of location data sources with a time the location data was collected by the respective location data source.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved location data comprises a plurality of measurements made by at least one sensor, wherein the reliability of the retrieved location data is determined by determining the reliability of the at least one sensor.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved location data comprises a plurality of measurements made by a sensor, wherein the reliability of the retrieved location data is determined by determining the reliability of the at least one sensor and the reliability of a person associated with the at least one sensor.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the reliability of the retrieved location data is further determined by determining the effect of a context under which each of the measurements was collected, wherein the context comprises a time, place and environment under which the respective measurement was taken.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the context additionally comprises an activity the target was engaged in when the respective measurement was taken.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved location data comprises a plurality of measurements made by a sensor, wherein the reliability of the retrieved location data is based upon the certification of the data by a trusted source.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved location data comprises a plurality of measurements made by a sensor, wherein the reliability of the retrieved location data is based upon the certification of the sensor by a trusted source.

23. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving, over a network, a request for a location wherein the request comprising a request type, a request source and at least one request target;

determining, using at least one computing device, the relationship of the request source to the request target;

determining, using the at least one computing device, a level of access to location data the source is allowed relative to the at least one request target, the determining of the level utilizing the relationship of the request source to the request target as part of the determination;

retrieving, over a network, location data relating to the at least one request target from a plurality of location data sources;

determining, using the at least one computing device, the reliability of the retrieved location data;

formulating, using at least one computing device, a response, wherein the formulated response is based on the request type, the retrieved location data, and the determined reliability of the retrieved location data; and

transmitting the response, over the network to the request source.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the level of access to location data the source is that allowed relative to the at least one request target determines the granularity of the representation of location data relating to the at least one request target in the response.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the relationship between the source and the at least one target was defined by the at the least target prior to the time the request for location data was received.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the relationship between the source and the at least one target is verified by the at least one target.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the relationship between the source and the at least one target is verified by a device associated with the at least one target.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the relationship between the source is one of a predefined group of relationship types.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the predefined group of relationship types comprises at least one the of relationship types selected from the list:

spouse, parent, child, employer, employee, agent, client, self, friend, relative, acquaintance, coworker, advertiser and sponsor.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the level of access to location data the source is that allowed relative to the at least one request target is determined by the type of the relationship between the source and the at least one target, wherein the type of relationship determines the granularity of location data relating to the at least one request target the source is permitted to view.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein the request for a location additionally includes at least one request parameter that specifies a request purpose, wherein the request purpose is used to determine the level of access to location data the source is that allowed relative to the at least one request target.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the request type indicates the request is a request for location data, and the request for a location additionally includes at least one request parameter that specifies a required location data granularity,

wherein, if the level of access the source is allowed relative to the at least one request target indicates the source is not permitted to view the location data relating to the at least one request target at the specified required level of granularity, the request is rejected, and

wherein the response comprises a representation of location data relating to the at least one request target displayed at the required location data granularity.

33. A system comprising:

a location request manager that is configured to receive, over a network, requests for a location, wherein each request comprises a request type, a request source and at least one request target;

a location tracking manager that retrieves, over a network, for each request for a location received by the location request manager, location data relating to the at least one request target from a plurality of location data sources;

a confidence manager that determines the reliability of location data retrieved by the location tracking manager,

wherein the location request manager is further configured to formulate a response to each request for a location using location data retrieved by the location tracking manager, the formulated response based on the request type, the retrieved location data, and the determined reliability of the retrieved location data, and

wherein location request manager is further configured to transmit responses formulated for a request for a location to the request'"'"'s respective source.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the location request manager is further configured to determine, for each request for a location, the relationship of the request source to the request target and wherein the location request manager is further configured determine for each request for a location, a level of access to location data the source is allowed relative to the at least one request target, the determining of the level utilizing the relationship of the request source to the request target as part of the determination.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein at least one corroborating location data source is a device of a user known to the system other than the at least one target, wherein the device detects the presence of the at least one target at a location.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein at least one corroborating location data source is a user known to the system other than the at least one target, wherein the user verifies the presence of the at least one target at a location.

37. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a method comprising the steps of:

;

receiving, over a network, a request for a location, wherein the request comprising a request type, a request source and at least one request target;

retrieving, over a network, location data relating to the at least one request target from a plurality of location data sources;

determining, using the at least one computing device, the reliability of the retrieved location data;

formulating, using the at least one computing device, a verified presence response, the formulated response based on the request type, the retrieved location data, and the determined reliability of the retrieved location data; and

transmitting the response, over the network, to the request source.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein the request for a location additionally includes at least one request parameter specifying a required reliability of the retrieved location data, wherein if the reliability of the retrieved location data is less than the required reliability of the retrieved location data, the method comprises the additional step of:

retrieving, over a network, corroborating location data relating to the at least one request target from at least one corroborating location data source.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein at least one corroborating location data source is a device, wherein the device detects the presence of the at least one target at a location.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein at least one corroborating location data source is a user known to the system other than the at least one target, wherein the user verifies the presence of the at least one target at a location.