Determining and Providing Locations of Communication Devices in Proximity to Wireless Access Points

• US 20110136506A1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Behemoth Development Company LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Stewart, Brett B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and software have been discovered for use by individual users to monitor the geographic location of other people or assets with some relationship to the user. Once some manner of location information is determined, users have the ability to describe that location in various ways and control how that information is shared with other users.

Claims

1. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for determining and providing location information, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive information regarding an identity of a wireless access point;

receive an identity of a communication device associated with a first user;

wherein the wireless access point is in communication with the communication device;

determine location information of the first user of the communication device based on a known location of the wireless access point;

provide the location information of the first user over a network to at least one second user.

2. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the information regarding the identity of the wireless access point comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the wireless access point.

3. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein said determining location information of the first user of the communication device based on a known location of the wireless access point comprises determining location information of the wireless access point.

4. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein said determining location information comprises accessing a database which stores information regarding locations of wireless access points.

5. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein said providing the location of the first user comprises providing the location information of the first user to a service over a network, wherein the service is configured to provide the location information of the first user to a plurality of other users associated with the user via the service.

6. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 5, wherein the service is a social networking website, wherein the first user is a member of the social networking website, wherein the plurality of other users are also members of the social networking website, wherein the plurality of other users are associated with the first user on the social networking website.

7. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 5, wherein the service is configured to select the plurality of other users based on one or more rules.

8. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 5, wherein the service is configured to select the plurality of other users based on information provided by the user.

9. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 5, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input configuring one or more parameters regarding when, to whom, and to what degree the location information is provided.

10. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a mobile telephony device.

11. A method for determining and providing location information, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding an identity of a wireless access point;

receiving an identity of a communication device associated with a first user;

wherein the wireless access point is in communication with the communication device;

determining location information of the first user of the communication device based on a known location of the wireless access point;

providing the location information of the first user over a network to at least one second user.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein the information regarding the identity of the wireless access point comprises a media access control (MAC) address of the wireless access point.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein said determining location information of the first user of the communication device based on a known location of the wireless access point comprises determining location information of the wireless access point.

14. The method of claim 11,

wherein said determining location information comprises accessing a database which stores information regarding locations of wireless access points.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said providing the location of the first user comprises providing the location information of the first user to a service over a network, wherein the service is configured to provide the location information of the first user to a plurality of other users associated with the user via the service.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the service is a social networking website, wherein the first user is a member of the social networking website, wherein the plurality of other users are also members of the social networking website, wherein the plurality of other users are associated with the first user on the social networking website.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the service is configured to select the plurality of other users based on one or more rules.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the service is configured to select the plurality of other users based on information provided by the user.

19. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving user input configuring one or more parameters regarding when, to whom, and to what degree the location information is provided.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication device is a mobile telephony device.

21. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for determining and providing location information, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive information indicating that a communication device is within range of the wireless access point, wherein the communication device is operated by a first user;

determine location information of the first user of the communication device based on a known location of the wireless access point; and

provide location information of the first user of the communication device to a service over a network, wherein the service is configured to provide the location information of the first user of the communication device to a plurality of other users associated with the first user via the service.

22. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 21, wherein said receiving information and said determining is performed without the communication device performing network communication using the wireless access point.

23. A method for determining and providing location information, the method comprising:

receiving information indicating that a communication device is within range of the wireless access point, wherein the communication device is operated by a first user;

determining location information of the first user of the communication device based on a known location of the wireless access point; and

providing location information of the first user of the communication device to a service over a network, wherein the service is configured to provide the location information of the first user of the communication device to a plurality of other users associated with the first user via the service.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said receiving information and said determining is performed without the communication device performing network communication using the wireless access point.

25. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for determining and providing location information, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive information regarding an identity of a wireless access point;

receive an identity of a communication device associated with a first user;

wherein the wireless access point is in communication with the communication device;

determine location information of the communication device based on the wireless access point;

provide the location information of the communication device over a network to the first user.

26. A method for determining and providing location information, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding an identity of a wireless access point;

receiving an identity of a communication device associated with a first user;

wherein the wireless access point is in communication with the communication device;

determining location information of the communication device based on the wireless access point;

providing the location information of the communication device over a network to the first user.