METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING MOBILE SOCIAL NETWORKING PRIVACY

• US 20110138480A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: JANOULIS, JEANNE NICOLE, Rivard, Marcel Theodore, Wrobleski, David E., Williams, David Hilliard, Rector, Jay D., Arzu, Quetia
• Granted Patent: US 8,613,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for providing mobile social networking privacy are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a third party application for location information of a mobile endpoint device user, determines whether the third party application is a multiple user application and provides the location information of the mobile endpoint device user to the third party application in accordance with a privacy setting pre-defined by an authorized user if the third party application is a multiple user application.

Claims

1. A method for providing mobile social networking privacy, comprising:

receiving a request from a third party application for location information of a mobile endpoint device user;

determining whether the third party application is a multiple user application; and

providing the location information of the mobile endpoint device user to the third party application in accordance with a privacy setting pre-defined by an authorized user if the third party application is a multiple user application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining further comprises:

authenticating the third party application; and

determining if the mobile endpoint device user is subscribed to a service to provide the location information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple user application comprises an application that allows users other than the mobile endpoint device user to use the location information associated with the mobile endpoint device user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorized user is an account holder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorized user is a person delegated as the authorized user by an account holder.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is provided within a pre-defined range.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is determined via at least one of:

cellular identification (cell ID), enhanced cell ID or assisted GPS (A-GPS).

8. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for providing mobile social networking privacy, comprising:

receiving a request from a third party application for location information of a mobile endpoint device user;

determining whether the third party application is a multiple user application; and

providing the location information of the mobile endpoint device user to the third party application in accordance with a privacy setting pre-defined by an authorized user if the third party application is a multiple user application.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining further comprises:

authenticating the third party application; and

determining if the mobile endpoint device user is subscribed to a service to provide the location information.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the multiple user application comprises an application that allows users other than the mobile endpoint device user to use the location information associated with the mobile endpoint device user.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the authorized user is an account holder.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the authorized user is a person delegated as the authorized user by an account holder.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is provided within a pre-defined range.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is determined via at least one of:

cellular identification (cell ID), enhanced cell ID or assisted GPS (A-GPS).

15. An apparatus for providing mobile social networking privacy, comprising:

means for receiving a request from a third party application for location information of a mobile endpoint device user;

means for determining whether the third party application is a multiple user application; and

means for providing the location information of the mobile endpoint device user to the third party application in accordance with a privacy setting pre-defined by an authorized user if the third party application is a multiple user application.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for authenticating the third party application; and

means for determining if the mobile endpoint device user is subscribed to a service to provide the location information.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the multiple user application comprises an application that allows users other than the mobile endpoint device user to use the location information associated with the mobile endpoint device user.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the authorized user is an account holder.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the authorized user is a person delegated as the authorized user by an account holder.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is provided within a pre-defined range.