APPARATUS AND METHOD OF LOCATION BASED TELECOMMUNICATION AUTHORIZATION

• US 20110159856A1
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concert Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Grandios Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Issa, Benjamin Ferid, Walsh, Richard J., Issa, Alfredo C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,713,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and method directed to automated call screening, and specifically the utilization of location history of a call recipient to determine call authorization, are provided. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a computer readable medium embodied in an article of manufacture is encoded with instructions for directing a processor to receive a request from a first device to communicate with a second device. The processor is further directed to determine at least one location associated with the first device, determine an authorization for the request based at least in part upon the at least one location associated with the first device and at least one prior location of the second device, and transmit the request to the second device in accordance with the authorization.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one communication interface and at least one controller associated with the at least one communication interface and configured to;

receive a request from a first device to communicate with a second device;

receive at least one location associated with the first device;

receive at least one location associated with the second device;

determine an authorization of acceptance for the request by applying at least one rule to the at least one location associated with the first device and the at least one location associated with the second device; and

transmit the request to the second device upon authorization.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one location associated with the second device is an at least one prior location of the second device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to send a third device notification when the request from the first device to communicate with the second device is received by the at least one controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the at least one controller is capable of receiving from the third device options to control the processing of the request from the first device to communicate with the second device.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine the authorization by comparing the at least one location associated with the first device to at least one prior location received from a third device associated with the second device.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one controller is configured to:

send a notification to a second device that the at least one prior location of the second device is requested for use by the first device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller may further be configured to:

receive a request for additional information on the first device from the second device; and

determine the authorization based on additional information received from the first device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to send at least one request to the second device related to the sharing of location history data for the first device and the second device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller may further be configured to examine the location data of the second device received from the second device in a continuous manner to provide notification to the second device of a potential association with the first device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first device and the second device is a mobile device.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a first device to communicate with a second device;

receiving at least one classification from the first device and receiving at least one classification from the second device;

determining an authorization for the request from the first device to communicate with the second device by applying at least one rule to the at least one classification received from the first device and the at least one classification received from the second device; and

transmitting the request from the first device to communicate with the second device upon authorization.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the authorization includes comparing the at least one classification received from the first device to at least one prior classification associated with the second device.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface and at least one controller associated with the communication interface and configured to;

receive a request from a first device to communicate with a second device;

receive at least one location associated with the first device;

receive at least one location associate with the second device;

determine an authorization for the request by applying social network profile data to the at least one location associated with the first device and at least one location of the second device; and

transmit the request to the second device in accordance with the authorization.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one location of the second device is an at least one prior location of the second device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller may further be configured to:

send the second device information on how a community of users have processed calls from the at least one location of the first device.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller may further be configured to:

send the second device information on how a community of users have processed calls from a location history of the first device.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to:

share the location history data of the second device with other members of a social network.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller may further be configured to share location history data having certain classifications with other users.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface and a controller associated with the communication interface and configured to;

receive a request from a first device to communicate with a second device;

receive at least one location associated with the first device;

receive at least one location associated with the second device;

determine an authorization for the request by applying affinity data to the at least one location associated with the first device; and

transmit the request to the second device upon authorization.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to receive entry of the affinity data by a user.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the affinity data includes classification information.

22. A first mobile device comprising:

a location history call authorization service configured to;

receive a request from a second device to communicate with the first mobile device;

determine at least one location associated with the first mobile device;

receive at least one location associated with the second device;

determine an authorization of acceptance for the request by applying at least one rule to the at least one location associated with the first mobile device and the at least one location associated with the second device; and

transmit the request to the second device upon authorization.

23. The first mobile device of claim 22 wherein the at least one location associated with the second device is an at least one prior location of the second device.

24. The first mobile device of claim 22 which is further configured to send a third device notification when the request from the first device to communicate with the second device is received by the first mobile device.

25. The first mobile device of claim 24 wherein the first mobile device is capable of receiving from the third device options to control the processing of the request from the second device to communicate with the first mobile device.

26. The first mobile device of claim 22 which is further configured to determine the authorization by comparing the at least one location associated with the first device to at least one prior location received from a third device associated with the second device.

27. The first mobile device of claim 22 further configured to:

send a notification to a second device that the at least one prior location of the second device is requested for use by the first mobile device.

28. The first mobile device of claim 22 further configured to:

send a request for additional information to the second device from the first mobile device; and

determine the authorization based on additional information received from the second device.

29. The first mobile device of claim 22 which is further configured to send at least one request to the second device related to the sharing of location history data for the first mobile device and the second device.

30. The first mobile device of 22 which is configured to examine the location data of the second device received from the second device in a continuous manner to determine a potential association with the first device.

31. A method comprising:

receiving a request at a location history call authorization service (LHCAS) from a first device to communicate with a second device;

receiving at least one classification for the first device and receiving at least one classification for the second device;

determining an authorization for the request from the first device to communicate with the second device by applying at least one rule to the at least one classification for the first device and the at least one classification received for second device; and

transmitting the request from the first device to communicate with the second device upon authorization.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the LHCAS is located in either the first device or the second device.