SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCATING A PHONE USER

• US 20120003996A1
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Khan, Sameer
• Granted Patent: US 8,406,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

Systems and methods for locating a user of a wired or wireless communication device allow a communication device to respond to a location request with its current location or a default location. A request for the location of a target wireless communication device is sent to the network where the request is responded to by the network or forwarded to the target device. When the request is received by the target device, the device can deny the location request or respond to the location request with the actual location of the device (as determined by GPS or the network) or with a default, predetermined location. The type of response (denial, actual location, or default location) can be selected by the user of the target device on a granular, per request basis so that the user of the target device can selectively respond to location requests in an appropriate fashion.

Claims

1. A method for providing a location of a target communication device to a requesting communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a location request from the requesting communication device, the location request comprising a unique identifier of the requesting communication device;

sending location information of the target communication device responsive to the location request and based upon the received unique identifier, wherein the location information comprises one of an actual current location of the target communication device or an alternate location of the target communication device, wherein the alternate location is a location that is different from the actual current location of the target wireless communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location request is sent to a location server on a communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the location request to obtain the unique identifier for the requesting communication device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining a category for the unique identifier of the requesting communication device, wherein the determined category is associated with the alternate location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the actual current location prior to sending the location information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising pre-selecting the alternate location prior to receiving the location request.

7. A wireless communication device comprising:

a memory comprising a contact list having a plurality of contact records, each contact record having a location field configured to store an alternate location for the wireless communication device, the alternate location associated with the respective contact record;

a location module configured to receive a location request from a requesting communication device, the location module configured to parse the location request to obtain a unique identifier for the requesting communication device, to determine whether to deny the location request or to respond to the location request with location information based upon the unique identifier of the requesting communication device, wherein the location information comprises one of an actual current location and an alternate location based upon the unique identifier, wherein the alternate location is a location that is different from the actual current location of the wireless communication device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the location field stores the alternate location in one of text format or graphical format.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the contact list comprises operational parameters that determine whether to deny the location request or respond to the location request.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the alternate location is pre-selected prior to the location module receiving the location request.

11. A wireless communication device comprising:

a contact list comprising a plurality of contact records, each contact record having a location field configured to store a location for a wireless communication device associated with the respective contact record;

a location module configured to construct an outgoing location request seeking real-time location information for a target wireless communication device associated with a particular contact record, wherein the outgoing location request comprises a unique identifier to identify a user of the wireless communication device, the location module configured to send the outgoing location request over a wireless communication network to the target wireless communication device, and to update the location field for the particular contact record upon receiving a response to the outgoing location request from the target wireless communication device;

wherein the location module is further configured to receive an incoming location request from a requesting wireless communication device requesting a real time location of the wireless communication device, the incoming location request comprising a unique identifier to identify a user of the requesting communication device, the location module prompting the user of the wireless communication device to determine whether to deny the incoming location request or to respond to the incoming request with location information based at least in part on the unique identifier of the requesting wireless communication device, the location module configured to respond to the incoming request with the location information or a denial of the incoming request, wherein the location information comprises one of a current location of the wireless communication device and an alternate location of the wireless communication device based on predetermined parameters associated with the unique identifier of the requesting wireless communication device, wherein the alternate location is a location that is different from the current location of the wireless communication device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the location field stores a location in one of text format and graphical formal.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising operational parameters stored in a memory of the wireless communication device that determine whether to deny the request or to respond to the request.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the location module is configured to prompt a user of the wireless communication device to allow or deny the request for the location information.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the location module is configured to obtain the current location prior to responding to the location request with the current location, wherein the current location is obtained from one of a location identifier within the wireless communication device and a wireless communication network.