LOCATION SHARING SESSION

• US 20120166531A1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sylvain, Dany
• Application Number:
  US12/977,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166531A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• 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: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing location sharing sessions are disclosed. One method includes receiving signaling from a first endpoint for establishing a location sharing session. The method also includes signaling at least one second endpoint for establishing the location sharing session and receiving signaling from the at least one second endpoint accepting the establishment of the location sharing session. The method also includes, in response to receiving the signaling from the at least one second endpoint, establishing the location sharing session between the first and the at least one second endpoint such that the first and at least one second endpoint shares location media directly using the location sharing session.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating location sharing, the method comprising:

at a service node;

receiving signaling from a first endpoint for establishing a location sharing session;

signaling at least one second endpoint for establishing the location sharing session;

receiving signaling from the at least one second endpoint accepting the establishment of the location sharing session; and

in response to receiving the signaling from the at least one second endpoint, establishing the location sharing session between the first and the at least one second endpoint to allow the first and at least one second endpoint share location media directly using the location sharing session in a manner that bypasses the service node.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein signaling from the first endpoint for establishing the location sharing session includes specifying attributes in signaling messages to be transmitted to the at least one second endpoint that identify the session as a location sharing session and specify parameters of the location sharing session.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the parameters of the location sharing session include at least one of:

a duration of the location sharing session, accuracy of the location information shared during the location sharing session, indication if the location sharing session is send only, receive only or send-receive, and a location information update frequency for the location sharing session.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location sharing session is distinct from a voice call.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location sharing session is established using the same signaling used to establish a voice call and the location media is shared separately from voice communications during the voice call.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising providing applications configured to execute on the first and the at least one second endpoint for allowing users each of the first and at least one second endpoints invite other users to participate in the location sharing session.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the applications are configured for presenting location information for the first and second endpoints on maps.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the location sharing session comprises a message session relay protocol (MSRP) session.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising providing a map service for combining the location media with geographic map data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the map service is integrated with each of the first and the at least one second endpoints.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the map service is separate from the first and the at least one second endpoints.

12. The method of claim 1 comprising providing an itinerary service configured to include route information in the location media.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein establishing the location sharing session includes establishing the location sharing session between more than two endpoints.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the service node comprises one of:

a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy and an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) node.

15. A system for facilitating location sharing, the system comprising:

a service node including;

at least one network interface for exchanging signaling with endpoints; and

a location sharing session establishment module for;

receiving signaling from a first endpoint for establishing a location sharing session;

signaling at least one second endpoint for establishing the location sharing session;

receiving signaling from the at least one second endpoint accepting the establishment of the location sharing session; and

in response to receiving the signaling from the at least one second endpoint, establishing the location sharing session between the first and the at least one second endpoint to allow the first and at least one second endpoint share location media directly using the location sharing session in a manner that bypasses the service node

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the location sharing session establishment module is configured to include attributes in the signaling to the at least one second endpoint for identifying the session as a location sharing session and parameters of the location sharing session.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the parameters of the location sharing session include at least one of a duration, a frequency at which location data in the location sharing session is updated, and accuracy of the location data.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the location sharing session is distinct from a voice call.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the location sharing session is established using the same signaling used to establish a voice call and the location media is shared separately from voice communications during the voice call.

20. The system of claim 15 comprising applications for executing on each of the first and the at least one second endpoints for establishing the location sharing session and sharing the location media.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the applications are configured to present the location media to their respective users using maps.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the location sharing session comprises a message session relay protocol (MSRP) session.

23. The system of claim 15 comprising a map service for combining the location media with geographic map data.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the map service is integrated with each of the first and the at least one second endpoints.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the map service is separate from the first and the at least one second endpoints.

26. The system of claim 15 comprising an itinerary service configured to include route information in the location media.

27. The system of claim 15 comprising a location sharing bridge for connecting more than two endpoints to the location sharing session.

28. The system according to claim 15 wherein the service node comprises one of:

a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy server and an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) node.

29. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving signaling from a first endpoint for establishing a location sharing session;

signaling at least one second endpoint for establishing the location sharing session;

receiving signaling from the at least one second endpoint accepting the establishment of the location sharing session; and

in response to receiving the signaling from the at least one second endpoint, establishing the location sharing session between the first and the at least one second endpoint such that the first and at least one second endpoint share location media directly using the location sharing session in a manner that bypasses the service node.