Third Party Location Query for Wireless Networks

• US 20130295959A1
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Enzmann, Mark J., Moton, Robert T. Jr., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,078,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A computer-implemented method provides, to a first user, location-based information concerning a second user, and a system and computer-readable storage medium include computer-readable instructions for performing the same. The method includes determining that the second user is within a certain geographic area and communicating to the first user, by way of a wireless communication device of the first user, an identity of the second user.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, for providing a location query service, comprising:

receiving a request for location information, wherein;

the location information comprises data indicating a location of a wireless communication device; and

the request is received from a requestor;

determining whether the requestor is authorized to receive the location information, wherein the determining includes consulting an access list specific to the wireless communication device;

if the requestor is authorized to receive the location information;

retrieving the location information from a location system in communication with the processor; and

providing the location information to the requestor; and

determining, if the requestor is not authorized to receive the location information, whether a user preference has been established in connection with the wireless communication device, the user preference indicating that the wireless communication device accepts requests from unauthorized requestors who are not included in the access list to view the location information.

6. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operation of retrieving the location information comprises:

sending the request to the location system, wherein the location system comprises a location system residing on the wireless communication device; and

receiving the location information from the location system.

7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise converting, from a first format to a second format, the location information received from the location system.

8. The computer-readable storage device of claim 7, wherein the operation of converting the location information received from the location system comprises:

passing the location information to a mapping converter configured to convert the location information into a street address; and

receiving the street address from the mapping converter.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operation of retrieving the location information comprises:

sending the request to the location system, wherein the location system comprises a network location device residing on a wireless communication network in communication with the wireless communication device; and

receiving the location information from the network location device.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise converting, from a first format to a second format, the location information received from the network location device.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operation of converting the location information received from the network location device comprises:

passing the location information to a mapping converter configured to convert the location information into a street address; and

receiving the street address from the mapping converter.

12. The computer-readable storage device system of claim 1, further comprising a location database storing raw location information and associated displayable location information.

2. The computer-readable storage device of 1, wherein the operations further comprise providing, to the wireless communication device, in response to a determination that the user preference indicating that the wireless communication device accepts requests from requestors who are not included in the access list has been established, data indicating the request for location information.

3. The computer-readable storage device of 2, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, from the wireless communication device, a response indicating whether to share the location information with the requestor.

4. The computer-readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise performing, if the response comprises an indication to share the location information, additional functions comprising:

retrieving the location information from the location system; and

providing the location information to the requestor.

5. The computer-readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise sending, to the requestor, if the response comprises an indication not to share the location information, a message indicating that the request is denied.

13. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, for providing an instant messaging service incorporating location information of instant-messaging users, comprising:

receiving, from an instant-messaging user, a query asking for location information for an instant-messaging member identified by the user;

accessing an instant-messaging database for the location information asked for by the query;

determining whether the identified instant-messaging user is authorized to receive the location information;

obtaining, from the database, only if the instant-messaging user is authorized to receive the location information, the location information asked for by the query; and

transmitting, to the instant-messaging member, the location information obtained.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the determining operation includes determining whether the instant-messaging user is on a list of friends provided by the instant-messaging member.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein only the location information of the member within a certain geographic area is transmitted to the instant-messaging user.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the certain geographic area is received from the instant-messaging user.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the certain geographic area is defined to have a certain relation to a known geographic location of the instant-messaging user, so that location information indicating a location outside the certain geographic area is not transmitted to the instant-messaging user.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the location information of the instant-messaging member is transmitted to the instant-messaging user only if the instant-messaging member and the instant-messaging user are each within a certain proximity to a predetermined destination location received from the instant-messaging user.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the destination location is transmitted to the instant-messaging user for display on an instant-messaging device of the instant-messaging user.

20. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, for providing a location query service for use with a wireless network that tracks locations of network users, comprising:

receiving, from a requester, a query through an audio inter-face asking for location information associated with a wireless network user;

determining whether the requester is authorized to receive the requested location information and, if so, retrieving the location information associated with the wireless network user and providing the location information to the requester;

forwarding, if the requester is unauthorized, to the wireless network user the requester identification and the request for the requester to receive the, location information from the audio interface;

returning, if the wireless network user chooses not to release the requested location information to the unauthorized requester, a message to the requester that the request is denied; and

retrieving, if the wireless network user chooses to release the requested location information to the unauthorized requester, the location information and forwarding the location information to the requester.