PRIVACY-BASED DEVICE LOCATION PROXIMITY

• US 20140095580A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: SARTINI, Robert A., SWINTON, Jeffrey H., SCHULTZ, Paul T., HAHN, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A server is configured to receive a query from a first device, the query including an identifier, associated with a second device, information regarding a geographic radius, and information regarding a geographic position. The server is further configured to determine a first proximity based on the information regarding the geographic radius and based on the information regarding the geographic position; determine a second proximity, associated with the second device; determine a value based on the first proximity and the second proximity. The value may indicate a likelihood that the first proximity is within the second proximity. The server is further configured to provide proximity information to the first device, the proximity information including the value.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a query from a first device,

the query including an identifier associated with a second device, information regarding a geographic radius, and information regarding a geographic position;

determining, by the server, a first proximity, associated with the query, based on the information regarding the geographic radius and based on the information regarding the geographic position;

determining, by the server, a second proximity associated with the second device;

determining, by the server, a value based on the first proximity and the second proximity,

the value indicating a likelihood that the first proximity is within the second proximity; and

providing, by the server, proximity information to the first device,

the proximity information including the value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an internet protocol (IP) address of the first device,

where the information regarding the geographic position includes the IP address.

3. The method of claim 1, where the identifier, associated with the second device, is associated with payment information, the first device preventing usage of the payment information when the value does not satisfy a particular threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information regarding a geographic location from the second device,

the second device receiving the information regarding a geographic location via a user interface of the second device,

where determining the second proximity is based on receiving the information regarding the geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving permissions information, regarding the first device, from the second device,

the permissions information including information to indicate authorization of the first device to receive the proximity information and information relating to a measure of accuracy associated with the second proximity,

where determining the second proximity is based on the permissions information, and

where providing the proximity information is based on the permissions information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a geographic map having the first proximity and the second proximity; and

determining the value based on generating the geographic map;

where providing the proximity information to the first device includes providing the geographic map to the first device based on generating the geographic map.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a third proximity that is central to the first proximity and the second proximity; and

determining a meeting point based on the third proximity.

8. A system comprising:

a server to;

receive a query from a first device,

the query including an identifier, associated with a second device, information regarding a geographic radius, and information regarding a geographic position;

determine a first proximity, associated with the query, based on the information regarding the geographic radius and based on the information regarding the geographic position;

determine a second proximity associated with the second device;

generate a geographic map having the first proximity and the second proximity;

determine a value based on the first proximity and the second proximity,

the value indicating a likelihood that the first proximity is within the second proximity; and

provide proximity information to the first device,

the proximity information including the value and the geographic map.

9. The system of claim 8, where the server is further to:

determine an internet protocol (IP) address of the first device,

where the information regarding the geographic position includes the IP address.

10. The system of claim 8, where the identifier, associated with the second device, is associated with payment information, the first device preventing usage of the payment information when the value does not satisfy a particular threshold.

11. The system of claim 8, where the server is further to:

determine one or more network devices connected to the second device; and

determine longitude and latitude coordinates associated with the second device via a global positioning system (GPS) of the second device,

where when determining the second proximity, the first server is further to;

determine the second proximity based on determining the one or more network devices connected to the second device or based on determining longitude and latitude coordinates associated with the second device.

12. The system of claim 8, where the server is further to:

receive information regarding a geographic location from the second device,

the second device receiving the information regarding a geographic location via a user interface of the second device,

where when determining the second proximity, the server is further to;

determine the second proximity based on receiving the information regarding the geographic location.

13. The system of claim 8, where the server is further to:

receive permissions information, regarding the first device, from the second device,

the permissions information including information to indicate authorization of the first device to receive the proximity information and information relating to a measure of accuracy associated with the second proximity,

where when determining the second proximity, the server is further to;

determine the second proximity based on the permissions information, and

where when providing the proximity information, the server is further to;

provide the proximity information based on the permissions information.

14. The system of claim 8, where the server is further to:

determine a third proximity that is central to the first proximity and the second proximity; and

determine a meeting point based on the third proximity.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising:

a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a query from a first device,

the query including an identifier, associated with a second device, information regarding a geographic radius, and information regarding a geographic position;

determine a first proximity, associated with the query, based on the information regarding the geographic radius and based on the information regarding the geographic position;

determine permissions information regarding the first device,

the permissions information including information to indicate authorization of the first device to receive proximity information and information relating to a measure of accuracy associated with a second proximity associated with the second device,

determine the second proximity, associated with the second device, based on the permissions information;

determine a value based on the first proximity and the second proximity,

the value indicating a likelihood that the first proximity is within the second proximity; and

provide proximity information to the first device,

the proximity information including the value.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to provide proximity information to the first device, further cause the one or more processors to:

provide proximity information to the first device based on the permissions information.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine an internet protocol (IP) address of the first device,

where the information regarding the geographic position includes the IP address.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the identifier, associated with the second device, is associated with payment information, the first device preventing usage of the payment information when the value does not satisfy a particular threshold.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive information regarding a geographic location from the second device,

the second device receiving the information regarding a geographic location via a user interface of the second device,

where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to determine the second proximity, cause the one or more processors to;

determine the second proximity based on receiving the information regarding the geographic location.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

generate a geographic map having the first proximity and the second proximity; and

determine the value based on generating the geographic map;

where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to provide the proximity information to the first device include one or more instructions to provide the geographic map to the first device based on generating the geographic map.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a third proximity that is central to the first proximity and the second proximity; and

determine a meeting point based on the third proximity.