SECURE LOCATION IDENTIFICATION SERVICE

• US 20140129628A1
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: JETHWA, Piyush, FLETCHER, Hugh H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/121 Timestamp cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements involving time stamps H04L9/3297
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

A first server may: receive, from a second server, a request for location information associated with a first user device having a first identifier and a second identifier, or a request for information to identify one or more second user devices located in a particular geographic area; determine the second identifier based on information stored by the first server mapping the second identifier to the first identifier; provide, to the third server, the second identifier to request the location information associated with the second identifier; receive the location information associated with the second identifier; and provide, to the second server, the location information associated with the user device based on receiving the location information. The first server may provide information regarding the geographic area to the third server to receive the information identifying the one or more user devices in the geographic area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first server and from a second server, a request for user device information,

the request for the user device information including a request for location information associated with a first user device and including a first identifier associated with the first user device,

the first user device being associated with a second identifier to anonymize the first identifier from a third server;

determining, by the first server, the second identifier associated with the first user device based on information, stored by the first server, mapping the second identifier to the first identifier;

providing, by the first server and to the third server, the second identifier to request location information associated with the second identifier from the third server;

receiving, by the first server and from the third server, the location information associated with the second identifier based on providing the second identifier to the third server; and

providing, by the first server and to the second server, the location information associated with the first user device based on receiving the location information from the third server,

the second server being capable of providing a first location-based service to the first user device based on receiving the location information from the first server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving communication data associated with the first user device;

determining the location information associated with the first user device based on receiving the communication data;

generating the second identifier associated with the first identifier and the first user device; and

providing the location information and the second identifier to the third server to allow the third server to store the location information associated with the second identifier without allowing the third server to identify the first identifier,

where determining the second identifier associated with the first user device is based on generating the second identifier associated with the first user device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the request for the user device information includes a timestamp and a request for location information associated with the first user device at a time associated with the timestamp, and

where determining the second identifier is further based on information associated with the timestamp.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a particular request from a fourth server, the particular request including a request for information to identify one or more second user devices located in a particular geographic area and including information to identify the particular geographic area,

each of the one or more second user devices being associated with a respective third identifier and a respective fourth identifier to anonymize the third identifier from the third server;

providing the information to identify the particular geographic area to the third server as a request for one or more fourth identifiers associated with respective one or more second user devices located in the particular geographic area;

receiving, from the third server, the one or more fourth identifiers based on providing the information to identify the particular geographic area;

determining one or more third identifiers corresponding to the one or more fourth identifiers based on information stored by the first server mapping the fourth identifiers to the third identifiers; and

providing the one or more third identifiers to the fourth server,

the fourth server being capable of providing a second location-based service to the one or more second user devices based on the one or more third identifiers.

5. A system comprising:

a first server to;

receive, from a second server, a request for user device information,

the request for the user device information including a request for location information associated with a first user device and including a first identifier associated with the first user device,

the first user device being associated with a second identifier to anonymize the first identifier from a third server;

determine that the second server is permitted to receive the user device information based on permissions information stored by the first user device;

determine the second identifier associated with the first user device based on information stored by the first server mapping the second identifier to the first identifier when the second server is permitted to receive the user device information;

provide, to a third server, the second identifier to request location information associated with the second identifier from the third server;

receive, from the third server, the location information associated with the second identifier based on providing the second identifier to the third server; and

provide, to the second server, the location information associated with the first user device based on receiving the location information from the third server,

the second server being capable of providing a first location-based service to the first user device based on receiving the location information from the first server.

6. The system of claim 5, where the first server is further to:

receive communication data associated with the first user device;

determine the location information associated with the first user device based on receiving the communication data;

generate the second identifier associated with the first identifier and the first user device; and

provide the location information and the second identifier to the third server to allow the third server to store the location information associated with the second identifier without allowing the third server to identify the first identifier,

where when determining the second identifier associated with the first user device, the first server is further to;

determine the second identifier based on generating the second identifier associated with the first user device.

7. The system of claim 5, where the request for the user device information includes a timestamp and a request for location information associated with the first user device at a time associated with the timestamp, and

where when determining the second identifier, first server is further to:

determine the second identifier further based on information associated with the timestamp.

8. The system of claim 5, where the first server is further to:

receive a particular request from a fourth server, the particular request including a request for information to identify one or more second user devices located in a particular geographic area and including information to identify the particular geographic area,

each of the one or more second user devices being associated with a respective third identifier and a respective fourth identifier to anonymize the third identifier from the third server;

provide the information to identify the particular geographic area to the third server as a request for one or more fourth identifiers associated with respective one or more second user devices located in the particular geographic area;

receive, from the third server, the one or more fourth identifiers based on providing the information to identify the particular geographic area;

determine one or more third identifiers corresponding to the one or more fourth identifiers based on information stored by the first server mapping the fourth identifiers to the third identifiers; and

provide the one or more third identifiers to the fourth server,

the fourth server being capable of providing a second location-based service to the one or more second user devices based on the one or more third identifiers.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first server and from a second server, a request for user device information,

the request for the user device information including a request for information to identify one or more first user devices located in a particular geographic area and including information to identify the particular geographic area,

each of the one or more first user devices being associated with a respective first identifier and a respective second identifier to anonymize the first identifier from a third server;

providing, by the first server to the third server, the information to identify the particular geographic area as a request for one or more second identifiers associated with respective one or more first user devices located in the particular geographic area based on receiving the request for the user device information from the second server,

the third server identifying the one or more second identifiers based on the information to identify the particular geographic area;

receiving, by the first server and from the third server, the one or more second identifiers based on providing the information to identify the particular geographic area;

determining, by the first server, one or more first identifiers corresponding to the one or more second identifiers based on information stored by the first server mapping the one or more second identifiers to the one or more first identifiers; and

providing, by the first server, the one or more first identifiers to the second server,

the second server being capable of providing a first location-based service to the one or more first user devices based on the one or more first identifiers.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving communication data associated with the one or more first user devices;

determining location information associated with each one of the one or more first user devices based on receiving the communication data;

generating the one or more second identifiers corresponding to the one or more first user devices; and

providing the location information and the one or more second identifiers to the third server to allow the third server to store the location information associated with the one or more second identifiers without allowing the third server to identify the one or more first identifiers,

where determining the one or more first identifiers is based on generating the one or more second identifiers and mapping the one or more second identifiers to the one or more first identifiers.

11. The method of claim 9, where the request for user device information includes a timestamp and a request for information to identify the one or more first user devices located in the particular geographic at a time associated with the timestamp, and

where receiving the one or more second identifiers from the third server is based on the third server identifying the one or more second identifiers based on information associated with the timestamp and based on the information to identify the particular geographic area.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a particular request from a fourth server, the particular request including a request for location information associated with a second user device and including a third identifier associated with the second user device,

the second user device being associated with a fourth identifier to anonymize the third identifier from the third server;

determining the fourth identifier associated with the second user device based on information stored by the first server mapping the fourth identifier to the second identifier;

providing, to the third server, the fourth identifier to request location information associated with the fourth identifier from the third server;

receiving, from the third server, the location information associated with the fourth identifier based on providing the fourth identifier to the third server; and

providing, to the fourth server, the location information associated with the fourth identifier and the third identifier based on receiving the location information from the third server,

the fourth server being capable of providing a second location-based service to the second user device based on receiving the location information from the first server.

13. A system comprising:

a first server to;

receive, from a second server, a request for user device information,

the request for the user device information including a request for information to identify one or more first user devices located in a particular geographic area and including information to identify the particular geographic area,

each of the one or more first user devices being associated with a respective first identifier and a respective second identifier to anonymize the first identifier from a third server;

provide, to the third server, the information to identify the particular geographic area as a request for one or more second identifiers associated with respective one or more first user devices located in the particular geographic area,

the third server identifying the one or more second identifiers based on the information to identify the particular geographic area;

receive, from the third server, the one or more second identifiers based on providing the information to identify the particular geographic area;

determine one or more first identifiers corresponding to the one or more second identifiers based on information stored by the first server mapping the one or more second identifiers to the one or more first identifiers;

determine that the second server is permitted to receive the first identifiers based on information stored by the one or more first user devices indicating whether the second server is permitted to receive the first identifiers; and

provide the one or more first identifiers to the second server based on determining that the second server is permitted to receive the first identifiers,

the second server being capable of providing a first location-based service to the one or more first user devices based on the one or more first identifiers.

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

receive communication data associated with the one or more first user devices;

determine location information associated with each one of the one or more first user devices based on receiving the communication data;

generate the one or more second identifiers corresponding to the one or more first user devices; and

provide the location information and the one or more second identifiers to the third server to allow the third server to store the location information associated with the one or more second identifiers without allowing the third server to identify the one or more first identifiers,

where when determining the one or more first identifiers, the first server is further to;

determine the one or more first identifiers based on generating the one or more first identifiers and mapping the one or more second identifiers to the one or more first identifiers.

15. The system of claim 13, where the request for user device information includes a timestamp and a request for information to identify the one or more first user devices located in the particular geographic at a time associated with the timestamp, and

where when receiving the one or more second identifiers from the third server, the first server is further to:

receive the one or more second identifiers based on the third server identifying the one or more second identifiers based on information associated with the timestamp and based on the information to identify the particular geographic area.

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

receive a particular request from a fourth server, the particular request including a request for location information associated with a second user device and including a third identifier associated with the second user device,

the second user device being associated with a fourth identifier to anonymize the third identifier from the third server;

determine the fourth identifier associated with the second user device based on information stored by the first server mapping the fourth identifier to the third identifier;

provide, to the third server, the fourth identifier to request location information associated with the fourth identifier from the third server;

receive, from the third server, the location information associated with the fourth identifier based on providing the fourth identifier to the third server; and

provide, to the fourth server, the location information associated with the fourth identifier and the third identifier based on receiving the location information from the third server,

the fourth server being capable of providing a second location-based service to the second user device based on receiving the location information from the first server.

17. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

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

receive, from a second server, a request for user device information,

the request for user device information including a request for location information associated with a first user device or a request for information to identify one or more second user devices located in a particular geographic area,

the request further including a first identifier associated with the first user device or information to identify the particular geographic area,

the first user device being associated with a second identifier to anonymize the first identifier from a third server,

each one of the one or more second user devices being associated with a respective third identifier and a respective fourth identifier to anonymize the third identifier from the third server; and

determine whether the request for the user device information is a request for the location information associated with the first user device or a request for the information to identify the one or more second user devices located in the particular geographic area;

when the request for the user device information is a request for the location information associated with the first user device, the plurality of instructions cause the one or more processors to;

determine a second identifier associated with the first user device based on information stored by the first server mapping the second identifier to the first identifier;

provide, to the third server, the second identifier to request the location information associated with the second identifier from the third server;

receive, from the third server, the location information associated with the second identifier based on providing the second identifier to the third server; and

provide, to the second server, the location information associated with the second identifier and the first identifier based on receiving the location information from the third server,

the second server being capable of providing a first location-based service to the first user device based on receiving the location information from the first server;

when the request for the user device information is a request for the information to identify the one or more second user devices located in the particular geographic area, the plurality of instructions cause the one or more processors to;

provide, to the third server, the information to identify the particular geographic area as a request for one or more fourth identifiers associated with respective one or more second user devices located in the particular geographic area,

the third server identifying the one or more fourth identifiers based on the information to identify the particular geographic area;

receive, from the third server, the one or more fourth identifiers based on providing the information to identify the particular geographic area;

determine one or more third identifiers corresponding to the one or more fourth identifiers based on information stored by the first server mapping the one or more fourth identifiers to the one or more third identifiers; and

provide the one or more third identifiers to the second server,

the second server being capable of providing a second location-based service to the one or more second user devices based on the one or more third identifiers.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the request for user device information includes a timestamp, and

where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to receive the one or more fourth identifiers from the third server, or to determine the second identifier, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive the one or more fourth identifiers from the third server based on the third server identifying the one or more fourth identifiers based on information associated with the timestamp, or determine the second identifier based on information associated with the timestamp.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the first location-based service is a geo-tagging service.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the second location-based service is a messaging service associated with sending a message to the one or more second user devices.