ANONYMOUS POSITIONING OF A WIRELESS UNIT FOR DATA NETWORK LOCATION-BASED SERVICES

• US 20140295890A1
• Filed: 06/11/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Cedervall, Mats, Ekerborn, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,264,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• 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: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

This invention concerns a process and a system for providing location information for a wireless unit in a wireless network to a location-based service provider, using a data network. In particular, the location information is provided to the location-based service provider without necessarily providing the identity of wireless unit, e.g., a subscriber'"'"'s wireless identification number, to the service provider. In this regard, a subscriber'"'"'s identification number may be hidden from the positioning service provider via a process in which an alias is used instead of the subscriber'"'"'s normal identity. The subscriber'"'"'s number may further be concealed from the service provider via a process wherein encrypted information is used instead of the subscriber'"'"'s normal identity.

Claims

1. A method for providing location-based services relating to a wireless communications unit in a wireless communications network via a data network, comprising the steps of:

receiving within said data network a data network search request, wherein said search request originates from a wireless unit in said wireless communications network and includes at least one search parameter;

determining a location associated with said wireless communications unit;

searching said data network, utilizing said at least one search parameter and said location associated with said wireless communications unit, to identify information associated with said search request; and

providing said information to said wireless communications unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying information associated with said search request further comprises:

identifying at least one data page address within said data network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to a selection from said wireless communications unit, accessing at least one said data page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining comprises requesting said location from a location platform associated with said wireless communications network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said location platform is utilized to procure said location for said wireless communications unit from at least a first location information source within said wireless communications unit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said location is inserted into said search request by an intermediate party within said wireless communications network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining comprises identifying a geographic code within a data network address associated with said wireless communications unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of searching said data network utilizing said location information comprises identifying data network pages including content associated with said location information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of searching said data network utilizing said location comprises identifying data network pages having a data network address associated with said location information.

10. An apparatus for providing location-based services relating to a wireless unit in a wireless communications network using a data network, comprising:

a computer platform including;

an interface for receiving a data network search request from a wireless unit, said search request including at least one search parameter;

a location module for procuring location information associated with said wireless unit; and

a data network search engine for utilizing said at least one search parameter and said location information as first and second search criteria for searching the data network for responsive information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said interface comprises at least one of:

a data network interface; and

a wireless communications network interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said location module further comprises:

computer logic operative to parse location information from said search request.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said location module comprises:

computer logic operative to request location information for said wireless unit from at least a first location information source.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said responsive information is geographically related to a location of said wireless unit.