Methods and Systems for Temporarily Sharing Position Data Between Mobile-Device Users

• US 20140378167A1
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X One Inc.
• Original Assignee: X One Inc.
• Inventors: Haney, Richard D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,467,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72418 for supporting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 : including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 : Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 : in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 : Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 : Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 : of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 : Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 : with dynamic range variability
• 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 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 : User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 : Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 : Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 : locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 : Inter-network notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 : for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system for exchanging GPS or other position data between devices for purposes of group activities, child location monitoring, work group coordination, dispatching of employees etc. Cell phones and other wireless devices with GPS receivers have loaded therein a Buddy Watch application that communicates with a remote Buddy Watch Server. The server gets or maintains position data for the wireless devices. When the server receives a request from a first device to set up a temporary position-sharing relationship between it and a second device, the server facilitates symmetrical position sharing between the two devices. While the relationship is active, the server can receive updated position data from one or both devices, and if necessary calculate or recalculate a path based on the updated data. The server can also alert one of the devices should the other move too close to or too far from a specified location. The request message or messages used to establish the temporary position-sharing relationship may include a timeout specifying when the server is to sever the position-sharing relationship.

Claims

1. A method for sharing position data between location-sharing-enabled wireless devices using a location-sharing server, the method comprising:

maintaining a user database associating users with respective ones of the location-sharing-enabled wireless devices;

organizing the users in lists responsive to input from the users; and

establishing a position-sharing relationship between a first of the users, associated with a first of the wireless devices, and a second of the users, associated with a second of the wireless devices, by;

receiving instructions from the first wireless device to request a location of the second wireless;

conveying the request to the second wireless device;

receiving a response from the second wireless device agreeing to share the location of the second wireless device for a time period;

receiving GPS position data from the second wireless device; and

conveying the GPS position data to the first wireless device over the time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the position-sharing relationship is established, receiving second GPS position data from the first wireless device and conveying the second GPS position data to the second wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising serving a map to the first wireless device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising iconically depicting the first user and the second user on the map.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, during the time period, receiving updated GPS position data from the second wireless device and iconically depicting the second user at a second position indicative of the updated GPS position data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions from the first wireless device specify the time period for expiration of the position-sharing relationship.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the position-sharing relationship comprises suggesting a default time period for expiration of the position-sharing relationship.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the first wireless device a distance from the first wireless device to each of a plurality of other wireless devices of users in the list of the first user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying, on the first wireless device and responsive to a command from the first wireless device, a latitude and a longitude of a selected one of the plurality of other wireless devices.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying, on the first wireless device and responsive to a command from the first wireless device, a location of a selected one of the plurality of other wireless devices on a map.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the GPS position data on the first wireless device with a last-reported time for the GPS position.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the location-sharing-enabled wireless devices are Buddy-Watch enabled.

13. A location-sharing system comprising:

location-sharing-enabled wireless devices, each device associated with a user and having a GPS receiver; and

a location-sharing server coupled to the wireless device via a wide-area network, the server having;

a database associating the users with respective ones of the location-sharing-enabled wireless devices and organizing the users in lists; and

software for establishing a position-sharing relationship between a first of the users, associated with a first of the wireless devices, and a second of the users, associated with a second of the wireless devices, by;

receiving instructions from the first wireless device to request a location of the second wireless;

conveying the request to the second wireless device;

receiving a response from the second wireless device agreeing to share the location of the second wireless device for a time period;

receiving GPS position data from the second wireless device; and

conveying the GPS position data to the first wireless device over the time period.

14. The system of claim 13, the software, contingent upon the establishment of the position-sharing relationship, conveying second position data indicating a location of the first wireless device to the second wireless device.

15. The system of claim 13, the server further serving maps to the first wireless device depicting the GPS position data during the time period.

16. The system of claim 15, the wireless devices including second software to communicate with the server during the time period, the first wireless device iconically depicting the second user at a second position indicative of updated GPS position data.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions from the first wireless device specify the time period for expiration of the position-sharing relationship.

18. The system of claim 13, the wireless devices including second software to establish the position-sharing relationship and suggest a default time period for expiration of the position-sharing relationships.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the location-sharing-enabled wireless devices are Buddy-Watch enabled.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on one or more servers, cause the servers to perform a method comprising:

maintaining a user database associating users with respective location-sharing-enabled wireless devices;

organizing the users in lists responsive to input from the users; and

establishing a position-sharing relationship between a first of the users, associated with a first of the wireless devices, and a second of the users, associated with a second of the wireless devices, by;

receiving instructions from the first wireless device to request a location of the second wireless;

conveying the request to the second wireless device;

receiving a response from the second wireless device agreeing to share the location of the second wireless device for a time period;

receiving GPS position data from the second wireless device; and

conveying the GPS position data to the first wireless device over the time period.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising, during the time period, receiving updated GPS position data from the second wireless device and iconically depicting the second user at a second position indicative of the updated GPS position data.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions from the first wireless device specify the time period for expiration of the position-sharing relationship.