Temporal Location Sharing

• US 20150172393A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Oplinger, Andrew, Norton, Kenneth, LaPenna, Joseph, Leftin, Kenneth J.
• Application Number:
  US13/194,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172393A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method for sharing location information among a group of participants, the method including generating an invitation to share location information between computing devices of multiple potential participants. The invitation specifies a period of time during which the location information is shared. The method further includes receiving a response to the invitation from each of one or more of the potential participants. Each response includes an identifier for a confirmed participant. The method further includes receiving location information from a computing device of each of the confirmed participants during the period of time. The method further includes providing an interface configured to display, for the period of time, a location of the computing device of each confirmed participant.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for sharing location information among a group of participants, the method comprising:

generating an invitation to share location information between computing devices of multiple potential participants, wherein the invitation specifies a period of time during which the location information is shared;

presenting the invitation to one or more of the potential participants;

receiving a response to the invitation from each of one or more of the potential participants, wherein each response includes an identifier for a confirmed participant;

receiving location information from a computing device of each of the confirmed participants during the period of time;

providing an interface configured to display, for the period of time, a location of the computing device of each confirmed participant; and

specifying permission control for one or more confirmed participants, the permission control including one or more of;

whether event participants are permitted to view the list of participants for the event, or whether event participants are permitted to view the locations of other participants.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a link to the invitation; and

presenting the link to the invitation to one or more of the potential participants in response to requests from the one or more of the potential participants.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from one or more of the confirmed participants to display the locations of the confirmed participants; and

sending, in response to receiving the request to display the locations, a request to the computing device of each confirmed participant for the location of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein sending the request to the computing device for the location of the computing device comprises:

sending a request for location information determined from a terrestrial-based system if none of the locations of the confirmed participants that sent the requests to display the locations are within a threshold distance of the computing device; and

sending a request for location information determined from a satellite-based system if one or more of the locations of the confirmed participants that sent the requests to display the locations are within the threshold distance of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the invitation comprises a request to join a meeting event in a calendar system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the period of time for sharing the location information is based on a time period of the meeting event.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request to join the meeting event includes a control for joining the meeting event and sharing a location, and a control for joining the meeting event without sharing a location.

8. A computer-implemented method for sharing location information among a group of participants, the method comprising:

receiving one or more user inputs that include information defining a location sharing event and which identify multiple potential participants for the location sharing event;

generating invitations to share location information between computing devices of the potential participants during the location sharing event;

presenting the invitations to one or more of the potential participants in response to requests from the potential participants;

receiving a response to the invitations from each of one or more of the potential participants;

wherein each response includes an identifier thr a confirmed participant;

receiving location information from a computing device of each of the confirmed participants;

providing an interface configured to display a location of the computing device of each confirmed participant; and

specifying permission control for one or more confirmed participants, the permission control including one or more of;

whether event participants are permitted to view the list of participants for the event, or whether event participants are permitted to view the locations of other participants.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising;

receiving a request from one or more of the confirmed participants to display the locations of the confirmed participants; and

sending, in response to receiving the request to display the locations, a request to the computing device of each confirmed participant for the location of the computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein sending the request to the computing device for the location of the computing device comprises;

sending a request for location information determined from a terrestrial-based system if none of the locations of the confirmed participants that sent the requests to display the locations are within a threshold distance of the computing device; and

sending a request for location information determined from a satellite-based system if one or more of the locations of the confirmed participants that sent the requests to display the locations are within the threshold distance of the computing device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the invitation comprises a request to join a meeting event in a calendar system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the period of time for sharing the location information is based on a time period of the meeting event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the request to join the meeting event includes a control for joining the meeting event and sharing a location, and a control for joining the meeting event without sharing a location.

14. A computer-implemented system for sharing location information among a group of participants, the system comprising:

at least one hardware interface configured to receive a request, from a client computing device, to generate an invitation to share location information between computing devices of multiple potential participants; and

one or more processors configured to;

generate the invitation;

provide the invitation to computing devices of the potential participants;

receive a response to the invitation from each of a plurality of the potential participants, wherein each response includes an identifier for a confirmed participant;

receive a request from one or more of the confirmed participants to display the locations of the confirmed participants;

send, in response to receiving the request to display the locations, a request to the computing device of each of a first set of one or more of the confirmed participants for location information determined from a first location source if none of the locations of the confirmed participants that sent the requests to display the locations are within a threshold distance of the computing device from the first set;

send, in response to receiving the request to display the locations, a request to the computing device of each of a second set of one or more of the confirmed participants for location information determined from a second location source if one or more of the locations of the confirmed participants that sent the requests to display the locations are within the threshold distance of the computing device from the second set;

receive location information from a computing device of each of the confirmed participants;

provide an interface configured to display a location of the computing device of each confirmed participant; and

specify permission control for one or more confirmed participants, the permission control including one or more of;

whether event participants are permitted to view the list of participants for the event, or whether event participants are permitted to view the locations of other participants.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first location source has a lower power usage than the second location source.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first location source is a terrestrial-based location system and the second location source is a satellite-based location system.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein both the first location source and the second location source are terrestrial-based location systems.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the invitation comprises a request to join a meeting event in a calendar system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the location information is shared for a period of time that is based on a time period of the meeting event.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the request to join the meeting event includes a control for joining the meeting event and sharing a location, and a control for joining the meeting event without sharing a location.