SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING CONDITIONAL ACCESS TO TRANSMITTED INFORMATION

• US 20160127329A1
• Filed: 01/09/2016
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NextNav, LLC
• Original Assignee: NextNav, LLC
• Inventors: RAGHUPATHY, Arun, VAJJHALA, Varaprasad, MEIYAPPAN, Subramanian S., JOSEPH, Deepak
• Granted Patent: US 9,787,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Controlling access to position information at a receiver, or at another device external to the receiver. Various considerations, including a requested service type, a user type, a device type, a software application type, a payment, and/or other characteristics associated with a particular software application or distributor of that software application, may be used to control access to position information.

Claims

1. A system for controlling access to position information by one or more applications, the system comprising:

one or more signal processing components;

a position engine;

a first cryptography component positioned to receive encrypted position information that is output from the one or more signal processing components; and

a second cryptography component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second cryptography component is positioned to receive decrypted position information that is output from the first cryptography component, and

the position engine is positioned to receive data that is output from the second cryptography component.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the position engine is positioned to receive data from decrypted position information that is output from the first cryptography component, and

the second cryptography component is positioned to receive location information that is output from the position engine.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second cryptography component is operable to encrypt the location information and is further operable to output the encrypted location information.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the first cryptography component is operable to decrypt, using a first key, the position information that is output from the one or more signal processing components,

the position engine is operable to determine the location information using data from the position information that was decrypted by the first cryptography component, and

the second cryptography component is operable to encrypt, using a second key associated with a first application, a first set of the location information that the first application is permitted to receive.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the system includes a receiver, wherein the location information includes computed latitude, longitude, and altitude of the receiver, and wherein the first set of the location information does not include the latitude, the longitude, or the altitude.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the system includes a receiver, wherein the encrypted position information includes data that specifies position coordinates of and atmospheric measurements from one or more terrestrial transmitters, and wherein the position engine is operable to determine the location information using the position coordinates and the atmospheric measurements in addition to an atmospheric measurement from a sensor of the receiver.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the first cryptography component is operable to decrypt, using a first key, the position information that is output from the one or more signal processing components,

the position engine is operable to determine the location information using data from the position information that was decrypted by the first cryptography component, and

the second cryptography component is operable to encrypt, using a second key associated with a first application, revised location information that is based on the location information and a first level of accuracy permitted for the first application, and that is less accurate than the location information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the location information includes estimated coordinates of a receiver'"'"'s location, and the revised location information includes revised coordinates of the receiver'"'"'s location that are less accurate than the estimated coordinates.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the second cryptography component is operable to encrypt, using a third key associated with a second application, a second set of the location information that the second application is permitted to receive, and wherein some of the location information included in the first set is not included in the second set.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the second cryptography component is operable to encrypt, using a third key associated with a second application, additional revised location information that is based on the location information and a second level of accuracy permitted for the second application that is different than the first level of accuracy permitted for the first application, and that is less accurate than the location information.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the first cryptography component is operable to decrypt, using the first key or another key, additional position information that is output from the one or more signal processing components,

the position engine is operable to determine additional location information from the additional position information that was decrypted by the first cryptography component,

the second cryptography component is operable to encrypt, using a third key associated with a second application, part of the additional location information that the second application is permitted to receive.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the one or more signal processing components are operable to output additional encrypted position information;

the first cryptography component is operable to decrypt, using the first key or another key, the additional position information that is output from the one or more signal processing components,

the position engine is operable to determine, using the additional position information that was decrypted by the first cryptography component, additional location information, and

the second cryptography component is operable to encrypt, using a third key associated with a second application, additional revised location information that is based on the additional location information and that is less accurate than the additional location information.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the system is a receiver that is operable to:

determine, prior to encrypting the first set of the position information, whether information specifying a first level of service that the first application is permitted to receive is stored at the receiver,

upon determining that the information specifying the first level of service is not stored at the receiver, access a first developer key that is associated with the first application,

send the first developer key to a server, and

receive the information specifying the first level of service in response to sending the first developer key to the server.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is a receiver that is operable to:

determine, prior to encrypting the revised location information, whether information specifying the first level of accuracy that the first application is permitted to receive is stored at the receiver,

upon determining that the information specifying the first level of accuracy is not stored at the receiver, access a first developer key that is associated with the first application,

send the first developer key to a server, and

receive the information specifying the first level of accuracy in response to sending the first developer key to the server.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the system is operable to determine the first set of the location information that the first application is permitted to receive based on a first level of service associated with the first application, and wherein the first level of service specifies a time period during which the second key can be used to encrypt the first set of the location information and any subsequent sets of any location information.

17. The system of claim 5, wherein the system is operable to generate the second key after the position information is decrypted.

18. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a data scrambling component, an unprotected communication pathway, and a data descrambling component located between the first cryptography component and the position engine, wherein;

the data scrambling component is operable to scramble the decrypted position information and to send the scrambled decrypted position information to the unprotected communication path,

the data descrambling component is operable to receive the scrambled decrypted position information from the unprotected communication pathway and to unscramble the scrambled decrypted position information, and

the position engine is operable to determine the location information using data from the unscrambled decrypted position information.

19. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a data scrambling component, an unprotected communication pathway, and a data descrambling component located between the first cryptography component and the position engine, wherein;

the data scrambling component is operable to scramble the decrypted position information and to send the scrambled decrypted position information to the unprotected communication path,

the data descrambling component is operable to receive the scrambled decrypted position information from the unprotected communication pathway and to unscramble the scrambled decrypted position information, and

the position engine is operable to determine the location information using data from the unscrambled decrypted position information.

20. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a data scrambling component, an unprotected communication pathway, and a data descrambling component located between the first cryptography component and the position engine, wherein;

the data scrambling component is operable to scramble the decrypted position information and to send the scrambled decrypted position information to the unprotected communication path,

the data descrambling component is operable to receive the scrambled decrypted position information from the unprotected communication pathway and to unscramble the scrambled decrypted position information, and

the position engine is operable to determine the location information using data from the unscrambled decrypted position information.